factors affecting consumer decision making while purchasing a shirt
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A causal research report, done on a small sample of 70TRANSCRIPT
Factors Affecting Consumer’s Decision Making while Purchasing a Shirt
Term Paper on
“Factors Affecting Consumer’s Decision Making while Purchasing a Shirt”
Submitted to: Dr. Md. Humayun Kabir Chowdhury
Chairperson & Professor Business Administration East West University
Submitted By: 1. Md. Rezaur Rahman (2008‐2‐10‐018)
2. Shati Itminan (2008‐2‐10‐121) 3. Syed Junayedul Haque (2008‐2‐10‐246)
4. S.M. Farhad (2008‐2‐10‐285)
Date of Submission: 17th August, 2011.
17th August, 2011
Dr. Md. Humayun Kabir Chowdhury Chairperson & Professor Business Administration East West University Mohakhali, Dhaka, Bangladesh Subject: Submission of term paper on “Factors Affecting Consumer’s Decision Making while Purchasing a Shirt” Dear Sir, Here is the term paper we, three group members were assigned to work for the assignment on “Factors Affecting Consumer’s Decision Making while Purchasing a Shirt” as the final term paper for the course “MKT 414”. During group work, we found it quite absorbing and enjoyable to work with the practical aspects of marketing research. As a result, the group participation was maximum and the outcome was quite productive. Due to the scarcity of secondary data and the time constraints and other problems, we have tried our best to make the project as logical as we could. Therefore, we would be obliged if you please accept this assignment. If any further assistance are needed please contact us. Sincerely yours,
Md. Rezaur Rahman ……………………………..
Shati Itminan ………………………………………..
Syed Junayedul Haque…………………………..
S.M. Farhad…………………………………………..
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Contents Page Executive Summary iv 1.0 INTRODUCTION 5 1.1 Origin of the Report 5 1.2 Objectives of the Study 6 1.3 Methodology 6 1.4 Limitations of the Study 6
2.0 RELATIVE CONSTRUCTS OF THE STUDY 7
3.0 OBJECTIVES AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS 10
4.0 HYPOTHESIS OF THE STUDY 11 4.1 Influence of Quality 11 4.2 Influence of Brand Image 11 4.3 Influence of Fashion 12 4.4 Influence of Availability 12 4.5 Influence of Price 12 5.0 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 13
5.1 Presets 13 5.2 Sample 13 5.3 Data Collection Method and Procedure 15 5.4 Measurement of the Variables 16
6.0 RESULTS 17
7.0 DISCUSSION 19
8.0 CONCLUSION 21
9.0 LIMITATION AND FUTURE RESEARCH 22
APPENDIX
A. Internal Consistency Test 23 B. R2 values 28 C. Regression Analysis 29 D. References 30 E. Sample Questionnaire 31
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The Marketing Research paper, Factors Affecting Consumer’s Decision Making while
Purchasing a Shirt is the most important addition to the practical application of theoretical
knowledge and experience on real research aspects of Marketing. This is really a delightful
experience.
It is amazing and fascinating finding so many dependable people around, who have given
necessary guidelines and advices while formulating this paper. Learning what determines a
good employer, the team remains ever grateful to them, who all have helped to write this
report. We also extend our acknowledgement to all those, who helped us by answering our
queries pertinent to the data collection of our report.
A special debt is due to our instructor Dr. Md. Humayun Kabir Chowdhury, our respected
faculty for the valuable guidance in the preparation of this report. We have been immensely
benefited from his valuable guidance in the process of understanding and preparing this report.
Without his active support, continuous encouragement, and constructive criticism, probably it
would not be possible to write an informative and objective report. His active assistance in
working out a framework for the paper has helped to complete the assignment within given
time.
We also acknowledge the contributions of the librarian of East West University, 43 Mohakhali,
C/A, Dhaka‐1212 for allowing us to utilize their library facilities.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
A shirt is a cloth garment for the upper body. Although shirt was an item of men's underwear
until the twentieth century, today it is one of most popular form of man's garment. Shirts can
be of different kind’s like‐ camp shirt, formal shirt, sports shirt etc. Shirts are almost ubiquitous
with their uncountable variations. However, among the myriad kinds of shirts, consumers often
stick to some definite ones. This study focuses on analysis of the factors that affect a consumer
while making purchase decision of a shirt. The five factors we considered, here are: Quality,
Brand Image, Fashion, Availability and Price of the shirt.
Both primary and secondary data has been used. Primary data were collected from the direct
responses from the sample size of 70 comprised of person of different demographics. Because
of the conclusive nature of the research, primarily we used quantitative questioning (on 5 scale
likert scale) in the surveys. For the secondary data, different established theories and articles
was reviewed. An exploratory research with some respondents were also conducted to gain the
practical insights of this research and to get the prime factors that affect consumers while
purchasing a shirt. SPSS 19 was used for regression analysis and to measure the significance of
independent variables on the dependent variable.
After doing the required statistical operations, we got the finding. It was revealed that, only
brand image and price of the shirt have significant effect on consumer’s decision making
process. The other three variables: quality, fashion and availability are not significant and thus
rejected. So the result is, only brand image and price have a direct positive relationship with
consumer decision making while purchasing a shirt.
5
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Shirts are bought for everyday or occasional use for people anywhere in the world. In our
country, shirts are mainly used by men, not women. The issues regarding consumer preference
in buying a shirt involves price of the product, quality of the shirt, brand image of the shirt,
convenience of the store and fashion consciousness of the individual customer.
Customer behavior study is based on consumer buying behavior, with the customer playing the
three distinct roles of user, payer and buyer. Consumer behavior is influenced by:
demographics, psychographics (lifestyle), personality, motivation, knowledge, attitudes, beliefs,
and feelings.
Consumer behavior concern with consumer need consumer actions in the direction of satisfying
needs leads to his behavior of every individual depend on thinking. Consumer decision making
is a process that intertwines various stimuli towards the purchase decision. Marketers all over
the world are trying to find out what factors are responsible for the final decision for an
individual.
We have come across several prior researches done in t‐shirt segment but hardly find anything
regarding shirts. We think those researches will help us doing our job. This study will find the
significance of factors that affect consumers to purchase a shirt.
1.1 Origin of the Report
The main purpose of the study is to fulfill the requirements of Marketing Research (MKT 414) as
the part of our BBA program bearing 3 credits. As the students of Marketing Management, we
were assigned by our course instructor Dr. Md. Humayun Kabir Chowdhury to involve in this
study. The course MKT 414 as well as this report helps a student to get necessary knowledge
which is very useful for the students majoring in Marketing.
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1.2 Objectives of the Study
Broad Objective
The main objective of this term paper is to get the practical insight of the techniques and
strategies of conducting a marketing research project.
Specific Objectives
To identify the underlying factors that affect consumers to choose a shirt.
1.3 Methodology
The research is basically both exploratory and conclusive in nature. In the first place, an
interview with one of the top managers of BG was held. Secondly, a set of questionnaire were
prepared and distributed among the HR managers. Based on the data given by them, analysis
was done. Finally with the help of secondary data, the report is completed.
Primary data
1. Questionnaire Survey
Secondary Data
1. Previous research of the same nature.
1.4 Limitations of the Study
• Time constraints were one of the most important factors that imposed restrictions on
conducting the study extensively.
• Scarcity of Secondary Data
• Our sample size was small
• Cost constraints.
• Lack of experience of the group members
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2.0 RELATIVE CONSTRUCTS OF THE STUDY
The relative constructs of the study are: Quality, Brand Image, Fashion, Availability and Price.
Quality
Perceived product quality is perhaps one of the most important constructs in marketing. In
recentyears, perceived quality has been the subject of considerable interest by both
practitioners and researchers, mainly in services marketing. Moreover, the relationships
between these constructs for goods rather than services have not been studied extensively in
marketing.
Perceived quality has attracted the interest of practitioners and researchers because of a belief
in its beneficial effects on marketing performance. Indeed, the belief that high perceived
quality leads to repeated purchases is the bedrock of any business. Thus a better
understanding of the relationship between perceived product quality and product
involvement, consumer satisfaction and purchase intentions may help academics develop a
model of consumer decision making for goods. It may also provide practitioners with
indications as to where best to devote marketing attention and scarce corporate resources.
Brand Image
Brand is a name in every consumer’s mind and it is characterized by a noticeable name or
symbol which can differentiate the goods and services from the rivals’. In addition to a specific
brand name, a brand is also composed of products, packaging, promotion, advertising, as
well as its overall presentation .From the consumers’ perspective, brand is a guarantor of
reliability and quality in consumer products (Roman et al., 2005). Added to this, consumers
would like to buy and use brand‐name products with a view to highlight their personality
in different situational contexts.
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Nowadays, consumers have a wide range of choice to choose from when they enter a shopping
mall. It is found that consumers’ emotions are one of the major determinants which affect
their buying behavior. According to some research on shopping habits, nearly one‐fourth of the
respondents are likely to impulse‐buy clothes and accessories.When deciding which products to
purchase, consumers would have their preferences, which are developed in accordance with
their perceptions towards the brand. Successful branding could make consumers aware of the
presence of the brand and hence could increase the chance of buying the company’s products
and services.
Fashion
Fashion system combines quick response production capabilities with enhanced product design
capabilities to both design “hot” products that capture the latest consumer trends and
exploit minimal production lead times to match supply with uncertain demand.
The purchase intention for fashion and designer apparel is stimulated among consumers in the
social contexts. The distinctiveness of fashion features (e.g., designer brand, celebrity
endorsement, media reviews) that are consistently associated with emotional expressions
plays the strongest role in the buying behavior among consumers. Some studies suggest that
the perception of a person on his personality is a distinctive and salient trait that differentiates
behavior. Individuals who have high social standing and are one of the principal drivers of
consumer behavior towards fashion apparel is the dominance of social interactions. The
involvement of consumers in fashion products depends not only on their own perceptions but
also on peers’ response to their personality and change proneness .The relation between
clothes and identity is perceived by the consumers from the perspective of their values
generated in various social interactions. Consumers get involved in exhibiting fashion and
lifestyle as an aesthetic way of presenting their personality. Hence, clothing is often considered
as an opportunity for communicating a new order of identity of a person.
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Availability
Availability is becoming an increasingly important issue for consumers seeking out convenient
product solutions, and some research claims store loyalty is fading as the customer "propensity
for promiscuity" grows. The research found German shoppers are the most likely to substitute
stores if a product is out‐of‐stock, with over one in two claiming this is a response to
availability issues. The majority of shoppers across the EU also admit to switching shop if they
cannot find key products they need.
A large proportion of items the consumer believes to be "sold‐out" are actually in‐store but in
a new location, while many missing products were never on the store inventory in the first
place. While it is important to go back to basics and ensure the retail team works to iron out
these in‐store problems. Staff motivation, collaborative retail and supply partnerships,
inventory accuracy, retail‐ready packaging (RRP), reducing product ranges and increasing the
use of RFID (radio frequency identification) technology are all vital for perfecting the art of
supply. Retail and shelf ready packaging has been one of the latest developments to assist the
availability issue, speeding up the delivery of goods from factory to shelf.
Price
Price for a product or service has a very significant effect on how the consumer behaves. If
consumers believe that the charged price is lower than competitors it could cause a major spike
in sales. But if the price is significantly higher than expected, the response can be disappointing.
In either case a change in price could produce unexpected results when it comes to consumer
buying behavior.
Often price could affect consumer behavior. Lowering or initially setting a lower price than
expected can have a different set of effects on a consumer. In one case, a price‐conscious
10
consumer is grateful for a price break and will possibly stock up on the item at the low price. In
other cases, the consumer could become suspicious of the low price and assume it means the
product is of a lower quality.
Due to the potentially unexpected effects of price on consumers, price often affects
significantly on consumers decision making process. Making a change to the price of a product
or service is very risky, so do so with caution and after much consideration. Customers exhibit a
complex kind of behavior with the effect of price. Setting high price sometimes signal good
quality and lower price means low quality. However, consumer’s purchase ability increases as
the price decreases.
3.0 OBJECTIVES AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS
This research gave the opportunity to dig into the specific issues that a consumer assesses while
purchasing a shirt. This topic will provide the insight to learn the influences of behavioral
variables of the consumers which in turn lead to the purchasing decision. Perspective like the
effect of brand image, fashion and style will be brought into the topic. Finally, the findings of
the result will be used to make theories and shared to the different retailers and wholesalers of
shirts.
The principle objective of this report was to identify when, why, how, and where people do or
do not buy a shirt. This study also dealt with the variables that affect the consumer purchasing
decision. The weight and significance of the variables were measured as well.
The broad research question is:
“What are the factors that affect a consumer while purchasing a shirt?”
This broad question will be narrowed down into five specific questions. And they are:
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1. Does quality have an influence on consumer while purchasing a shirt?
2. Does brand image have an influence on consumer while purchasing a shirt?
3. Does fashion has an influence on consumer while purchasing a shirt?
4. Does availability have an influence on consumer while purchasing a shirt?
5. Does price have an influence on consumer while purchasing a shirt?
4.0 HYPOTHESIS OF THE STUDY
The hypothesis used to test the positive or negative effect of the independent variables on
consumer’s purchase decision is:
4.1 Influence of Quality
Quality is one of the prime factors that affect consumers in a purchase decision. Consumers
today don’t generally buy just a brand or product rather, he/she purchase all the benefit
associated with it. And quality is the totality of the features that the product offers. If the
product is associated with high‐perceived quality, consumers trust a brand and the brand’s
preference is also get augmented. We tried to measure whether quality of shirts are significant
to the consumers or not. In our study, our first hypothesis is about the influence of quality. And
the hypothesis is:
H1: Quality of the shirt has a direct positive influence on consumers purchase decision.
4.2 Influence of Brand Image
Often brand images reinforce the consumers to make a purchase decision. Brand value is one of
the important factors in marketing today. Top brand names have a dominating and significant
influence in evaluating a brand. In case of purchasing shirt, we tried to appraise the effect of
brand image. In our study, the second hypothesis is about the influence of brand image. And
the hypothesis is:
H2: If consumer’s perception of brand image of the shirt is more favorable, their evaluation of a
shirt is positive.
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4.3 Influence of Fashion
Fashion references to anything that is the current trend in look and dress up of a person. The
pace of change accelerated considerably in the following century, and women and men's
fashion, especially in the dressing and adorning of the hair, became equally complex and
changing. The current fashion, celebrity influences lure the consumers to purchase fashionable
shirts. We tried to identify the relative importance of fashion for consumers in purchasing a
shirt. So, the third hypothesis is about the influence of fashion. And the hypothesis is:
H3: Consumers are influenced by current fashion while purchasing a shirt.
4.4 Influence of Availability
For the products that are not that much significant and require less consumer involvement,
consumers usually purchase those from the available sources. Instead of going to a distant
shop, they purchase from the nearest outlets. In our study, we tried to measure whether
consumers purchase shirts that are nearly available to them or not. So, the fourth hypothesis is
about the influence of availability. And the hypothesis is:
H4: Consumers purchase a shirt that is widely and conveniently available to them.
4.5 Influence of Price
A growing body of literature indicates that consumers do not always attend to, know, and
remember actual prices of products; instead, they encode prices in ways that are meaningful to
them (e.g., cheap versus expensive). Therefore, perceived price is not equivalent to objective
price. However, we included price in our study to get insight about their impact on consumers
decision making. So the last hypothesis is:
H5: Price (higher vs. lower) has a direct positive effect on consumer’s evaluation of a shirt.
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5.0 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This is a cause and effect survey aimed at measuring the factors that affects one consumer
while purchasing a shirt. The study also determines the significance of each factor. Survey
method has been used for this study. The presets, the sampling method, data collection
method and procedure and all the dependent measures used in this study are discussed below.
5.1 Presets
To determine the factors that have influence on a consumer’s purchase decision, an exploratory
research had been conducted. On the research, the respondents were asked to write down the
important factors they consider in choosing a shirt. A convenient sample of 15 students had
been used. From the survey, we got the independent variables (Price, Quality, Brand Image,
Availability & Fashion) for our research.
Again, another sample of 15 students was asked to write down the important factor they
considered in the last shirt they purchased. This helped to get insight in the significance of the
affecting factors.
5.2 Sample
The sample was heterogeneous. We had five independent variables in our study. Hence, a total
of 70 responses were collected from students, businessmen and service holders having
different income level and from different age group. Most of the responses were collected from
students as it was convenient to us and also because we did not assume that it will have an
adverse affect on data collected.
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Moreover, most of the respondents were
male (e.g. there are 17% female
respondents) because we thought that as
majority of the buyers of shirts in our
country are males; it will help us identify the
answers in an efficient manner. Although
there is an increasing trend among women
to wear shirts and they can always buy shirts
for their male relatives or acquaintances,
and we assumed they have sufficient
knowledge on the matter.
In our survey, we found that majority of the
respondents lie within a certain age range
and most of them have a certain income
range because the survey was heavily
dominated by undergraduates.
Since, majority of the respondents were
students, 51% of them had income below
5000. 29% had income level of 5000‐15000,
10% had 15000‐30000, 9% had income level
of 30000‐45000 and only 1% had income
above 45000.
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83% of the respondents were students, 4%
were businessman, 6% were govt. job
holder, 7% were private job holder. All the
respondents fell under these 4 professional
dimensions.
5.3 Data Collection Method and Procedure
In this study, a questionnaire served as a data gathering instrument. The surface page of the
questionnaire told the respondents about the purposes of the study. The subsequent two pages
contained one filter questions, twenty Likert chart questions and four demographic questions.
A five point Likert scale had been used. There were five questions about the dependent variable
and fifteen questions were asked to measure the five independent variables: Price, Quality,
Brand Image, Availability & Fashion. To measure the each independent variable, three specific
questions had been asked respectively. Questions used to check the subject’s demographics
like age, gender, income level and profession presented in the last page of the questionnaire.
Most respondents spent less than 10 minutes to complete the questionnaire.
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5.4 Measurement of the Variables
The Likert scale that had been used here had total 20 questions, 5 for the dependent variables,
and the rest 15 for five independent variables. The reliability or the internal consistency of the
questions had been measured Cronbach coefficient alpha using the statistical software SPSS.
The minimum acceptable range for primary research has to be more than 0.5.
Cronbach alpha of the five dependent variable was .396, however, after deducting the fourth
dependent variable scale the alpha value turned .5 which was acceptable (See the Apendix A).
In the case of quality, the alpha value was .38 , however, after deducting 3rd quality scale, the
alpha value turned into .54 (See the Apendix A).
The questions regarding brand image had alpha value of .12. After deducting the second
question of the brand image, the alpha value turned into .624 (See the Apendix A).
The Cronbach alpha value for the variable Fashion was .5 which was acceptable and all the
questions related to fashion were taken into consideration (See the Apendix A).
Availability had alpha value of .443 and after deducting the 1st question related to availability,
the Cronbach alpha value turned into .552 (See the Apendix A).
However, a puzzling result was found in the case of price. Here the initial alpha value was .14
and it couldn’t be more than .275 by deducting any scales of price. So, the regression model
had been run taking each of the scales (R1, R2,R3). The R2 value for the regression model were,
.156, .17 and .219 respectively. Since using P3, the regression model was most strong, P3 was
used in regression. (See the Appendix B)
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Summary of the Reliability Measurement
Dimensions Number of Items Alpha Value
Dependent Variable 4 .5
Quality 2 .54
Brand Image 2 624
Fashion 3 .5
Availability 2 .552
Price 1 ‐
Table:1
Here, all the alpha values were between .5 to .624. The qualitative analysis support for the
importance of the variables thought to affect consumers purchase decision. Hence, to deal with
these variables more deeply, we estimated a regression model motivated by the hypothesis.
6.0 RESULTS
The independent variables which were hypothesized are listed on table 2. The first variable is
the quality of the shirt (H1), the following variables are‐ brand image of the shirt (H2), current
fashion (H3), Availability of the shirt (H4) and the Price of the shirt (H5). The regression analysis
of the 70 subjects and the five independent variables are reported in table 2. (See Apendix C)
Independent
Variables
Standardized
Regression
Coefficients
Regression
Coefficients
t‐value p‐value
Quality .054 .112 .481 .632
Brand Image .360 .311 2.99 .004
Fashion ‐.111 ‐.119 ‐0.9 .372
Availability ‐.167 ‐.115 ‐1.486 .142
Price .259 .175 2.268 .027
Table: 2 (A Regression Model of the Factors Affecting Consumer’s Decision Making while
Purchasing a Shirt)
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Sample size = 70
Adjusted R2 = 0.219
H1 predicts that the quality of the shirt has a positive influence on the consumers purchasing
decision. Table 2 shows that quality influences consumers to purchase shirts positively.
However, this is not significant. (Here, β value = .054, P=.632). So, this hypothesis is not
accepted.
H2 predicts that the brand image of the shirt has a positive influence on the consumers
purchasing decision. Table 2 shows that brand image influences consumers to purchase shirts
positively. And this is also significant. (Here, β value = .360, P=.004). So, this hypothesis is
accepted.
H3 predicts that the current fashion has a positive influence on the consumers purchasing
decision. Table 2 shows that fashion negatively influences consumers to purchase shirts.
Moreover, this is not significant. (Here, β value = ‐.111, P=.142). So, this hypothesis is not
accepted.
H4 predicts that the availability of the shirt has a positive influence on the consumers
purchasing decision. Table 2 shows that availability has a negative impact on influencing
consumers to purchase shirts. However, this is not significant. (Here, β value = ‐.167, P=.142).
So, this hypothesis is not accepted.
H5 predicts that the price of the shirt has a positive influence on the consumers purchasing
decision. Table 2 shows that price influences consumers to purchase shirts positively. And this is
also significant. (Here, β value = .259, P=.027). So, this hypothesis is accepted. However, it is to
be noted that, this variable was not reliable, so we took only one scale instead of averaging.
Hence, although this variable was accepted, it has not reliability.
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7.0 DISCUSSION
Effect of Quality
H1 predicts that the quality of the shirt has a positive influence on the consumers purchasing
decision. The result shows, β value = .054, P=.632. This variable does not have significant
influence on the consumers purchase decision. Sometimes, the definition of quality gets
distorted and offset by some other extraneous variables like, celebrity influence, words of
mouth and price. The sample we chose didn’t put much weight on quality as a determinant of
purchase.
Effect of Brand Image
H2 predicts that the brand image of the shirt has a positive influence on the consumers
purchasing decision. The result shows that brand image influences consumers to purchase
shirts positively. And this is also significant. (Here, β value = .360, P=.004). Today marketer
heavily depends on creating brand value. Consumers today often go after established brand
images regardless of the quality and price. Our sample voted brand image significantly.
Effect of Fashion
H3 predicts that the current fashion has a positive influence on the consumers purchasing
decision. The result shows, β value = ‐.111, P=.142. This variable does not have significant
influence on the consumers purchase decision. The result we got was negative. Since our
sample was heterogeneous, respondents exhibited a diversified view and opinion regarding
fashion. Our sample was reluctant to accept fashion as a prime factor. Rather they focused
more on brand image and price of the shirt.
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Effect of Availability
H4 predicts that the availability of the shirt has a positive influence on the consumers
purchasing decision. The result shows, β value = ‐.167, P=.142. The findings prove that, people
today are reluctant to purchase shirts that are available to them. They are willing to travel a
long distance to purchase their desired shirt. Thanks to the means of easy communication,
today people are getting the chance to buy their shirts from distant places even from abroad.
So, it clearly prove that, availability does not have an effect on consumers decision making
process.
Effect of Price
H5 predicts that the price of the shirt has a positive influence on the consumers purchasing
decision. The result shows, β value = .259, P=.027. Price has significant and positive relation
with consumer’s decision making process. Today, in the 21st century, the definition of price
became distorted. Gone are those days, when consumers bought the products having the least
value. Today, as we got from our sample, they would to pay premium price for their desired
shirt.
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8.0 CONCLUSION
In our study, consumer decision making process for purchasing a shirt was tested by using five
independent variables. The research was done to identify which factors have significant
influence on the matter. The five independent variables are Brand Image, Quality, Availability,
Fashion and Price.
The results of the study show that Brand Image and Price have a positive and significant
influence on consumer decision making. Perhaps, consumers prefer a better branded shirt than
a non branded shirt. They don’t mind paying more money for a shirt that has a good brand
name. However, contradictory results occurred when we found out that Fashion has negative
influence on purchase though it was not significant. The reason might be that most people are
resistant for a change in their dress up; they want majority of population to adopt the change
before trying it on themselves. Moreover, we found that Quality of a shirt has positive
influence but it was insignificant. The reason might be that most of our respondents were
students and they are happy as long as they have purchased a shirt that has a good brand
name. They don’t mind the quality of the shirt as a good brand does not always mean excellent
quality. In addition, we found that availability has a negative influence on people but it is
insignificant. The reason might be that, people go to their desired shop to purchase a shirt no
matter how far it is as it has an effect on their life style.
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9.0 LIMITATION AND FUTURE RESEARCH
Although we have conducted our survey on people with various professions, it was heavily
dominated by students. As a result we did not get a clear idea of the overall market. Had we not
conducted most of our surveys on students, the results might have differed. The regression
model showed a comparatively low which means effect of other variables (Extraneous
Variables) are important for the decision making process of consumers. So, we strongly suggest
that future research should be done on more samples other than students.
We have failed to include more independent variables such as lighting effects of the shop,
Music playing on the background, Store size, Crowd, Behavior of sales personnel, Viral
marketing, word of influence etc. We could not include these hypothesizes because of lack of
time and as this is our first research we thought it would be wise to stick with as less variables
as possible. Future research should include all the possible variables for a better answer to the
phenomenon.
Our study proved that Quality, Fashion and Availability have less significant effect on consumer
decision making while purchasing a shirt. Future research should find appropriate reasons to
back our findings. We think that it would be vital to the managers of the shops which sell shirts.
Another vital limitation of this study is the overall reliability of the scales. Our Chronbach alpha
ranges from .5 to .624, which is not that much reliable. It means that, either our questionnaire
was not that much reliable or the respondents lacked consistency or adequate knowledge.
Moreover, scale no 3 (P3) of the variable price was taken directly in the regression model. So
the result we got in this specific variable got distorted a bit.
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Appendix
A. Internal Consistency Test
1. Dependent Variable
Reliability Statistics
Cronbach's Alpha
N of Items
.396 5
Item‐Total Statistics
Scale Mean if Item Deleted
Scale Variance if Item Deleted
Corrected Item‐Total Correlation
Cronbach's Alpha if Item Deleted
Dep1 13.4857 5.094 .294 .274Dep2 13.9571 5.056 .223 .325Dep3 13.7714 4.063 .492 .074Dep4 13.4571 6.687 ‐.054 .500Dep5 14.3000 5.517 .092 .435
After deducting dependent variable 4 , we got
Reliability Statistics
Cronbach's Alpha
N of Items
.500 4
Item‐Total Statistics
Scale Mean if Item Deleted
Scale Variance if Item Deleted
Corrected Item‐Total Correlation
Cronbach's Alpha if Item Deleted
Dep1 9.7000 4.561 .323 .406Dep2 10.1714 4.550 .239 .477Dep3 9.9857 3.753 .467 .255Dep5 10.5143 4.688 .173 .542
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2. Independent variable 2.1 Quality
Reliability Statistics
Cronbach's Alpha
N of Items
.380 3
Item‐Total Statistics
Scale Mean if Item Deleted
Scale Variance if Item Deleted
Corrected Item‐Total Correlation
Cronbach's Alpha if Item Deleted
Q1 7.7429 1.904 .218 .300Q2 7.7000 1.459 .384 ‐.061a
Q3 7.7000 1.981 .093 .540
After deducting Q3,
Reliability Statistics
Cronbach's Alpha
N of Items
.540 2
2.2 Brand Image
Reliability Statistics
Cronbach's
Alpha N of Items
.120 3
25
Item-Total Statistics
Scale Mean if
Item Deleted
Scale Variance
if Item Deleted
Corrected Item-
Total
Correlation
Cronbach's
Alpha if Item
Deleted
B1 6.4429 2.337 .138 -.106a
B2 6.8286 2.521 -.116 .624
B3 6.9286 2.386 .252 -.303a
After deducting B2
Reliability Statistics
Cronbach's
Alpha N of Items
.624 2
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2.3 Fashion
Reliability Statistics
Cronbach's Alpha
N of Items
.500 3
Item‐Total Statistics
Scale Mean if Item Deleted
Scale Variance if Item Deleted
Corrected Item‐Total Correlation
Cronbach's Alpha if Item Deleted
F1 7.3714 1.802 .363 .315F2 6.5429 2.455 .241 .514F3 6.7429 2.107 .353 .340
2.4 Availability
Reliability Statistics
Cronbach's Alpha
N of Items
.433 3
Item‐Total Statistics
Scale Mean if Item Deleted
Scale Variance if Item Deleted
Corrected Item‐Total Correlation
Cronbach's Alpha if Item Deleted
A1 6.8143 2.675 .137 .552A2 6.9286 2.357 .272 .318A3 6.8571 1.979 .395 .069
After deducting A1,
Reliability Statistics
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Cronbach's Alpha
N of Items
.552 2
2.5 Price Reliability Statistics
Cronbach's Alpha
N of Items
.140 3
Item‐Total Statistics
Scale Mean if Item Deleted
Scale Variance if Item Deleted
Corrected Item‐Total Correlation
Cronbach's Alpha if Item Deleted
P1 7.0571 1.823 .097 .034P2 5.9714 1.883 .119 ‐.009a
P3 6.4857 1.790 .008 .275
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B. R2 values using P1,P2,P3 respectively
Model Summary
Model R R Square Adjusted R Square
Std. Error of the Estimate
1 .395a .156 .090 .66543
a. Predictors: (Constant), P1, Availability, Quality, BrandImage, Fashion
Model Summary
Model R R Square Adjusted R Square
Std. Error of the Estimate
1 .412a .170 .105 .65991
a. Predictors: (Constant), Quality, BrandImage, P2, Availability, Fashion
Model Summary
Model R R Square Adjusted R Square
Std. Error of the Estimate
1 .468a .219 .158 .64021
a. Predictors: (Constant), P3, Availability, Quality, BrandImage, Fashion
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C. Regression Analysis
Variables Entered/Removedb
Model Variables Entered
Variables Removed Method
1 P3, Availability, Quality, BrandImage, Fashion
. Enter
a. All requested variables entered. b. Dependent Variable: DVariable
Model Summary
Model R R Square Adjusted R Square
Std. Error of the Estimate
1 .468a .219 .158 .64021
a. Predictors: (Constant), P3, Availability, Quality, BrandImage, Fashion
Coefficientsa
Model
Unstandardized Coefficients
Standardized Coefficients
t Sig. B Std. Error Beta
1 (Constant) 2.315 .675 3.432 .001
BrandImage .311 .104 .360 2.990 .004
Fashion ‐.119 .132 ‐.111 ‐.900 .372
Availability ‐.115 .077 ‐.167 ‐1.486 .142
Quality .054 .112 .054 .481 .632
P3 .175 .077 .259 2.268 .027
a. Dependent Variable: DVariable
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D. References
1. N.K Malhotra , S. Dash , “Marketing Research”, 6th edition. 2. P. Kotler , “Marketing Management”, 12th edition. 3. Consumer Reports’ Online Clothing Shopping Survey (http://pressroom.consumerreports.org/pressroom/2008/10/ll‐bean‐zappos‐and‐lands‐end‐standout‐in‐consumer‐reports‐online‐clothing‐shopping‐survey.html) 4. A Case Study of Clothing Market (http://www.khea.or.kr/InternationalJournal/2003/4‐1/5.PDF) 5. Price : http://www.warc.com/Pages/Taxonomy/Results.aspx?SubjectRef=172&Filter=All
6. Importance of Brand Names to Customers: http://www.itchybrainscentral.com/brand‐names‐importance‐customers‐research.html
7. Availability Heuristic: http://heuristics.behaviouralfinance.net/availability/
8. Quality: Quality and Consumer Decision Making in the Market for Health Insurance and Health Care Services: http://mcr.sagepub.com/content/66/1_suppl/28S.short
9. Consumer behavior: http://www‐rohan.sdsu.edu/~renglish/370/notes/chapt05/
10. Brand Awareness Effects on Consumer Decision Making for a Common, Repeat Purchase Product:: A Replication: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0148296398000708
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E. Sample Questionnaire
Questionnaire
Dear respondents, we the undersigned students of East West University, are conducting a research on “Factors Affecting Consumer’s Decision Making while Purchasing a Shirt” for partial requirement of the course “Marketing Research” (MKT 414). We assure you that all the data provided in the questionnaire will be kept confidential and used for academic purpose only. Your co-operation is highly appreciated.
1. Md. Rezaur Rahman (2008-2-10-018) 2. Shati Itminan (2008-2-10-121) 3. Syed Junayedul Haque (2008-2-10-246) 4. S.M. Farhad (2008-2-10-285)
Please turn the page and continue.
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1. Have you ever bought a shirt? (If your answer is “no”, don’t proceed, please return the questionnaire)
a) Yes b) No
Please answer the following questions by putting tick ( ) mark on your agreement level.
Strongly Agree
(5)
Agree
(4)
Neutral
(3)
Disagree
(2)
Strongly Disagree
(1) 2. Last time I bought a shirt, I only considered the Quality of the shirt
3. Last time I bought a shirt, I only considered the Brand Image of the shirt
4. Last time I bought a shirt, I only considered the Price of the shirt
5. Last time I bought a shirt, I only considered the current Fashion
6. Last time I bought a shirt, I only considered the Availability of the shirt
7. Durability of shirts are my primary concern 8. I love a shirt that is comfortable 9. I always prefer the best quality in material 10. My social status is increased when I wear branded shirts
11. I never purchase shirts from footpath 12. Wearing branded shirts make me unique in the crowd
13. I prefer high priced shirts 14. I always pay premium price if the quality is ensured
15. I buy more shirts if there is discount 16. I am the first to try out the latest fashion 17. I am influenced by the clothing of my favorite celebrity
18. I look good wearing fashionable shirts 19. I always go to the nearest shop to buy shirts 20. I prefer purchasing shirts, if there is wide variety in the stores
21. The bigger the store is the easier it is for me to purchase shirts
Please turn the page and continue.
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22. Gender?
a) Male b) Female
23. Age?
a) Below 18 b) 18-23 c) 24-28 d) 29-35 e) Above 35
24. Monthly Income?
a) Below 5000 tk b) 5000tk - 15000tk c) 15000tk - 30000tk d) 30000tk – 45000tk e) 45000tk above
25. Profession? a) Student b) Businessman c) Government job holder d) Private job holder e) Other ………….
Thank you for your participation.