The classification of WebQual dimensions based on the asymmetric impact-performance of Kano's customer satisfaction model: A case study of the Tehran virtual university website

The extension of the Internet and World Wide Web has created new opportunities as well as new challenges for institutions and individuals who are either receiving or delivering education. Electronic learning is one of the most important breakthroughs in education in which the website is the first access point that users receive educational services provided. Therefore, website quality should be considered as an important factor resulted in the success of virtual learning and studied in a more detailed manner from the e-learners’ perspective. This paper aims to classify the quality aspects of the Tehran virtual university website (webqual 4.0) according to the Kano model of customer satisfaction and determine the asymmetric impact of the webqual 4.0 dimensions’ performance on overall user satisfaction in order to prioritize those dimensions in resource allocation, as well as sensitize the managers of the mentioned website. This is a descriptive-survey and applied study, and also a cross-sectional one. The study population included Tehran University students studying in virtual courses and the data collection tool was the questionnaire of webqual 4.0, as well as, a researcher-made questionnaire to measure end-user satisfaction. Multiple regression analysis was used to investigate the impact of performance asymmetry. The result showed that usability dimension was the high-performance excitement factor, information quality dimension was a high-performing basic factor, and service interaction dimension had low performance scores and was a basic factor. And finally, a short-term plan to improve service interaction dimension to reduce user discontent and a long-term plan to better both information quality and usability dimensions to increase user satisfaction was proposed.