Analyzing The Influence of Social Media and Offline Factors on Consumer Behaviour: A Study of the Low-Cost Airlines

Abstract

This study delves into the ramifications of social media and real-life interactions on the purchasing behaviors and recommendation tendencies of consumers utilizing budget airline services. Employing the Theory of Reasoned Action, the research explores how offline social dynamics (like interpersonal relationships and external influences) influence customer attitudes towards online purchases. It suggests that these factors amplify intentions for repeat online purchases and positive word-of-mouth communication, both conventional and electronic, within the realm of budget services. Through structural equation modeling, the study evaluates a conceptual model using a cohort of Internet users who have engaged with budget airline services. Results indicate that interpersonal offline influences, such as those from friends, relatives, and family, significantly influence intentions for repeat online purchases and traditional word-of-mouth but not electronic word-of-mouth. Conversely, external offline influences, like media or expert opinions, only impact consumer intentions to recommend future purchases through social networking travel sites, without affecting intentions for repeat online purchases or traditional word-of-mouth communication. Additionally, the study underscores the impact of Consumer-to-Consumer (C2C) information exchanges on attitude, subsequently shaping intentions for repeating purchases and both forms of word-of-mouth communication.