Aona Yang measurement model for Honda CM724

Students Purchasing Intention for Automobile

A Measurement Model for Honda Civic

Aona Yang

Boston University

CONTENT

I. INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................2

II. BACKGROUND RESEARCH......................................................................................................3The Client.....................................................................................................................................................3The Industry and Competitors....................................................................................................................6

III. LITERATURE REVIEW..........................................................................................................11External factors........................................................................................................................................12Internal Factors........................................................................................................................................24

IV. PROPOSED PREDICTORS FROM THE LITERATURE.......................................................30

V. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK...............................................................................................37

VI. PROPOSED PREDICTORS WITHIN THE THEORY OF PLANNED BEHAVIOR...............40

VII. SELECTED PROPOSED PREDICTORS...............................................................................44

VIII. DEVELOPMENT OF MEASURES.......................................................................................47Multiple-item measures...........................................................................................................................50Single-item measures................................................................................................................................61

IX. DEVELOPMENT OF SURVEY INSTRUMENTS....................................................................65

X. DATA COLLECTION & ANALYSIS OF MEASURES............................................................73Step 1: Quantitative Pre-test...................................................................................................................73Step 2: Analysis of Content Validity and Reliability.............................................................................75

XI. REVISION OF SURVEY & CONCLUSIONS..........................................................................89

XII. REFERENCE...........................................................................................................................91

Appendix I. Final Survey Questionnaire.....................................................................................99

Appendix II. Coded Survey Questionnaire................................................................................105

Appendix III. Frequency Distribution.......................................................................................111

Appendix IV. Inter-item Correlation Matrix............................................................................139

Appendix V. Final Factor Analysis............................................................................................148

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I. INTRODUCTION

Young people’s purchasing power for automobile has been significantly addressed these

years. However, according to IHS.inc (2013), young adults aged from 18 to 34 accounted for

30% less of new cars purchase in 2011, compared to sales from 2007 (IHC.inc, 2013). Experts

indicate that although Generation Y’s need for cars still exists, yet due to the tough job market

and the recovering economy, the young generation is becoming more “cautious” when seeking

out a new car (Driscoll, 2013). Honda Civic, a popular compact car line manufactured by Honda,

steps into the 43rd year of development in 2015(Honda, 2015). As a car model that mainly targets

on young market, Honda seeks to expand its customer base of college students, as well as find

out college students’ specific requirements for a new set of wheels, as a potential buyer group.

In this study, I will examine the following research question: what factors contribute to

college students’ purchase decisions of choosing a particular compact car model, as they are

exposed to such a competitive compact cars market and facing alternative choices. A

questionnaire survey will be submitted among students in Boston University, which tests how

certain variables influence the likelihood that college students choose the car model of Honda

Civic rather then other makes. Proposed predictors are adopted from previous studies pertaining

to college students’ purchasing behavior, certain automobile attributes and other latent factors.

Using quantitative research methods, this study will allow us to find whether the constructed

measurements are effective enough to capture particular beliefs and attitudes that college

students adopt, that may consequently affect their intention of purchasing automobiles.

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II. BACKGROUND RESEARCH

The Client

Since its debut in 1972, the Honda Civic, a line of compact cars, has gone through 9 times

updates and revolution (Honda, 2015).

In 1974, Honda complemented the original two-door and three-door models of Civic

(introduced in 1972) and the 1973 style Honda CVCC together as the “sporty Honda Civic RS”

(Honda, 2015). Awarded as several “car of the year” from Europe, Japan and United States, the

first generation of Honda Civic gained an initial popularity worldwide.

During the early 1980’s, The Civic gradually gave up the style of two-door sedan, and

instead replaced it with a considerably increased dimension – 88.6 inches wheelbase for the

hatchback model and 91.3 inches for the wagon variant model (Punia, 2014). Meanwhile, all

Civic variants adopted the new CVCC engine, and the motor “came in two displacements,

namely 1,335cc which delivered 55hp of power, and 1,488cc that produced 67hp” separately

(Punia, 2014).

The fourth generation of the Civic upgraded its standard engine into a 5 variations 16-value

engine, in order to achieve greater efficiency and exceed higher speed (Honda, 2015). Along

with the fourth model, in 1991, Honda released fifth generation of the Civic line, with a

“futuristic aerodynamic form” and “flexible interior space”, mainly targeted on the young buyers

(Honda Worldwide, 2015).

The next generations of the Civic variants were dedicated to satisfy stronger demand in

increasing fuel efficiency. With the releasing of Honda Multimatic - “a new high-output,

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continuously variable automatic transmission” (Honda,2015) – in 1995, the Civic variants

received “Car of Japan” two times separately in 1995 and 1996 (Honda,2015).

Ever since 2000, the Honda Civic continued its modern change. For the eighth generation,

Honda made two different platforms respectively for sedan /coupe, and for a hatchback designed

primarily for the European market. Because of this redesign, the Civic received another “Car of

the Year” honor in United States (Collier, 2006). The Civic line became the central of Honda’s

worldwide success. Until 2006, Honda has sold 16.5 million Civics worldwide (Collier, 2006).

The latest generation of the Honda Civic was first showed in 2011at the 2011 North

America International Auto Show. At the meantime, Honda is dedicated to add its new Eco

Assist technology to most models, building on its emphasis on small, fuel-efficient vehicles

(Green Car Congress, 2011). The Honda Eco Assist is an ecological drive assist system which

allows drivers to “maintain a fuel-efficient driving style” (Green Car Congress, 2011).

According to Green Car Congress, the Eco Assist system could effectively improve improved

their fuel economy on average by 10%, up to a maximum of 20%, after 300 drives (Green Car

Congress 2010).

In 2010, Honda Civic ended its production in Japan, as it no longer complied with the

Japanese Government dimension, as well as a nationwide reduction of consumers. Nevertheless,

the export market of Honda Civic and Civic Hybrid is still boosting (Takahashi, 2010).

For the safety part, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

(NHTSA) ‘s database of Honda Civics frontal crushing tests for different models, the eighth

generation Civic variants (both sedan and coupe) received a perfect 5-star (J.D Power, 2009).

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Besides, the ninth generation also got a 5-star rating from frontal drivers in 2012, and another

two 5-star achievements rated respectively by side driver passengers and side rear passengers.

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The Industry and Competitors

According to US.News’ annual ranking of 2015 best affordable compact cars, the top 6 car

models are Mazda3 by Mazda, Golf by Volkswagen, Civic by Honda, Soul by Kia, Cruze by

Chevrolet, and Focus by Ford. Mazda Mazda3 and Volkswagen Golf are tied for the first place,

with an average score of 8.8. Chevrolet Cruze and Ford Focus are tied for the fifth place

(U.S.News, 2015).

For the top three car models (Mazda Mazda3, Volkswagen Golf and Honda Civic), the

average prices are $18,051, $21,230, $18,765 respectively (U.S.News, 2015). For Mazda3, the

ranking shows that the most obvious advantage is the nimble handling and premium interior

quality. However, the model has a small cargo space in sedan that bellows the average standard

(U.S.News, 2015). By contrast, the Volkswagen golf and Honda Civic have better space

satisfaction. Besides, both three models show satisfactory performance on excellent fuel

efficiency.

Mazda Mazda3

Mazda3, also known as Mazda Axela in Japan, was first introduced in 2003. In October

2008, Mazda released the second generation of Mazda Alexa sedan at Los Angeles Auto Show

and the hatchback at the Bologna Auto Show.

In 2011, the updated version of the second generation of Mazda Axela was released in

Japan, and introduced in export market in the following year. This new facilitated Mazda3 was

the manufacturer’s first vehicle that installed their newly developed SkyActic technology, which 6

featured a SKYACTIV-G 2.0 that direct injects gasoline engine, and a SKYACTIV-DRIVE auto

transmission (Mazda, 2011). In addition, the new SkyActic tech also enabled a more enjoyable

driving experience, with a featured equipment of Mazda’s intelligent-Drive Master display. The

display ensured a smooth control of the vehicle, as well as useful hints to reduce fuel

consumption (Mazda, 2011). Taking all the new features into count, the newly facilitated 2nd

generation of Mazda3 indicated 4 advantages: “higher-quality design”, “predictable and

responsive handling”, “outstanding environmental performance”, as well as “enhanced safety

features”, according to Mazda’s official news release (Mazda, 2011).

The current redesigned Mazda3 generation was introduced in 2013 as a 2014 model

(Edmunds, 2015). New technology in terms of fuel economy and interior quality were featured

to the new model. Mazda stated that the new structure had a 30-percent improvement in torsional

rigidity, but curb weight reduced 60 to 100 pounds depending on trim level (Quiroga, 2013). A

review report of 2014 Mazda3 from CarandDriver.com said that although significant

dimensional changes had been made, you would realize the handsome and elegant model

appearance rather than these inches of differences when you first saw the new model (Quiroga,

2013). According to the latest review by Edmunds.com, the new generation of the model has a

better performance in quick accelerate. The new generation comes with two body styles, a sedan

and a hatchback, and both styles are available in 3i and 3s trims levels. For the United States

market, four model grades are available respectively as SV (2.0 Sedan), Sport (both Sedan and

Hatchback), Touring and Grand Touring (U.S.News, 2015).

According to road test adjusting by Edmunds.com, both 2.0-liter engine and 2.5-liter engine

did a goo job (Edmunds, 2015). It stated that both engines provide a quicker-above-average

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acceleration performance, while the 2.5L engine only causes a “minimal drop in fuel economy”

(Edmunds, 2015).

Talking about sales, according to Automotive News, since August 2013, Mazda3’s sales

have fallen every month (Beene, 2014). Critiques claimed that the biggest reason for this sales

fall might be that Mazda didn’t offer the incentives that its competitors did. According to

AutoBlog.com reporter Bruce, “With the previous generation, the company offered more than

$2,700 on the hood to move them out, but the current model only carries about $1,233 in

markdowns” (Bruce, 2014).

Volkswagen Golf

The Volkswagen Golf, the second of most popular compact cars ranked by U.S.News, was

firstly introduced in 1974 by German automobile manufacturer Volkswagen. Through out its

history, most models of the Volkswagen Golf are in hatchback style. It leads the hatchback cars’

genre for years. The first generation of the Golf sold out one million within three years since its

debut. Thirty years later, the golf model has became one of the world’s best selling-model with a

built of 25 million (Kent, 2007). The Volkswagen golf won the World Car of the Year in 2009

with the Golf Mk6 model and in 2013 with the Mk7 model (Car of The Year, 2015).

According to retrieved data, most of the Golf’s models are manufactured in Germany. In

1974, Volkswagen presented the first generation of Golf as Golf Mk1, also known as

Volkswagen Rabbit in the United States market. Before, the Volkswagen’s best selling model as

well as the brand’s iconic product was the Beetle. Other models that were considered as the

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Beetle’s competitors didn’t even reach close to its production figures (Edmunds, 2006).

However, instead of using a “curved metal that defined the Beetle’s appearance, the Golf model

adopted a “sharply creased lines”. In addition, in place of the Beetle’s two-door style, the Golf

was featured with two or four-door design with a large space cargo in the back because of its

hatchback nature (Edmunds, 2006).

In 1985, the second generation Golf Mk2 was released with a slightly grow in wheelbase

and both interior and exterior dimensions. The old name of the former generation of Golf sold in

United States - “Rabbit” was replaced by “Golf”. In 1987, the introduction of the new GTI

carried a new “DOHC, 16-value of the 1.8-liter four” power boost (Edmunds, 2006). For the next

couple of generations, the Golf and Golf GTI adopted other features changes in terms of

dimension and engine level-ups. In the year of 2006, the fifth generation golf was significantly

updated. The wheelbase stretches to 101.5 and the power base was upgraded to a new “2.5-liter

inline fibe-cylinder engine” (Edmunds 2006). Currently, the new seventh-generation of golf was

debuted in late 2012 at the Paris Motor Show (BBCTopGear, 2012). The Golf line comes with

all relevant driving systems, including gas-powered, diesel-powered, compressed natural gas-

powered, electricity-powered, and hybrid-powered.

In 2013, the Volkswagen Golf won the European Car of the Year award for the second time

(Volkswagen, 2013), as well as the World Car of the Year award (Ewing, 2013).

Kia Soul, Chevrolet Cruze and Ford Focus

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According to 2015 Best Compact Cars ranking by U.S.News, the Kia Soul, Chevrolet Cruze

and Ford Focus were ranked from 4th to 6th (U.S.News, 2015). Besides, the 2015 Kia Sould also

ranked the 5th place in Best Affordable Small Cars ranking, in which the 2015 Honda Civic

ranked the 4th place (U.S.News, 2015).

According to the comparison chart, the three car models’ average prices are respectively

$16,206, $18,443, and $17,736. As for pros and cons, three models have different features. Both

Kia Soul and Chevrolet Cruze are named for their spacious cargo space. Kia Soul also featured

with “first-rate cabin materials”, whereas the Chevrolet Cruze is praised for its good ride and

handling balance. However, the common downside shared by these two models is the low fuel

economy for the class. As for the Ford Focus, the agile handling is known as its pros, while the

“small back seat space” and “unrefined automated manual transmission” are seen as its most

obvious downsides.

In terms of sales, CNNMoney reported that in the year of 2012, the Ford Focus total sales

reached to 1,020,410 cars globally, followed by Toyota Corolla, with 872,774 cars sold in 2012

(CNNMoney, 2013). As for the Chevrolet Cruze, China and U.S. markets are the two leading

markets that generates two thirds of all Cruze sales worldwide. Till 2014, GM(the manufacturer

of Chevrolet Cruze) has sold 1.13 million models in China and 900,000 in the U.S..

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III. LITERATURE REVIEW

The previous section of this report has introduced the industry of current compact cars

manufacturing, the client’s developed history as well as several major competitors of Honda

Civic. The ultimate goal of this conducted research is to find out that as potential buyers, what

factors contribute to college students’ purchase decisions of choosing a particular compact car

model, as they are exposed to such a competitive compact cars market and facing alternative

choices.

Based on the understanding we’ve gained through former studies of the client, the

competitors and the industry, we will now review the literatures that are related to the topic, from

both business area and academia, to further understand the relationship between certain possible

variables and college students’ car selection. When searching literatures in BU library databases,

I typed in key words such as “automobile purchase”, “college students”, “driving behavior”, etc.

All of the literatures used in this research study are focusing on potential predictors and

factors that might affect college students’ purchasing behavior. Through the review and

evaluation of previous scholars’ research, I found a large amount of factors that could possibly

influence a college student’s car purchasing behavior. I integrated the past scholars’ work and

divided perceived variables into two primary categories: external factors and internal factors.

Within the category of “external factors”, obtained variables are divided into five subordinate

categories, which are: the people factor, the automobile features factor, the brand factor, the

online advertising factor and the public transportation factor, respectively. Whereas within the

category of “internal factors”, selected variables are more individual-centralized and human-

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related. Those variables are divided four subordinate categories which are: the factor of

individuals’ psychological valuations, the factor of personal interests (in automobile or

enthusiasm in driving), the factor of demographic features, and the factor of Intended time-frame

for driving licensure (Sigurdadottir, Kaplan & Møller, 2014).

External factors

(1) The factor of people

The most apparent variable contained in this category is peer influence. A Study by Kyoto

University in 2013 focuses on peer’s influence on students’ car purchasing behaviors in

Bandung, an Indonesian city. The study indicates that in Indonesia, almost all the cities don't

have an advanced public transportation system besides the capital city Jakarta. Somehow the

lack of mass transportation development affected the significant increase of motorized vehicles

ownership in Indonesia (Belgiawan, Schmöcker, & Fujii, 2013).

Through review of previous studies, researches find a considerable amount of evidences to

back up their studies of peer influence’ importance towards car ownership in an “Indonesian

context” (Belgiawan et al., 2013). In addition, the researchers also aim to find out which group

of people might be affected by this peer influence most. The three hypotheses they formulate are:

1. The lower satisfaction people have with their current car, the higher the peer influence

appears; 2. The perceived regret has a positive correlation with the group influence (Belgiawan

et al., 2013); and 3. The more the group influence appears, the higher desire an individual may

feel to purchase a different car.

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Researchers conduct a survey targets on 500 students (282 male and 218 female) age from

17-23 at Bandung Institute of Technology, who are considered to share various background.

Among which, 134 are valid respondents (students who have at least a car). The questionnaires

measurements are given on a 7-point scale. According to data analysis, the study finds a high

value of parents’ and siblings’ influence on students’ car purchasing behavior, which means

parents’ and siblings’ suggestions and advice might be valued a lot when students want to buy a

new car. Besides, the study finds a significant correlation between the level of satisfaction with

parents/siblings, which may imply that parents’ or siblings’ advice are accordance with students’

real need (Belgiwan et al., 2013). However, the study doesn’t confirm a significant relationship

between the level of satisfaction and the desire to buy a new car, as well as the peer influence in

students’ car upgrading desire.

(2) The factor of automobile features

Existing literatures have found that about three auto vehicle features might have impacts on

individuals’ choice of certain car models – Price (including overall price, insurance and extra

spend); fuel-efficiency; as well as safety and reliability).

An online survey conducted by auto insurance company the Progressive Group of Insurance

Companies (Business Wire, 2006) studied the how likely would the variable of price influence

consumers buying behaviors. The survey required participants to research new cars on a leading

vehicle valuation website - N.A.D.A. Appraisal Guides. The result indicates that most people

still regard the overall purchase price as the most important factor when they need to buy a new

car. The following factors are Make and Model, as well as Safety and Performance (Business 13

Wire, 2006). The result also shows that although consumers are aware of purchase price, they

usually ignore the other two important and valuable factors that related to price. The first one is

fuel factor, which is “how much it will cost to keep the fuel tank full” (Business Wire, 2006).

The other factor is the insurance factor since insurance usually “can be a significant cost of

owning and operating a vehicle” (Business Wire, 2006). The study concludes that even the most

savvy shopper may not be aware of the money they should pay for using and operating the car

other than the car purchase fee.

Another variable that is worth mention is fuel efficiency. A study by Kurani and Turrentine

from UC-Davis in 2004 aimed to find how would consumers think and behave related to the

concept of fuel economy or fuel efficiency when they purchase auto vehicles. Previous

researches about the relationship between perceived concepts of fuel economy were shaped by

“normative assumptions of economics” (Kurani & Turrentine, 2004), whereas in this newly

conducted research, researches focused more on helping policy makers to “ground future work”

(Kurani & Turrentine, 2004).

In this research study, Kurani and Turrentine interviewed 57 households and asked them to

report their feelings about the cars they owned, just bought and hope to buy in details. The

interviewees were divided into 10 sectors, which are pilot interviewees (households who used to

develop interview methods), college or graduate students, off-road vehicles users, state resource

agency employees, famers, computer industry workers, military households, financial job

workers, recreational industry workers and hybrid vehicle buyers, respectively (Kurani &

Turrentine, 2004).

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Kurani and Turrentine found that because of consumers’ limited understanding, they

wouldn't realize the importance of making a long-term “economically rational decision”, which

means when given an option of paying more for a more “fuel-saving” version of car model,

customers usually can’t estimate the possible savings this could result in. Besides, the researches

also found that the phrase of “fuel-economy” was always considered belonged to

cheap/economic cars’ attributes, where as the phrase of “fuel-efficiency” was widely regarded as

an attribute of advanced engineered cars with high technology and quality (Kurani & Turrentine,

2004). According to interviewees’ report, people tried to convince themselves that fuel-economy

was related to saving money while fuel-efficiency was about saving fuel. Eventually, the study

suggested that most strategies addressed by automobile companies of educating consumers about

fuel cost savings would make them feel rather confused. Education work should be more focused

on “fuel efficiency and technical advances”. Also, an interesting finding from the study was that

based on some “emotional punch”, consumers may value fuel economy more if the car models

themselves were in shiny painted style (Kurani & Turrentine, 2004).

Another variable worth mention is the vehicles’ safety and reliability. A considerable

amount of previous literatures have found significant relationship between consumers’ perceived

reliability to a particular car model and their final purchase decision. Nevertheless, not all of

these studies find out positive or apparent correlations between automobile’s safety and their

related market performance.

Early in 1992, Virginia Commonwealth University scholars Hoffer, Pruitt and Reilly did a

research study on public-provided automotive safety information and related market responses

(Hoffer, Pruitt, & Reilly, 1992). The research specifically focused on whether the crash tests data

provided by certain public (government-run) institutes may influence the process of consumers’ 15

purchase decision making. They firstly investigated whether or how the market responses

correspond to “particularly poor test values” (Hoffer et al., 1992). They divided the test car

models into different groups by vehicle sizes and characteristics, in which they found among all

48 observations, 34 fell into the “family subcompact car category” (Hoffer et al., 1992). Next,

they tested another set of vehicles that had rather satisfied crash test results. Finally, in order to

find out the correlation between the market performances of studied vehicles and their crash test

results, they calculated the growth rates of certain vehicles models within three months right

after the crash test results’ announcement.

The data analysis showed that there was no obvious evidence that demonstrate automobile

sales growth influenced by their crash test results, though which the researchers confirmed the

publics disregarded the government car crash tests results when making their choice (Hoffer et

al., 1992).

However, there might be other “noises” that may affect the study’s accuracy of the

relationship between car reliability and buyers purchasing behavior. Recent studies still draw

attention on testing how important is automobile safety in buyers’ purchasing process. A study

by Monash University Accident Research Center in 2007 finds that consumers still put

significant interests in vehicles’ safety performance (Koppel, Charlton, Fildes, &Fitzharris,

2007). The aims of the study were to find the importance of car-safety features and how

important it is compared to other features. The researchers send out letter questionnaires to a

designed sample participants in Sweden as well as conducted telephone survey to another set of

participants in Spain (Koppel et al., 2007). According to data analysis, participants in this study

were more likely to rank safety as the most important feature when making a purchasing

decision. 16

Meanwhile, Koppel et al. (2007) also mentioned that as previous researches demonstrated,

consumers ranked price, appearance and reliability higher than safety feature. A possible

explanation for the different data result might be that the chosen participants of this study had all

recently purchased a new car. In terms of this, they were more likely to focus on the “actual”

performance of their owned cars. In addition, when participants were asked to “list up to three

factors” that they cared most concerning car safety, the top rank went to braking systems

including ABS and airbags. Besides the findings related to the feature of vehicle safety, it is also

interesting to understand the parameters that are associated with consumers’ ranking of “car-

safety is the most important feature” (Hoffer et al., 1992). According to collected responses,

these parameters include: gender, education level, age, drivers’ concern about crash tests, etc.

These findings do provide alternative referenced sources for my current research.

A more recent study in 2010 by Vrkljan and Anaby proves the same conclusion. In their

research, 2,002 Canadian drivers over 18 years old were asked to complete a survey, in which

they ranked their perceived importance of certain vehicle features from high to low (Vrkljan &

Anaby, 2010). The ANOVA tests suggest that safety and reliability (Vrkljan & Anaby, 2010). is

ranked highest among all of the features. Besides, the study also aims to test the effect of

different age and gender groups that might exert on individuals’ buying behavior. According to

Vrkljan and Anaby (2010), the collected data shows that younger generation, especially younger

males, who are also considered to be at a “higher risk of collision”, rated safety and reliability as

“least important” compared to other age and gender groups (Vrkljan & Anaby, 2010).

Furthermore, a study by Shaw and Pease (2010) examined whether individuals’ perceived

automobile security feature contributes to their willingness of recommending the purchase of a

certain car model (Shaw & Pease, 2010). The research team derived data from “Motoring 17

Which’s annual review of new and used cars” (Shaw & Pease, 2010). Result shows that vehicles

security has a significant impact on consumers’ willingness of recommend certain cat models.

(3) The factor of brand

A parsimonious model called NBD-Dirchlet of purchase incidence and brand choice was

first been introduced by Goodhardt, Ehrenberg and Chatfield in 1984 . In 2010, a study

conducted by Bennett and Graham further investigates consumers’ purchase behavior concerning

about brand to the category of automobile (Bennett & Graham, 2010). In this study, researchers

adopted a “two-purchase analysis”, which describes “two consecutive brand choices” of a

sample of buyers, including both repeating buyers and new buyers (Bennett & Graham, 2010).

Researchers collected their data from a motor fair held in Bangkok, capital of Thailand, in 2009.

Visitors were asked questions about their currently owned cars, the car they wanted to purchase

next, cars they owned before, etc. (Bennett & Graham, 2010). Then the collected answers were

compared to a published annual sales report from Toyota Motor Thailand Co..

From the data set, the study indicates that big auto firms like Toyota achieved a “slightly

higher” brand loyalty then others, with half of their existing customers would like to re-purchase

Toyota makes of cars for a second time (Bennett & Graham, 2010). Furthermore, the major

finding of this study is that Toyota’s growing sales rate, as well as its brand-share growth,

probably contributed by the first-time buyers. However, as college students, whom are mostly

considered as first-time buyers, their cognitive brand recognition and loyalty mainly comes from

what their parents, siblings or people surround them. In my study, the variable of brand-loyalty

will still be tested and related to their perceived brand reliability.

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Another study in 2010 addressed attention on automobiles’ country of origin (Sohail &

Sahin, 2010). It analyzes the influence of this variable and the function it plays in consumers’

automobile selection (Sohail & Sahin, 2010). The study was conducted in Saudi Arabia, one of

the most fast-growing developing nations in the world. As Sohail and Sahin state, earlier studies

have shown that consumers show a preference of the products’ country of origin, and may prefer

to choose products from particular areas than others (Sohail & Sahin, 2010). They submitted a

questionnaire survey to Saudi Arabia males, since females in Saudi are “not legally permitted to

drive automobiles” and “are not key decision makers in the buying process” (Sohail & Sahin,

2010).

Data analysis shows that Japanese cars are highly rated by Saudi Arabia consumers as

“reliable” and “high-quality”. However, Japanese cars are seen not the “most socially

acceptable” cars (Sohail & Sahin, 2010). On the contrary, European cars achieve the highest

“socially acceptable” rating among participants. The researchers state that European cars are

considered to have the “greatest potential” for increasing sales growth in Saudi Arabia according

to participants’ preferences (Sohail & Sahin, 2010). Last but not least, United States automobile

brands earn a medium rating in all features. Another interesting fact that Sohail and Sahin

mentioned is that Saudi Arabians are very sensitive and responsive to country of origin

especially United States and some specific Western nations. Previous studies showed that Saudi

Arabian consumers are in the “forefront” in calling for boycotts of products that are

manufactured in the U.S. Thus, the international marketing work in Arab area must be

undertaken after a detailed market research in this area (Sohail & Sahin, 2010).

(4) The factor of online advertising influence

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Social network site is one of the main places marketers choose to place advertisements on in

order to target younger generation and among which, college students are the key active users on

social networks (Chu, 2011; eMarketer, 2009) and are the “prime targets for SNSs advertising

campaigns” (Imran, 2014). Users adopted SNSs is still growing worldwide (Kozel, Klézl &

Pawlasová, 2013). In 2014, researchers conducted a study of social media pre-purchase search

effects on users’ attitudes among college students. A sample of 200 college students from

Islamabad was asked to complete a survey. Measurements are about students’ frequency or

willingness of clicking the advertising banners appeared on their social network sites. The data

analysis shows that when students show up a motivation of doing pre-purchase search online,

social media advertisements are proved to be an effective and mediate channel for SNSs users

(Imran, 2014). The findings provide advertisers, especially advertisers from South Asian

markets, a beneficial theoretical basis for promoting their products through SNSs advertising

banners. The researcher also suggests that SNSs advertisers should input specific products

information into their banner ads.

More related to my current research project for Honda Civic, another recent study in 2014

tests the relationship between online ads and automobile sales. They propose to explore the

effects of online advertising’s effects on vehicle sales including both search and non-search ads

(Peng, G. Zhang, S. Zhang, Dai & Li, 2014). Marketers usually seek out more effective

strategies due to limited marketing budget (Peng et al., 2014). Two research questions addressed

from the researchers are: 1. How does online advertising affect automobile sales and 2. Whether

both search and non-search ads have impact on automobile sales and what are the differences

(Peng et al., 2014).

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The study collected sales data of 52 vehicle models in Chinese market, as well as each

model’s advertising spending data from a particular consulting company and a major search

engine company (Peng et al., 2014). According to the data analysis results, the study may

conclude that two different major findings: Frist, consumers who click on those non-search ads

on online platforms show a strong interests in corresponding car models. In other words, non-

search ads appeared online are effective for arousing brand awareness. However, those ads

clickers may not have a real intention to purchase cars concerning that these ads may appear

anywhere as long as consumers are scanning certain websites. Second, data shows that spending

on search ads have significant correlations with vehicle sales. The researchers explain that

consumers who initiate the search for specific car models are the one who own the willingness of

purchasing. Thus, automobile marketers need to focus more on search-ads when they have

demand on increasing sale growth, or otherwise focus more on non-search-ads if they want to

create brand awareness as well as enhance brand loyalty.

(5) The factor of transportation

The factor of public transportation contains variables including public transportation

provision (Cullinane, 2001), transport policy (Ozaki & Sevastyanova, 2011), as well as the

availability of grocery shopping (Bodor, Hutchinson & Rose, 2013).

Cuillinane’s study (2001) aimed to investigate whether the provision of prosperous public

transportation might reduce consumers’ willingness of buy new cars (Cullinane, 2001). The

study took Hong Kong as the experimental city, concerning that Hong Kong has been fully

covered by different kinds of public transportation. The study conducted a face-to-face

21

questionnaire survey among 389 college students among five universities in Hong Kong

(Cullinane, 2001). Collected data shows that students highly rated Hong Kong’s public

transportation since they were frequent users of it, and almost none of them own a car. Among

these students, 65% of them reported that they would not think about buying a car within the

next five years, and 33% of them reported they wouldn't buy a car within the next 10 years.

What's more, nearly 40% students stated that they don't need a car because of such a prosperous

public transportation system here. In addition, the pertaining to demographic backgrounds, the

attitude of car purchasing from male students was more “favorable” than female students

(Cullinane, 2001).

In 2011, scholars Ozaki and Sevastyanova’s did an analysis on consumers’ purchase

motivation of hybrid automobiles. They aimed to find out what drives consumers to adopt this

newly developed and “energy-sustainable” innovation. Meanwhile, they were also eager to

understand how can policies encourage or benefit them (Ozaki & Sevastyanova, 2011). In order

to achieve their research objectives, Ozaki and Sevastyanova did a questionnaire survey

contained 21 constructs. The survey was administered in 2009 and was sent to 4000 Toyota’s

customers who had purchased a Toyata Prius in the past two years (Ozaki & Sevastyanova,

2011). From their data set, they demonstrated several significant variables that have relationships

with consumers’ choice towards hybrid cars, including: Environmental benefits; social norms

and pressure, which means people’s respond to social culture and the group they belong;

practical compatibility; self-expression, which identifies individuals’ will of expressing personal

identity; positive attitudes towards new technology; as well as public transport policy (Ozaki &

Sevastyanova, 2011). Thus, researchers concluded several implications for policy makers. For

instance, as financial incentives and public transport policy appears to be important, policy

22

makers might come out more beneficial incentives to encourage hybrid car models purchasing.

Besides, tangible advantages should be made. According to Ozaki and Sevastyanova, “schemes

such as the cash-for- clunkers rebate programme need to be publicised more widely, and

provision of free/priority parking should be more extensive” (Ozaki & Sevastyanova, 2011).

Bodor, Hutchinson and Rose’s research study (2013) focused on car ownership and its

association with fruit and vegetable availability (Bodor, Hutchinson & Rose, 2013). Previous

study about individuals’ daily fruit and vegetable intake were mostly ignored the key aspect of

car ownership. Researches in this study state car ownership might provides individuals with

“greater mobility”, which allows households to shop more conveniently in local grocery stores or

“beyond neighborhood boundaries” (Bodor, Hutchinson & Rose, 2013).

The study was conducted in 2008 among 200 households from New Orleans. The data

showed that among people who don’t own a car, people’s daily intake of fruit and vegetables

was significantly associated with those shops’ located 2km away from their residence. However,

when the distance was limited to 500m -1km, this association seemed not that obvious.

Additionally, among individuals who owned cars, this fruit and vegetable availability didn't

affect intake, as previously assumed (Bodor, Hutchinson & Rose, 2013). We may thus infer that

if the residence or neighborhood people stay at is not convenient enough for daily grocery

shopping, they might grow a need for car purchasing. This indeed can be adopted as a variable

that contributes to my own study.

23

Internal Factors

(1) The factor of individuals’ psychological valuations

Existing literatures and studies demonstrate that not only tangible features attribute to

consumers’ purchasing behaviors, but also intangible factors such as psychological valuation

may also post effects on purchasing intentions. In 2002, Carrabine and Longhurst did a research

study about the place of cars among young generation (Carrabine & Longhurst, 2002), and it

leads to a conclusion that more wealthy young people’s perception of cars is related to

“anticipation”, “usage” and “meaning” (Carrabine & Longhurst, 2002).

Researchers adopt a qualitative research method to get a clearer and more detailed clue of

what young people’s daily lives contain, including pressures, happiness, as well as the ways they

interact with social cultures (Carrabine & Longhurst, 2002). 17-18 year olds students, whose

ages were considered to be the time that people reveal an initial interest of consuming

automobiles, were asked to report their current cultural life first. For instance, students were

required to give their rankings of things as television, music, sports and so on. Secondly, a focus

group discussion was generated to examine students’ feelings toward the most highly ranked

items, especially “music” (Carrabine & Longhurst, 2002). Next, semi-structured conversations

were made to examine details about their consumption practices of a range of activities,

including cars. Finally, researches made observation of certain participants who considered

themselves as “important” from previous interviews. According to content analysis, researchers

indicate that the sociology of car must resonate with the excitement that driving brings to

individuals as well as “the new horizons of sociability it seems to offer” (Carrabine & Longhurst,

2002).

24

In 2011, Bian and Forsythe draw their attention on the effect of individual characteristics on

U.S. and Chinese college students’ purchase intention for “luxury brands” (Bian & Forsythe,

2011). This research reveals a lot of interesting psychological variables that related to

individuals’ purchasing behavior, such as perceived need for uniqueness (NFU), self-

monitoring, self-expression attitude, etc. (Bian & Forsythe, 2011). A sample of 394 college

students from both U.S. and China were asked to participate a survey. The main finding of this

study is that consumers are more likely to choose brands that correspond to their self-values

(Bian & Forsythe, 2011). In addition, U.S. and Chinese students’ similarity avoidance differs

from each other. Chinese students tend to have higher similarity avoidance than U.S. students

(Bian & Forsythe, 2011). Besides, the data analysis shows that compared to U.S. students,

Chinese students seemed don't discriminate between self-expression attitude and self-

presentation attitude. In other word, Chinese students lack the ability to distinguish the difference

between self-image and social image (Bian & Forsythe, 2011).

A recent study in 2012 conducted by Chinese scholars examines Chinese college students’

“attitudes, social norms and aspiration of car ownership” (C. Zhu, Y. Zhu, Lu, He & Xia, 2012).

Researchers investigate college students’ perceived psychological values of car ownership. A

questionnaire survey was conducted in 2009, and the sample of students was chose from two

universities in southeast of China.

The researchers address that these students were chosen because they were “consumers with

greater future purchasing power” (Zhu et al., 2012). The study finds that there is a strong car-

ownership desire shared by Chinese college students. This desire of purchasing cars even

revealed at early ages when these students’ purchasing power is “still absent” (Zhu et al., 2012).

Besides, researchers also find out a strong effect of perceived psychosocial values of cars 25

including feelings of freedom, feelings of control, etc. Most of the students disagree that buying

a car is necessary for “traveling”. To tested population and even the general Chinese college

students, cars are more than a simply tool for transportation tool. To some point, the

psychosocial valuations’ impact outweighs the instrumental valuations of cars such as

convenience and speed (Zhu et al., 2012).

(2) The factor of personal interests

In 2011, Collin-Lange and Benediktsson investigated novice drivers’ automobile regime

and car usage. The study concentrated on how individuals, especially students age around 18,

enter the automobility regime, with focusing on individuals’ human components rather than

“systematic natures” of automobility (Collin-Lange & Benediktsson, 2011). For data collecting,

researchers submitted a questionnaire survey to 553 young people, age 16 to 21, in Iceland,

among which 54%(304) are females and 46%(249) are males. Collin-Lange and Benediktsson

pointed out that they chose this aging period because “16 is the legal age to start driving school”,

and the “upper age limit” is 21 (Collin-Lange & Benediktsson, 2011).

The questionnaire survey collected considerable amount of quantitative data such as “the

extent of driving license and car ownership”, distance between home and school, frequency of

car usage, etc. (Collin-Lange & Benediktsson, 2011). Futhermore, the questionnaires also asked

participants about their personal comments and reaction to specific questions pertaining to the

reason why they owned a car (if they reported they do), or extent of agreement of certain

statements about road safety, etc. (Collin-Lange & Benediktsson, 2011). The collected data from

participants showed several important findings. Firstly, young people in Iceland do use cars or

26

purchase cars from a “practical perspective” (Collin-Lange & Benediktsson, 2011), which means

young people find cars provide them flexibility and ability to be mobile. However, participants

argued that there are too many cars in Iceland at the moment and they wanted to change the

situation by adopting carpool or other related improvements to public transportation (Collin-

Lange & Benediktsson, 2011). Secondly, participants also showed social and cultural related

perspectives on car ownership rather than “pure practicaliy” (Collin-Lange & Benediktsson,

2011). They pointed out that they used cars not only for transportation purposes, but also for

social interaction. To sum up, Collin-Lange and Benediktsson concluded that young drivers have

“ambivalent” perception towards car ownership. They use cars for practical purposes, as well as

adding new interpretations on “car-based automobility” (Collin-Lange & Benediktsson, 2011).

(3) The factor of demographic features

It is no doubt that demographic features exert important roles in shaping young people’s

perception of automobile ownership and purchasing behavior. Almost all the earlier studies have

drown attention to demographic influences of college students purchasing behavior. As I’ve

already noted in previous review, Vrkljan and Anaby’s study in 2010 showed a significant

relations between genders and car-selection. From their data analysis, it’s not hard to find that

male students, who are considered to be at a higher risk of car crash, rated safety and reliability

feature as less important (Vrkljan & Anaby, 2010).

In my particular research for Honda Civic, I will adopt the demographic features that have

already been tested from former studies. I aim to test whether students from different

demographic backgrounds adopt different perspectives into automobile selection.

27

(4) The factor of Intended time-frame for driving licensure (Sigurdadottir, Kaplan &

Møller, 2014)

Earlier researches have proved that individuals’ attitudes toward car-ownership and car-

oriented behavior are shaped in their early age. Several studies conducted in recent years showed

that children and adolescents both adopt an attitude that they will obtain a driving license and

purchase a car when they grow into adults (Line, Chatterjee & Lyons, 2012; Kopnina &

Williams, 2013).

In 2014, Sigurdadottir, Kaplan and Møller conducted a research on adolescents intend time-

frame for driving licensure and car ownership, and the motivation for designing this time-frame

as well (Sigurdadottir, Kaplan & Møller, 2014). They submitted semi-structured interviews

among 50 Danish adolescents.

According to participants’ corresponding responds of their intended time-frame of driving

licensure and car ownership, researchers divided participants into three groups, relatively are:

“intended early car users”, “intended early license holders and later car users”, and “intended late

license holders and car users” (Sigurdadottir, Kaplan & Møller, 2014). Participants in the first

group are early adopters of automobiles. They are enthusiastic about automobility and other

auto-related lifestyles, including social networks. (Sigurdadottir, Kaplan & Møller, 2014).

Participants in the second group are car “pragmatists”, who seriously consider a long-term car-

oriented life style but also see the expenses as a barrier currently. The third group of participants

considers somehow shows no interest of car-oriented lifestyle either future car-ownership

(Sigurdadottir, Kaplan & Møller, 2014).

28

From content analysis, researchers indicate that family and the surrounded community plays

an important role in shaping adolescents’ attitudes towards car-ownership. For instance,

participants recalled their siblings and parents’ driving habits and travel patterns very accurately.

Thus expanding the social circle at families and communities may influence adolescents’ travel

habits (Sigurdadottir, Kaplan & Møller, 2014). Furthermore, car pragmatists (the second group)

are most motivated by “financial concerns” (Sigurdadottir, Kaplan & Møller, 2014). Last but not

least, although three groups share different valuation on personal car-oriented lifestyles, they all

“imagine a highly car-oriented” future (Sigurdadottir, Kaplan & Møller, 2014).

29

IV. PROPOSED PREDICTORS FROM THE LITERATURE

From previous literature reviews, we may identify a considerable amount of variables,

including both external and internal factors, which are related to different categories and might

affect consumers’ potential purchasing intentions. These proposed predictors are listed below.

For the readers’ convenience, I group these predictors in to nine sections which separately are:

People/peer influence; automobile attributes; brand features; online advertising influence; public

transportation; individuals’ psychological valuations; individuals’ personal interests;

demographic features and “other factors”.

Proposed Predictors of College Students’ Automobile Selection

People/Peer influence

Perceived peer influence from friends

Scholarly Sources: Koppel et al., 2007; Belgiwan et al., 2013

Perceived influence from parents

Scholarly Sources: Koppel et al., 2007; Belgiwan et al., 2013

Perceived peer influence from siblings

Scholarly Sources: Belgiwan et al., 2013

Automobile attributes

Assessment of overall purchase price

30

Scholarly Sources: Koppel et al., 2007; Sigurdadottir, Kaplan & Møller, 2014

Trade Sources: Business Wire, 2006

Perceived importance of makes and models

Scholarly Sources: Koppel et al., 2007


Assessment of safety

Scholarly Sources: Koppel et al., 2007; Vrkljan & Anaby, 2010


Assessment of performance



Assessment of reliability



Assessment of fuel price


Assessment of insurance price


Perceived attribute of fuel efficiency

Scholarly Sources: Kurani & Turrentine, 2004

Assessment of fuel consumption


Perceived attribute of fuel economy

Scholarly Sources: Kurani & Turrentine, 2004

31

Knowledge of car crash test results

Scholarly Sources: Hoffer et al., 1992

Assessment of car design/style


Perceived service quality of maintenance


Assessment of storage space


Beliefs in the function of ABS system


Beliefs in the function of airbags


Beliefs in the function of stability control system

Koppel et al., 2007

Beliefs in the function of braking systems


Perceived influence of car security system

Scholarly Sources: Shaw & Pease, 2010

Perceived driving comfort

Scholarly Sources: Vrkljan & Anaby, 2010

Brand features

Perception of brand loyalty

Scholarly Sources: Bennett & Graham, 2010

32

Brands’ country-origins

Scholarly Sources: Sohail & Sahin, 2010

Preference for Japanese Cars


Preference for European Cars


Preference for American Cars


Preference for Korean Cars


Online advertising influence

Perceived influence of Internet Commercial (not including social media)

Scholarly Sources: Belgiwan et al., 2013; Peng et al., 2014

Usage of SNSs

Scholarly Sources: Imran, 2014

Perceived influence of SNSs advertising

Scholarly Sources: Imran, 2014

Public transportation

Availability of public transportation

Scholarly Sources: Cullinane, 2001

33

Individuals’ psychological valuations

Willingnes of expressing personal identity

Scholarly Sources: Ozaki & Sevastyanova, 2011

Perceived need for uniqueness

Scholarly Sources: Bian & Forsythe, 2011

Attitudes toward social-function


Perceived satisfaction of brand


Psychological feeling of car ownership

Scholarly Sources: Zhu et al., 2012

Individuals’ personal interests

Perceived satisfaction with current car


Perceived regret with the current car


Desire of car upgrading


Perceived excitement of driving

Scholarly Sources: Carrabine & Longhurst, 2002

Perceived enthusiasm for automobiles

Scholarly Sources: Sigurdadottir, Kaplan & Møller, 2014

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Other Factors:

Attitudes towards technology

Scholarly Sources: Ozaki & Sevastyanova, 2011

Perceived convenience of grocery shopping

Scholarly Sources: Bodor, Hutchinson & Rose, 2013

Perceived ease of travel

Scholarly Sources: Zhu et al., 2012

Perceived convenience of going to school

Scholarly Sources: Collin-Lange & Benediktsson, 2011

Perceived road safety


Holding of driver licenses


Intended time-frame for driving licensure

Scholarly Sources: Sigurdadottir, Kaplan & Møller, 2014

Demographic features

Students’ age

Scholarly Sources: Koppel et al., 2007; Ozaki & Sevastyanova, 2011; Bodor,

Hutchinson & Rose, 2013; Imran, 2014

Students’ gender

Scholarly Sources: Vrkljan & Anaby, 2010; Ozaki & Sevastyanova, 2011; Zhu et al.,

2012; Belgiwan et al., 2013; Bodor, Hutchinson & Rose, 2013; Sigurdadottir, Kaplan &

35

Møller, 2014

Household income

Scholarly Sources: Koppel et al., 2007; Ozaki & Sevastyanova, 2011; Belgiwan et al.,

2013

Car ownership

Scholarly Sources: Ozaki & Sevastyanova, 2011; Bodor, Hutchinson & Rose, 2013

Students’ degree program

Scholarly Sources: Zhu et al., 2012; Imran, 2014

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V. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

In the former section, we listed 54 proposed predictors from the literature review. The

current study I’m conducting is mainly focusing on factors that drive college students’

automobile purchasing intention. Whilst these proposed predictors are all related to different

aspects of automobile features, individuals’ buying behaviors, as well as students’ demographic

background information, and the identifications of these predictors are extremely valuable.

However, since these predictors are derived from literatures that addressed different research

questions, used different research methods and undertake different contexts, a theoretical

framework, thus, should be adopted in order to group related predictors in a more reasonable

frame. The theoretical framework this study will employ is the Theory of Planned Behavior

(Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980).

The theory of planned behavior, also known as TPB, was proposed by Icek Ajzen in 1991,

in order to improve the prediction of particular actions by introducing perceived behavior control

(Ajzen, 1991). The theory is highly employed in studies of certain relationships between

attitudes, beliefs and behaviors, in the fields of public relations, advertising and other applied

mass media field.

Eight key variables that contained in this theory are: Behavioral Beliefs, Attitude Toward

the Behavior, Normative Beliefs, Subjective Norm, Control Beliefs, and Perceived Behavioral

Control, Interntion and Behavior (Ajzen, 1991). The following figure shows the diagram of TPB

theory.

37

Behavioral beliefs and attitude toward behavior:

According to Ajzen (1991), behavioral belief is individual’s belief about consequences of a

certain behavior (Ajzen, 1991). Whereas attitude toward a behavior is the degree of valuation

that individuals perceived as positive or negative (Ajzen, 1991).

Normative Beliefs and Subjective Norm:

The normative belief means an individuals’ perception of certain behavioral expectations

that refer to individuals or groups, or relevant family, friends or others’ belief of whether or not

he or she should perform certain behavior (Ajzen, 1991).

38

The subjective norm refers to individuals’ perceived social pressures of whether engaging

in particular behaviors or not (Ajzen, 1991). It's a perception of certain behaviors that are

influenced by “significant others” (Amjad & Wood, 2009).

Control beliefs and perceived behavioral control:

According to Ajzen (1991)’s interpretation, control beliefs refer to people’s beliefs about

presence of factors that may facilitate or impede certain behaviors (Ajzen, 1991). Perceived

behavior control illustrates individuals’ perceived ease of conducting a particular behavior

(Ajzen, 1991).

Intention and behavior:

Intention is an indication of individuals’ “readiness” to perform a behavior. It is also

considered to be the immediate antecedent of behavior (Ajzen, 1991). Last but not least, Ajzen

(1991) indicated that human behavior is individuals’ observable reaction/response to a given

situation (Ajzen, 1991).

In the model of TPB, human behavior was guided and influenced by three initial variables,

“behavioral beliefs”, “normative beliefs” and “control beliefs”. These three initial variables

firstly rise to “attitude toward behaviors”, “subjective norm” and “perceived behavioral control”

separately. In combination, “attitude toward behaviors”, “subjective norm” and “perceived

behavioral control” result in the formation of “intention”, and eventually intention may post

immediate and direct influence on behaviors (Ajzen, 1991).

39

VI. PROPOSED PREDICTORS WITHIN THE THEORY OF PLANNED BEHAVIOR

According to the theory of planned behavior, proposed predictors fit into the framework of

each constructed variables. Note that some predictors that fall outside of TPB model, as they are

considered as antecedents of behavioral belief. These predictors are also listed below. The

origins of predictors can be derived from previous section.

(1) Behavioral belief antecedents

Brands’ country-origins

Knowledge of car crash test results

Usage of SNSs

Willingness of expressing personal identity

(2) Behavioral beliefs





Assessment of fuel consumption

Perceived attribute of fuel economy




40

Perceived availability of storage space


Assessment of insurance price


Perceived Comfort

(3) Attitude toward the behavior

Perception of brand loyalty


Preference for Japanese Cars

Preference for European Cars

Preference for American Cars

Preference for Korean Cars

Psychological value of car ownership



Perceived satisfaction with current car

Perceived regret with the current car

Desire of car upgrading

Perceived excitement of driving

Perceived enthusiasm for automobiles

Attitudes towards technology

41

(4) Normative beliefs

Perceived peer/friends’ influence

Perceived influence from parents/siblings

Perceived influence of Internet Commercial (not including social media)


(5) Subjective norms

Peer’s choice of automobiles

Parents/sibling’s choice of automobiles

Recommendation by websites

Usage of SNSs

(6) Control beliefs

Beliefs in the function of ABS system

Beliefs in the function of airbags

Beliefs in the function of stability control system

Beliefs in the function of braking systems

Perceived influence of car security system

(7) Perceived behavioral control

Perceived willingness of buying a new car

Assessment of driving safety

Perceived road safety


42


Perceived availability of public transportation

Perceived convenience of grocery shopping

(8) Past behavior

Frequency of driving



43

VII. SELECTED PROPOSED PREDICTORS

The selected predictors that will be used for the following study are listed below. Due to

limit of time and monetary constrains, I cannot cover all 54 predictors in our measurement

design section and apply them in our questionnaire survey. Thus, I listed 4908509 variables that

are: a. fit well in the TPB framework; b. mentioned in a variety of literatures.

(1) Behavioral beliefs








Perceived availability of storage space


Perceived Comfort


(2) Attitude toward the behavior

Perception of brand consciousness


Preference for Japanese cars

44

Psychological value of car ownership




Perceived peer/friends’ influence

Perceived influence from parents/siblings



Recommendation by websites

(5) Control beliefs

(None)




Perceived availability of public transportation

(7) Other features

Age

Gender

Degree program

45

Car ownership



Intended time-frame for buying a car

46

VIII. DEVELOPMENT OF MEASURES

The ultimate goal of this project is to develop a set of measures and test if they could be

used to identify students’ automobile buying intention and allow researchers to capture the

information and variation. In order to accomplish this goal, I designed multiple-item measures

for 16 proposed predictors and labeled them from V1 to V16 separately. The adoption of

multiple-item measures would allow the researcher to quantify the errors going from construct to

each indicator and quantify the influence of error onto the indicators. Most of the measurements

were adapted from previous literatures, scholars’ journal, and the Marketing Scales Handbook

(Bruner, 2009). Sources were listed as below respectively for each measure. However, due to a

scarcity of pre-existing scales, I had to create original measures for some of the proposed

predictors.

Additionally, the creation of original measurements requires the researcher to stick to

several principles through which the research could maximize the probability to best capture the

variations through these self-report measures. The following principles were all retrieved from

the class notes of CM724 at Boston University, originally created by professor Michael Elasmar.

The outline of these principles is:

Forum: Language; length; focus

Content: Meaning; word choice; structure; order; assumed knowledge.

47

Language Simplicity is the key.

- The fewer numbers of syllables the better.

- Use spoken English. Avoid using slangs.

Length Length of measures:

- Short measures are better than long measures, except when

length clarifies meaning, or when length facilitates

information retrieval.

Length of response categories:

- Number of options for nominal measures

(categorical): no more than 10.

- Number of options for interval measures (scales): between 5

and 7

Length of instruments:

- A compromise needs to reach between the number of

concepts needed, the number of measures needed and the

time will take to complete the instruments.

- Web-administered or paper-administered surveys should not

exceed 15 minutes.

Focus Each measure should focus on a single dimension of a concept.

Meaning - Do not assume that participants are familiar with scientific

concepts, jargon of researchers or can engage in

computations even if these are basic.

- Transform everything into its simplest form.

- When attempting to convey meanings, provide a common

frame of reference whenever possible (you have to include a

definition to your participants).

Word-choice - Taking to account the subtleties of language when choosing

words used in the measures.

- Pay attention to the fanatic sound that it generates.

Structure - Double-negatives: Don’t use them.

48

- Placement of respond categories: Do not offer

response categories prior to stating question or providing the

statement to which they are asked to react.

Order General questions to specific questions.

Assumed

knowledge

Do not assume that the participants are familiar with the topic

that you’re researching.

The conducted measurements were listed as below.

49

Multiple-item measures

(1) Behavioral beliefs (Ajzen, 1991, 2006, 2009)

V1 Construct: Assessment of overall purchase price

Definition: An individual’s willingness of carefully evaluating a product’s overall price before purchasing.

Source: Due to a scarcity of pre-existing scales, all items were developed by the researcher.

For these questions, think about your purchase behavior. How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

Strongly Disagree

Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree

V1-1 In general, I always carefully think about prices before buying.V1-2 Product price is what I care about most when I buy certain products.V1-3 I go for the price first rather than thinking about other features.V1-4 To me, the overall purchase price doesn't matter at all.

V2 Construct: Assessment of fuel price

Definition: An individual’s assessment of current price of gas/fuel.


For these questions, assuming you are going to buy a new car. How much do you agree or

disagree with the following statements?

Strongly Disagree


V2-1 If the current gas price is high, I won’t consider buying a new car.V2-2 Fuel price is what I care a lot concerning about a new car

50

purchase.V2-3 I would be more likely to buy a car when the fuel price is considerable.V2-4 I don’t think fuel price would affect my willingness of buying a car.

V3 Construct: Assessment of insurance price

Definition: An individual’s assessment of insurance price related to a car.


For these questions, assuming you are going to buy a new car. How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

Strongly Disagree


V3-1 I’d prefer a more reasonable insurance price when I am about to buy a new car.V3-2 I won’t consider too much about the insurance price when I am about to buy a new car.V3-3 I would carefully assess the price of car insurance when making a car purchase decision.V3-4 Price of insurance doesn’t bother me when buying a new car.

(2) Attitude toward the behavior (Ajzen, 1991, 2006, 2009)

V4 Construct: Perception of brand consciousness.

Definition: The degree to which a person is sensitive about brand names because they are viewed as communicating something about one’s self-concept.

Source: Items have been partially adapted from the Marketing Scales Handbook (Bruner,

51

2009), Scale “Brand Consciousness” as developed by Nan and Neo (2007). All other items are developed by the researcher.

For these questions, think about your purchase behavior and assume you are going to buy a new car. How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

Strongly Disagree


V4-1 I pay attention to the brand of the car I’m going to buy.

V4-2 Sometimes I am willing to pay more money for a product because of its brand name.V4-3 I don’t care much about the brand’s name when it comes to car purchase.

V5 Construct: Perceived satisfaction of brand

Definition: The degree to which a person is sensitive about brand names because they are viewed as communicating something about one’s self-concept.

Source: Items have been partially adapted from Bian and Forsythe’s study (2011): Purchase intention for luxury brands: A cross cultural comparison, Journal of Business Research. All other items are developed by the researcher.

For these questions, think about your car ownership if you have a car, or assume your future car ownership if you don’t. How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

Strongly Disagree


V5-1 Owning a certain brand of car would give me pleasure.V5-2 Owning a certain brand of car makes me feel good about myself.V5-3 I enjoy having my own car of a certain brand.V5-4 I don’t care much about having my own car of a particular brand.

52

V6 Construct: Preference for Japanese cars.

Definition: The degree to which a person highly prefers a car model manufactured by Japanese manufacturer.

Source: All items have been adapted from Sohail and Sahin’s study (2010): Country-of-origin effects on consumers' evaluations of automobiles: Perspectives from a Developing Nation.

For these questions, assume you are going to buy a new car. How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

V7 Construct: Psychological value of car ownership

Definition: Individual’s cognitive perception of owning private cars.

Source: Items have been partially adapted from Zhu et al.’s study (2012): Purchase intention for luxury brands: Perceptions and aspirations for car ownership among Chinese students attending two universities in the Yangtze Delta, China. All other items are developed by the researcher.

For these questions, think about your car ownership if you have a car, or assume your future car ownership if you don’t. How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

53

Strongly Disagree


V6-1 Cars made in Japan are quite reliable and seem to last the desired length of time.V6-2 Cars made in Japan occupy a very strong competitive position in comparison to cars made by other countries.V6-3 Cars made in Japan are generally of a lower quality in comparison to others.V6-4 Cars made in Japan are always carefully produced.

Strongly Disagree


V7-1 Owning a car is a symbol of my success in lifeV7-2 Owning a car makes me feel more in control of my lifeV7-3 Owning a car will be necessary in the future,V7-4 Cars are a symbol of successful modern life.

V8 Construct: Perceived need for uniqueness

Definition: Individual’s psychological need for being more unique than others.

Source: Items have been partially adapted from Bian and Forsythe’s study (2011): Purchase intention for luxury brands: A cross cultural comparison, Journal of Business Research.

For these questions, think about yourself and your purchase behavior. How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

Strongly Disagree


V8-1 I often seek out for new products or brands that will add to my personal uniqueness.V8-2 I dislike brands or products that are purchased by everyone.V8-3 Having an eye for products that are interesting and unusual helps me in establishing a distinctive image.V8-4 I always try to find a more interesting version of ordinary products because I enjoy being original

V9 Construct: Attitudes toward social-function

Definition: The degree to which an individual thinks of buying certain products reflects his/her social status and personality.

Source: Items have been partially adapted from Bian and Forsythe’s study (2011): Purchase intention for luxury brands: A cross cultural comparison, Journal of Business Research. All

54

other items are developed by the researcher.

For these questions, think about yourself and your purchase behavior. How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

Strongly Disagree


V9-1 The brands I chose reflect the kind of person I see myself to be.V9-2 The brands and products I bought help me express myself.V9-3 The brands and products I bought is a symbol of my social status.V9-4 The brands and products I chose fit me into certain social situations.


V10 Construct: Perceived peer/friends’ influence

Definition: A consumer’s shopping tendency influenced by peer’s shopping experience or recommendations.

Source: Items were partially adapted from the Marketing Scales Handbook (Bruner, 2009), Scale “Opinion Leadership”, as developed by Lichtenstein et al. (1993). Items have been revised by the researcher for this study. All the other items were developed by the researcher.

For these questions, assume that you are going to buy a new car. How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

Strongly Disagree


V10-1 I would ask my friends for information about my car purchase.V10-2 I consider my friends who have bought cars as experts in car purchasing.V10-3 I think of my friends as a good source of car information.V10-4 I would do the research myself rather than ask my friends who have bought cars before.

55

V11 Construct: Perceived influence from parents/siblings

Definition: A consumer’s shopping tendency is influenced by parents/siblings’ shopping experience or recommendations.

Source: Items were partially adapted from the Marketing Scales Handbook (Bruner, 2009), Scale “Opinion Leadership”, as developed by Lichtenstein et al. (1993). Items have been revised by the researcher for this study. All the other items were developed by the researcher.


Strongly Disagree


V11-1 I would seriously think over my parents and sibling’s advice when buying a new car.V11-2 I consider my parents and siblings’ recommendation on cars very valuable.V11-3 I would think of my parents/siblings’ driving experience first when I’m going to buy a car.V11-4 Parents and siblings’ recommendation doesn't have any effect on my car purchasing decision.

V12 Construct: Perceived influence of SNS advertising

Definition: To what extent an individual consider advertisements on SNSs to be effective.

Source: Items were partially (item one to four) adapted from Irman’s study (2014): Effects of pre-purchase search motivation on user attitudes toward online social network advertising: A case of university students. Item five was developed by the researcher.

For these questions, think of your social network sites’(SNSs) usage and purchase behavior. How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

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Strongly Disagree


V12-1I consider SNS advertising very essential.V12-2 I often click on SNS banner ads.V12-3 I like banner ads of products shown on SNSs.V12-4 SNS advertisement usually won’t catch my eyes.


V13 Construct: Recommendations by websites

Definition: To what extent an individual’s purchasing behavior would be affected by websites recommendation.

Source: Items were partially adapted from Irman’s study (2014): Effects of pre-purchase search motivation on user attitudes toward online social network advertising: A case of university students. Some of the items were revised by the researcher.


Strongly Disagree


V13-1 I do my online research to make informed car buying decisions

V13-2 I would use car rating websites to get in-depth information about products &services.V13-3 I would use car rating websites to learn how to solve problems involved in a purchase decision.V13-4 I use car rating websites to find information to reduce the risk of making a bad product/service choice.

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V14 Construct: Perceived ease of travel

Definition: The degree to which a consumer believes that going to another place for travel is free from effort.

Source: All items were partially adapted from Zhu et al.’s study (2012): Purchase intention for luxury brands: Perceptions and aspirations for car ownership among Chinese students attending two universities in the Yangtze Delta, China. Some of the items were revised by the researcher.

These questions pertain to your experience of travel. How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

Strongly Disagree


V14-1 Owning a car will allow me to travel to more places I wish to go. A private car will allow me to travel fasterV14-2 Owning a car will allow me to travel faster.V14-3 Owning a car will allow me to transport more itemsV14-4 Owning a car will allow me to travel more comfortably.

V15 Construct: Perceived convenience of going to school

Definition: The degree to which participants consider it’s easy to go to school from where they live.


For these questions, think about your daily experience. How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

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Strongly Disagree


V15-1 It's very convenient for me to go to school from where I live.V15-2 To me going to school is easy and convenient, thanks to the transportation.V15-3 I suffered from going to school every day because of the transportation.V15-4 It’s fast and easy to go to school from where I live.

V16 Construct: Perceived availability of public transportation

Definition: The degree to which participants consider the local public transportation is reachable and convenient.


For these questions, think about your daily experience. How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

Strongly Disagree


V16-1 I’m satisfied with our local public transportation.V16-2 Our local public transportation leads me to most of the place I want.V16-3 The local public transit systems here always cause me problems.V16-4 It’s very convenient and fast to take public transportation here rather than driving myself.

Single-item measures

Variable 1: Assessment of performance/car design/fuel efficiency/ reliability /availability of

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storage space/safety/comfort

Definition: An individual’s assessment of different car attributes.

Source: Items were partially adapted from Koppel et al. (2007); Vrkljan & Anaby (2010); Business Wire, (2006); Kurani & Turrentine, (2004).

Assuming you are going to buy a new car. How important will you rank the following factors? (1=least important, 5=most important)

1 2 3 4 5

V17 Fuel efficiencyV18 Design/styleV19 ReliabilityV20 Makes and modelsV21 Storage spaceV22 SafetyV23 ComfortV24 Service quality of maintenance

Variable 2: Perceived satisfaction of brand

Definition: A customer’s level of satisfaction with several aspects of a brand

Source: Items were partially adapted from the Marketing Scales Handbook (Bruner, 2009), Scale #531 “Satisfaction with Car Brand”, as developed by Brown et al. (2005). All other items are developed by the researcher.

Think about the Japanese automobile manufacturer Honda. How satisfied are you with the following aspects of its compact car line Honda Civic. Even if you are not entirely sure, check the box that best describes your feeling or opinion. (1=least important, 5=most important)

1 2 3 4 5

V25 PriceV26 Fuel efficiencyV27 Appearance/DesignV28 ReliabilityV29 Power

V30 Storage spaceV31 SafetyV32 ComfortV34 Service quality of maintenance

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Variable 3: Intended time-frame for buying a car

Definition: Frequency of using social networking sites.

Source: All items were adapted from Cullinane’s study in 2011: The relationship between car ownership and public transport provision: a case study of Hong Kong. Some of the items were revised by the researcher.

For the following statements, which one best describes your intended time-frame of buying a new car? (You may choose only one).

V35 I already have a car and I don’t need to buy a new one.

V36 I would like to buy a new car now.

V37 I will buy a car as soon as I could afford one.

V38 I might buy a car one day, but it’s not my primary concern.

V39 I have no intention of buying a car in the next 10 years

Variable 4: Likelihood of choosing a particular car brand.

Definition: An individuals reported likelihood to choose (1)Honda, (2) Mazda, (3) Toyota, (4) Volkswagen, (5)Nissan, (6) Chevrolet, (7) Buick, (8) Subaru, (9) Benz, (10) BMW, (11) Audi, (12) Kia, (13) Hyundai, (14) Jeep, (15) Scion, (16)Other if they were asked to buy a car today. Note that, although these measures are grouped together, they do not comprise a single construct.

IF you were choosing a car brand to buy TODAY, how likely would you be to select each of the following?

Very Unlikely

Somewhat Unlikely

Neutral Somewhat Likely

Very Likely

V40 Honda

V41 MazdaV42 Toyota

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V43 VolkswagenV44 Nissan

V45 Hyundai

Or other: _______________________ (Please specify)

Variable 5: Holding of drivers’ licenses

Definition: Holding of drivers’ licenses

Yes No

V46 Do you own a legal driver’s license?

Variable 6: Car ownership

Definition: Personal car ownership

Yes No

V47 Have you ever owned a car?

Variable 7: Age

Definition: An individual’s age

V48 How old are you?

Variable 9: Gender

Definition: An individual’s gender

Male Female

V49 Are you male or female？

Variable 10: Academic level

Definition: An individual‟s academic level/grade

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Freshman Sophomore Junior Senior Graduate

V50 Which of the following describes your current academic level?

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IX. DEVELOPMENT OF SURVEY INSTRUMENTS

In this section, I will provide an overview of the strategies I adopted to divide measurement

constructs into different sets and to develop the final questionnaires as well, according to the

measurement and survey developing principles mentioned previously.

First section

In order to follow the rules of “general to specific”, I strategically prioritize three relatively

“general” proposed predictors and their corresponding measurement items in this section, which

are: V1 – Assessment of overall purchase price; V8 – Perceived need for uniqueness; and V9 –

Attitudes toward social-function. Moreover, as for the introduction, the questionnaire included

the statement, “For the first part of questions, think about yourself your purchase behavior.

How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements? Even if you are not entirely

sure, check the box that best describes your feeling or opinion”. The first set of measures are

listed as below.

Strongly Disagree


V1-1 In general, I always carefully think about prices before buying.V8-4 I always try to find a more interesting version of ordinary products because I enjoy being originalV9-2 The brands and products I bought help me express myself.V9-3 The brands and products I bought is a symbol of my social status.

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V8-1 I often seek out for new products or brands that will add to my personal uniqueness.V8-2 I dislike brands or products that are purchased by everyone.V9-4 The brands and products I chose fit me into certain social situations.V1-2 Product price is what I care about most when I buy certain products.V9-1 The brands I choose reflect the kind of person I see myself to be.V1-3 I go for the price first rather than thinking about other features.V8-3 Having an eye for products that are interesting and unusual helps me in establishing a distinctive image.V1-4 To me, the overall purchase price doesn't matter at all.

Second section

For the next section, I chose the set of measurements that measures individuals attitudes

toward social networking advertisements. The intro statement is, “For our next questions, think

of your social network sites (SNSs) usage and purchase behavior. How much do you agree or

disagree with the following statements”. The proposed predictor concluded in this section was

V12 – Perceived influence of SNS advertising.

Strongly Disagree


V12-1 I consider SNS advertising very essential.V12-2 I often click on SNS banner ads.V12-3 I like banner ads of products shown on SNSs.V12-4 SNS advertisement usually

65

won’t catch my eyes.

Third and fourth section

These two sections contain three predictors and their corresponding measures. The first set

of questions is mainly measuring students’ perception of their daily experience and usage of

transportation. The later set of questions measures their opinions about travel convenience

pertaining to car ownership. Three proposed predictors are: V14 – Perceived ease of travel; V15

– Perceived convenience of going to school; and V16 – Perceived availability of public

transportation. The measurements are listed as below:

Strongly Disagree


V15-1 It's very convenient to go to school from where I live.V16-2 Local public transportation leads me to most of the places.V15-3 I suffered from going to school every day because of the transportation.V16-4 It’s very convenient and fast to take public transportation here rather than driving myself.V16-1 I’m satisfied with our local public transportation.V15-2 To me going to school is easy and convenient, thanks to the transportation.V16-3 The local public transit systems here always cause me problems.V15-4 It’s fast and easy to go to school from where I live.

Strongly Disagree


V14-1 Owning a car will allow me to travel to more places I wish to go.

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V14-2 Owning a car will allow me to travel faster.V14-3 Owning a car will allow me to transport more itemsV14-4 Owning a car will allow me to travel more comfortably.

Fifth and sixth section

The title of these two sections of questions stated as “think about your purchase behavior

and assume you are going to buy a new car. How much do you agree or disagree with the

following statements? Even if you are not entirely sure, check the box that best describes

your feeling or opinion”. I want participants to assume that they are going to purchase a new

car and their reaction to certain statements as well as their possible behaviors. Proposed

predictors contained to the fifth and sixth section are: V2 – Assessment of fuel price; V3 –

Assessment of insurance price; V4 – Perception of brand consciousness; V6 – Preference for

Japanese cars; V10 – Perceived peer/friends influence; V11 – Perceived influence from

parents/siblings; and V13 – Recommendations by websites.

Strongly Disagree


V13-2 I would use car rating websites to get in-depth information about products &services.V4-2 Sometimes I am willing to pay more money for a product because of its brand name.V13-4 I use car rating websites to find information to reduce the risk of making a bad product/service choice.V13-1I do my online research to make informed car buying decisions.

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V4-1 I pay attention to the brand of the car I’m going to buy.V13-3 I would use car rating websites to learn how to solve problems involved in a purchase decision.V4-3 I don’t care much about the brand’s name when it comes to car purchase.

Strongly Disagree


V2-1 If the current gas price is high, I won’t consider buying a new car.V2-2 Fuel price is what I care a lot concerning about a new car purchase.V2-3 I would be more likely to buy a car when the fuel price is considerable.V2-4 I don’t think fuel price would affect my willingness of buying a car.

Strongly Disagree


V3-3 I would carefully assess the price of car insurance when making a car purchase decision.V6-2 Cars made in Japan occupy a very strong competitive position in comparison to cars made by other countries.V3-4 Price of insurance doesn’t bother me when buying a new car.V6-4 Cars made in Japan are always carefully produced.V11-4 Parents and siblings’ recommendation doesn't post any effect on my car purchasing decision.

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V10-2 I consider my friends who have bought cars as experts in car purchasing.V11-2 I consider my parents and siblings’ recommendation on cars very valuable.V10-4 I would do the research myself rather than ask my friends who have bought cars before.V3-1 I’d prefer a more reasonable insurance price when I am about to buy a new car.

Strongly Disagree


V3-2 I won’t consider too much about the insurance price when I am about to buy a new car.V6-1 Cars made in Japan are Vuite reliable and seem to last the desired length of time.V11-3 I would think of my parents/siblings’ driving experience first when I’m going to buy a car.V11-1 I would seriously think over my parents and sibling’s advice when buying a new car.V10-3 I think of my friends as a good source of car information.V6-3 Cars made in Japan are generally of a lower quality in comparison to others.V10-1 I would ask my friends for information about my car purchase.

Seventh section

For this section, I chose the set of measurements that measures individuals attitudes toward

future car ownership. The intro statement is, “For these questions, think about your car

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ownership if you have a car, or assume your future car ownership if you don’t. How much

do you agree or disagree with the following statements? Even if you are not entirely sure,

check the box that best describes your feeling or opinion”. The proposed predictors

concluded in this section are V5 – Perceived satisfaction of brand; and V7 – Psychological value

of car ownership.

Strongly Disagree


V5-1 Owning a certain brand of car would give me pleasure.V7-2 Owning a car makes me feel more in control of my life.V5-3 I enjoy having my own car of a certain brand.V7-4 Cars are a symbol of successful modern life.V7-1 Owning a car is a symbol of my success in lifeV5-2 Owning a certain brand of car makes me feel good about myself.V7-3 Owning a car will be necessary in the future’V5-4 I don’t care much about having my own car of a particular brand.

Final section

This final section of measurements includes the set of designed single-item measures,

labeled from V17 to V50. I strategically set the order of these variables according to the

measurement design principles. The final set of questions is attached at the end of this report as

Appendix I.

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X. DATA COLLECTION & ANALYSIS OF MEASURES

For this project, I planned a 2-step schedule for my data collection, including a pretest and

the final survey. Due to the fact that I myself am not a native English speaker, I conducted the

pre-test procedure through which I asked 5 native English speakers (3 graduate students from

Boston University; 1 undergraduate student from MIT; 1 undergraduate student from UCSD) to

pre-read the survey questionnaire and: a. fixed the minor grammatical errors; b. gave their

personal interpretations of each questions; c. reported if there were any sentences that didn't

make sense to them. The purpose of this pre-test is finding out if there were vague expressions of

measurements that might led to participants misunderstandings. Then I revised both the

language and format mistakes found by the pre-testers.

Due to the limitations on time, location and other factors, I decided to administer 2 separate

data collection ----- both offline and online data collection. The offline survey questionnaires

were sent to students at Boston University George Sherman Union, on Wednesday, March 25th.

The online questionnaires were conducted on Qualtrics.com, and send to Boston University

students via their @bu.edu emails.

Step 1: Quantitative Pre-test

After the data collection, a total of 129 surveys were collected (35 online and 94 offline).

After the qualitative check and review by the researcher, 119 valid questionnaires were kept and

the corresponding data were entered in SPSS for further analysis. In order to better track the

whole data analysis process, the researcher conducted a coding strategy for each variable. First

of all, the researcher coded each question in the final questionnaire with a serial number of its

71

corresponding variable. The coded survey questionnaire is attached as Appendix II (“Q”

represents questions’ order in final survey questionnaire; “V” represents variable order listed in

previous measurement design).

Next, sixty-four multiple-item measures for 16 five-point, Likert type variables were

assigned numerals from 1 to 5, with 1 representing the lowest level of likelihood and 5

representing the highest. As for single-item measures for nominal variables, the coding rules are

listed as below:

Coding Rule for Nominal Variables

Q8. (V46) Do you own a legal driver’s

license?

Yes 1

No 2

Q9. (V47) Have you ever owned a private

car?

Yes 1

No 2

Q10. (V35-V39) For the following

statements, which one best describes your

intended timeframe of buying a new car?

(Please select ONLY ONE).

V35 I already have a car and I

don’t need to buy a new one.

Yes 1

No 0

V36 I would like to buy a new car

now.

Yes 1

No 0

V37 I will buy a car as soon as I

could afford one.

Yes 1

No 0

V38 I might buy a car one day,

but it’s not my primary concern.

Yes 1

No 0

V 39 I have no intention of

buying a car in the next 10 years.

Yes 1

No 0

Q15. (V49) Are you male or female? Male 1

Female 2

Q16. (V50) Which of the following describes your current academic level

Freshman 1Sophomore 2Junior 3Senior 4Graduate 5

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Having completed these steps, the researcher started to analyze the content validity and

reliability of each measure.

Step 2: Analysis of Content Validity and Reliability

After determining that the data was ready for further analysis, I listed my proposed item

groupings. Since all the measures were developed by the researcher, thus each variable (with

multiple-item measures) was seen as a proposed item group. The final proposed item groupings

were listed as below:

Proposed Item Groupings

V1 Assessment of overall purchase price Q1, Q8, Q10, RecodeQ12

V2 Assessment of fuel price Q36, Q37, Q38, Recode Q39

V3 Assessment of insurance price Q40, R-Q42, Q48, R-Q49

V4 Perception of brand consciousness Q30, Q33, Recode Q35

V5 Perceived satisfaction of brand Q56, Q58, Q61, Recode Q63

V6 Preference for Japanese cars Q41, Q43, Q50, Recode Q54

V7 Psychological value of car ownership Q57, Q59, Q60, Q62

V8 Perceived need for uniqueness Q2, Q5, Q6, Q11

V9 Attitudes toward social-function Q3, Q4, Q7, Q9

V10 Perceived peer/friends’ influence Q45, Recode Q47, Q53, Q55

V11 Perceived influence from parents/siblings Recode Q44, Q46, Q51, Q52

V12 Perceived influence of SNS advertising Q13, Q14, Q15, Recode Q16

V13 Recommendations by websites Q29, Q31, Q32, Q34

V14 Perceived ease of travel Q25, Q26, Q27, Q28

V15 Perceived convenience of going to school Q17, Recode Q19, Q22, Q24

V16 Perceived availability of public transportation Q18, Q20, Q21, Recode Q23

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According to the groupings, the researcher first ran the frequencies distribution for each

indicator to check if there are any coding errors or outliers that might influence the later analysis.

The final frequencies output for each indicator is available in Appendix III of this report.

Next, in order to make sure each proposed grouping was reasonable, the researcher ran the

inter-item correlation matrix for each group of measures as an initial check and a correlation

matrix for all indicators. The SPSS output of inter-item correlation in each of the proposed

grouping can be found in Appendix IV. Two possible problematic groupings were listed as

below.

V1 Assessment of overall purchase price - Q1, Q8, Q10, RecodeQ12

As we can see from the correlation matrix, the indicator “To me, the overall purchase price

doesn’t matter at all” had a correlation coefficient of .129 and .052 respectively to indicators V1-

2 and V1-3. Thus I decided to delete this indicator (V1-4, RecodedQ12) for the later factor

analysis. After reviewing the indicator, the researcher qualitatively analyzed the measure and 74

found that the word of “at all” might be too extreme so that the participants didn't report a

relative correlated answer as for other questions.

V7 Psychological value of car ownership – Q57, Q59, Q60, Q62

In this grouping of indicators, the indicator “Owning a car will be necessary in the future”

had a correlation coefficient of .183 and .054 respectively to the indicators V7-4 and V7-1. Thus

I decided to delete this indicator (V7-3, Q62) for the later factor analysis. Similar to V1-4, the

researcher determined the word “necessary” delivered a feeling of absolution so that it affected

the consistency of this set of questions.

Having finished the initial checks of each set of indicators, the researcher preceded the

factor analysis to quantitatively address the content validity of proposed multiple item measures.

The factor analysis for this project was conducted in six stages. The description of each stage

was listed below:

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Stages of Factor Analysis Conducted

Stage Description

One Rotated Varimax principle components factor analysis on all items, 16 factors

specified

Two Rotated Varimax principle components factor analysis on all items, 14 factors

specified

Three Rotated Varimax principle components factor analysis parts of the items, 14

factors specified; Indicators V13-2, V 15-2 deleted.

Four Rotated Varimax principle components factor analysis parts of the items, 13

factors specified; Indicators V13-2, V15-2, V10–1, V11-4 deleted; V4-

Percepetion of brand consciousness deleted.

*Five Rotated Varimax principle components factor analysis parts of the items, 13

factors specified; Indicators V13-2, V15-2, V10 –1, V11-4 deleted; V4-

Percepetion of brand consciousness deleted; V7 removed (temporarily).

*Six Rotated Varimax principle components factor analysis parts of the items, 13

factors specified; Indicators V13-2, V15-2, V10 –1, V11-4 deleted; V4-

Percepetion of brand consciousness deleted; V5 removed (temporarily).

In the first stage, the researcher ran the factor analysis and extracted 16 specified factors.

The SPSS result showed that 2 factor columns were “empty”, without any indicator grouped into

it. Thus the research determined to run a 14-facor analysis. In the second stage, although the

grouping appeared more reasonable than the first try, the factor loadings showed that two

indicators, V13-2 and V15-2, seemed hard to be grouped into the factor they supposed to be in.

some certain sets of indicators were grouped together as a single variable. As the factor loadings

are considered to be the correlation between the indicator and the corresponding factor, we may

conclude that there might be some errors in these two indicators. Thus in the next stage of factor

analysis, these two indicators were deleted.76

In the next stage of factor analysis, two major findings were showed through the SPSS

output: a. compared the past three times factor analysis and the rotated component matrix, V4 –

Perception of brand consciousness seemed couldn't be grouped as a single factor or combined to

other factors; b. other indicators were successfully grouped into certain factors together, however

V10-1 and V11-4 had relatively low factor loadings, compared to the other indicators’ factor

loadings within the same factor groups. According to these two findings, the researcher decided

to delete V10-1, V11-4, V4 – Perception of brand consciousness and run a 13-factor analysis.

After the above 4 stages, the proposed indicators were successfully grouped together. This

final matrix is available as Appendix V at the end of the report. According to the matrix, V8 -

Perceived need for uniqueness and V9 - Attitudes toward social-function were grouped together.

This is reasonable as these two variable and their measures were all about perceived

psychological uniqueness. Thus the researcher combined these two variables into a new variable

named Perceived personal uniqueness.

Another thing needs to be mentioned was that the original V5 – Perceived satisfaction of

brand and the original V7 – Psychological value of car ownership were grouped into one factor,

but apparently these two concepts do not overlap with each other. Then, the researcher carefully

reviewed the content of these two constructs and the contained measures. From this qualitative

analysis, the researcher found that V5 measured respondents’ attitudes toward brands, whereas

V7 measured respondents’ beliefs toward car ownership. According to the theoretical framework

mentioned above, attitude toward car brands might influence the beliefs toward car ownership.

Having this mindset, the research ran another two separate factor analysis, through which one of

the two variables (V5 and V7) was removed. The result showed that these two variables could be

considered as two separate factors. 77

Thus, after a total of six times factor analysis, the researcher concluded that 14 factors could

be retrieved from this project. The final groupings and the each indicator’ factor loading are

listed below:

Factor Loadings by Constructs

Construct IndicatorsFactor

Loading

Attitudes toward

brands

V5-1 Owning a certain brand of car would give me

pleasure.

0.7

V5-3 I enjoy having my own car of a certain brand. 0.853

V5-2 Owning a certain brand of car makes me feel

good about myself.

0.775

RecodeV5-4 I don’t care much about having my own

car of a particular brand.

0.668

Beliefs about car

ownership

V7-2 Owning a car makes me feel more in control of

my life.

0.46

V7-4 Cars are a symbol of successful modern life. 0.725

V7-1 Owning a car is a symbol of my success in life 0.725

Perceived

personal

uniqueness

V8-4 I always try to find a more interesting version of

ordinary products because I enjoy being original

0.712

V8-1 I often seek out for new products or brands that

will add to my personal uniqueness.

0.445

V8-2 I dislike brands or products that are purchased

by everyone.

0.484

V8-3 Having an eye for products that are interesting

and unusual helps me in establishing a distinctive

image.

0.565

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V9-2 The brands and products I bought help me

express myself.

0.681

V9-3 The brands and products I bought is a symbol of

my social status.

0.48

V9-4 The brands and products I chose fit me into

certain social situations.

0.583

V9-1 The brands I choose reflect the kind of person I

see myself to be.

0.653

Assessment of

fuel price

V2-1 If the current gas price is high, I won’t consider

buying a new car.

0.856

V2-2 Fuel price is what I care a lot concerning about a

new car purchase.

0.893

V2-3 I would be more likely to buy a car when the

fuel price is considerable.

0.751

Recode V2-4 I don’t think fuel price would affect my

willingness of buying a car

0.811

Perceived

influence of SNS

advertising

V12-1 I consider SNS advertising very essential. 0.756

V12-2 I often click on SNS banner ads. 0.812

V12-3 I like banner ads of products shown on SNSs. 0.717

Recode V12-4 SNS advertisement usually won’t catch

my eyes.

0.545

Assessment of

insurance price

Price of insurance doesn’t bother me when buying a

new car.

0.817

I won’t consider too much about the insurance price

when I am about to buy a new car.

0.811

V3-3 I would carefully assess the price of car

insurance when making a car purchase decision.

0.527

V3-1 I’d prefer a more reasonable insurance price


0.691

79

Perceived ease of

travel

V14-1 Owning a car will allow me to travel to more

places I wish to go.

0.792

V14-2 Owning a car will allow me to travel faster. 0.572

V14-3 Owning a car will allow me to transport more

items

0.751

V14-4 Owning a car will allow me to travel more

comfortably.

0.723

Perceived

convenience of

going to school

V15-1 It's very convenient to go to school from where

I live.

0.811

V15-4 It’s fast and easy to go to school from where I

live.

0.784

Recode V15-3 I suffered from going to school every

day because of the transportation

0.653

Beliefs of

recommendations

by websites

V13-4 I use car rating websites to find information to

reduce the risk of making a bad product/service

choice.

0.791

V13-1I do my online research to make informed car

buying decisions.

0.787

V13-3 I would use car rating websites to learn how to

solve problems involved in a purchase decision.

0.807

Perceived

availability of

public

transportation

V16-2 Local public transportation leads me to most of

the places.

0.404

V16-4 It’s very convenient and fast to take public

transportation here rather than driving myself.

0.606

V16-1 I’m satisfied with our local public

transportation.

0.799

Recode V16-3 The local public transit systems here

always cause me problems.

0.805

Perceived

influence from

V11-2 I consider my parents and siblings’

recommendation on cars very valuable.

0.736

80

parents/siblings

V11-3 I would think of my parents/siblings’ driving

experience first when I’m going to buy a car.

0.726

V11-1 I would seriously think over my parents and

sibling’s advice when buying a new car.

0.643

Perceived

peer/friends’

influence

V10-2 I consider my friends who have bought cars as

experts in car purchasing.

0.697

V10-3 I think of my friends as a good source of car

information.

0.725

Recode V10-4 I would do the research myself rather

than ask my friends who have bought cars before.

0.671

Preference for

Japanese cars

V6-2 Cars made in Japan occupy a very strong

competitive position in comparison to cars made by

other countries.

0.505

V6-4 Cars made in Japan are always carefully

produced.

0.707

V6-1 Cars made in Japan are Vuite reliable and seem

to last the desired length of time.

0.832

Recode V6-3 Cars made in Japan are generally of a

lower quality in comparison to others.

0.425

Assessment of

overall purchase

price

V1-1 In general, I always carefully think about prices

before buying.

0.653

V1-2 Product price is what I care about most when I

buy certain products.

0.8

V1-3 I go for the price first rather than thinking about

other features.

0.795

Having determined this as a reasonable solution, the researcher then assessed the overall

measure of quantitative adequacy, also known as percentage of variance explained. The SPSS

81

output showed the cumulative percentage of variance explained by this solution was 69.804%.

Thus we may conclude that this factor analysis solution would be our final solution.

The final step of the content validity analysis would be assessing each new grouped

construct’s reliability coefficient. The table of computed items’ reliability is listed below:

Reliability Analysis by Constructs

Item Alpha if Item Deleted

Attitudes toward brands - Cronbach’s Alpha = .868

V5-1 Owning a certain brand of car would give me pleasure. .820

V5-3 I enjoy having my own car of a certain brand. .797

V5-2 Owning a certain brand of car makes me feel good about

myself.

.830

RecodeV5-4 I don’t care much about having my own car of a

particular brand.

.876

Beliefs about car ownership - Cronbach’s Alpha = .735

V7-2 Owning a car makes me feel more in control of my life. .818

V7-4 Cars are a symbol of successful modern life. .426

V7-1 Owning a car is a symbol of my success in life. .583

Perceived personal uniqueness - Cronbach’s Alpha = .833

V8-4 I always try to find a more interesting version of ordinary

products because I enjoy being original

.826

V8-1 I often seek out for new products or brands that will add to

my personal uniqueness.

.817

V8-2 I dislike brands or products that are purchased by everyone. .835

V8-3 Having an eye for products that are interesting and unusual

helps me in establishing a distinctive image.

.816

V9-2 The brands and products I bought help me express myself. .806

V9-3 The brands and products I bought is a symbol of my social

status.

.804

V9-4 The brands and products I chose fit me into certain social .806

82

situations.

V9-1 The brands I choose reflect the kind of person I see myself to

be.

.800

Assessment of fuel price - Cronbach’s Alpha = .865

V2-1 If the current gas price is high, I won’t consider buying a

new car.

.822

V2-2 Fuel price is what I care a lot concerning about a new car

purchase.

.796

V2-3 I would be more likely to buy a car when the fuel price is

considerable.

.863

Recode V2-4 I don’t think fuel price would affect my willingness

of buying a car

.825

Perceived influence of SNS advertising - Cronbach’s Alpha = .763

V12-1 I consider SNS advertising very essential. .738

V12-2 I often click on SNS banner ads. .625

V12-3 I like banner ads of products shown on SNSs. .719

Recode V12-4 SNS advertisement usually won’t catch my eyes. .741

Assessment of insurance price - Cronbach’s Alpha = .775

Recode V3-4 Price of insurance doesn’t bother me when buying a

new car.

.690

Recode V3-2 I won’t consider too much about the insurance price


.687

V3-3 I would carefully assess the price of car insurance when

making a car purchase decision.

.753

V3-1 I’d prefer a more reasonable insurance price when I am

about to buy a new car.

.740

Perceived ease of travel - Cronbach’s Alpha = .739

V14-1 Owning a car will allow me to travel to more places I wish

to go.

.721

V14-2 Owning a car will allow me to travel faster. .731

83

V14-3 Owning a car will allow me to transport more items .628

V14-4 Owning a car will allow me to travel more comfortably. .638

Perceived convenience of going to school - Cronbach’s Alpha = .733

V15-1 It's very convenient to go to school from where I live. .619

V15-4 It’s fast and easy to go to school from where I live. .641

Recode V15-3 I suffered from going to school every day because

of the transportation

.676

Beliefs of recommendations by websites - Cronbach’s Alpha = .807

V13-4 I use car rating websites to find information to reduce the

risk of making a bad product/service choice.

.763

V13-1I do my online research to make informed car buying

decisions.

.732

V13-3 I would use car rating websites to learn how to solve

problems involved in a purchase decision.

.714

Perceived availability of public transportation - Cronbach’s Alpha = .706

V16-2 Local public transportation leads me to most of the places. .665

V16-4 It’s very convenient and fast to take public transportation

here rather than driving myself.

.642

V16-1 I’m satisfied with our local public transportation. .602

Recode V16-3 The local public transit systems here always cause

me problems.

.661

Perceived influence from parents/siblings - Cronbach’s Alpha = .716

V11-2 I consider my parents and siblings’ recommendation on

cars very valuable.

.577

V11-3 I would think of my parents/siblings’ driving experience

first when I’m going to buy a car.

.731

V11-1 I would seriously think over my parents and sibling’s

advice when buying a new car.

.569

Perceived peer/friends’ influence - Cronbach’s Alpha = .586

V10-2 I consider my friends who have bought cars as experts in .488

84

car purchasing.

V10-3 I think of my friends as a good source of car information. .341

Recode V10-4 I would do the research myself rather than ask my

friends who have bought cars before.

.618

Preference for Japanese cars - Cronbach’s Alpha = .719

V6-2 Cars made in Japan occupy a very strong competitive

position in comparison to cars made by other countries.

.724

V6-4 Cars made in Japan are always carefully produced. .605

V6-1 Cars made in Japan are Vuite reliable and seem to last the

desired length of time.

.615

Recode V6-3 Cars made in Japan are generally of a lower quality

in comparison to others.

.677

Assessment of overall purchase price - Cronbach’s Alpha = .700

V1-1 In general, I always carefully think about prices before

buying.

.743

V1-2 Product price is what I care about most when I buy certain

products.

.485

V1-3 I go for the price first rather than thinking about other

features.

.561

According to the computed Cronbach’s Alpha shown above, the researcher found that

within the variable Beliefs about car ownership, if the indicator marked “V7-2 Owning a car

makes me feel more in control of my life” were deleted, the reliability coefficient would increase

by .083, and the Cronbach’s Alpha of the whole variable would raise to .818. Similarly, another

indicator in variable Perceived peer/friends’ influence, marked as “Recode V10-4 I would do the

research myself rather than ask my friends who have bought cars before”, decreased the

reliability coefficient of the whole variable. If deleted, the Cronbach’s Alpha would increase

85

to .618. The researcher decided to discard these two items. Thus, we may conclude that the final

14 constructs were reasonable and reliable for use.

XI. REVISION OF SURVEY & CONCLUSIONS

To sum up, following changes were made after the whole data analysis process (items

marked red were meant to be deleted). The revised survey questionnaire can be found in

Appendix VI at the end of this report.

Proposed Item Groupings

V1 Assessment of overall purchase price Q1, Q8, Q10, RecodeQ12

V2 Assessment of fuel price Q36, Q37, Q38, Recode Q39

V3 Assessment of insurance price Q40, R-Q42, Q48, R-Q49

V4 Perception of brand consciousness Q30, Q33, Recode Q35

V5 Perceived satisfaction of brand Q56, Q58, Q61, Recode Q63

V6 Preference for Japanese cars Q41, Q43, Q50, Recode Q54

V7 Psychological value of car ownership Q57, Q59, Q60, Q62

V8 Perceived need for uniqueness Q2, Q5, Q6, Q11

V9 Attitudes toward social-function Q3, Q4, Q7, Q9

V10

Perceived peer/friends’ influence Q45, Recode Q47, Q53, Q55

V1 Perceived influence from parents/siblings Recode Q44, Q46, Q51, Q5286

1

V12

Perceived influence of SNS advertising Q13, Q14, Q15, Recode Q16

V13

Recommendations by websites Q29, Q31, Q32, Q34

V14

Perceived ease of travel Q25, Q26, Q27, Q28

V15

Perceived convenience of going to school Q17, Recode Q19, Q22, Q24

V16

Perceived availability of public transportation Q18, Q20, Q21, Recode Q23

Through the whole measurement analysis process of this project, the researcher now has

been able to identify a relatively reliable and suitable survey questionnaires and certain

measurements for the client Honda, in order to find out the factors that drive college students’

automobile buying behavior. As for the client, Honda needs to administer the survey to a broader

range of randomly selected sample, to collect data that is more representative. Meanwhile,

further analysis (i.e. multiple regression test) could be conducted to test the real causal

relationships between proposed predictors and the DV. Hopefully, this final set of survey

instrument would help with collecting valuable data and eventually provided effective insights to

the client.

87

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95

Appendix I. Final Survey Questionnaire

1. For the first part of questions, think about yourself and your purchase behavior. How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements? Even if you are not entirely sure, check the box that best describes your feeling or opinion.

Strongly Disagree


In general, I always think carefully about prices before buying.I always try to find a more interesting version of ordinary products because I enjoy being unique.The brands and products I buy help me express myself.The brands and products I buy are a symbol of my social status.I often seek out new products or brands that will add to my personal uniqueness.I dislike brands or products that are purchased by everyone.

Strongly Disagree


The brands and products I choose fit me into certain social situations.Product price is what I care about most when I buy certain products.The brands I choose reflect the kind of person I see myself to be.I go for the price first rather than thinking about other features.Having an eye for products that are interesting and unusual helps me in establishing a distinctive image.

Student Opinion SurveyWe are conducting this study to learn about students’ opinions concerning a variety of current

topics. Thank you for taking the time to complete our survey. Your responses are anonymous.

96

To me, the overall purchase price doesn't matter at all.

2. For our next questions, think of your social network sites (SNSs) usage and purchase behavior. How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

Strongly Disagree


I consider SNS advertising very essential.

I often click on SNS banner ads.I like banner ads of products shown on SNSs.

SNS advertisement usually won’t catch my eyes.

3. Our next questions are about your daily experience. How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements? Even if you are not entirely sure, check the box that best describes your feeling or opinion.

Strongly Disagree


It's very convenient to go to school from where I live.

Local public transportation leads me to most places.

I suffer from going to school every day because of the transportation.It’s very convenient and fast to take public transportation here rather than driving.I’m satisfied with our local public transportation.

To me going to school is easy and convenient, thanks to public transportation.The local public transit system is problematic.It’s fast and easy to go to school from where I live.

4. This set of questions pertains to your experience of travel. How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements? Even if you are not entirely sure, check the box that best describes your feeling or opinion.

Strongly Disagree


Owning a car will allow me to travel to more places I wish to go.Owning a car will allow me to travel faster.Owning a car will allow me to transport more itemsOwning a car will allow me to travel more comfortably.

97

5. For this part of our questions, think about your purchase behavior and assume you are going to buy a new car. How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements? Even if you are not entirely sure, check the box that best describes your feeling or opinion.

Strongly Disagree


I would use car rating websites to get in-depth information about products &services.

Sometimes I am willing to pay more money for a product because of its brand name.

I use car rating websites to find information to reduce the risk of making a bad product/service choice.I do my online research to make informed car buying decisions.I pay attention to the brand of the car I’m going to buy.

I would use car rating websites to learn how to solve problems involved in a purchase decision.I don’t care much about the brand’s name when it comes to car purchase.

6. For our next questions, assuming you are going to buy a new car. How much do you agree or disagree

with the following statements? Even if you are not entirely sure, check the box that best describes your

feeling or opinion.

Strongly Disagree


If the current price of gas is high, I won’t consider buying a new car.When purchasing a new car, I care about the price of gas.I would be more likely to buy a car when the price of gas is affordable.I don’t think the price of gas would affect my willingness to buy a car.

98

Strongly Disagree


I would carefully assess the price of car insurance when making a car purchase decision.

Cars made in Japan occupy a very strong competitive position in comparison to cars made by other countries.Price of insurance doesn’t bother me when buying a new car.Cars made in Japan are always carefully produced.Parents and siblings’ recommendations don’t affect my car purchasing decision.I consider my friends who have bought cars as experts in car purchasing.I consider my parents and siblings’ recommendations on cars very valuable.I would do the research myself rather than ask my friends who have bought cars before.I’d prefer a more reasonable insurance price when I am about to buy a new car.

Strongly Disagree


I won’t consider the insurance price when I am about to buy a new car.Cars made in Japan are quite reliable and seem to last the desired length of time.I would think of my parents/siblings’ driving experience first when I’m going to buy a car.I would seriously think over my parents and sibling’s advice when buying a new car.I think of my friends as a good source of car information.Cars made in Japan are generally of a lower quality in comparison to others.I would ask my friends for information about my car purchase.

7. For these questions, think about your car ownership if you have a car, or assume your future car ownership if you don’t. How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements? Even if you are not entirely sure, check the box that best describes your feeling or opinion.

99

Strongly Disagree


Owning a certain brand of car would give me pleasure.Owning a car makes me feel more in control of my life.I enjoy having my own car of a certain brand.Cars are a symbol of successful modern life.Owning a car is a symbol of success in life

Owning a certain brand of car makes me feel good about myself.Owning a car will be necessary in the future’I don’t care much about owning a car of a particular brand.

Please answer the following questions about yourself:

8. Do you own a legal driver’s license?

Yes No

9. Have you ever owned a car?

Yes No

10. For the following statements, which one best describes your intended time-frame of buying a new

car? (Please select ONLY ONE ).

I already have a car and I don’t need to buy a new one. I would like to buy a new car now. I will buy a car as soon as I could afford one. I might buy a car one day, but it’s not my primary concern. I have no intention of buying a car in the next 10 years

11. Now, assuming you are going to buy a new car TODAY. How important will you rank the following

factors? (1=least important, 5=most important)

1 2 3 4 5

Fuel efficiency

Design/style

Reliability

Makes/models

Storage space

Safety

Comfort

Service quality of maintenance

100

12. IF you were going to buy a new car TODAY, how likely would you be to select each of the following brands? Even if you are not entirely sure, check the box that best describes your feeling or opinion.

Very Unlikely

Somewhat Unlikely


Very Likely

HondaMazdaToyota

VolkswagenNissan

Hyundai


13. Think about the Japanese automobile manufacturer Honda. How satisfied are you with the following aspects of its compact car line Honda Civic. Even if you are not entirely sure, check the box that best describes your feeling or opinion. (1=least important, 5=most important)

1 2 3 4 5

PriceFuel efficiency

Appearance/DesignReliability

PowerStorage space

SafetyComfort


14. How old are you? ___________ years old

15. Are you male or female? Male Female

16. Which of the following describes your current academic level:


That concludes our survey. Thanks for your time.

101

Appendix II. Coded Survey Questionnaire


Strongly Disagree


V1-1 In general, I always carefully think about prices before buying.

Q1

V8-4 I always try to find a more interesting version of ordinary products because I enjoy being original

Q2

V9-2 The brands and products I bought help me express myself.

Q3

V9-3 The brands and products I bought is a symbol of my social status.

Q4

V8-1 I often seek out for new products or brands that will add to my personal uniqueness.

Q5

V8-2 I dislike brands or products that are purchased by everyone.

Q6

V9-4 The brands and products I chose fit me into certain social situations.

Q7

V1-2 Product price is what I care about most when I buy certain products.

Q8

V9-1 The brands I choose reflect the kind of person I see myself to be.

Q9

V1-3 I go for the price first rather than thinking about other features.

Q10

V8-3 Having an eye for products that are interesting and unusual helps me in establishing a distinctive image.

Q11

V1-4 To me, the overall purchase price doesn't Q12



102

matter at all. R R R R R

2. For our next questions, think of your social network sites’(SNSs) usage and purchase behavior. How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

Strongly Disagree


V12-1 I consider SNS advertising very essential. Q13

V12-2 I often click on SNS banner ads. Q14V12-3 I like banner ads of products shown on SNSs. Q15

V12-4 SNS advertisement usually won’t catch my eyes. R R R R R

Q16


Strongly Disagree


V15-1 It's very convenient to go to school from where I live.

Q17

V16-2 Local public transportation leads me to most of the places.

Q18

V15-3 I suffered from going to school every day because of the transportation. R R R R R

Q19

V16-4 It’s very convenient and fast to take public transportation here rather than driving myself.

Q20

V16-1 I’m satisfied with our local public transportation. Q21

V15-2 To me going to school is easy and convenient, thanks to the transportation.

Q22

V16-3 The local public transit systems here always cause me problems. R R R R R

Q23

V15-4 It’s fast and easy to go to school from where I live. Q24


Strongly Disagree



Q25

V14-2 Owning a car will allow me to travel faster. Q26

103

V14-3 Owning a car will allow me to transport more items

Q27

V14-4 Owning a car will allow me to travel more comfortably.

Q28

5. For this part of our questions, think about your purchase behavior and assume you are going to buy a new car. How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements? Even if you are not entirely sure, check the box that best describes your feeling or opinion.

Strongly Disagree


V13-2 I would use car rating websites to get in-depth information about products &services.

Q29

V4-2 Sometimes I am willing to pay more money for a product because of its brand name.

Q30

V13-4 I use car rating websites to find information to reduce the risk of making a bad product/service choice.

Q31

V13-1I do my online research to make informed car buying decisions.

Q32


Q33

V13-3 I would use car rating websites to learn how to solve problems involved in a purchase decision.

Q34

V4-3 I don’t care much about the brand’s name when it comes to car purchase. R R R R R

Q35

6. For our next questions, assuming you are going to buy a new car. How much do you agree or disagree

with the following statements? Even if you are not entirely sure, check the box that best describes your

feeling or opinion.

Strongly Disagree


V2-1 If the current gas price is high, I won’t consider buying a new car.

Q36

V2-2 Fuel price is what I care a lot concerning about a new car purchase.

Q37

V2-3 I would be more likely to buy a car when the fuel price is considerable.

Q38

V2-4 I don’t think fuel price would affect my willingness of buying a car. R R R R R

Q39

104

Strongly Disagree


V3-3 I would carefully assess the price of car insurance when making a car purchase decision.

Q40

V6-2 Cars made in Japan occupy a very strong competitive position in comparison to cars made by other countries.

Q41

V3-4 Price of insurance doesn’t bother me when buying a new car. R R R R R

Q42

V6-4 Cars made in Japan are always carefully produced. Q43V11-4 Parents and siblings’ recommendation doesn't post any effect on my car purchasing decision. R R R R

Q44

V10-2 I consider my friends who have bought cars as experts in car purchasing.

Q45

V11-2 I consider my parents and siblings’ recommendation on cars very valuable.

Q46

V10-4 I would do the research myself rather than ask my friends who have bought cars before. R R R R R

Q47

V3-1 I’d prefer a more reasonable insurance price when I am about to buy a new car.

Q48

Strongly Disagree


V3-2 I won’t consider too much about the insurance price when I am about to buy a new car. R R R R R

Q49

V6-1 Cars made in Japan are Vuite reliable and seem to last the desired length of time.

Q50

V11-3 I would think of my parents/siblings’ driving experience first when I’m going to buy a car.

Q51

V11-1 I would seriously think over my parents and sibling’s advice when buying a new car.

Q52

V10-3 I think of my friends as a good source of car information.

Q53

V6-3 Cars made in Japan are generally of a lower quality in comparison to others. R R R R R

Q54

V10-1 I would ask my friends for information about my car purchase.

Q55

105


Strongly Disagree


V5-1 Owning a certain brand of car would give me pleasure.

Q56

V7-2 Owning a car makes me feel more in control of my life.

Q57

V5-3 I enjoy having my own car of a certain brand. Q58V7-4 Cars are a symbol of successful modern life. Q59V7-1 Owning a car is a symbol of my success in life

Q60

V5-2 Owning a certain brand of car makes me feel good about myself.

Q61

V7-3 Owning a car will be necessary in the future’ Q62V5-4 I don’t care much about having my own car of a particular brand. R R R R R

Q63


8. V46 Do you own a legal driver’s license?

Yes 1 No 2

9. V47 Have you ever owned a private car?

Yes 1 No 2

10. For the following statements, which one best describes your intended time-frame of buying a new car ?

(Please select ONLY ONE ). (0/1)

V35 I already have a car and I don’t need to buy a new one. V36 I would like to buy a new car now. V37 I will buy a car as soon as I could afford one. V38 I might buy a car one day, but it’s not my primary concern. V 39 I have no intention of buying a car in the next 10 years

11. Now, assuming you are going to buy a new car TODAY. How important will you rank the following factors?

(1=least important, 5=most important)

1 2 3 4 5V17 Fuel efficiencyV18 Design/styleV19 ReliabilityV20 Makes/modelsV21 Storage space

106

V22 SafetyV23 ComfortV24 Service quality of maintenance


Very Unlikely

Somewhat Unlikely


Very Likely

V40 Honda

V41 MazdaV42 Toyota

V43 VolkswagenV44 Nissan

V45 Hyundai

Or other: _______________________ (Please specify) Vo1


1 2 3 4 5

V25 PriceV26 Fuel efficiencyV27 Appearance/DesignV28 ReliabilityV29 PowerV30 Storage spaceV31 SafetyV32 ComfortV33 Service quality of maintenance

14. V48 How old are you? ___________ years old

15. V49 Are you male or female? Male Female

16. V50 Which of the following describes your current academic level:


107

Appendix III. Frequency Distribution


Statistics

V1-1 In general, I

always carefully think about prices

before buying.

V1-2 Product price is what I

care about most when I buy certain products.

V1-3 I go for the price first rather than

thinking about other features.

To me, the overall

purchase price doesn't matter

at all.

NValid 119 99 118 119

Missing 0 20 1 0

V1-1 In general, I always carefully think about prices before buying.

Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent

Valid

1 3 2.5 2.5 2.5

2 6 5.0 5.0 7.6

3 17 14.3 14.3 21.8

4 61 51.3 51.3 73.1

5 32 26.9 26.9 100.0

Total 119 100.0 100.0

V1-2 Product price is what I care about most when I buy certain products.


Valid 1 4 3.4 4.0 4.0

2 26 21.8 26.3 30.3

3 35 29.4 35.4 65.7

4 22 18.5 22.2 87.9

5 12 10.1 12.1 100.0108

Total 99 83.2 100.0Missing System 20 16.8Total 119 100.0

V1-3 I go for the price first rather than thinking about other features.


Valid

1 9 7.6 7.6 7.6

2 48 40.3 40.7 48.3

3 36 30.3 30.5 78.8

4 21 17.6 17.8 96.6

5 4 3.4 3.4 100.0

Total 118 99.2 100.0Missing System 1 .8Total 119 100.0

To me, the overall purchase price doesn't matter at all.


Valid

1.00 4 3.4 3.4 3.4

2.00 7 5.9 5.9 9.2

3.00 20 16.8 16.8 26.1

4.00 60 50.4 50.4 76.5

5.00 28 23.5 23.5 100.0

Total 119 100.0 100.0

V2 Assessment of fuel price – Q36, Q37, Q38, Recode Q3

Statistics

109

V2-1 If the current gas

price is high, I won’t consider buying a new

car.

V2-2 Fuel price is what I care a lot concerning about a new

car purchase.

V2-3 I would be more likely to

buy a car when the fuel price is considerable.

I don’t think fuel price would affect my

willingness of buying a car

NValid 119 119 119 119

Missing 0 0 0 0

V2-1 If the current gas price is high, I won’t consider buying a new car.


Valid

1 8 6.7 6.7 6.7

2 34 28.6 28.6 35.3

3 44 37.0 37.0 72.3

4 26 21.8 21.8 94.1

5 7 5.9 5.9 100.0

Total 119 100.0 100.0

V2-2 Fuel price is what I care a lot concerning about a new car purchase.


Valid

1 6 5.0 5.0 5.0

2 23 19.3 19.3 24.4

3 34 28.6 28.6 52.9

4 46 38.7 38.7 91.6

5 10 8.4 8.4 100.0

Total 119 100.0 100.0

V2-3 I would be more likely to buy a car when the fuel price is considerable.


110

Valid

1 5 4.2 4.2 4.2

2 12 10.1 10.1 14.3

3 31 26.1 26.1 40.3

4 59 49.6 49.6 89.9

5 12 10.1 10.1 100.0

Total 119 100.0 100.0

I don’t think fuel price would affect my willingness of buying a car


Valid

1.00 13 10.9 10.9 10.9

2.00 40 33.6 33.6 44.5

3.00 33 27.7 27.7 72.3

4.00 27 22.7 22.7 95.0

5.00 6 5.0 5.0 100.0

Total 119 100.0 100.0

V3 Assessment of insurance price – Q40, Recode Q42, Q48, Recode Q49

Statistics

V3-3 I would carefully

assess the price of car

insurance when making a car

purchase decision.

V3-1 I’d prefer a more

reasonable insurance price

when I am about to buy a

new car.

Price of insurance

doesn’t bother me when

buying a new car.

I won’t consider too

much about the insurance price

when I am about to buy a

new car.

NValid 119 119 119 119

Missing 0 0 0 0

V3-1 I’d prefer a more reasonable insurance price when I am about to buy a new car.

111


Valid

2 4 3.4 3.4 3.4

3 19 16.0 16.0 19.3

4 74 62.2 62.2 81.5

5 22 18.5 18.5 100.0

Total 119 100.0 100.0

Price of insurance doesn’t bother me when buying a new car.


Valid

1.00 6 5.0 5.0 5.0

2.00 19 16.0 16.0 21.0

3.00 35 29.4 29.4 50.4

4.00 49 41.2 41.2 91.6

5.00 10 8.4 8.4 100.0

Total 119 100.0 100.0

Price of insurance doesn’t bother me when buying a new car.


Valid

1.00 6 5.0 5.0 5.0

2.00 19 16.0 16.0 21.0

3.00 35 29.4 29.4 50.4

4.00 49 41.2 41.2 91.6

5.00 10 8.4 8.4 100.0

Total 119 100.0 100.0

I won’t consider too much about the insurance price when I am about to buy a new car.

112


Valid

1.00 2 1.7 1.7 1.7

2.00 15 12.6 12.6 14.3

3.00 22 18.5 18.5 32.8

4.00 62 52.1 52.1 84.9

5.00 18 15.1 15.1 100.0

Total 119 100.0 100.0

V4 Perception of brand consciousness – Q30, Q33, Recode Q35

Statistics

V4-2 Sometimes I am willing to

pay more money for a

product because of its brand name.

V4-1 I pay attention to the brand of the car

I’m going to buy.

I don’t care much about the brand’s name when it comes

to car purchase.

NValid 119 118 119

Missing 0 1 0

V4-2 Sometimes I am willing to pay more money for a product because of its brand name.


Valid

1 5 4.2 4.2 4.2

2 15 12.6 12.6 16.8

3 27 22.7 22.7 39.5

4 58 48.7 48.7 88.2

5 14 11.8 11.8 100.0

Total 119 100.0 100.0


113


Valid

1 1 .8 .8 .8

2 2 1.7 1.7 2.5

3 22 18.5 18.6 21.2

4 62 52.1 52.5 73.7

5 31 26.1 26.3 100.0




Valid

1 1 .8 .8 .8

2 2 1.7 1.7 2.5

3 22 18.5 18.6 21.2

4 62 52.1 52.5 73.7

5 31 26.1 26.3 100.0


V5 Perceived satisfaction of brand – Q56, Q58, Q61, Recode Q63

Statistics


V5-3 I enjoy having my own car of a certain

brand.

V5-2 Owning a certain brand of car makes me

feel good about myself.

I don’t care much about

having my own car of a

particular brand.

NValid 118 119 119 119

Missing 1 0 0 0


114


Valid

1 2 1.7 1.7 1.7

2 7 5.9 5.9 7.6

3 25 21.0 21.2 28.8

4 60 50.4 50.8 79.7

5 24 20.2 20.3 100.0


V5-3 I enjoy having my own car of a certain brand.


Valid

1 1 .8 .8 .8

2 7 5.9 5.9 6.7

3 32 26.9 26.9 33.6

4 57 47.9 47.9 81.5

5 22 18.5 18.5 100.0

Total 119 100.0 100.0

V5-2 Owning a certain brand of car makes me feel good about myself.


Valid

1 2 1.7 1.7 1.7

2 16 13.4 13.4 15.1

3 34 28.6 28.6 43.7

4 53 44.5 44.5 88.2

5 14 11.8 11.8 100.0

Total 119 100.0 100.0

I don’t care much about having my own car of a particular brand.

115


Valid

1.00 4 3.4 3.4 3.4

2.00 20 16.8 16.8 20.2

3.00 44 37.0 37.0 57.1

4.00 45 37.8 37.8 95.0

5.00 6 5.0 5.0 100.0

Total 119 100.0 100.0

V6 Preference for Japanese cars - Q41, Q43, Q50, Recode Q54

Statistics

V6-2 Cars made in Japan occupy a very

strong competitive position in

comparison to cars made by

other countries.

V6-4 Cars made in Japan

are always carefully

produced.

V6-1 Cars made in Japan

are Vuite reliable and seem to last the desired

length of time.

Cars made in Japan are

generally of a lower quality in comparison to

others.

NValid 119 119 119 118

Missing 0 0 0 1

V6-2 Cars made in Japan occupy a very strong competitive position in comparison to cars made by other countries.


Valid 1 2 1.7 1.7 1.7

2 12 10.1 10.1 11.8

3 54 45.4 45.4 57.1

4 38 31.9 31.9 89.1116

5 13 10.9 10.9 100.0

Total 119 100.0 100.0

V6-4 Cars made in Japan are always carefully produced.


Valid

1 5 4.2 4.2 4.2

2 17 14.3 14.3 18.5

3 59 49.6 49.6 68.1

4 32 26.9 26.9 95.0

5 6 5.0 5.0 100.0

Total 119 100.0 100.0

V6-1 Cars made in Japan are Vuite reliable and seem to last the desired length of time.


Valid

1 5 4.2 4.2 4.2

2 10 8.4 8.4 12.6

3 68 57.1 57.1 69.7

4 30 25.2 25.2 95.0

5 6 5.0 5.0 100.0

Total 119 100.0 100.0

Cars made in Japan are generally of a lower quality in comparison to others.


Valid

1.00 4 3.4 3.4 3.4

2.00 10 8.4 8.5 11.9

3.00 48 40.3 40.7 52.5

4.00 45 37.8 38.1 90.7

5.00 11 9.2 9.3 100.0

Total 118 99.2 100.0

117

Missing System 1 .8Total 119 100.0


Statistics

V7-2 Owning a car makes me feel more in control of my

life.

V7-4 Cars are a symbol of successful

modern life.

V7-1 Owning a car is a symbol of my success

in life

V7-3 Owning a car will be

necessary in the future’

NValid 119 119 119 119

Missing 0 0 0 0

V7-2 Owning a car makes me feel more in control of my life.


Valid

2 4 3.4 3.4 3.4

3 29 24.4 24.4 27.7

4 62 52.1 52.1 79.8

5 24 20.2 20.2 100.0

Total 119 100.0 100.0

V7-4 Cars are a symbol of successful modern life.


Valid

1 7 5.9 5.9 5.9

2 14 11.8 11.8 17.6

3 47 39.5 39.5 57.1

4 35 29.4 29.4 86.6

5 16 13.4 13.4 100.0

Total 119 100.0 100.0

118

V7-1 Owning a car is a symbol of my success in life


Valid

1 6 5.0 5.0 5.0

2 30 25.2 25.2 30.3

3 41 34.5 34.5 64.7

4 32 26.9 26.9 91.6

5 10 8.4 8.4 100.0

Total 119 100.0 100.0

V7-3 Owning a car will be necessary in the future’


Valid

1 1 .8 .8 .8

2 6 5.0 5.0 5.9

3 25 21.0 21.0 26.9

4 55 46.2 46.2 73.1

5 32 26.9 26.9 100.0

Total 119 100.0 100.0

V8 Perceived need for uniqueness – Q2, Q5, Q6, Q11

Statistics

119

V8-4 I always try to find a

more interesting version of ordinary products because I

enjoy being original

V8-1 I often seek out for

new products or brands that will add to my

personal uniqueness.

V8-2 I dislike brands or

products that are

purchased by everyone.

V8-3 Having an eye for products that are

interesting and unusual helps me in establishing

a distinctive image.

NValid 119 119 119 119

Missing 0 0 0 0

V8-4 I always try to find a more interesting version of ordinary productsbecause I enjoy being original


Valid

1 5 4.2 4.2 4.2

2 6 5.0 5.0 9.2

3 37 31.1 31.1 40.3

4 51 42.9 42.9 83.2

5 20 16.8 16.8 100.0

Total 119 100.0 100.0

V8-1 I often seek out for new products or brands that will add to my personal uniqueness.


120

Valid

1 3 2.5 2.5 2.5

2 14 11.8 11.8 14.3

3 47 39.5 39.5 53.8

4 43 36.1 36.1 89.9

5 12 10.1 10.1 100.0

Total 119 100.0 100.0

V8-2 I dislike brands or products that are purchased by everyone.


Valid

1 5 4.2 4.2 4.2

2 39 32.8 32.8 37.0

3 40 33.6 33.6 70.6

4 23 19.3 19.3 89.9

5 12 10.1 10.1 100.0

Total 119 100.0 100.0

V8-3 Having an eye for products that are interesting and unusual helps me in establishing a distinctive image.


Valid

1 1 .8 .8 .8

2 13 10.9 10.9 11.8

3 43 36.1 36.1 47.9

4 54 45.4 45.4 93.3

5 8 6.7 6.7 100.0

Total 119 100.0 100.0

V9 Attitudes toward social-function – Q3, Q4, Q7, Q9

Statistics

121

V9-2 The brands and products I

bought help me express myself.

V9-3 The brands and products I bought is a

symbol of my social status.

V9-4 The brands and products I

chose fit me into certain

social situations.

V9-1 The brands I

choose reflect the kind of

person I see myself to be.

NValid 118 119 119 100

Missing 1 0 0 19

V9-2 The brands and products I bought help me express myself.


Valid

1 3 2.5 2.5 2.5

2 7 5.9 5.9 8.5

3 25 21.0 21.2 29.7

4 60 50.4 50.8 80.5

5 23 19.3 19.5 100.0


V9-3 The brands and products I bought is a symbol of my social status.


Valid

1 6 5.0 5.0 5.0

2 23 19.3 19.3 24.4

3 38 31.9 31.9 56.3

4 38 31.9 31.9 88.2

5 14 11.8 11.8 100.0

Total 119 100.0 100.0

V9-4 The brands and products I chose fit me into certain social situations.

122


Valid

1 1 .8 .8 .8

2 11 9.2 9.2 10.1

3 31 26.1 26.1 36.1

4 65 54.6 54.6 90.8

5 11 9.2 9.2 100.0

Total 119 100.0 100.0

V9-1 The brands I choose reflect the kind of person I see myself to be.


Valid

1 4 3.4 4.0 4.0

2 17 14.3 17.0 21.0

3 23 19.3 23.0 44.0

4 42 35.3 42.0 86.0

5 14 11.8 14.0 100.0


V10 Perceived peer/friends’ influence – Q45, Recode Q47, Q53, Q55 Statistics

V10-2 I consider my friends who have bought

cars as experts in car

purchasing.

I would do the research

myself rather than ask my friends who have bought cars before.


V10-1 I would ask my friends for information about my car

purchase.

NValid 119 119 119 119

Missing 0 0 0 0

V10-2 I consider my friends who have bought cars as experts in car purchasing.

123


Valid

1 9 7.6 7.6 7.6

2 30 25.2 25.2 32.8

3 28 23.5 23.5 56.3

4 42 35.3 35.3 91.6

5 10 8.4 8.4 100.0

Total 119 100.0 100.0

I would do the research myself rather than ask my friends who have bought cars before.


Valid

1.00 8 6.7 6.7 6.7

2.00 33 27.7 27.7 34.5

3.00 40 33.6 33.6 68.1

4.00 34 28.6 28.6 96.6

5.00 4 3.4 3.4 100.0

Total 119 100.0 100.0



Valid

1 2 1.7 1.7 1.7

2 8 6.7 6.7 8.4

3 40 33.6 33.6 42.0

4 55 46.2 46.2 88.2

5 14 11.8 11.8 100.0

Total 119 100.0 100.0

V10-1 I would ask my friends for information about my car purchase.

124


Valid

1 1 .8 .8 .8

2 6 5.0 5.0 5.9

3 24 20.2 20.2 26.1

4 69 58.0 58.0 84.0

5 19 16.0 16.0 100.0

Total 119 100.0 100.0

V11 Perceived influence from parents/siblings – Recode Q44, Q46, Q51, Q52 Statistics

Parents and siblings’

recommendation doesn't post any effect on

my car purchasing decision.

V11-2 I consider my parents and

siblings’ recommendation on cars very

valuable.

V11-3 I would think of my

parents/siblings’ driving

experience first when I’m going

to buy a car.

V11-1 I would seriously think

over my parents and

sibling’s advice when buying a

new car.

NValid 118 119 119 119

Missing 1 0 0 0

Parents and siblings’ recommendation doesn't post any effect on my car purchasing decision.


Valid

1.00 4 3.4 3.4 3.4

2.00 5 4.2 4.2 7.6

3.00 25 21.0 21.2 28.8

4.00 69 58.0 58.5 87.3

5.00 15 12.6 12.7 100.0


125

V11-2 I consider my parents and siblings’ recommendation on cars very valuable.


Valid

2 4 3.4 3.4 3.4

3 30 25.2 25.2 28.6

4 68 57.1 57.1 85.7

5 17 14.3 14.3 100.0

Total 119 100.0 100.0

V11-3 I would think of my parents/siblings’ driving experience first when I’m going to buy a car.


Valid

2 14 11.8 11.8 11.8

3 22 18.5 18.5 30.3

4 77 64.7 64.7 95.0

5 6 5.0 5.0 100.0

Total 119 100.0 100.0

V11-1 I would seriously think over my parents and sibling’s advice when buying a new car.


Valid

1 1 .8 .8 .8

2 5 4.2 4.2 5.0

3 28 23.5 23.5 28.6

4 73 61.3 61.3 89.9

5 12 10.1 10.1 100.0

Total 119 100.0 100.0

V12 Perceived influence of SNS advertising – Q13, Q14, Q15, Recode Q16

126

Statistics

V12-1 I consider SNS

advertising very essential.

V12-2 I often click on SNS banner ads.

V12-3 I like banner ads of

products shown on SNSs.

SNS advertisement usually won’t

catch my eyes.

NValid 119 119 119 119

Missing 0 0 0 0

V12-1 I consider SNS advertising very essential.


Valid

1 12 10.1 10.1 10.1

2 31 26.1 26.1 36.1

3 32 26.9 26.9 63.0

4 34 28.6 28.6 91.6

5 10 8.4 8.4 100.0

Total 119 100.0 100.0

V12-2 I often click on SNS banner ads.


Valid

1 38 31.9 31.9 31.9

2 41 34.5 34.5 66.4

3 23 19.3 19.3 85.7

4 15 12.6 12.6 98.3

5 2 1.7 1.7 100.0

Total 119 100.0 100.0

V12-3 I like banner ads of products shown on SNSs.


Valid 1 38 31.9 31.9 31.9

127

2 38 31.9 31.9 63.9

3 29 24.4 24.4 88.2

4 7 5.9 5.9 94.1

5 7 5.9 5.9 100.0

Total 119 100.0 100.0



Valid

1.00 18 15.1 15.1 15.1

2.00 38 31.9 31.9 47.1

3.00 30 25.2 25.2 72.3

4.00 28 23.5 23.5 95.8

5.00 5 4.2 4.2 100.0

Total 119 100.0 100.0

V13 Recommendations by websites – Q29, Q31, Q32, Q34

Statistics

V13-2 I would use car rating

websites to get in-depth

information about products

&services.

V13-4 I use car rating websites

to find information to reduce the risk

of making a bad

product/service choice.

V13-1I do my online research

to make informed car

buying decisions.

V13-3 I would use car rating websites to learn how to

solve problems involved in a

purchase decision.

NValid 119 119 119 119

Missing 0 0 0 0

128

V13-2 I would use car rating websites to get in-depth information about products &services.


Valid

1 2 1.7 1.7 1.7

2 7 5.9 5.9 7.6

3 29 24.4 24.4 31.9

4 57 47.9 47.9 79.8

5 24 20.2 20.2 100.0

Total 119 100.0 100.0

V13-4 I use car rating websites to find information to reduce the risk of making a bad product/service choice.


Valid

1 3 2.5 2.5 2.5

2 10 8.4 8.4 10.9

3 17 14.3 14.3 25.2

4 67 56.3 56.3 81.5

5 22 18.5 18.5 100.0

Total 119 100.0 100.0

V13-1I do my online research to make informed car buying decisions.


Valid

1 1 .8 .8 .8

2 5 4.2 4.2 5.0

3 14 11.8 11.8 16.8

4 63 52.9 52.9 69.7

5 36 30.3 30.3 100.0

Total 119 100.0 100.0

129

V13-3 I would use car rating websites to learn how to solve problems involved in a purchase decision.


Valid

1 2 1.7 1.7 1.7

2 11 9.2 9.2 10.9

3 25 21.0 21.0 31.9

4 57 47.9 47.9 79.8

5 24 20.2 20.2 100.0

Total 119 100.0 100.0

V14 Perceived ease of travel – Q25, Q26, Q27, Q28

Statistics

V14-1 Owning a car will allow me to travel to more places I

wish to go.

V14-2 Owning a car will allow

me to travel faster.

V14-3 Owning a car will allow me to transport

more items

V14-4 Owning a car will allow

me to travel more

comfortably.

NValid 119 119 119 119

Missing 0 0 0 0



Valid

1 1 .8 .8 .8

2 2 1.7 1.7 2.5

3 11 9.2 9.2 11.8

4 59 49.6 49.6 61.3

5 46 38.7 38.7 100.0

Total 119 100.0 100.0

130

V14-2 Owning a car will allow me to travel faster.


Valid

1 1 .8 .8 .8

2 9 7.6 7.6 8.4

3 20 16.8 16.8 25.2

4 57 47.9 47.9 73.1

5 32 26.9 26.9 100.0

Total 119 100.0 100.0

V14-3 Owning a car will allow me to transport more items


Valid

2 3 2.5 2.5 2.5

3 10 8.4 8.4 10.9

4 59 49.6 49.6 60.5

5 47 39.5 39.5 100.0

Total 119 100.0 100.0

V14-4 Owning a car will allow me to travel more comfortably.


Valid

2 3 2.5 2.5 2.5

3 8 6.7 6.7 9.2

4 64 53.8 53.8 63.0

5 44 37.0 37.0 100.0

Total 119 100.0 100.0

V15 Perceived convenience of going to school – Q17, Recode Q19, Q22, Q24

131

Statistics

V15-1 It's very convenient to go to school from where I

live.

V15-2 To me going to school

is easy and convenient,

thanks to the transportation.

V15-4 It’s fast and easy to go to school from where I live.

I suffered from going to school

every day because of the transportation

NValid 119 117 119 119

Missing 0 2 0 0

V15-1 It's very convenient to go to school from where I live.


Valid

1 5 4.2 4.2 4.2

2 9 7.6 7.6 11.8

3 10 8.4 8.4 20.2

4 57 47.9 47.9 68.1

5 38 31.9 31.9 100.0

Total 119 100.0 100.0

V15-2 To me going to school is easy and convenient, thanks to the transportation.


Valid

1 11 9.2 9.4 9.4

2 26 21.8 22.2 31.6

3 39 32.8 33.3 65.0

4 35 29.4 29.9 94.9

5 6 5.0 5.1 100.0


132

V15-4 It’s fast and easy to go to school from where I live.


Valid

1 7 5.9 5.9 5.9

2 9 7.6 7.6 13.4

3 29 24.4 24.4 37.8

4 51 42.9 42.9 80.7

5 23 19.3 19.3 100.0

Total 119 100.0 100.0

I suffered from going to school every day because of the transportation


Valid

1.00 4 3.4 3.4 3.4

2.00 9 7.6 7.6 10.9

3.00 21 17.6 17.6 28.6

4.00 60 50.4 50.4 79.0

5.00 25 21.0 21.0 100.0

Total 119 100.0 100.0

V16 Perceived availability of public transportation – Q18, Q20, Q21, Recode Q23

Statistics

V16-2 Local public

transportation leads me to most of the

places.

V16-4 It’s very convenient and

fast to take public

transportation here rather than driving

myself.

V16-1 I’m satisfied with

our local public transportation.

The local public transit systems

here always cause me problems.

NValid 118 119 119 119

Missing 1 0 0 0

V16-2 Local public transportation leads me to most of the places.

133


Valid

1 5 4.2 4.2 4.2

2 17 14.3 14.4 18.6

3 10 8.4 8.5 27.1

4 56 47.1 47.5 74.6

5 30 25.2 25.4 100.0


V16-1 I’m satisfied with our local public transportation.


Valid

1 13 10.9 10.9 10.9

2 28 23.5 23.5 34.5

3 31 26.1 26.1 60.5

4 44 37.0 37.0 97.5

5 3 2.5 2.5 100.0

Total 119 100.0 100.0

The local public transit systems here always cause me problems.


Valid

1.00 12 10.1 10.1 10.1

2.00 43 36.1 36.1 46.2

3.00 40 33.6 33.6 79.8

4.00 23 19.3 19.3 99.2

5.00 1 .8 .8 100.0

Total 119 100.0 100.0

The local public transit systems here always cause me problems.

134


Valid

1.00 12 10.1 10.1 10.1

2.00 43 36.1 36.1 46.2

3.00 40 33.6 33.6 79.8

4.00 23 19.3 19.3 99.2

5.00 1 .8 .8 100.0

Total 119 100.0 100.0

135

Appendix IV. Inter-item Correlation Matrix


V2 Assessment of fuel price – Q36, Q37, Q38, Recode Q39136

V3 Assessment of insurance price – Q40, Recode Q42, Q48, Recode Q49

V4 Perception of brand consciousness – Q30, Q33, Recode Q35

137

V5 Perceived satisfaction of brand – Q56, Q58, Q61, Recode Q63

V6 Preference for Japanese cars - Q41, Q43, Q50, Recode Q54

138


139

V8 Perceived need for uniqueness – Q2, Q5, Q6, Q11

V9 Attitudes toward social-function – Q3, Q4, Q7, Q9

140

V10 Perceived peer/friends’ influence – Q45, Recode Q47, Q53, Q55

V11 Perceived influence from parents/siblings – Recode Q44, Q46, Q51, Q52

141

V12 Perceived influence of SNS advertising – Q13, Q14, Q15, Recode Q16

V13 Recommendations by websites – Q29, Q31, Q32, Q34

142

V14 Perceived ease of travel – Q25, Q26, Q27, Q28

V15 Perceived convenience of going to school – Q17, Recode Q19, Q22, Q24

143

V16 Perceived availability of public transportation – Q18, Q20, Q21, Recode Q23

144

Appendix V. Final Factor Analysis

Total Variance Explained

Component Initial Eigenvalues Rotation Sums of Squared Loadings

Total % of Variance Cumulative % Total % of Variance Cumulative %

1 7.552 13.986 13.986 5.217 9.661 9.661

2 4.818 8.922 22.908 3.542 6.558 16.220

3 3.834 7.100 30.008 3.318 6.144 22.364

4 3.334 6.175 36.183 3.018 5.590 27.953

5 3.013 5.580 41.762 2.985 5.528 33.482

6 2.506 4.641 46.403 2.662 4.929 38.411

7 2.344 4.341 50.744 2.642 4.892 43.303

8 2.058 3.812 54.556 2.572 4.762 48.066

9 1.984 3.674 58.230 2.473 4.579 52.644

10 1.753 3.246 61.476 2.389 4.423 57.068

11 1.662 3.078 64.554 2.365 4.380 61.448

12 1.495 2.768 67.322 2.312 4.281 65.729

13 1.340 2.482 69.804 2.200 4.075 69.804

14 1.145 2.121 71.924

15 1.037 1.920 73.844

16 1.007 1.864 75.709

17 .889 1.646 77.355

18 .848 1.570 78.925

19 .794 1.470 80.395

20 .767 1.421 81.817

145

21 .714 1.323 83.139

22 .653 1.210 84.349

23 .644 1.193 85.542

24 .596 1.104 86.646

25 .555 1.028 87.674

26 .531 .984 88.658

27 .514 .953 89.611

28 .490 .908 90.518

29 .460 .851 91.370

30 .436 .808 92.177

31 .407 .753 92.930

32 .386 .715 93.645

33 .353 .653 94.299

34 .325 .602 94.901

35 .297 .549 95.451

36 .270 .500 95.951

37 .242 .449 96.400

38 .228 .422 96.822

39 .209 .387 97.209

40 .195 .361 97.569

41 .179 .332 97.902

146

Total Variance Explained

Component Initial Eigenvalues Rotation Sums of Squared Loadings

Total % of Variance Cumulative % Total % of Variance Cumulative %

42 .155 .287 98.189

43 .137 .255 98.443

44 .123 .227 98.670

45 .108 .199 98.869

46 .103 .192 99.061

47 .098 .182 99.243

48 .089 .164 99.407

49 .082 .152 99.559

50 .066 .123 99.682

51 .055 .102 99.784

52 .048 .089 99.872

53 .036 .067 99.939

54 .033 .061 100.000

Extraction Method: Principal Component Analysis.

147

Appendix VI. Revised Survey Questionnaire


Strongly Disagree


In general, I always think carefully about prices before buying.I always try to find a more interesting version of ordinary products because I enjoy being unique.The brands and products I buy help me express myself.The brands and products I buy are a symbol of my social status.I often seek out new products or brands that will add to my personal uniqueness.I dislike brands or products that are purchased by everyone.

Strongly Disagree


The brands and products I choose fit me into certain social situations.Product price is what I care about most when I buy certain products.The brands I choose reflect the kind of person I see myself to be.I go for the price first rather than thinking about other features.Having an eye for products that are interesting



152

and unusual helps me in establishing a distinctive image.

2. For our next questions, think of your social network sites (SNSs) usage and purchase behavior. How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

Strongly Disagree


I consider SNS advertising very essential.

I often click on SNS banner ads.I like banner ads of products shown on SNSs.



Strongly Disagree


It's very convenient to go to school from where I live.

Local public transportation leads me to most places.

I suffer from going to school every day because of the transportation.It’s very convenient and fast to take public transportation here rather than driving.I’m satisfied with our local public transportation.

The local public transit system is problematic.It’s fast and easy to go to school from where I live.


Strongly Disagree


Owning a car will allow me to travel to more places I wish to go.Owning a car will allow me to travel faster.Owning a car will allow me to transport more itemsOwning a car will allow me to travel more comfortably.

5. For this part of our questions, think about your purchase behavior and assume you are going to 153

buy a new car. How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements? Even if you are not entirely sure, check the box that best describes your feeling or opinion.

Strongly Disagree


I use car rating websites to find information to reduce the risk of making a bad product/service choice.I do my online research to make informed car buying decisions.I would use car rating websites to learn how to solve problems involved in a purchase decision.

6. For our next questions, assuming you are going to buy a new car. How much do you agree or

disagree with the following statements? Even if you are not entirely sure, check the box that best

describes your feeling or opinion.

Strongly Disagree


If the current price of gas is high, I won’t consider buying a new car.When purchasing a new car, I care about the price of gas.I would be more likely to buy a car when the price of gas is affordable.I don’t think the price of gas would affect my willingness to buy a car.

Strongly Disagree


I would carefully assess the price of car insurance when making a car purchase decision.Cars made in Japan occupy a very strong competitive position in comparison to cars made by other countries.Price of insurance doesn’t bother me when buying a new car.Cars made in Japan are always carefully produced.I consider my friends who have bought cars as experts in car purchasing.I consider my parents and siblings’ recommendations on cars very valuable.I’d prefer a more reasonable insurance price when I am about to buy a new car.

154

Strongly Disagree


I won’t consider the insurance price when I am about to buy a new car.Cars made in Japan are quite reliable and seem to last the desired length of time.I would think of my parents/siblings’ driving experience first when I’m going to buy a car.I would seriously think over my parents and sibling’s advice when buying a new car.I think of my friends as a good source of car information.Cars made in Japan are generally of a lower quality in comparison to others.


Strongly Disagree


Owning a certain brand of car would give me pleasure.I enjoy having my own car of a certain brand.Cars are a symbol of successful modern life.Owning a car is a symbol of success in lifeOwning a certain brand of car makes me feel good about myself.I don’t care much about owning a car of a particular brand.


8. Do you own a legal driver’s license?

Yes No

9. Have you ever owned a car?

Yes No

10. For the following statements, which one best describes your intended time-frame of buying a

155

new car? (Please select ONLY ONE ).

I already have a car and I don’t need to buy a new one. I would like to buy a new car now. I will buy a car as soon as I could afford one. I might buy a car one day, but it’s not my primary concern. I have no intention of buying a car in the next 10 years

11. Now, assuming you are going to buy a new car TODAY. How important will you rank the following

factors? (1=least important, 5=most important)

1 2 3 4 5

Fuel efficiency

Design/style

Reliability

Makes/models

Storage space

Safety

Comfort



Very Unlikely

Somewhat Unlikely


Very Likely

HondaMazdaToyota

VolkswagenNissan

Hyundai



156

1 2 3 4 5Price

Fuel efficiencyAppearance/Design

ReliabilityPower

Storage spaceSafety

ComfortService quality of maintenance

14. How old are you? ___________ years old

15. Are you male or female? Male Female

16. Which of the following describes your current academic level:


That concludes our survey. Thanks for your time.

157

Aona Yang measurement model for Honda CM724

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