First and Second Order Confirmatory Factor Models With Service And Product Quality Perceptions of Supermarket Customers: An Empirical Investigation

There are various models proposed for conceptualization and measurement of customers’ perceptions of service quality in the marketing literature. This study presents an empirical evaluation of customers’ perceptions of service and product quality in the chain supermarkets within the Turkish retail sector through developing and estimating multidimensional factor models such as independent clusters factor model (correlated factor model) and second order (hierarchical) factor model. For this purpose, interaction quality, physical aspects and reliability dimensions of service quality were conceptualized as first order factors of a superordinate second order factor of service quality in the hierarchical model. However, product quality perceptions were also considered because service quality alone is not enough to explain quality in all respects for supermarkets. With considering customer perceived product quality and product policy as product quality dimensions correlated with first and second order service quality factors, confirmatory analyses indicated that the first-order model consisting of five correlated factors −for which valid and reliable measures are provided− has better fit than the model with the second order service quality factor.