Customers’ experienced product quality: scale development and validation

Abstract

Purpose Product quality is a central construct in several management domains. Theoretical conceptualizations of product quality unanimously stress its multidimensional nature. Yet, no generalizable, multidimensional product quality scale exists. This study develops and validates a multidimensional Customers’ experienced product quality (CEPQ) scale, across four diverse product categories. Design/methodology/approach Based on the exploratory studies, CEPQ is conceptualized as a second-order reflective-formative construct and validated in quantitative studies with survey data collected in the USA. Findings Results reveal that the CEPQ scale and its underlying quality dimensions possess sound psychometric properties. In addition, CEPQ has a substantial impact on customer behavior over and above customer satisfaction. The strength of this impact is positively moderated by expertise and quality consciousness. CEPQ predicts objective quality scores from consumer reports substantially better than the existing measures of product quality. Research limitations/implications The cross-sectional nature of the main study, as well as samples from only one country, restricts the generalizability of the findings. Practical implications Operations managers and marketers should start to measure CEPQ as an additional key metric. The formative weights of the first-order quality dimensions explain how customers define product quality in a specific product category. Originality/value A generalizable, multidimensional scale of product quality, CEPQ, is developed and validated. Materials as a new product quality dimension is identified. Once correctly measured, product quality ceases to be a mere input to satisfaction. Boundary conditions for CEPQ’s relevance were hypothesized and confirmed.