Involvement of Gen Y in online social networking media : role in developing attitude towards brands

Attitude is often seen as a precursor of behaviour, including of consumer behaviour regarding brands. Understanding the underlying elements of attitude is crucial for anyone who wants to learn about behaviour or induce desired behaviours. Though, so far, extensive research has been carried out on attitudes and brands, no research has focused on Gen Y’s attitude formation towards brands, particularly in relation to Gen Y’s involvement in online social networking media. In view of this gap in the literature, this research addressed the following research problem: How does Gen Y’s involvement in online social networking media facilitate the development of their attitudes towards brands through their online friends? By analysing relevant current literature, a framework was developed to investigate the effects of involvement in online social networking media, electronic word of mouth and subjective norms on the formation of attitudes towards brands. Informational influence, trust and tie strength were introduced as mediating variables between involvement in online social networking media and electronic word of mouth. Results indicate that there is a positive influence of Gen Y’s involvement in online social networking media on the electronic word of mouth they receive. It was also found that informational influence is a catalyst (partial mediator) between involvement in online social networking media and word of mouth that Gen Y receive from their online social network friends. Electronic word of mouth has a positive effect on subjective norms and attitudes towards brands. Subjective norms also have a positive effect on attitudes towards brands. Although both male and female Gen Y groups share similar beliefs, female attitudes towards brands are more likely to be affected by the electronic word of mouth they receive than are male attitudes towards brands. On the contrary, males are more affected by the subjective norms to develop attitudes towards brands than are females. Results also indicate that there are intra-generational differences on developing attitudes towards brands: the older group of Gen Y is more affected by electronic word of mouth and subjective norms than the younger group of Gen Y

Business research decisions perspectives : which view should be chosen - 'objectivism' or 'subjectivism'?

A paradigm or worldview is “a basic set of beliefs that guide action” (Guba, 1990: 17). These beliefs have been called paradigms (Lincoln and Guba, 2000; Mertens, 1998); philosophical assumptions, epistemologies, and ontologies (Crotty, 1998); broadly conceived research methodologies (Neuman, 2000); and alternative knowledge claims (Creswell, 2003). A paradigm encompasses three elements: ontology, epistemology and methodology. Ontology raises basic questions about the nature of reality whereas epistemology asks, how do we know the world and what is the relationship between the inquirer and the known? Methodology focuses on how we gain knowledge about the world. From epistemological stances, “two somewhat diverse and potentially irreconcilable paradigms currently exist in the organizational literature, the objectivist and the subjectivist” (McMurray et al., 2004: 9) and holds different philosophies which have shaped over time

Trust on online social networking media friends of ‘Generation Y’ : a multi-item measurement scale

Trust is a key construct in marketing and consumer behaviour studies. Identification and confirmation of the measurement variables of the ‘trust’ construct in relation to generation Y’s online social networking friends is critical for further theory building in the field. In this research a multistage approach has been followed to identify and confirm the measurement variables of trust on online social networking friends of generation Y. These measurement items can now form the basis for various further researches, particularly in online social networking media involvement of generation Y, electronic word of mouth, attitude development and consumer behaviour

Customer Insights

Increasingly, the concept of marketing research is being replaced with the term ‘customer or consumer insights’. As decision-makers are bombarded with data, it is important to have an Insights Team or Department which can sift through it all and identify those nuggets of information that can meaningfully explain human behaviour. Such insights must translate into an informed business strategy for success. This book has been curated to ensure that the practice of data collection, analysis, and interpretation is presented from an industry perspective. This open-access textbook was first released in the 2022 Autumn semester at Western Sydney University. Since then it has been the recommended text for business students at WSU Online, WSU Sydney City Campus, and the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam