In this sub-chapter it is finally time to encapsulate the theoretical discussion complement-ed with empirical observations. In this regard, a preliminary framework for designing a customer-friendly electronic servicescape in the context of complex services, such as insur-ance, is proposed in the end of this sub-chapter. However, before introducing the frame-work few concluding notions referring to discussions presented in chapters 3, 4, and 5 are discussed.
From service management point of view, the core of the theoretical discussion of this study is derived from service design literature. More precisely, the main focus is on examin-ing the phenomenon earlier referred to as service facility design. This approach is preferred since service facility design can be considered as a phenomenon through which the con-tent of the service (concept) is visualized and concretized to the customers. According to the earlier literature, service facility design emphasizes the designing of supporting facilities and layout factors of (physical) service environment (e.g. Fitzsimmons and Fitzsimmons 2006). In this regard, the “servicescape” introduced by Bitner (1992) depicts the essential determinants for designing a physical service environment. These determinants comprise:
1) ambient conditions, 2) spatial layout and functionality, and 3) signs, symbols and arte-facts.
Further, earlier research on services has addressed that when customers are observing and evaluating a service they might actually observe and evaluate the physical facilities of a service provider instead (Baker et al. 1988; Turley and Fugate 1992) since they provide a tangible “physical evidence” of the existence of service (e.g. Bitner 1992; Zeithaml and Bit-ner 2006). However, in the electronic service environment such physical elements cannot be observed and evaluated since they do not exist. For the same reason, the “servicescape”
model cannot be applied as such. In this study, it is, thus, adapted to the electronic service context.
In this sense, IS literature, especially research on Web site usability is reviewed to discover the essential structural characteristics of electronic servicescape. In this study I theoretically suggest that the elements that customers are observing and evaluating in the electronic service environment in order to discover “concrete, although non-physical, evi-dence” about the content of the service are related to Web site usability. On the basis of earlier literature combined with the results of two pilot studies discussed in chapters 4.3.1 and 4.3.2, four usability-related elements (content, navigation, appearance, and interactiv-ity/assistance) are suggested as the determinants of electronic insurance servicescape.
However, characterizing the electronic servicescape only provides a picture about the structure of the electronic service environment. In addition, customers’ intentions and attitudes to operate in the electronic service environment as well as the ability of the elec-tronic service environment to create appealing service experiences determine the custom-er-friendliness approach on the design of the electronic servicescape. In this sense, the extant literature on service experiences (see chapter 5.1) provides an appropriate service-oriented approach on customer-friendliness. From IS research viewpoint, Technology ac-ceptance model (TAM) provides a feasible approach and essential “ingredients” on con-sidering the customers’ intentions to use electronic services. Integrating the discussions on service experiences and technology acceptance of customers, I shall suggest that ease of use and pleasure can be considered as preliminary theoretical indicators of creating appealing electronic insurance service experiences.
In addition, the results of the second pilot study on the usability of electronic insur-ance services (see chapter 4.3.2) reveal that trustworthiness is perceived as a fundamental feature of electronic insurance service environment, and insurance business in general by the respondents. Further, security is discussed as one of the crucial elements of electronic services in general (see chapter 4.1.3). In line with this, discussion on the technology read-iness model in chapter 5.2 reveals that insecurity has been considered as the most remark-able barrier on the advancement of electronic services. From usability point of view, earlier research has proposed that the greater the usability of a Web site is, the more secure the customers perceive the electronic service environment (Flavián et al. 2006, 3). From the conceptual point of view security and trustworthiness can be considered to be related to each other as discussed by Yousafzai et al. (2003). In this regard, I shall suggest trustwor-thiness as an additional element to ease of use and pleasure in characterizing the creation of appealing electronic insurance service experiences.
Following the principles of design research methodology the constructed framework is called a development artefact. As March and Smith (1995) have established artefacts do not necessarily have to be technical devices. At least four types of artefacts can be devel-oped. These comprise: constructs, models, methods, and instantiations. In this study the presented artefact refers to both constructs and models. On one hand, conceptual under-standing on the investigated phenomenon is acquired by scanning the earlier literature and applying the derived theoretical concepts to the scope of this study. On the other hand, these concepts are bound together as a form of framework preliminarily indicating the design of a customer-friendly electronic servicescape in the context of complex services, such as insurance. The developed artefact is depicted in Figure 20.
As chapters 3 and 4 as well as this chapter indicate, the above presented preliminary framework and the concepts included are mainly based on earlier theoretical discussion.
However, theoretical framework is complemented with empirical observations. The
us-ability-related attributes (interactivity/assistance, content, navigation, and appearance) are empirically examined in the insurance context through the two pilot studies (see chapters 4.3.1 and 4.3.2), and thereby, established to be appropriate for the purpose of the study.
A “traditional versus novel” typology is introduced as the most fundamental empirical implication for this study. In addition, ease of use and pleasure approaches were empiri-cally characterized through “insurance cover evaluator” service concept. The empirical evidence complementing the theoretical framework is highlighted with light blue, partly transparent areas in Figure 20.
From the empirical research point of view the electronic servicescape refers to the question: “what the customer desires to see in the electronic service environment?” Another
Complex services
Electronic servicescape
Interactivity/
Assistance
Content
Navigation
Appearance
“Traditional versus novel typology”
Characteristics for creation of appealing electronic (insurance) service experiences
“What are the factors encourage the customer to operate in electronic service environment”?
”What the customer desires to see”?
”Insurance cover evaluator”
Ease of Use
Pleasure
Trustworthiness
FIGURE 20. PRELIMINARY FRAMEWORK FOR DESIGNING A CUSTOMER-FRIENDLY ELECTRONIC INSURANCE SERVICESCAPE
question (“what are the factors encouraging the customer to operate in electronic insurance service environment?”) displayed in the framework refers to the elements indicating the customer-friendliness (ease of use, pleasure, and trustworthiness), and thereby, the char-acteristics creating appealing electronic (insurance) service experiences. The blue clouds illustrate that the customers’ insights into the appealing electronic service experiences are engendered through the electronic servicescape. In the next chapter the crucial principles for empirically evaluating the functionality of the developed artefact proposed in Figure 20 are introduced and discussed.