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Service equality in virtual reference

Author

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  • Pnina Shachaf
  • Shannon M. Oltmann
  • Sarah M. Horowitz

Abstract

Research is divided about the potential of e‐service to bridge communication gaps, particularly to diverse user groups. According to the existing body of literature, e‐service may either increase or decrease the quality of service received. This study analyzes the level of service received by different genders and ethnic groups when academic and public librarians answered 676 online reference queries. Quality of e‐service was evaluated along three dimensions: timely response, reliability, and courtesy. This study found no significant differences among different user groups along any of these dimensions, supporting the argument that the virtual environment facilitates equitable service and may overcome some challenges of diverse user groups.

Suggested Citation

  • Pnina Shachaf & Shannon M. Oltmann & Sarah M. Horowitz, 2008. "Service equality in virtual reference," Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 59(4), pages 535-550, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jamist:v:59:y:2008:i:4:p:535-550
    DOI: 10.1002/asi.20757
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    Cited by:

    1. Wajeeha Aslam & Ayesha Tariq & Imtiaz Arif, 2019. "The Effect of ATM Service Quality on Customer Satisfaction and Customer Loyalty: An Empirical Analysis," Global Business Review, International Management Institute, vol. 20(5), pages 1155-1178, October.
    2. Yan Fang & Zhuowen Qu & Wenhua Wang, 2023. "Developing the Scale for Measuring the Service Quality of Internet-Based E-Waste Collection Platforms," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-16, May.

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