Determinants of E-commerce websites’ user interface: A cross-cultural investigation between Saudi Arabia and Philippines

Abstract

It is an argument that the cultural background plays a significant role in the web design of different kinds of websites. Since e-commerce websites are progressing in every country due to the convenience it brings to different web users around the world, it is vital to examine the e-commerce websites as a support to the argument mentioned previously. This paper utilized ISO/IEC 9126-1 quality model criteria to assess and investigates the quality of e-commerce websites and its user interface components of two different cultures: Saudi Arabia and the Philippines. The two countries were chosen since Saudi Arabia has become one the countries where many Filipinos are required for employment due to the latter’s professional work ethics and dedication to work that made them recognized as instrumental in the growth of Saudi Arabia. A tested and validated questionnaire was used for the evaluation of the quality of e-commerce websites of the two cultures. It is found out that across the two cultures, there are significant differences in terms of the user interface components in some features of functionality, usability, and reliability but not found in efficiency component. The findings of the study should be taken into consideration for future research and for the web developers to design websites that are culturally appropriate.