Decision Process on Buying Product or Service via Facebook by Thailand people

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would take this opportunity to thank my research supervisor, family and friends for their support and guidance without which this research would not have been possible.

DECLARATION

I, [type your full first names and surname here], declare that the contents of this dissertation/thesis represent my own unaided work, and that the dissertation/thesis has not previously been submitted for academic examination towards any qualification. Furthermore, it represents my own opinions and not necessarily those of the University.

Signed __________________ Date _________________

ABSTRACT

The internet has revolutionised the communication medium by allowing people and organisations to overcome any time and geographical constraint. Because of the dynamic and evolving IT environment, online activities are performance through a new form of communication technology called social media or Web 2.0. Social Networking Sites (SNS) are widely considered as an important category of social media. SNS provides users with the opportunity to express them, establish social network ties, develop and maintain social relationships and exchange information and knowledge. SNSs are also recognised as the next big wave in business, social life and technology. Presently, Facebook is the most famous and successful SNS. Facebook functions as a social entertainer for its users and is also used as a marketing tool or platform by organisations. In Thailand, the number of active Facebook users has been increasing; as a result, businesses are now attracting customers through Facebook. The aim of this study is to examine the decision process of consumers about purchasing a product or through Facebook by people in Thailand. To answer the research questions of the study and to address the research problem, a primary quantitative research method also seemed appropriate for this study. The study is descriptive in nature. Quantitative research method was used based on the methdoolgoy used in past studies . Participants in this study are 100 Facebook users in Thailand. A random sampling technique was used to obtain the participants for this study. The research instrument used in this study is questionnaire. The survey has been developed from literature review. The data collected from the surveys has been analysed using SPSS 16.0. Data collected was entered into SPSS and analysed using descriptive statistics. Frequency tables were generated and then interpreted to analyse the results. The results found that Facebook has a significant impact on the purchase decision of a product or service via Facebook.

Table of Contents

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTII

DECLARATIONIII

ABSTRACTIV

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION1

Background1

Research Aim and Objectives3

Rationale of the Study3

Research Questions4

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW5

Facebook as a Unique Medium5

Implication of Facebook on Consumption Behaviour7

Benefits and Challenges of Social Media Marketing8

Benefits8

Sales Increase9

Advertising and promotion10

Brand awareness and reputation11

Word-of-mouth marketing12

Customer relationships13

Challenges14

Negative WOM14

Legal risk15

Return on investment (ROI)16

Word-of-mouth (WOM) and electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM)17

Consumer Decision Process20

Problem Recognition21

Information search22

Evaluation of alternatives22

Purchase decision23

Post-purchase Behaviour24

Social Influence and Consumer Decision Process25

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY26

Quantitative Research26

Research Design and Process26

Justifcation for Using Quantitative Research27

Participants28

Research Instrument28

Data Analysis28

Ethical Concerns28

Limitations29

CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS30

Survey Findings30

Discussion49

Growth in Online Purchasing and Impact on Purchase Decision49

How Social Media Impacts the Consumer Decision in Thailand?51

Information Searching and Facebook52

Post-Purchase Evaluation and Facebook53

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION55

REFERENCES57

APPENDIX66

Survey ...