E-S-QUAL Dimensions and Satisfaction on Korean E-Commerce Platforms: A Study of Multicultural Consumers in Busan

The study contributes empirical evidence from Korea’s e-commerce context, underscoring the importance of E-S-QUAL dimensions for customer satisfaction and competitiveness. This study examines how electronic service quality (E-S-QUAL) relates to customer satisfaction among foreign residents (multicultural consumers) living in Busan who use Korean e-commerce platforms. Survey data were collected from platform users residing in Busan (n=148), with a majority of non-Korean nationals. Exploratory factor analysis supported the four E-S-QUAL dimensions (Efficiency, System Availability, Fulfillment, and Privacy). Multiple regression results indicate that Fulfillment is the strongest predictor of customer satisfaction, followed by System Availability and Privacy, while Efficiency is not statistically significant in this population context. These findings suggest that, for multicultural users interacting with Korean digital commerce environments, outcome- and reliability-related service features may matter more for satisfaction than perceived process efficiency. Practical implications are discussed for improving service design and support for multicultural customers using Korean e-commerce platforms.