Service Quality Determinants of E-Hailing Performance: The Mediating Role of Professionalism in Kuala Lumpur

This research examines how responsiveness affects e-hailing service performance through the mediating role of professionalism. Despite Malaysia’s rapid digital transformation in public transportation, empirical insights into behavioral drivers of service quality remain limited. Adopting a quantitative approach, data were gathered from 391 e-hailing users in Kuala Lumpur using structured questionnaires. The responses were analyzed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) via SmartPLS to test direct and indirect effects. The study integrates SERVQUAL and Sociological theories to provide a multidimensional explanation of how responsiveness and professional behavior shape performance outcomes. Findings reveal that responsiveness directly improves service performance and indirectly strengthens it through professionalism. Drivers’ courteous communication, punctuality, and commitment to ethical conduct are identified as crucial contributors to customer satisfaction and trust. This research expands the application of SERVQUAL theory by empirically validating professionalism as a mediating construct, contributing both theoretically and practically to service management and e-hailing quality improvement in Malaysia.