The Role of Social Media Browsing Intention for Behavioral Outcomes of Young Consumers
The Role of Social Media Browsing Intention for Behavioral Outcomes of Young Consumers

Summary/Abstract: Purpose – This research study attempts to analyze the online shopping orientation of high-school students through social media and the mediating effects of social media browsing intention on the relationship between shopping orientation and electronic word of mouth. The authors specifically investigated the effect of hypothesized variables, including hedonic and utilitarian motivation,social media browsing intention, word of mouth, and purchase intention.Design/Methodology/Approach – Data were collected from senior high-school students. The total sample of 191 senior high-school students was used to test the research model. A conceptual model was proposed to illustrate the relationships between online shopping orientation and social media browsing intention, and how word of mouth influences purchase intention.Findings and implications – Research results indicate that specific aspects of behavioral orientation, that is, utilitarian and hedonic motivations, have a significantly positive impact on user intention to browse products on social media. Social media browsing intention is linked in a significantly positive manner with word of mouth. Additionally, the mediation analysis approach showed that social media browsing intention mediates the relationship between online shopping orientation and electronic word of mouth. Limitations – One shortfall of the study was its narrow scope. The conceptual framework of the research was tested on senior high-school students. This limited sampling frame may affect the generalization of findings.Originality – This paper provides valuable insights to marketers of the attitude of young online shoppers towards social media sites and their browsing activity. Moreover, a potential mediating process of browsing intention has received no attention to date. Addressingthis, the current study tests a conceptual model that shows how shopping orientation ultimately leads to word of mouth through a mediating chain of social media browsing intention.

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