Exploration of factors influencing body image satisfaction and purchase intent

2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 208-229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Emma Rieke ◽  
Deborah Clay Fowler ◽  
Hyo Jung Chang ◽  
Natalia Velikova
Keyword(s):  
Body Image ◽  
Generation Y ◽  
Ethnic Diversity ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Reasoned Action ◽  
The State ◽  
Purchase Intent ◽  
Body Type ◽  
Body Image Satisfaction ◽  
Content Type

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine which factors impact body image satisfaction of Generation Y college age and young professional females born between the years of 1980 and 1993, age 20-33 years in the State of Texas. Design/methodology/approach – An online survey created in Qualtrics was e-mailed to recruit research participants. Quantitative data were collected and analyzed in IBM SPSS Statistics 21. Exploratory factor analysis, reliability, computing variable mean, and linear multiple regression were performed. The variables explored were divided and grouped into major factors. Findings – Millennial females are influenced by their own personal preferences, morals and beliefs, and certain occasions, seasons, climate, and the weather. These factors significantly influence body image satisfaction. The model developed in this study provides researchers with a new perspective on body image satisfaction and purchase intent. This study extends the theory of reasoned action by identifying specific factors which influence body image satisfaction which leads to the final purchase decision. Research limitations/implications – Because of this method of data collection the study might not be generalizable to the entire Millennial population. The sample is a small representative sample in the population with only Millennial females’ ages 20-33 years in the State of Texas. Although the study focussed on a single state, the state is an extremely large state encompassing 36 percent of the USA population. Additionally, race/ethnic diversity was also a limitation, as the majority of the sample was Caucasian. Thus, a larger and more diverse sample of age, race/ethnicity, and residence could be added for more generalizable results. Practical implications – The findings of this study enable retailers to understand how body image can impact the customers perceptions of their stores and their employees. Marketers and retailers should focus on marketing to Millennial females through more personal approach targeting what is appropriate for the consumers size body type labeled clothing size and certain occasions. Social implications – Confidence in decision making while purchasing apparel is an important aspect of shopping. Further research could benefit from focussing on determining the confidence drivers and their origins. Originality/value – This study enhances literature by providing a glimpse into the minds of Generation Y female consumers’ body image satisfaction and the factors driving them to purchase apparel.

Consumer attitudes towards bloggers and paid blog advertisements: what’s new?

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (7) ◽  
pp. 778-793 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick van Esch ◽  
Denni Arli ◽  
Jenny Castner ◽  
Nabanita Talukdar ◽  
Gavin Northey
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Consumer Attitudes ◽  
Design Flow ◽  
Personal Contact ◽  
Purchase Intent ◽  
Online Retail ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Perceived Trust ◽  
Segmentation Strategy ◽  
Consumer Skepticism

Purpose Reports show that 6.77m people published blogs on blogging websites and more than 12m people write blogs using their social network. However, few studies have explored consumer attitudes toward bloggers and their advertising. Therefore, an effort to discover how paid blog advertisements influence consumer attitudes toward bloggers and the products they advertise will help marketers gain an understanding of how to use bloggers as paid sponsors to influence consumer purchase intent. Using online survey approach, a study recruited participants (n=210) through an online survey platform (MTurk). The results indicated that the similarity between the consumer and the ad creator is an important psychological reason why consumers are more likely to perceive advertisements as more authentic, more affective, less deceptive and more credible, and they are thus more likely to trust the blogger. On the other hand, the importance of ad attribute (authenticity) does not significantly influence consumers’ intention to purchase products advertised by a blogger. As consumers are becoming more skeptical of advertisements, blogs need to be entertaining and a pleasure to view. Not only does the content need to be interesting, the design, flow and clarity of the blogs must also be considered important factors. In addition, advertising needs to be believable, credible and honest. In the online world, trust and credibility are still paramount in attracting consumers’ engagement; hence, promoting companies’ products and services through blogs can be an effective strategy to lower consumer skepticism barriers. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach Participants answered questions about their attitudes toward bloggers and their advertising when purchasing products in an online retail environment. Furthermore, participants also answered questions about their perceived trust in the bloggers themselves as well as the authenticity and credibility of the brand-related communication received from bloggers. Moreover, they reported on their attitudes toward how deceptive they considered bloggers and their advertising to be. Finally, participants reported how paid blog advertisements influence their purchase intent. Findings Similarity toward the ad creator is an important psychological reason behind consumers’ attitude toward blogs. Consumers who follow a blog often have the same interests and are thus more likely to support bloggers. This idea can be used as a segmentation strategy to reach particular consumers. Consumers who perceive similarity with the ad creator are more likely to recognize the ads as more authentic, affective, credible and trustworthy as well as less deceptive, regarding the blogger. Blogs need to be entertaining and a pleasure to view. Not only does the content need to be interesting but the design, flow and clarity of the blog are also important factors. Blog advertising needs to be believable, credible and honest. In the online world, trust and credibility are still paramount in attracting consumers’ engagement with the website, bloggers or social media. Originality/value Trust in the blogger did not influence consumers’ purchase intent; however, it did influence their attitude toward how similar they are with the blogger. In an online shopping environment, the human touch and personal contact between consumers and retailers has been lost. Consumers often leave the online transaction due to a lack of trust. Therefore, bloggers can be replacements for the missing “salesperson” in online interactions. Companies can use bloggers as the mediating person to reach their intended audiences, bridging the gap between the company and consumers.

Black Beauty: Womanist Consciousness as a Protective Factor in Black Women’s Body Image Satisfaction

2021 ◽  
pp. 009579842110349
Author(s):  
Speshál Walker Gautier
Keyword(s):  
Body Image ◽  
Ethnic Identity ◽  
Body Satisfaction ◽  
Protective Factor ◽  
Skin Tone ◽  
Black American ◽  
Body Type ◽  
Body Image Satisfaction ◽  
American Women ◽  
Black American Women

Black American women are exposed to mainstream beauty standards, which may have implications for body image satisfaction. Given that beauty standards are often based on idealized depictions of White women’s physical features, scholars have called for body image research that extends beyond body type/weight (e.g., skin tone/hair) to better examine the experiences of Black women. In examining body image satisfaction and protective factors (e.g., ethnic identity), empirical research has yet to attend to these experiences at the intersection of race/ethnicity and gender. The current study used an online survey to examine whether womanist consciousness (WC) was a protective factor for Black American women ( N = 211). Findings indicated that after controlling for ethnic identity, higher womanist consciousness significantly predicted higher body satisfaction with historically racially defined features (e.g., skin tone/hair) and lower self-ideal discrepancy. Darker skin tone was linked to higher body importance and higher ethnic identity level. Last, increased frequency of wearing hair weaves was associated with lower body satisfaction while more frequently wearing Afrocentric hair styles/textures was associated with higher body satisfaction.

scholarly journals Factors affecting eWOM credibility, information adoption and purchase intention on Generation Y: a case from Thailand

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmad Daowd ◽  
Ruaa Hasan ◽  
Tillal Eldabi ◽  
Piyya Muhammad Rafi-ul-Shan ◽  
Dongmei Cao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Generation Y ◽  
Purchase Intention ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Source Credibility ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Consumer Decision Making ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Argument Quality ◽  
The Impact

PurposeWith the ever-expanding online shopping, electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) has become a significant factor affecting the consumer decision-making behaviour. This is specially the case when considering Generation Y (Millennials), who are old enough to be independent buyers and young to be almost immersed in online living. This article aims to assess the impact of eWOM on purchase intention by developing a conceptual model of hypotheses encompassing a multitude of factors that may be associated with this relationship.Design/methodology/approachThe researcher investigates what factors impact eWOM credibility and make the consumer may adopt it when making a purchase. To examine our research model, a quantitative approach is employed for this purpose using a sample through online survey from Thailand – where there is a large number portion Generation Y consumer base.FindingsIt was found that source style as a visual attribute information is the most significant factor that may impact eWOM credibility in addition to source credibility, argument quality and source homophily, respectively.Practical implicationsFrom a practical point of view, it helps firms to understand what needs to be taken into consideration when building their marketing strategy.Originality/valueThis is believed to add significant insights into the eWOM literature by identifying its route of impact toward the purchase intention on Generation Y.

Have coffee/tea, will travel: assessing the inclination towards sustainable coffee and tea tourism among the green generations

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jasmine A.L. Yeap ◽  
Say Keat Ooi ◽  
Husna Ara ◽  
Muhamad Faizal Said
Keyword(s):  
Generation Y ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Theory Of Planned Behaviour ◽  
Strategic Action ◽  
Sustainable Practices ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Key Variables ◽  
Tourism Destinations ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This study aims to identify the key variables which determine intentions to visit coffee/tea tourism plantations particularly those adopting sustainable practices. Also, this study ascertained the perception of risk in travelling due to the fear of Covid-19 on travel intentions to such coffee/tea tourism destinations. Design/methodology/approach Using the theory of planned behaviour as a basis for this study’s framework, data was gathered from 302 eco-conscious Generation Y and Z consumers via an online survey. Partial least squares were then applied to analyse the data. Findings Learning and relaxation motives were important in determining consumers’ attitudes towards sustainable coffee/tea tourism. The intention to engage in sustainable coffee/tea tourism is most strongly affected by the risk of travelling, followed by attitude. Research limitations/implications The addition of contemporary variables was given to the theory of planned behaviour’s core constructs to better reflect consumers’ attitude and behaviour towards a growing form of tourism under unprecedented times. Practical implications Travel or tourism operators will have first-hand insights on the factors that drive intentions to visit sustainable coffee and tea destinations, thus enabling more strategic action to be undertaken to reach the targeted young consumers. Originality/value This study examines young, environmental-conscious consumers’ perspectives on novel travel destinations which adopt sustainable practices. Risk in travelling was assessed which is necessary given Covid-19 has severely disrupted consumers’ travel patterns.

To click or not to click the link: the factors influencing internet banking users’ intention in responding to phishing emails

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Suganthi Manoharan ◽  
Norliza Katuk ◽  
Syahida Hassan ◽  
Rahayu Ahmad
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Reasoned Action ◽  
Least Squares Method ◽  
Internet Banking ◽  
Individual Factors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Technological Factors ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
Phishing Attacks ◽  
The Individual

Purpose Despite internet banking’s popularity, there is a rise in phishing attacks related to online banking transactions. Phishing attacks involved the process of sending out electronic mails impersonating the valid banking institutions to their customers and demanding confidential data such as credential and transaction authorisation code. The purpose of this paper is to propose a theoretical model of individual and technological factors influencing Malaysian internet banking users’ intention in responding to malicious uniform resource locator (URL) in phishing email content. Design/methodology/approach It applied the protective motivation theory, the theories of reasoned action and planned behaviour, the habit theory and the trust theory to examine the factors influencing internet banking users’ intention to click URLs in phishing emails. The study identifies individual and technological factors with ten hypotheses. A total of 368 Malaysian respondents voluntarily participated in an online survey conducted in the first week of March 2021. The partial least squares method provided in SmartPLS-3 was used to model the data. Findings The results revealed that individual factors, namely, internet banking experience, understanding the phishing meaning, response cost, trust and perceived ability were the significant influencing factors of internet banking users’ intention to click the link in phishing emails. This study also suggested that technological factors were not relevant in describing the behavioural intention of internet banking users in clicking the links in phishing emails. Social implications The findings could contribute to Malaysian banking sectors and relevant government agencies in educating and increasing internet banking users’ awareness towards phishing emails. Originality/value The outcomes demonstrated the individual factors that influenced internet banking users’ intention in responding to phishing emails that are specific and relevant to Malaysia’s context.

Please do not disturb: the effect of Zero-Contact Marketing on Korean consumers' decision-making process

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Arim Park ◽  
Hyun Sang An ◽  
Ju Myung Song ◽  
Christina Chung
Keyword(s):  
South Korea ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Reasoned Action ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Environment ◽  
Revisit Intention ◽  
Marketing Service ◽  
Retail Setting

PurposeThis study examines the effectiveness of Zero-Contact Marketing that minimizes contact between employees and consumers in marketplaces by adopting an integrated research framework of motivation theory, servicescape model and the theory of reasoned action (TRA).Design/methodology/approachThis study randomly collected 314 respondents through an online survey in May 2020 in South Korea. Structural equation modeling (SEM) assessed the overall hypothetical research model.FindingsZero-Contact Marketing facilitates the positive impacts of Korean consumers' motivations (intrinsic and extrinsic) and service environment on their word-of-mouth (WOM) intention to spread information about a store offering Zero-Contact Marketing service and the store revisit intention. In addition, consumers' attitude toward Zero-Contact Marketing and shopping pleasure (SPL) has stronger impacts on consumers' WOM intention than they do on the store revisit intention.Research limitations/implicationsThe limitation of this study lies in that the survey participants responded only in South Korea, which may lead to biased results. To provide a more generalized insight, this study should be extended by considering consumers in other countries, since many consumers around the world tend to minimize face-to-face interaction and avoid unnecessary interruptions under the current pandemic.Practical implicationsBy minimizing the social interaction between employees and consumers, Zero-Contact Marketing may increase consumers' shopping satisfaction with free shopping moments and no disturbance, especially under the COVID-19 pandemic.Originality/valueThe findings provide theoretical contributions by empirically validating the effects of intrinsic and extrinsic motivations and service environment on consumers' internal and external responses in a Zero-Contact retail setting.

Brand tribalism and self-expressive brands: social influences and brand outcomes

2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 333-348 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorna Ruane ◽  
Elaine Wallace
Keyword(s):  
Social Network ◽  
Generation Y ◽  
Brand Loyalty ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Online Social Network ◽  
Interpersonal Influence ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Susceptibility To Interpersonal Influence ◽  
Social Network Influence ◽  
Brand Tribalism

Purpose – This study aims to examine the relationship between social influence and consumers’ self-expression through brands. It considers susceptibility to interpersonal influence and social network influence on self-expressive brands and brand tribalism. The study examines whether self-expressive brands and brand tribalism influence brand loyalty and word of mouth (WOM). Design/methodology/approach – A cross-sectional online survey was carried out with members of Generation Y in Ireland. Data from 675 complete responses were analysed using SPSS 20 and AMOS 20. A structural model tested nine hypothesised relationships. Findings – Findings indicate that both online social network influence and susceptibility to interpersonal influence are antecedents of tribalism and self-expressive brands. Consumers of self-expressive brands are loyal and offer positive WOM. By contrast, those who seek tribal membership have less brand loyalty and offer less WOM than other consumers. Findings suggest that consumers may be loyal to tribes, rather than to brands. This informs our understanding of the role of tribes for consumers and brand outcomes. Research limitations/implications – This study is limited to Generation Y consumers within Ireland. Originality/value – This is the first study to explore the effect of consumers’ perceptions about online social network influence on brand tribalism. In addition, their views about the influence of the social network on self-expressive brand consumption, and brand outcomes, are identified. This paper highlights consumers’ susceptibility to interpersonal influence on their brand choices and brand tribalism. In addition, it is shown that brand loyalty and WOM are not always a consequence of tribal membership. By contrast, self-expressive brand consumption enhances brand WOM and brand loyalty.

Merit selecting school leaders: Australian principals' perspectives

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (8) ◽  
pp. 1303-1315
Author(s):  
Kevin Steed ◽  
John De Nobile ◽  
Manjula Waniganayake
Keyword(s):  
School Leadership ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
School Principals ◽  
School Leaders ◽  
The State ◽  
Head Teachers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Playing Field ◽  
South Wales

PurposeThis research paper explores the perspectives of Australian school principals in the state of New South Wales (NSW) regarding what they believe constitutes “merit” when selecting deputy principals, assistant principals (primary) and head teachers (secondary).Design/methodology/approachAn online survey was utilised to collect qualitative and quantitative data from school principals across the state of NSW to investigate their understanding of, and approach to, the merit selection of their respective school leadership cadres.FindingsStudy findings indicated a statewide variance in the perceptions of principals when identifying merit for the purposes of recruiting school leadership teams. These findings question the widely held view that candidates compete for school leadership positions on a level playing field.Practical implicationsIn practical terms, the findings indicate that NSW school principals would benefit from more intensive professional learning opportunities designed to enhance their ability to objectively identify and assess merit when selecting school leaders.Originality/valueThis study contributes to an enhanced understanding in an area where there is a paucity of research-based evidence focusing upon the perspectives of school principals regarding their understanding of meritocratic theory and its influence on their school leadership selection practice.

Uniqueness and status consumption in Generation Y consumers

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (5) ◽  
pp. 673-687 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luke Butcher ◽  
Ian Phau ◽  
Anwar Sadat Shimul
Keyword(s):  
Generation Y ◽  
Purchase Intention ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Population Heterogeneity ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Gen Y ◽  
Status Consumption ◽  
Need For Uniqueness

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the existence of consumers’ need for uniqueness (CNFU) and status consumption (SC) in Generation Y (Gen Y). In exploring such, the equivalency of each construct (measurement invariance and population heterogeneity) is examined across early and late Gen Y consumers. Design/methodology/approach A self-administered online survey is examined, with the sample of 397 Gen Y respondents analyzed through structural equation modeling. Findings The results reveal that Gen Y consumers experience a need for uniqueness in a three-factor composition which is invariant across earlier and later Gen Y consumers. Similarly, SC is observed amongst Gen Y, with the empirical results again equivalent across the two groups. Finally, SC is supported to directly influence Gen Y’s purchase intention (PI) of luxury fashion goods, with the three CNFU constructs failing to directly influence PI, or SC’s influence on PI. Practical implications Results suggest to practitioners that not only are CNFU and SC motivations existent in Gen Y consumers, but they act similarly across early (19-23) and later (24-34) members of the consumer segment. Additionally, SC positively influences Gen Y’s purchase behavior of luxury fashion goods. Practitioners may target such consumers with reassurance that these groups do not behave differently with respect to CNFU and SC. Originality/value This study explores for the first time the three factors of CNFU and SC amongst Gen Y consumers. Such analysis, including the invariance of responses between those later and earlier born Gen Y consumers, and the structural relationships shared between these constructs and PI of luxury fashion goods offer intriguing insights for academics and practitioners alike.

scholarly journals Coffee culture: Will Nigerians drink coffee like others?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayodele Christopher Oniku ◽  
Olamide Akintimehin
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Coffee Consumption ◽  
The State ◽  
Quantitative Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Southern Nigeria ◽  
Fit Indexes

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the coffee culture of citizens of Southern Nigeria. Specifically, different scales were developed to measure coffee culture among the citizens which cover health, socialisation, elitism, culture and commercialisation factors. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative approach was adopted for the study, and factor analysis was used to analyse the data collected through an online survey. As a result, EFA and CFA showed the test of sphericity and the different fit indexes. Findings The findings revealed the experiences of consumers and their disposition to coffee consumption to establish coffee culture among the citizens. Largely, the findings revealed that coffee culture is still very low among the citizens and the summation that coffee culture is still in infancy. Originality/value Given the importance of coffee culture in the larger world, and acceptance of coffee as a global social drink, the design of a scale that focussed on socialisation, health, elitism, culture and commercialisation factors help to robustly investigate the state of coffee culture among the citizens.

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