EWOM COMPONENTS AND

CONSUMER PURCHASE
INTENTION
A CASE STUDY OF MILLENNIALS
FROM PAKISTAN
Zakaria Mohseni, Farouk Tutu Medara

Department of Business Administration

International Business Program
Bachelor’s Thesis, 15 Credits, Spring 2020
Supervisor: Dr Chris Nicol
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Dylan Thomas
Acknowledgements
We want to express our sincere and deepest gratitude to our supervisor, Christopher Nicol,
whose invaluable assistance was a major milestone in the completion of this thesis. We are
also indebted to all the interviewees whose participation is indeed whole-heartedly
appreciated, and without them, this study would not have been possible. Last but not least,
we are thankful to our families, friends for their everlasting source of encouragement.

2020-05-25

Umeå School of Business, Economics and Statistics

Umeå University

Zakaria Mohseni Farouk Tutu Medara

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Abstract
Recent technological developments have changed the lifestyle of people around the world.
The business sector is not an exception, and companies frequently adjust to such changes
by investing in their online presence. Furthermore, the internet provides consumers with
different channels to find and share their purchase experiences, and such digital interactions
result in bringing forth the electronic word of mouth (eWOM). Although eWOM is an
essential aspect of the overall marketing mix of modern firms, its research is heavily limited
to the developed world. Thus, a qualitative study of 10 millennials from Pakistan was
designed to understand how three eWOM components, i.e., Valence, Channels, and Length,
affect consumer purchase intentions. The data was collected through semi-structured online
interviews, and the findings show that each component has a significant impact on purchase
intentions. The result confirms factors such as communicator credibility, trustworthiness,
and Valence ratio as essential characteristics of the eWOM components. This study
contributes to further understanding of global consumers and help companies to identify
eWOM components useful for promoting and selling their products in the Pakistani
market.

Keywords: electronic Word-of-Mouth (eWOM), Purchase Intention, Channels, Valence,

Length, Online Review, SNS,
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Table Of Contents
1.Introductory Chapter...................................................................................................... 1
1.1 Background .................................................................................................................... 1
1.1.1 Research Gap .............................................................................................................. 1
1.1.2 COVID-19 Pandemic .................................................................................................. 2
1.2 Problem Discussion ........................................................................................................ 3
1.3 Overall Purpose ............................................................................................................. 4
1.4 Outline of the Whole Thesis............................................................................................ 5
2.Theoretical Frame Of Reference.................................................................................... 6
2.1 Electronic WOM ............................................................................................................. 6
2.2 Purchase Intention ......................................................................................................... 6
2.3 Hedonic & Utilitarian Shopping .................................................................................... 7
2.4 Hierarchy of Effect Model .............................................................................................. 7
2.5 Heuristic-Systematic Model (HSM)................................................................................ 8
2.6 eWOM & Purchase Decision Process............................................................................ 9
2.7 eWOM Components ........................................................................................................ 9
2.7.1 Valence ...................................................................................................................... 10
2.7.2 Channel ..................................................................................................................... 10
2.7.3 Length ........................................................................................................................ 11
2.8 Limitations of eWOM Impact ....................................................................................... 12
2.9 Conceptual Framework ................................................................................................ 13
3. Methodology.................................................................................................................. 15
3.1 Research Purpose ......................................................................................................... 15
3.2 Research Philosophy .................................................................................................... 15
3.2.1 Ontological Assumptions ........................................................................................... 15
3.2.2 Epistemological Assumptions .................................................................................... 16
3.3 Research Approach ...................................................................................................... 16
3.4 Research Design ........................................................................................................... 17
3.5 Semi-Structured Interviews .......................................................................................... 20
3.5.1 Disadvantages of Interviews ..................................................................................... 21
3.6 Sample Selection........................................................................................................... 21
3.7 Interview Guide ............................................................................................................ 22
3.8 Conducting Interviews .................................................................................................. 23
3.9 Data Transcription ....................................................................................................... 24
3.10 Data Analysis Method ................................................................................................ 24
3.11 Ethical Guidelines ...................................................................................................... 26
4. Empirical Results ......................................................................................................... 27
4.1 Use of the Internet ........................................................................................................ 27
4.2 Valence ......................................................................................................................... 27
4.3 Length ........................................................................................................................... 29
4.4 Channels ....................................................................................................................... 30
5. Data Analysis ................................................................................................................. 34
5.1 Use of internet .............................................................................................................. 34
5.2 Valence ......................................................................................................................... 34
5.3 Length ........................................................................................................................... 37
5.4 Channels ....................................................................................................................... 39
5.5 Overview ....................................................................................................................... 41
6. Conclusion ..................................................................................................................... 42
6.1 Concluding our findings to the Research Question...................................................... 42
Channels ............................................................................................................................. 42
Valence ............................................................................................................................... 42
Length ................................................................................................................................. 42
6.2 General Conclusions & Discussion ............................................................................. 43
6.3 Theoretical Contributions ............................................................................................ 44
6.4 Managerial implications .............................................................................................. 45
6.5 Societal Implications .................................................................................................... 46
6.6 Limitations .................................................................................................................... 46
6.7 Future Research Suggestions ....................................................................................... 47
7. Truth Criteria ............................................................................................................... 48
7.1 Validity and Reliability ................................................................................................. 48
7.2 Dependability ............................................................................................................... 48
7.3 Credibility ..................................................................................................................... 49
7.4 Transferability .............................................................................................................. 49
7.5 Confirmability .............................................................................................................. 49
Reference List ................................................................................................................... 50

Appendix…………………………..……………………...………..………..…………59
A Interview Guide English………………………………………….………..…………...59
B Interview Guide Urdu.……………………………………….……….………………..61
List of Figures and Table
Figure 1 Thesis Overview…………………………….......…...……….5
Figure 2 Hierarchy of Effects Model…………………………….…….8
Figure 3 Attitude towards eWOM Channels………….….….…….….12
Figure 4 Conceptual Framework…………………………….….….....15
Figure 5 eWOM Valence on Purchase Intention…………..….…..…..36
Figure 6 eWOM Length on Purchase Intention……………..….…..…37
Figure 7 eWOM Channels on Purchase Intention……….….…….…..39
Figure 8 Developed Framework…………………………….……..….41

Table 1 eWOM in Purchasing Decision……………………….…..…...10

Table 2 Three types of Study……………………………...……....……16
Table 3. How the Eight ‘big-tent’ Criteria for excellent qualitative
research is achieved in this thesis………………………………....….….19
Table 4 Information about Participants……………………...…….....…24

List of Abbreviations
eWOM Electronic Word-of-Mouth
HOE Hierarchy of Effects Model
HSM Heuristic-Systematic Model
SNS Social Networking Site
UAI Uncertainty Avoidance Index
STEM Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics
COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease 2019
1.Introductory Chapter
1.1 Background
Way back when the Internet was not around, most of the purchasing decisions were
influenced by the news, paper ads, or personal experiences. However, nowadays, search
engines are utilized by about 61% of the consumers, and in the age group 18-26 years, 75%
rely on online suggestions before making buying decisions (Mansoor, 2017; Hines, n.d.).
Online websites offer e-shopping, and the submitted local and international orders are
efficiently packed and delivered accordingly (Maamar, 2003, p. 251-257). This trend is
termed as e-commerce and happens when information is transferred to fulfill a commercial
or business transaction (Elsen et al., 2001). To stay informed about the market, modern
consumers want to access online information, and the engagements mostly occur on digital
platforms such as social media, blogs, and discussion forums (Kao et al., 2016, pp. 141-
151). When such information gets exchanged, it has predictable implications on how
businesses operate primarily in terms of understanding their customers.

Nowadays, referral marketing is applied to influence consumer buying decisions since at

least one-third of internet users welcome product reviews and actively post their own
experiences (Kucukemiroglu & Kara, 2015). When such situations occur, electronic word
of mouth (eWOM) is produced, and it is defined as, "any positive or negative statement
made by potential, actual, or former customers about a product or company, which is made
available to a multitude of people and institutions via the internet" (Thorsten et al., 2004,
p.39). eWOM allows buyers to share their appreciations or concerns and be heard in no
time. It is also cost-effective and surpasses physical borders allowing the customers to
access tons of useful product information from literally anywhere on earth (Pourabedin &
Migin, 2015).

When customers trust eWOM communications, they make confident purchases. Hence,
online stores display positive reviews adjacent to their product ads (Korfiatis et al., 2012).
Ku et al. (2012) demonstrated that eWOM enables customers to spend more time on such
websites leading to an increased chance of buying the products. Moreover, Cheng et al.
(2016) found that customers perceive product usefulness based on the related available
online information. Sometimes eWOM can directly affect product or service sell as Xie et
al. (2015) showed that when managers respond to online customer reviews, such hotels
experience high user feedback ratings and more bookings. Although eWOM is a useful tool
and an emerging phenomenon, there are still some limitations to how and where the eWOM
research is mostly carried out, and in the next section, we elaborate it in detail.

1.1.1 Research Gap

Compared to the traditional marketing strategies, eWOM has attracted much attention, but
King et al. (2014) pinpointed the lack of research concerning eWOM and global consumers.
Such a claim is endorsed by other researchers such as Chan and Ngai (2011), who believe
that eWOM research is heavily condensed inside the developed countries, and there is
limited research for understanding consumers in the developing world. As a result, the
authors of this study are motivated to include consumers from a developing country, i.e.,
Pakistan. Such a choice has further implications for marketers interested in the Asian
market, as King et al. (2014) stated that Asian e-commerce expansion indicates great
exploitable opportunities. Pakistan scores relatively high i.e., 70 on the Uncertainty

1
Avoidance Index (UAI), which potentially indicates some collective effect on consumer
behavior.

Although limited but eWOM research has been evident across some Pakistani studies such
as Saleem and Ellahi (2017), eWOM is useful in convincing consumers to buy fashion
products. Another study by Iqbal et al. (2012) revealed that in order to engage in e-shopping,
Pakistani consumers are driven by two factors, such as perceived advantages of online
shopping and trust on the online seller. Furthermore, Aslam et al. (2019) state that online
websites favor such eWOM, which impacts customer satisfaction and their perceived
recognition of the brand. Another study by Tariq et al. (2017), concluded that with a 3.3%
change impact, eWOM is positively related to consumer purchase intentions.

Previous studies have been mostly relying upon questionnaires and surveys, and Lopez and
Sicilia (2014) worries that the consumer is not studied in-depth. Hence, for this study,
Pakistani consumers are the central unit of analysis, and eWOM will be studied from their
perspective. Nevertheless, within the different age-groups, one particular generation stands
out as according to Gözükara and Çolakoğlu (2016), the millennials are familiar with
consumer culture and grasps media and technology. The researchers claim that millennials
or Generation Y represent a significant share of the overall digital platform users.
Millennials also have strong spending powers, and according to Solka et al. (2011), they are
more likely to engage in pleasure or hedonic shopping. Hence, it is clear that the Pakistani
millennials can offer relevant insights into understanding eWOM and its effects on their
purchase intentions since they are more active on the internet and has more money.

Ismagilova et al. (2019) stated in their meta-analysis that previous research is mostly guided
by understanding eWOM effects on sales, but a significant part is related to a few industries,
such as tourism, food, or movies (Baber et al., 2016). However, for this study, such a gap
will be fulfilled by a hypothetical situation in the interview guide, which allows the
participants to think of a product themselves; hence, a broader range of options will be
covered. Finally, Awad and Ragowsky (2008) showed that compared to males, the female
participants were more reliant on eWOM communications. Although measuring the
relationship between eWOM and gender is outside the scope of this study, since both males
and females will be included, some indications could be detected and included in the
conclusion chapter. It is possible because this study is qualitative, and the findings will be
detailed, and the discernments will be a contribution and a step for further studies. Hence,
once it is clear that this study will fulfill specific gaps, we are still faced with a unique
situation, which is explained in the next section.

1.1.2 COVID-19 Pandemic

During this study, the global community is facing the COVID-19 declared a pandemic by
the World Health Organization on 11 March 2020 (WHO, 2020). As of May 2020, nearly
4.6 million cases are reported in more than 188 countries, and about three hundred thousand
deaths are recorded (JHU, 2020). Since this study is related to the consumers, the eWOM,
and their purchase intentions, it is imperative to discuss how purchasing power has been
affected by the pandemic. Firstly, the complete or partial lockdown has affected consumer
spending across all industries in most countries, and the household income continues to fall
across many demographics. Consumers are less motivated to spend on non-essential
services or products (Jones, 2020). For instance, in China, apparel consumers have reduced
their consumption by 40-50%, and globally, both offline and online business sales are
drastically affected (Jones, 2020). European GDP is predicted to contract by 7.5%, and the
April unemployment rate in the US has increased by 14.7%. In Asia, the service sector is

2
increasingly under pressure, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has reported that
Asian economies would probably see no growth for the year 2020 (Rosamond, 2020).
Hence, it is to be noted that the authors of this study are conscious of the fact that consumers,
including those from Pakistan, are affected by the pandemic, and it could be even revealed
in our empirical data. Nonetheless, we do not measure the pandemic effects on consumer
purchasing power, but if certain relatable findings are found, they will be included in the
conclusion chapter. In the next section, research about eWOM and its components will be
introduced, and a potential research question will be detected.

1.2 Problem Discussion

Krueger and Nandan (2008) state that in modern times companies compete not only locally
but also on a global marketplace. Since the competition is fierce, transnational companies
need the Internet to reach more customers, and such an aim entails digital marketing. As
such, businesses contest to advertise their products, a typical consumer often experiences
information overload and has to continually differentiate between actual or bogus contents
(Soto et al., 2014). The business owners are aware that their brand repute can be influenced
by the quantity of either information or disinformation available on the Internet. Since it is
almost impossible to control everything online, eWOM is a peculiar mechanism for
companies to facilitate the spread of positive information and affect consumer purchase
intentions. Such a strategy can lead to more profit because Cui et al. (2014) showed that the
readiness to recommend a new product to others could influence its early period sales.

From the consumer perspective, a buying decision entails risk-taking, and in order to make
confident purchases, consumers want to know what other customers think about the
considered product. Online reviews and recommendations are useful to fulfill such a desire,
and previous studies demonstrate that they are identified by numerous eWOM components
such as length, quality, style, and relevance (Chen et al., 2014; Carolyn & Xu, 2017, p.363).
If the eWOM has a positive valence, Kudeshia and Kumar (2017) found that it enhances
brand awareness and influences customer behavior on social media. eWOM quantity is
useful for customers in the hotel and accommodation industry (Litvin et al., 2018). Another
research revealed that online reviews lead to more sales and decreased purchase uncertainty
(Muneta, 2017). From the marketer perspective, although eWOM is an essential part of the
overall marketing strategy, harnessing its positive effects is still a challenge (Keitzmann &
Canhoto, 2013). It is because they also need to identify effective eWOM channels. After
all, Gvili and levy (2016) found that people behave differently across different platforms.
One such instance is on Twitter, where Hodeghatta and Sahney (2016) found an apparent
discrepancy between how customers from different countries behave on the platform.

On a societal level, cultural norms also affect certain customer attitudes. For instance,
Hofstede et al. (2010) state that norms influence consumer mental model to perceive a
buying situation. The Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI) indicates the societal tolerance
towards ambiguity and vagueness and is used to measure attitudes in amorphous situations.
With regards to eWOM and UAI, Hofstede et al. (2010) further state that cultures with a
high UAI score habitat people who carefully assess eWOM credibility and such customers
demand high assurance before making a buying decision. On the other hand, people with
low UAI scores are more likely to favor their subjective judgments than those who seek
extra suggestions. Hence, such customers mostly engage in spontaneous and quick
purchases (Hotfsede et al., 2010). Another cultural effect was proposed by Fong and Burton
(2008), who found that people belonging to collectivistic values appreciate online
suggestions more than those with the individualistic approach.

3
Given the challenges faced by marketers in harnessing the total potential of eWOM and the
evident lack of research from consumers living in the developing world, as stated in
Introduction 1.1, this study will be about eWOM components related to the purchase
intentions of Pakistani millennials. Such a purpose is also consistent with the overall focus
of the contemporary eWOM research, as Cheng and Zhou (2010) state that the current trend
is to either understand eWOM as the aftermath of purchase or as a facilitator of the buying
behavior. Lastly, in the following passage, a research question is developed based on the
eWOM discussion, its components, and what previous researchers have recommended.

1.3 Overall Purpose

This study has the Pakistani Millennials as its unit of analysis and aims to study eWOM
from their perspective. Hence, we are curious to know;

How do the eWOM components affect consumer purchase intention?

A study into how eWOM Valence, Length, and Channels impact purchase intentions of
Millennials in Pakistan.

4
1.4 Outline of the Whole Thesis
This thesis consists of six main parts and one last section for the truth criteria. The
Introduction chapter illustrated the background and problem discussion leading to the
research question. Chapter two includes the Literature review in which the current research
on eWOM is thoroughly discussed. The choice of method and the execution process is part
of the Methodology chapter. We present the data in the fourth chapter, and the fifth chapter
is for Analysis. The conclusion and discussion, limitations, and suggestions for future
research are part of the sixth chapter. The trustworthiness measurement is included in the
end.

Chapter 1:
Introduction

Chapter 2:
Theoretical
Frame of
Reference

Chapter 3:
Methodology

Chapter 4:
Empirical
data/Results

Figure 1. Thesis Overview

Chapter 5:
Chapter 6: C Analysis

Chapter 6:
Conclusion

5
2.Theoretical Frame Of Reference
2.1 Electronic WOM
In simple words, eWOM is about finding and sharing product-related information. In such
a process, the communication agents are not constrained by distance or time (Steffes &
Burgee, 2009). eWOM emerged because the internet transformed traditional word-of-mouth
to fit the novel electronic paradigm (Mishra & M S, 2016). eWOM is not merely an
extension but also operates on a different level with scalable effects and broader audience
reach. eWOM can be spotted even when the feedback sender or receiver is either unknown
or entirely anonymous (Levy & Gvili, 2015).

In recent times, eWOM prevalence increases as more and more people use the internet
(Chen et al., 2016). We have also witnessed the emergence of new digital platforms such as
blogs, ratings, and comparison websites, or even online retail stores. These channels offer
new means of interaction and are rich in both textual and visual information (Mishra & S
M, 2016). eWOM in such a context is a process through which the information is exchanged
between a buyer, a former buyer, or a potential buyer (Ismagilova et al., 2017). Tata et al.
(2019, cited in Kudeshia and Kumar, 2017) state that almost 93% of the customers believed
that online reviews allow them to make assured purchases.

Researchers have been interested in studying the effects of eWOM on product sales, as
Zhang et al. (2013) showed that camera sales are highly related to the number of available
reviews, meaning that a higher review quantity can lead to higher product sales. Mauri and
Minazzi (2013) found that in the hotel industry, online reviews were stable predictors of
decision to book a particular hotel. Some other researchers, such as Jalilvand and Samiei
(2012a) and Jalilvand et al. (2012b), found that eWOM affects the intention to buy cars and
tourists’ desire to pick certain destinations. Moreover, Ismagilova et al. (2019) state in their
meta-analysis that several previous studies have shown eWOM effects on purchase
intentions such as laptops, smartphones, and hotel bookings (Uribe et al., 2016; Chen et al.,
2016); Agag & El-Masry, 2016). Hence, it is evident that eWOM is related to product sales,
and since buying intentions often trigger product purchases, therefore, in the next passage,
we will discuss it in detail.

2.2 Purchase Intention

Schiffman and Kanuk (2010) define purchase intention as a type of transaction-oriented
behavior that the buyer demonstrated after evaluating the proposed goods or services. A
stronger sense of purchase intention is related to a higher chance of actual purchase. In a
typical buying situation, whenever customers intend to buy a product/service, they start by
researching and gathering information, and it can come from the environment or their
personal experiences. After such a step, consumers compare and evaluate to make a buying
judgment (Wang et al., 2012). In the digital world, purchase intention describes the extent
to which consumers intend to engage in e-shopping (Chu& His-peng, 2007).

Researchers have detected essential factors that can or might affect purchase intentions, as
Alford and Biswas (2000) argue that the price of a product and the degree to which it is
promoted influences purchase intentions. While Dodds et al. (1991) state that purchases
intention is related to the consumer’s ability to recognize a brand. In a sense, when
consumers are exposed to a brand, familiarity increases, and eventually leads to an increased

6
purchase intention. For any purchase to occur, we need to identify its main drivers, and
hence, the next passage differentiates between two types of shopping behavior.

2.3 Hedonic & Utilitarian Shopping

Peter and Olson (2010) state that when a customer makes a buying decision, a step is often
motivated by a thought, a feeling, or an influence anchored from the environment. On a
typical day, the magnitude of such an effect tends to vary, and as a result, a buying decision
is complicated and tough to reduce to a single factor (Peter & Olson, 2010). The customer
has to make active choices too, and previous studies such as Furner et al. (2016) focused on
understanding why one product is chosen over the available substitutes. Another critical
aspect of buying behavior is the inherent risk embedded in a purchase, and on digital
channels, customers yearn after needed information to reduce such ambiguity. Still,
sometimes the consequences are not crucial because customers engage in pleasure
shopping. Such buyers are called hedonic customers, while if the primary motivation is to
fulfill an urgent need and focus is put upon consequential utility, such customers engage in
utilitarian purchases (Bilgihan & Bujisicb, 2015).

Hedonic buyers care about enjoying the shopping experience and selectively prioritizes
online content or products that offer more convenience. Hence, the purchase can become
impulsive with no more significant purpose. The marketers adjust their websites so that e-
shopping is made easy, convenient, and attractive. On the other hand, utilitarian buyers are
careful about what they purchase and what use it can offer. Hence, they start by evaluating
and comparing online products against each other. They are also more concerned about the
availability of reliable information to make decent purchases (Bilgihan & Bujisicb, 2015).
Such buyers make the best deal by buying the best candidate with the lowest price possible
(Radionova & Praude, 2016). Now that the two main buying motivations are explained, in
the next passage, we shall illustrate the buying decision process.

2.4 Hierarchy of Effect Model

Hierarchy of Effects Model (HOE) proposed by Lavidge and Steiner (1961) is used for
understanding the buying process. It consists of six different steps with the initial stage as
‘Awareness’ followed by steps like ‘Knowledge,’ ‘Liking,’ and continues with personal
‘Preference’ and ends with ‘Conviction’ and ‘Purchase.’ Although the steps are self-
explanatory, the basic idea is that a buying behavior is triggered when a customer becomes
aware of a product/service. The next step is annotated by being offered relatable information
via ads or personal feedbacks, i.e., eWOM. The ‘Liking’ and ‘Preference’ phases show if
the customer develops a positive or negative emotional attitude towards picking the product.
If the customer likes the product, a conviction or an intention to buy is triggered; if it persists
to an acceptable level, the buying decision is finally reached, and the customer purchases
the product (Lavidge & Steiner, 1961).

In the case of eWOM and its effect on the ‘Knowledge’ step of the HOE model, Park and
Lee (2008) claim that online reviews are comprised of two distinctive properties, i.e., one
which merely informs and the other which recommends. Nevertheless, the challenge arises
when a considerable amount of reviews are involved. The assumption is that customers
favor a more significant number of reviews; however, it often leads to information overload
(Deutsch & Gerard, 2015). Moreover, the types of recommendations are also different based
on their content. For instance, some recommenders reveal necessary and emotional
substances, while others are often shallow or spam. Some reviews are inclined towards more
accurate or factual assertions.

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 Awareness
Cognitive
Knowledge

Liking
Affective
Preference

Conviction/Intention
Conative
Purchase

Fig. 2 Hierarchy of Effects Model (HOE) adopted from Chris Fill (2006, p. 185)

Other researchers such as Deutsch and Gerard (1955), state that two other types of processes
can also recognize the ‘Knowledge’ phases of the customer buying behavior. Firstly, the
informational impact occurs when the customer is open to affirming the proposed
suggestions and accepts to behave upon it. While another type of influence comes from
norms or the established wide-spread behavior, and in such a scenario, the customer offer
allegiance to another group’s or individual’s anticipations. Overall it is a sound assumption
that understanding what or how to purchase intention is triggered can be of noteworthy
concern for all business owners, but in the next passage, we discuss other ways that are
often utilized by consumers to reach a buying decision.

2.5 Heuristic-Systematic Model (HSM)

Maheswaran et al. (1992) presented the HSM model to show how people receive and
process information. It suggests that two processing methods are apparent in social settings,
i.e., systematic or heuristic. Chaiken and Trope (1999) state that the heuristic route implies
that instead of using tiresome cognition, people strive for quick and easy decisions. On the
other hand, the systematic approach indicates measured thinking for weighing information
and judging its validity. In a sense, the systematic method stresses on in-depth processing,
while the heuristic method relies on mental shortcuts like intuitive thinking (Chaiken, 1980).

Saleem and Ellahi (2017) used HSM to study eWOM impact on buying fashion products
via social networking sites. Via HSM, it was demonstrated that expertness is one of the
factors that opt the participants to make purchasing decisions. The authors state that
although for an online review, the reader cannot easily judge the authenticity of the
reviewer, however, it can still be assumed that the expertise of the content provider can
encourage people to spread eWOM and also impact their purchase intentions. Moreover,
Payne (2007) sets three bases for evaluating the message by HSM. The author states that
source credibility, expertness, and knowledge about a product is vital for making a decision.
To spread online information about a product, the source must possess suitable expertise,
especially if the buyer lacks appropriate product knowledge in the first place (Cheung &

8
Thadani, 2012). To understand how eWOM connects explicitly to the decision process, in
the next passage, we use the relevant literature and discuss it in detail.

2.6 eWOM & Purchase Decision Process

Pavlou and Fygenson (2006, p.116-117) state that an online deal is different than when
customers are physically out to buy something. During e-shopping, consumers are more
likely to seek reliable ways of accessing detailed descriptions of product quality/usage and
other substitutes. In some situations, consumers listen to the voice within or get affirmation
from friends, families, or people with suitable recommendations. Previous studies such as
Mishra and SM (2016, p.226) showed eWOM impact on the purchasing process by linking
it to the purchase decision process, which was originally presented by Dewey (1910). The
connection is illustrated in Table.1 below;

Table 1 eWOM role in the purchasing process (Mishra & SM, 2016, p.226)

Purchasing Process Examples of eWOM Touch Points

Stages
Problem/Need recognition External stimuli-ads on websites,
personalization, and recommendations
Information Search Search engines, social media, product
websites, e-retailers
Evaluation of alternatives Websites with compare options, social
media for feedback, online reviews, and
rating websites
Purchase Decision Channels (e-commerce websites)
discussion and feedback on social media
Post-purchase behavior Review sites, social media, online ratings,
and reviews, feedback on social media or
product websites

Sometimes, eWOM usage depends upon the product quality or the buyer personality, and
in the Information Search of the purchasing process, if consumers are keen to seek and adapt
to new information, they are more likely to search the digital platforms for such desired
material (Fishbein & Azjen, 1975). However, not all type of information is deemed valuable
as the quality of eWOM is also imperative. With regards to the Evaluations of Alternatives,
eWOM channels connect consumers to other customer feedbacks (Senecal et al., 2005).
Other factors, such as perceived influence from other people, opportunity costs, and
substitutes availability, can affect the purchase decisions (Nguyen, 2017; Ulrika et al. 2016).
Such effects can also be illustrated in the Evaluation for the Alternatives stage of the
purchase decision process. As discussed, eWOM adaptability can differ depending upon its
source, the buyer, and the situation; therefore, we need to identify its components for
making it more concrete and relatable to consumers. In the next passage, we discuss its three
components and relate them to the purchase intention.

2.7 eWOM Components

As mentioned in the Introduction 1.1, marketers want to know what triggers buying
intentions, and eWOM is imperative because modern consumers usually search for more
information before making a purchase. In previous studies, different eWOM determinants
are studied; however, including all the components lies outside the scope of this study. In

9
the next section we have discussed the literature on three eWOM components i.e., Valence,
Length, and Channels and have briefly justified why we have included them in our study.

2.7.1 Valence
Adjei et al. (2010) define Valence as 'the extent to which the information reflects positively
or negatively on the product in question.' Furthermore, Amblee and Bui (2011) state that
the Valence of eWOM pinpoints the nature of the information, which could reveal a neutral,
positive, or negative tone. Furthermore, Sparks and Browning (2011) claim that a positive
review often consists of bright, pleasing, and glamorized content, while a negative review
is about the agent's unpleasant experiences.

Valence-oriented research with regards to eWOM is evident in the previous studies (Hamby
et al., 2005; Jones et al., 2009; Lee & Youn, 2009). A study by Lee and Yoon (2009) found
that although negative reviews influence consumers, they are less willing to share it with
others because they do not want to be perceived as allies of a corrupt brand/product. On the
other hand, Lin and Xu, (2017, p. 364) state that positive reviews are more appreciated and
passed on to other people because it impacts how customers perceive the brand (Lin & Xu,
2017, p. 364). Furthermore, Lopez and Sicilia (2014) claim that positive eWOM is more
available and frequent as compared to negative eWOM. The authors believe that that higher
accessibility to more information is related to a more significant influence on purchase
intention (Lopez and Sicilia, 2014). Hence, Lee et al. (2009) believe that practitioners
should focus on spreading and conveying positive eWOM.

eWOM Valence has necessary practical implications for business operations, as Mauri and
Minazzi (2013) showed that hotel bookings were influenced by being exposed to positive
reviews. Moreover, Elaziz et al. (2015) found that positive Valence has a significant impact
on encouraging customers to engage in further online purchases. However, previous
research about eWOM Valence is inconclusive on some grounds as Ladhari and Michaud,
(2015) and Mauri and Minazzi (2013) claim that Valence has a significant effect on
purchasing intentions, while others like Teng et al. (2017) have shown that the effect is not
so notable. Therefore, Valence is one of the eWOM components used in this study to offer
new insights about its effect on purchase intentions.

2.7.2 Channel
We discussed that easy access to the internet has allowed customers to take on a
participatory role in spreading product-related content. Gvili and Levy (2016) state that
channels corresponding to eWOM are distinctive in terms of how they are applied, their
capability to fulfill the customer demand, and their usage characteristics. For instance, social
media platforms are classified into three sets, such as those oriented towards building or
holding social networks, some platforms are mainly for collaboration, and another category
is used for entertainment purposes.

Kudeshia and Kumar (2017) state that due to channel differences, their audience or users
may differ too, and as a result, firms use various methods to communicate with their
customers. According to the authors, eWOM channels can be divided into four sets.
Specialized eWOM points to contents or reviews which are not aimed at selling a product
but only feedback descriptions. Some examples are online websites where ratings are
allowed, or where different types of comparison occur. Another type is termed as Affiliated
eWOM, which is any consumer reviews that are linked with websites for retail sales such

10
as eBay or Amazon. Social eWOM refers to the exchange of relatable product information
on social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook. The last eWOM set is
termed as Miscellaneous and refers to online information exchange on mediums such as
personal blogs or other customized forums.

Gvili and Levy (2016) argue that there are notable differences in how different channels
facilitate eWOM spread. Some channels are intimately customized, such as group chats or
text messages, while others could be general information sharing on social media. The
credibility of such messages is dependent upon if the source or communicator has a
reputable public identity. Since messages are delivered differently on different channels,
customers show different attitudes towards different eWOM mediums (Gvili & Levy, 2016,
p. 1031). Gvili and Levy (2016, p. 1031) rely on five different determinants of a customer’s
attitude toward information found online. These are Entertainment, Irritation, Value,
Credibility, and Informativeness. The relation is illustrated in the model below;

Entertainment

Informativeness Credibility Value General

ss Attitude
At

Irritation

Fig 3. Attitude towards eWOM channels (Gvili & Levy, 2016, p. 1031)

In Fig. 3, Gvili & Levy (2016, p. 1031) state that Informativeness shows how dense the
message is and is related to the reliability of such information. Entertainment is to what
extent consumer needs for enjoyment or lowering emotional stress is fulfilled and is used
to explore customer behavior alongside with the informativeness. Another determinant is
the Irritation factor, which annotates the degree of perceived deception or manipulation
embedded in a message. The Value of the message is assessed subjectively by each
customer, and it determines its usefulness. Credibility shows the extent to which truth or
facts are signified by a review/recommendation and plays a mediating role in determining
customer attitude towards eWOM.

Frasquet et al. (2015) demonstrated the link between the perceived easiness of usage of the
online channels and the overall effects on purchase intention. Ease of use refers to the little
effort needed to engage in online shopping from the customer's perspective. The authors
studied 1533 retail buyers in England and Spain and concluded that the participants'
perception of ease of use of online channels is positively related to their overall purchase
intentions. It is to be noted that in this study, we include all eWOM channels such as
Specialized (review websites), Affiliate/Social (SNS, retail websites), and even
Miscellaneous (personal blogs, online forums).

2.7.3 Length
Length is another imperative component of eWOM communications. Online reviews are
distinguished by being either short, medium, or lengthy. Previous studies such as Mudambi
and Schuff (2010), revealed that lengthy reviews increase usefulness ratings, and for

11
utilitarian products, lengthy reviews are more helpful in triggering purchase decisions.
However, other researchers state that since lengthy reviews need more mental exertion, not
all consumers are attracted to them (Ghoes & Ipeirotis, 2007). Researchers state that
individuals do not want to evaluate the content of lengthy reviews efficiently, and as a result,
a marginal approach is used to handle such information. Such a claim is also made by Park
and Lee (2008), who believe that some consumers often ignore details and scan the reviews
to catch the main ideas. However, such a strategy may lead to lower confidence in the
buying behavior since they know that some information might have been missed along the
way. Other authors such as Furner et al. (2016) believe that popular products possess lengthy
reviews and a burden on consumers to separate the wheat from the chaff, but if the reviews
appear too short, consumers are also unsatisfied to make a confident purchase.

eWOM length has clear, practical implications for marketers, as King et al. (2014) suggested
that it impacts the perceived usefulness of eWOM. Moreover, Lee et al. (2017) showed that
in the movie industry, influential reviews are identified by their length. Overall, Furner et
al. (2016) claim that the literature about the effects of the review size on consumers is not
crystal clear because some studies demonstrate a linear relationship, while others claim a
diminishing connection. Such a remark is a motivation for Length to be included as one of
the eWOM determinants in this study.

2.8 Limitations of eWOM Impact

Although the reviewed literature shows a similar trend in terms of showing the effects of
eWOM components on purchase intentions, certain constraints such as age, gender, and
culture may sometimes undermine such an impact. For instance, since eWOM operates in
the digital world, people of different ages differ in their use of time on the internet, as
Reigner (2007) state that customers above 45 could be less affected by online reviews.
Societal norms can also be impactful since Pentina et al. (2015) have revealed that people
from different cultural settings might behave differently to new information.

Although such limitations are of colossal significance for determining the focus of future
eWOM research, for this thesis, we will intentionally exclude such discussions because the
research question is focused on the selected eWOM components and their effect on the
purchase intentions of Pakistani Millennials.

12
2.9 Conceptual Framework
The conceptual framework provides a theoretical ground for reaching relevant conclusions
to fulfill the overall purpose of the study. Literature review into eWOM has revealed that
numerous eWOM determinants can impact consumer's purchase intentions. In this study,
we define eWOM as 'any positive or negative statement made by potential, actual, or former
customers about a product or company, which is made available to a multitude of people
and institutions via the internet' (Thorsten et al., 2004, p. 39). Kim et al. (2015) state that
due to the new digital era, consumers share their experiences, and eWOM consists of
product reviews or any other form of customer feedback available on the internet. Such
information is usually searched for before an actual buying decision takes place (Lin & Xu,
2017).

We examine how eWOM components impact consumer purchase intention. The first
component is Valence defined by Adjei et al. (2010) as ‘the extent to which the information
reflects positively or negatively on the product in question.’ As revealed by studies like
Kudeshia and Kumar (2017), Valence has a notable effect on purchase intentions. In this
study, not only positive but also negative Valence will be considered. The next component
included is eWOM Channels, and as stated by Gvili and Levy (2016), variations in message
delivery manners can lead to different attitudes. The channels are perceived differently and
used for different purposes. Hence, in this thesis, we are curious to know how eWOM
channel preferences impact purchase intentions. Furthermore, in order to specify different
channels, the classifications are based on the four types of eWOM, such as Specialized,
Miscellaneous, Social, and Affiliated. In the case of specialized eWOM, we have websites
where ratings or comparison tools are apparent, retail websites such as Amazon are an
example of affiliated eWOM, and social media platforms such as Instagram or Facebook
are part of the social eWOM. The final aspect of eWOM channels includes personal blogs,
online diaries, or discussion forums. The literature on our last component, i.e., Length is not
crystal clear since the desirable Length is not objectively evident in all studies. Still,
Schindler and Bickart (2012) state that lengthy reviews are commonly thought to be more
useful, but it could exceed the optimal limit and become excessively long. Hence, it is a
justified step to study eWOM Length and purchase intentions.

The determinants are selected because their effect has been observed via several previous
studies. However, other components of eWOM such as homophily, source
expertise/trustworthiness, or communication style are admitted to be essential but not
included in this study. This study is from the consumer perspective, and components like
homophily or social ties fall outside the scope of our thesis because they demand examining
the group or collective binds of the consumer. Finally, in order to understand how the three
selected eWOM components relate to consumer purchase intentions, we will refer our
findings to the previous studies and purchasing decision process and the aforementioned
models in the theory chapter. Finally, the conceptual framework will be further developed
with our findings and will help us in answering our research question;

How do the eWOM components affect consumer purchase intention?

A study into how eWOM Valence, Length, and Channels impact purchase intentions of
Millennials in Pakistan.

13
 eWOM Components

Review Characteristics:

Valence
Length
Purchase Intention

Channels

Fig 2.4: Conceptu

Fig 4 Conceptual Framework

14
3. Methodology
3.1 Research Purpose
Bryman and Bell (2011) state that the main agenda behind research design is to establish a
firm ground upon which the data could be collected and analyzed. Furthermore, Saunders
et al., (2009, p. 138-1142) illustrate three types of study shown in the Tab. 2 below;

Table 2. Three types of study (Saunders, 2009, p. 138-1142)

Exploratory Descriptive Explanatory

Researcher aims to
investigate a NOT clearly
defined problem
Deals with problems of
qualitative type
Set out the characteristics
of a problem
Obtain accurate account of
the occurrence
Antecedent to further
research
Causal research
Derive inference to
interpret phenomenon
Descriptive research
extension

This thesis pursues an exploratory approach, and in order to implement such a method, data
is generally collected from different sources such as related literature, observation, or expert
interviews. If interviews are chosen, they could be in-depth or focused groups. Saunders et
al. (2012) indicate that one of the advantages of exploratory research is that it is flexible and
has a tendency to be adjusted for necessary change. The exploratory design for this thesis
will be qualitative, and the interview guide allows us to detect core elements. For the
research to be relevant, we need to make certain philosophical assumptions that are covered
in the next passages.

3.2 Research Philosophy

A research paradigm is a distinctive philosophical approach that guides how the research
shall be conducted (Collins & Hussey, 2014, p.43). It determines what the research should
be focused upon, how it should be approached, and how the results ought to be interpreted.
Research philosophy is defined as ‘a set or system of beliefs stemming from the study of the
fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence’ (Waite & Hawker, 2009, p.685).
It signifies the underlying assumptions researchers adhere to while viewing the world. In a
sense, it is the researcher’s worldview consisting of the thoughts about the nature of the
study/research, which ultimately influences the choice of topic, method, and as well as
interpretation of the findings (Saunders et al., 2009, p.107).

3.2.1 Ontological Assumptions

The researcher makes certain assumptions about the nature of reality or how the world
functions, and the ontological branch of philosophy primarily deals with the nature of being.
The underlying assumption is, “whether reality is objective and external to the individual,
or whether it is subjective and cognitively constructed on an individual basis” (Long et al.,
2000, p. 191). The ontological continuum contains subjectivism/constructionism or
objectivism. Objectivism assumes that social entities exist independently of the social
actor’s perceptions of them, while, on the other hand, Subjectivism infers that “social
phenomena are created from the perceptions and actions of the social actors” (Saunders et
al., 2012, p.132). We are taking a subjectivist or constructionist approach, and believe that
social actors can influence society. This is due to the nature of the study, which is designed

15
for exploring a social phenomenon as the aim is to understand the perceived reality of the
consumers and how they interpret the effect of components of the eWOM on their purchase
intentions. Moreover, we do not see the experience of being exposed to the online reviews
as external or independent from the individual since the effect on purchase intention is not
tangible, and it could often be different from time to time.

3.2.2 Epistemological Assumptions

Bryman and Bell (2011, p. 711) refer to Epistemology as the manners through which
knowledge is developed or treated in discipline and has expressed it as 'a theory of
knowledge.' The three central epistemological perspectives are interpretivism, positivism,
and realism (Johansson & Britt,1993, p. 37). Positivism adopts a natural science standpoint
and obeys a logical approach identified with careful measurement and objectivity while
positivists believe in the research to be free from value judgments, hence, disintegrating the
whole to small but coherent parts. Furthermore, the findings are used to infer causal
relationships from a sophisticated statistical analysis and larger sample sizes (Johansson &
Britt,1993, p44). Positivism entails that gathering data can be viewed as gathering factual
information (Bryman & Bell, 2011, p.14-16). In interpretivism, on the other hand, the
researcher also considers the subjective implications of any social activity, hence,
introducing the concept social actors, that typically refers to the ability of us, the humans,
to participate in any given situation grounded upon either ourselves or someone else
elucidation of a specific role, resulting into us choosing individual courses of actions
(Saunders et al., 2009 p. 115).

Interpretivism does not believe in detaching themselves from the research process; hence,
they gain detailed insights into the subjects' unique mindset. The reality, hence, becomes a
socially-constructed phenomenon depending upon the observer's explanation (Bryman &
Bell, 2011, p.14-16). Interpretivism advocates have a holistic style; therefore, the parts are
considered critical contributory factors (Johansson & Britt, 1993, p. 44-47). Realism is the
third epistemological approach and could be argued that it has its roots in positivism. It
shares at least two essential characteristics from such a philosophy, with the first being that
both natural and social science relies upon similar data collection and secondly that reality
is independent of the observer's description (Bryman & Bell, 2011, p. 17-18).

The researchers of this study view social actors and society inseparable and believe that
such stakeholders have a significant contribution to building and maintaining societal
values. As a result, we take an interpretivist approach and agree that there is an inevitable
difference between research in social science and natural science; hence, a distinguishable
research process can be relied upon (Saunders, 2012, p.137). The subjects for this study are
humans and the way they interpret and view online reviews, i.e., eWOM is personal and
residing in their mind. We consider the context and study the effects of components of
eWOM as an effect in a holistic manner on the purchase intention of our subjects. People
can have a different attitude towards how they value eWOM resulting in cross-cultural
differences. As a result, we aim to understand the subjective meaning derived from such
experiences, and such a choice will allow for a more profound and detailed understanding.

3.3 Research Approach

Li et al. (2009) state that it is essential to decide about the research approach before kicking
off the data collection phase because it guides and helps collect and analyze the research
topic. Patel and Davidson, (2011, p. 23) state that in order to combine the theoretical part
with the empirical data, three different manners are available. The deduction is when results

16
are based on existing theory. The next step is to formulate the hypothesis to be examined
via the collected data. Furthermore, deduction leads to results that are more likely to be
objective and not under the researcher’s influence. Induction starts with the data collection
and is followed by hypothesis formulation resulting in theory development. It acts as the
antithesis to the deductive approach, where the starting point of the research is a theory
followed by an empirical assessment. Patel and Davidson (2011 p. 24) describe abduction
as a mixture of both deductive and inductive reasoning and involves developing structural
assumptions to elucidate a specific case and continues to testing such a hypothetical
structure on other various cases. It is done in order to infer or formulate generalized
understandings. Knox (2004, p. 122-123) states that induction is commonly associated with
an interpretivist approach and deduction with positivism.

Meanwhile, while adhering to interpretivism, this thesis uses deduction since we have
developed a conceptual framework, and it has been derived as a result of the previous
literature review. The results will be based and connected to the framework, and previous
research and no new theory will be generated. The interview guide will also be based on the
framework, and such a step allows us to carefully narrow down the focus of this study to
investigate the potential effects of eWOM components on purchasing intentions.

3.4 Research Design

Research plan annotates manners for data collection, and it could be quantitative or
qualitative, and the primary distinction is that generally quantitative design result and follow
the analysis of numeric and qualitative corresponds to non-numeric data (Saunders et al.,
2012). The nature of the research problem determines the choice of research method.
Furthermore, as Denzin and Lincoln (1994, p. 108) state, ‘not just any methodology is
appropriate,’ and one must consider a coherent methodology for providing relevant results.
A quantitative approach is more favorable in scientific research such as STEM as it is about
controlling and measuring the variables and detecting potential causal relationships, as the
data stems from a positivist philosophy (Denzin & Lincoln, 1994, p.4). On the other hand,
the qualitative design gives weight to the interpretive approach and ascribes to explaining a
specific phenomenon with relation to the constructed meaning or point of view (Denzin &
Lincoln, 1994, p.2). In such regards, it could be assumed that the qualitative approach is
more consistent with an aim pointed towards discovering the manners and rationales of
behaviors prevalent in a population. Denzin and Lincoln (1994, p.4-6) state that via a
qualitative method such as interviews, it is possible to get closer to the people’s subjective
perspectives. Qualitative data also provides descriptions that are rich in content, and as a
result, the researchers view it to be a significant contribution to understanding everyday
life.

We believe that using a qualitative method is more efficient and coherent with the purpose
of this thesis. Such a choice is suitable for the philosophical assumptions we have relied
upon, such as constructivism and interpretivism. Previous studies on components of eWOM
vary in methods, but those concerned from the participants in Pakistan (Saleem et al., 2017;
Tariq et al., 2017) are quantitative. A qualitative design will be complementary to such
researches since the main focus is upon discovering and explaining variables rather than
testing them, and such a step allows for decoding the detailed constructed meanings about
the topic at hand (Corbin & Strauss, 2008). The participants will be permitted to talk about
their thoughts openly and freely, and when they describe their subjective perceptions, we
shall anticipate themes or recurring patterns for detecting prospective conclusions for our
research question.

17
Termed as ‘Eight ‘Big Tent’ Criteria for Qualitative Research’ (see table 3), Tracy (2010,
p. 840) offers a criterion for assessing the quality of a qualitative study. The
conceptualization consists of eight points, and Nicol (2013, p. 54) states that its created
to ‘create a universal framework for the undertaking of a good quality qualitative research
project.’ Hence, the table below briefly illustrates how this thesis has tried to achieve the
criteria.

Table 3. How the Eight ‘big-tent’ Criteria for excellent qualitative research is achieved in
this thesis (Tracy, 2010, p. 840)

Criteria for Various Means, Practices and How it was achieved in this
Quality Methods Through Which to thesis
(end goal) Achieve
1. Worthy The topic of the research is: The topic has social
Topic • Relevant relevance because consumers
• Timely are societal, economic
• Interesting stakeholders, and their
• Significant buying intention reveals a lot
about the overall
consumption. eWOM is an
emerging phenomenon in
Pakistan.
E-shopping possess new
challenges in the developing
world.
2. Rich Rigor The study uses sufficient, This study uses three eWOM
abundant, appropriate and components, used to develop
complex a combined framework used
• Theoretical constructs to examine the consumer
• Data and time in field purchase intention.
• Sample(s)
• Context(s) The empirical data resulted
• Data collection and from 10 interviews, and data
analysis processes collection and analysis will
be extensively explained in
this chapter.
3. Sincerity The study is characterized by An outline of the
• Self-reflexivity about unanticipated situation i.e.,
subjective values, biases, COVID-19
and inclinations of the
researcher(s) Clarification about the data
• Transparency about the collection method
methods and challenges
A summary concerning
research’s limitations and
other challenges
4. Credibility The research is marked by Empirical data includes
• Thick description, direct quotes from the
concrete detail, respondents
explication of tacit Further help was provided
(contextual) knowledge, from the language experts
during data translation

18
 and showing rather than
telling
• Triangulation or
crystallization
• Multivocality
• Member reflections
• Inter-coder reliability
(when collaborating on
data-analysis)
5. Resonance The research influences,
affects, or moves particular
readers or a variety of
audiences through
• Aesthetic, evocative
representation
• Naturalistic
generalizations
• Transferable findings
6. Significant The research provides a
contribution significant contribution
• Conceptually/theoretically
• Practically
• Heuristically
• Methodologically
7. Ethical The research considers
• Procedural ethics (such as
human subjects)
• Situational and culturally
specific ethics
• Rational ethics
8. Meaningful The study
coherence • Achieves what it purports to
be about
• Uses methods and
procedures that fit with its
stated goals
• Meaningfully interconnects
literature, research
questions/foci, findings and
interpretations with each
other
19
Both primary and secondary
data is used and referred to
their respective sources
Careful consideration was
especially applied in order to
present the work as
consistent, evocative and
scenic.
Managerial implications are
beneficial
For aesthetic reasons,
colorful diagrams and fonts
has been used
Some theoretical
contribution to lack of
research from developing
world
Broadens the perspective and
the door for further research
opens
Data presentation was done
with special care
Consent to record the
interviews were taken and
willingly granted
All principles of ethical
guidelines were followed
Results will be shared with
the participants
With sincere intentions and
constant reflection, it was
made sure all parts are
coherent and that the
research question and the
main aim are connected to
the theoretical framework,
methodology and
conclusion.
3.5 Semi-Structured Interviews
Ritchie and Lewis (2003, p.36) believe interviews help participants respond to complicated
happenings or processes. Data collection driven by qualitative design can consist of semi-
structured or unstructured interviews (DiCicco-Bloom & Crabtree, 2006). Questions are not
pre-determined in an unstructured interview, while structured interviews have a specific
amount of standardized questions. On the other hand, semi-structured interviews contain
open-ended questions, but there is still freedom in the main discussion (DiCicco-Bloom &
Crabtree, 2006, p.315). Rapley (2004) states that conducting compelling interviews does
not demand excellent skills but an individual who can communicate, listen actively, and
think of the session to be useful and worthy of the selected topic.

There are different phases of an interview session, such as building a relationship,

presenting the topic at hand, gathering information on both general and specific basis, and
concluding with a chance to offer or hear feedback (Ross et al., 2009, p.3-4). Rapley (2004,
p.26) states that the perfect technique for doing interviews does not exist, and the results are
expected to be a co-creation as a consequence of the interaction between the interviewer
and those being interviewed. The authors of this study are students in the Umeå Business
School, and in almost all of the International Business Program courses, we were trained to
present, discuss, and engage in multiple types of individual and group work assignments.
Hence, we believe that we have acquired the essential skills for conducting the interviews.

Hox and Boeijie (2005, p.594) also state that an interview is mostly utilized to gather
primary data, and one of the advantages is the likelihood of modifying or designing the
theoretical framework such that it aligns more with the research question. This study aims
to investigate how eWOM components impact purchase intention. As evident by the term
intention, our focus is on mental processing; hence, qualitative design with interviews will
lead to an in-depth comprehension of the phenomenon. Furthermore, according to Ritchie
and Lewis (2003, p.36), this choice allows the researchers to consider the context or setting
to which the respondents belong. Arthur and Nazroo (2003, p.110-111) state that although
knowledge about a research topic can be available, some selected issues need to be
coherently covered via interviews, and hence, each session should be guided via a clear
structure. Hence, the interviews are semi-structured since we want to allow our subjects to
talk about their experiences, but it is still essential that the shared discussion remains
relevant to our chosen topic.

All the sessions are decided to be recorded with our participants' compliance because the
memory of the interviewer or authors of this study can be limited and can lead to flawed or
missed interpretation affecting the collected data and, eventually, the conclusions.
The recording sets free the interviewer to fully attend to the session without worrying about
another task such as taking notes. The recording is also time-efficient (Bucher et al., 1956,
p.359-360). Taking notes could be voluntary but not recommended since researchers such
as Kvale (2007, p.94) states that it could distract the attention of the interviewer or disrupt
the discussion flow. For instance, it is not easy to write down every uttered word as the
interviewer is forced to pick certain words but miss others. It can lead to biased data
anchored more towards what the interviewer considered as necessary rather than what the
subject revealed in the complete sense.

20
3.5.1 Disadvantages of Interviews
Alvesson (2003, p.30) states that interview sessions are dependent upon various factors such
as the time of the interview, the participants, and the language adopted, which can vary in
meaning among different observers. The method is not a straight-forward tool for
submitting unambiguous data but a complicated construct. Other researchers such as
Silverman (2013, p. 48) doubt if interviews can even be a reliable manner for data collection,
since other methods like observation would be more useful than merely relying upon what
participants reveal in an hour-long discussion. Such criticisms can be applied to the context
of our thesis, but it is also challenging to ignore the practical problems of data collection.
For instance, as mentioned in the Introduction section, the world is facing the COVID-19
pandemic, in many countries including Pakistan, people are either in complete or partial
lockdown and it makes it practically difficult to utilize other data collections means.
Secondly, since none of the authors currently live in Pakistan, therefore, we can only rely
on online interviews.

3.6 Sample Selection

According to Saunders et al. (2012), sampling techniques are mainly of two categories;
probability and non-probability. The prior one has more utility when the conclusions are
statistically-oriented, and points towards specific characteristics within a population. The
later, i.e., Non-probability, focuses on generalizing about a specific theory and not
conclusively about a population. The sampling approach includes four stages: defining the
targeted population, deciding the sampling frame, selecting the sample size, and ending with
the sampling method (Dudovskiy, 2017). Furthermore, in qualitative research, the aim is
not to generalize on the statistical grounds but more of grasping the occurrences and
assessing the likely relationships. In such regards, non-probability sampling suits our
qualitative study. Within the non-probability method, we select purposive sampling, and
such a choice decides the criteria for selecting the participants who are more fit with the
purpose or the research question, and it relies upon the researcher’s judgments (Saunders et
al., 2012).

As stated before, Pakistani millennials are our sample universe or the population specified
for this study (Robinson, 2014, p.25). Such a selection was reasoned from the previous
studies, which recommended more research to be carried out in the developing world (Chan
& Ngai, 2011; Tercia & Teichart, 2016). It was also evident during our internet search as
peer-reviewed articles about eWOM components in Pakistan were very limited. As we
mentioned earlier one of the authors speak the native language which also motivates us to
study consumers in Pakistan since Grewal and Ritchie (2006) state that a match between
the participant and the interviewer in any manner such as gender, ethnicity/nationality, or
experiences can lead to more fruitful data.

Luborsky and Rubinstein (1995) believe that a criterion for including or excluding the
prospective participants is necessary for the sample universe to become delimited or proper
for the research. Hence, with regards to the participants, our purposive sampling includes
some criteria such as the same age range, familiarity with online shopping, and product
reviews. Both genders will be preferred, and participants with different backgrounds will be
included to create a diverse study group adequate for reaching a coherent understanding of
the research topic. In order to control the age group as indicated in the Introduction part, we
will purposely include the Millennials, otherwise referred to as Generation Y, typically born
between 1980 to 2000. Ritchie et al. (2014, p. 120-122) state that the selection should result
in those who can convey or offer the richest or most data and as discussed earlier, millennials

21
are mostly active on the internet and possess decent spending powers (Gözükara &
Çolakoğlu, 2016).

Kitzinger and Barbour (1999) state that the proper number of subjects can be known based
on the type of research question/s, the resources or time availability, and the research
method. The researchers determine who can be included and what number is adequate
(Creswell, 2007, p.125). Saunders et al. (2016, p.297) state that in the case of non-
probability, the sample size is still vague and inexact, and it is preferable to continue
collecting data until it is deemed saturated. However, some researchers advise a sample size
of 5-25 interviews. Robinson, (2014, p.29) believes that 3-16 subjects are a decent amount
for original research. For our study, larger sample size is challenging and unrealistic because
collecting qualitative data is intensive, and it is possible that after saturation, increasing the
size will not lead to any novel indications. Hence, we intended to have a sample size of least
8-10 participants. However, we are cognizant of the unanticipated circumstances that would
result in either adding more or reducing the sample size, and the primary purpose of the
study must be remembered.

According to Robinson (2014, p.36), researchers also have to address the recruitment steps.
One of the authors who had lived in Pakistan used his social connections on Facebook as
the sampling frame. The purpose and the value of conceivable impact on research were
explained to potential participants. Ten people willingly affirmed to be part of the study and
were controlled to fulfill the participation criteria. When the interviews were done, both
authors felt that data saturation was reached, and further sessions would not bring new
insights. If we had added more interviews, it would have been demanding to devote the
necessary time for data analysis and based on assumptions by Kvale (2007, p. 43) if it is
exploratory research, the addition could be plausible only until the point of saturation.
Finally, we accept that there is no guarantee that new interviews would not have brought
new ideas from the target population, but such efforts are outside the scope of this research
project due to time and resource constraints. The next passage explains the guide upon
which each session was based.

3.7 Interview Guide

The interview guide acts as an essential medium connecting the interviewer, interviewee,
and the research question. In a sense, the guide allows the interviewer to structure the
interview so that relevant questions are asked and allow the discussion to be semi-
controlled. The interview guide could be defined as ‘script that structures the course of the
interview,’ and if it is semi-structured, it is ‘an outline of topics to be covered, with
suggested questions’ (Kvale, 2007, p.56-57).

In our guide, we have open-ended questions because, according to Byrne (2004, p. 182),
such a strategy allows respondents to offer detailed responses. Our questions will motivate
the interviewees to share their thoughts quickly, and the initial question should avoid being
too specific or threatening and instead preferably broad. During the interview, follow-up
questions were added to anchor the conversation towards the topic of the study. However,
it should not be loaded questions or frame the respondent to reply in a specific manner.
Instead, the interviewee should be allowed to reflect upon their answer (DiCicco-Bloom &
Crabtree 2006, p.316). To ensure that the interview guide is ready, we did a pilot interview
with a volunteer. During the session, we found out that some of our questions were a bit
vague. We decided to develop the selected questions further as it was due to some minor
errors in translating the guide to Urdu. After the corrections, we asked some people to assess
the understanding of the newly edited questions, and upon their affirmation, we proceeded

22
to conduct our interviews. The translation of the guide was done by one of the authors;
however, it was tested with two linguists for both languages. For our interview, we had
prepared the guide in 2 languages and offered our respondents to interview in either English,
Urdu. However, since some of the participants understood the languages but had difficulty
articulating themselves in English and Urdu, we allowed them to respond in their native
language, i.e., Hazaragi. In the next passage, we explain the ways interviews were
conducted.

3.8 Conducting Interviews

We began by greeting the interviewee, explaining the overall purpose of the research, and
appreciated their willingness to participate. We emphasized the anonymity and also
explained that their contribution would remain confidential. Once everything was clear, we
began with the interview. Participants were queried about their age, gender, location of
residency, language, and occupation, and then, we continued by asking about their internet
usage habits to later use such data for categorizing hedonist and utilitarian buyers. The
questions were arranged specially to the selected eWOM components, i.e., Valence, Length,
and Channels, which were part of the theoretical framework. The interview guides can be
found in the appendix (see appendix A.1, A.2)

In a report presented by Graham et al. (2007, p.29), it is stated that while conducting an
interview, it is imperative to make the respondents feel comfortable since, for many, it can
be a stressful experience. Hence, the burden is on the interviewer for setting the tone of the
session. Furthermore, the extent to which data is relatable and of high value depends on how
the interviewees perceive the surroundings or if they are feeling comfortable. Since all our
participants lived in Pakistan, we did video interviews on Facebook Messenger, Zoom, and
Skype. Only the audio was recorded with an iPhone 7 placed near the speaker of the
computer. The eye contact was carefully kept, and the video calls were assumed to be
reliable as face-to-face sessions. Since Pakistan time is GMT+5, hence the time of
interviews were planned to be in instances when the participants were free and accessible.
It was carried out in April, and the location was always discussed and decided to be at home
or at least somewhere with no background noise. A total of 10 interviews were planned and
conducted successfully. On average, the interviews are about 34 minutes, and the mean age
for the participants is 23,3 years, and below we have the necessary information about the
study participants.

Table 4. Information about Participants

Interviewee Time Age Gender City Language Occupation Medium

Participant 38:24 23 Female Quetta Dari Teacher Facebook
1
Participant 28:40 25 Female Quetta Dari Student Facebook
2
Participant 45:15 21 Male Lahore English Student Zoom
3
Participant 33:43 22 Female Quetta English Vlogger Facebook
4
Participant 37:44 26 Male Quetta Dari Photographer Skype
5
Participant 39:44 22 Male Islamabad English Seeking job Skype
6

23
 Participant 31:22 23 Female Islamabad Urdu Student Facebook
7
Participant 41:33 25 Male Lahore Urdu Student Facebook
8
Participant 28:18 26 Female Quetta Dari Housewife Facebook
9
Participant 26:11 20 Male Quetta English Language Facebook
10 Teacher

3.9 Data Transcription

After the interviews were conducted, the audio recordings were transcribed into text.
However, Kvale (2007, p.92) states that it cannot be the same as interviewing someone face-
to-face and transcribing means translating the oral into written text. When the interview is
done in person, there are many indications such as the interviewee's body language, voice
tone, and the overall pace of conversation, which cannot be realized in the transcript itself.
The transcription process for extended interviews can become exhausting or time-
consuming (Kvale, 2007, p.93-95). Furthermore, we cannot possibly transfer a posture or
gesture into the audio recordings, and when it is written down, the tone and stresses are
inevitably left out (Kvale, 2009, p.178). As shown in the table, each of the sessions was less
than an hour-long, and to remain energized; we excluded certain instances when random
jokes or irrelevant comments were made. Other situations when the participants were
disturbed by inconveniences such as random noise or a phone call were also purposefully
left out, so our transcripts are not made to represent word-by-word but are fixated more to
represent the holistic meaning of the responses.

Kvale (2007, p.95) further states that for data transcription, it is hard to pinpoint the only
standard manner, and certain choices are eventually made. The author claims that a single
clear-cut answer about the inclusion of details rarely exists, and the decision of how much
detail is to be included depends on the study or its overall purpose. Hence, we made some
choices during the transcription as; the (--) represents instances where participants talk about
a random issue or cannot manage to pick the right word and (...) indicates silence or when
the participants do not continue their sentence. If laughter had occurred, we annotated it
with the commonly used (haha). Overall, due to time constraints, we sufficed with a modest
transcription style and willingly decided that too much detailed transcription cannot
probably lead to enhanced or more productive material. After data transcription, another
vital part of the study is data analysis, and it is explained in the next passage.

3.10 Data Analysis Method

It is preferable to settle for an appropriate choice of analysis before the interviews are
conducted, and such a step should be implemented into the interview (Kvale, 2007, p.102).
While structuring the interview guide for our study, we reflected upon the final answers that
we would anticipate, and the guide was based upon the theoretical framework included in
the theory chapter. Spencer et al. (2003, pp.199-200) note that compared to a quantitative
approach, the qualitative data analysis necessitates thinking outside the box in a methodical
exploration since specific rules do not exist as preference vary depending upon the topic,
purpose with the results or epistemological suppositions.

Based on the work by Boyatzis (1998, p.4), thematic analysis is generally applied in
analyzing qualitative data. This is done by encoding the information followed by identifying
the emerging themes on the needed levels. Braun and Clarke (2008, p.83) defines a theme

24
as a piece of significance reclaimed from the collected data that relays to the research
question. When it comes to classifying themes, generally, there are there categories; basic,
organizing, and global themes. Basic themes are simplistic such as brief statements or
beliefs, but it can be related to the main idea and to be understood in a contextual sense with
other themes (Attride-Stirling, 2001, p. 388-389). Organizing themes are categories of basic
themes with similar characteristics and condense their suppositions and central ideas.
Hence, such a step increases in meaning development (Attride-Stirling, 2001, p.389). The
global aspect of a theme indicates its more significant or macro impact, which is the result
of grouping the organizing themes, and we can end up with a stand or assertive statements
about a scenario (Attride-Stirling, 2001, p.389).

One approach is by noticing themes and focusing on reducing them to narrow edges such
that the essential ones are found and followed by issuing them a hierarchical structure for
relating them to the theory (Ryan & Bernard, 2002, p.85). There are about eight techniques
for observation and four for manipulation, which could be combined for theme
identification (Ryan & Bernard, 2003, pp. 85-88). The researcher can begin by scrutinizing
the text in order to explore themes. Such a process already starts during data transcription
if the material is collected via interviews (Ryan & Bernard, 2003, p.88-89). It involves
hunting for local or repetitive terms used in a novel way, examples, metaphor, analogies,
certain transitory instances, and obvious resemblances or disparities (Ryan & Bernard,
2003, p. 89-94). Another useful technique is used for information arrangement, and
according to Ryan and Bernard (2003, p.94-96), it consists of finding and sorting out themes
perceived to indicate similarity in purpose or connotation. Via meta-coding, the researchers
can still discover fresh themes among already prevailing ones (Ryan & Bernard, 2003, p.99-
100). The choice of technique for either unitary or combined usage is free will since Ryan
and Bernard (2003, p.100-101) note that all techniques excluding the meta-coding can be
usefully applied to data rich in narration. However, the challenge is that not all researchers
are capable to exploit all the utility from all techniques fully.

For this study, we assume that the collected data can be appropriately labeled as relatively
rich with a mixture of short and extended responses (Ryan & Bernard, 2003, p.100). We
believe that a suitable technique consists of spotted reiterations, alterations, and
resemblances, cutting and arranging, lists of words. After the transcription phase, it is
advised that the researchers explore for noteworthy characteristics detected in the transcripts
and eventually code them, and afterward review the codes and ascertain the themes by
associating and contrasting the gathered codes. The next step involves analyzing, defining,
and labeling, and ends with the continuation of writing procedure; the results can reasonably
be rationalized, followed by a justifying discussion and concrete conclusions. In this study,
we aimed to understand how the selected eWOM components affect consumer purchase
intention. The data was gathered via semi-structured interviews, and thematic analysis was
adopted as offered by the researchers (Attride-Stirling, 2001 & Ryan & Bernard, 2003).

After all the interviews were conducted, we transcribed the recorded files and read through
all the transcripts for theme identification. Based on Attride-Stirling's (2001, p.388), the
three different theme levels, basic, organizing, and global, were expended for attaining an
analysis structure. Our research philosophy was deductive reasoning; hence, it was
anticipated that the themes would trail our theoretical framework. Some of the answers or
terms used were almost identical or interrelated and, hence, overlapped; therefore, some of
the organizing themes were assigned different colors, which led to various themes being
given decently organized categories. Afterward, we were able to examine and analyze in
detail the prevailed basic themes in our organized themes. In the next passage, we discuss
the ethical guidelines and how they were respected in this study.

25
3.11 Ethical Guidelines
Scientific research necessitates the upholding of ethical values. The development of
knowledge should be supplemented with behaving ethically to prevent abuse and safeguard
the participant's welfare (Diener & Crandall, 1978). Saunders et al., (2012, p.226) define
ethics as 'the standards of behavior guiding the conduct in relation to the rights of those
who become the subject of your work, or are affected by it.' Researchers involved in social
sciences have generally identified four ethical challenges labeled as informed consent,
confidentiality, and anonymity, data protection, avoiding possible harm, and deception
(Diener & Crandall, 1978, p.7).

As students who are experienced in conducting basic research, we acted confidently and
relied heavily on our moral compass or intuitions. We had aided with Graham et al. (2007)
study recommendations when the interviews were conducted. For our qualitative study, we
were aware that ethical considerations need to be considered before, during, and even after
the interview. We knew that the participants own the right to know the purpose of the study
and what to expect from the interview sessions. The research should be based on integrity
and honesty without being biased to any particular group or ideology. During the interview,
participants should be free to take the required time in order to answer and not be coerced
to utter in a certain manner, and the interviewer must respect and help the participant to feel
easy since for many an interview can be a distressful situation (Graham et al., 2007, p.75-
76).

Furthermore, we were cognizant of the fact that the questions should not be vague or
challenging to understand, and when the session is complete, participants own the right to
demand anonymity or privacy (Graham et al., 2007, p.75). Personal biases or inaccuracies
should not be part of the reporting, and the subjects should be given a chance to issue
feedback about the findings. Before, during, and after conducting this study, both authors
carefully followed and paid considerable attention to the aforementioned ethical steps. For
instance, participant consent was requested for recording the interview, the right to
anonymity and confidentiality were explained, and how the results would be used. In this
study and decided with the participants, we have decided to hide their real names and instead
include Participant 1, participant 2, and so on. Such a step would not threaten the analysis
or overall results of our study. Lastly, the participants will be notified and offered to read
and get a copy of the study once it is completed.

26
4. Empirical Results
4.1 Use of the Internet
The respondents were asked about their regular internet use and shopping habits. This is a
step for categorizing them according to their shopping behavior. The question or
corresponding keywords are stated as the header with the number representing its order in
the interview guide (See Appendix AB).

4. How do you engage in online shopping?

As predicted in the Introduction, it is witnessed that online purchasing patterns have been
affected by the pandemic in Pakistan. However, on a broader scale, some participants still
engage in online shopping despite late delivery issues. Participant 3 claimed that it has
been challenging to do any type of shopping at all since many shops or markets are closed,
but almost all of the respondents confessed to pre-pandemic e-shopping. For some
participants like Participant 7, online shopping has been a significant relief. She states;

'Besides social media, I use the internet to purchase stuff which otherwise takes more time
to find in the market.'

Another motivation apparent in many responses is the access to the international market.
Several participants do online shopping because such products are not readily available in
the local market. For instance, Participant 1 told the following;

'Once I needed a book which was not found in any shop in Quetta. I purchased it online and
had it within two weeks.'

5. How do you see yourself as an online buyer? How would you describe your online
buying behavior?

Some participants engage in spontaneous or fun shopping. If they are not familiar with the
product, and still wants to make reliable purchases, they use the internet to read product
reviews and know what other customers think about the product. The majority of the
participants utilize the internet for purchases they need and regard product reviews as
essential for their purchasing decision process. However, although respondents who engage
in shopping for fun seek reviews, online reviews only can boost their confidence about the
purchase but not trigger any buying intention. Participant 5 states;

'When I am on social media… if I find something I like, then I want to have it. If I find good
reviews, I purchase instantly, but if reviews are negative or lacking, then I still purchase if
I like the product, haha.'

4.2 Valence
Proclivity towards positive/negative reviews

The preference for finding and being aware of negative reviews outweigh the positive ones
if the product is expensive. One reason is provided by respondent 2 as following;

27
'Suppose the majority who bought it detected like a defect, and it was mentioned in the
reviews which I missed… surely I will regret it afterward because the product will have
those flaws.'

Another pattern found in the responses was that overall our participants prefer to read both
positive and negative reviews, but an essential balance is desirable. Such participants want
to know both sides, but in order to be sure of their purchasing intention, the total number of
positive reviews has to be higher than the negative ones. Participants also emphasized
reviews that contain technical information for products like laptops or smartphones, and
such reviews are attractive if they include positive and negative points. Participant
6 thought that a product with only positive reviews has always felt something strange for
him. He states;

'Nothing is perfect. If you find only positive reviews underneath a product, then either they
are fake, or the customers do not reveal honest feedback. It is possible nowadays because
you find many influencers doing the same for sponsorship or money.'

Change of/in purchase intention

Our participants generally favor a balanced review, including both positive and negative
feedback. However, the number of positive reviews has to exceed the negative reviews to
trigger potential purchase intentions. The participants do not want to face fake or biased
reviews and do not want to purchase products if their reviews seem to have an agenda.
Another takeaway is that the mixed reviews containing positive and negative valence lead
to purchase intentions, and if post-purchase experiences match up with the review
predictions, then the participants favor the same brand for future purchases. Respondent
9 states;

'If the content of a positive review is -- reinforced by the product after the purchase, then I
will surely consider the same company to buy products next time because I feel happy and
content with my purchase.'

If only positive reviews are present, some of the participants become suspicious and need
more information. They believe that although it directly triggers purchase intention,
sometimes more information searches from various sources are needed. In the case of only
negative reviews, the majority of the participants hesitate and cannot easily decide to buy
the product. Some believe that customer reviews with negative valence can have an agenda
to defame the brand, but it is difficult to assess their reliability. If the same concerns are
mentioned across many reviews, then they take it as valid protests. For the purchase
intention to be affected in the direction of buying the product, mixed reviews should be
available with a suitable ratio containing more positive reviews. In the case of only negative
reviews, the majority believe it is a red alert sign, and they would not easily purchase the
product. Respondent 4 said:

'I usually check the top most reviews, and if they are negative, then it is surely a big waste
for me because I never buy products which have a bad reputation.'

Another participant states;

'It is so much information out there, and you have to make up your mind too. Sometimes
when I find only negative reviews, it stops me from buying the product, and I feel relieved
because at least I made a decision instead of going through decision paralysis.'

28
4.3 Length
Reading patterns & Review Size

The participants primarily judge reviews on their content and style. If there is a similarity,
the participants prefer reading the entire text. There are others like participants 10 who
favor skimming through the review and look for keywords indicating either positivity or
negativity of its content. Such action is driven by an urge to save time and avoid boredom
if the review is too long. Participant 2 believes that it is useless to carefully read the entire
review because the sentences are mostly repetitive and convey the same meaning. She
states;

'As soon as I look at a review and it is more than a few lines, either I skip it or just read the
first sentence and check if it is related and can answer my question. If it doesn't, I move to
the next, and if it doesn't, I only search for keywords.'

Participant 4, however, thinks differently. She believes that it is evident that writing a
lengthy review needs more effort, and if it is there, it means that the reviewer has dedicated
time and dedication to transfer such a message. Participant 3 believes that lengthy reviews
are trustworthy, and short reviews indicate a lack of necessary information. However, for
both participants, the desirable length of the review is not objectively clear.
Participant 4 explains that by lengthy review, she means three paragraphs or more,
while participant 3 believes that a review with rich content should be a maximum of 2 to
3 paragraphs. Nevertheless, both participants agree on what constitutes short reviews, and
that is less than 3 to 4 lines. Participant 4 remembers when once she wanted to purchase a
new external microphone for her camera. She picked only those reviews, which were more
than three paragraphs long enough to feel confident about her purchase intention. She states:

'I remember spending 2 hours to read very long reviews. At last, I found a pattern.. everyone
was recommending it for vlogging. I need it for my camera, and I was also vlogging.
However, I needed more about what people think about it because it was expensive too.
That is why I read and preferred long reviews because they felt somehow complete.'

Some participants said that the valence of the review is essential. They felt that they are
more inclined to read the entire review if it has a negative valence because they want to
uncover certain flaws. In case of positive reviews and given that its content is relevant and
there are a lot of them, some participants like Participant 5 prefer reading the first few
words/sentences and jump to the last sentences. On the other side, Participant 8 believes
that short reviews meant that more reviews could be read in little time. It allows him to see
more perspectives and also get a better picture of what other consumers think. He states the
following:

'If you give me one long review with one person as a source and five short reviews from
different people, I will choose the second because I get to know more while reading more
perspectives.'

Change of/in purchase intention

Some participants are more inclined to make a purchase when the review is rich in
information and preferably medium or long. If purchasing entails a high monetary cost,
before making a buying decision, the participants prefer reading as many reviews as

29
possible. Participant 4 continued to share her experience about how the long reviews she
read about a microphone led to an actual purchase. She states:

'When I read the lengthy reviews, I felt confident and purchased the microphone. I am even
more glad because the microphone is like -- one of the best things I ever bought, haha.'

If the review is long and too formal or if it uses repetitive words or sentences void of any
valuable information, it gets boring for some of our participants, and they have observed
that short reviews revealing subjective customer experiences are more effective in
convincing them into buying the product. For some participants, if the final stage of the
buying process is already reached and they want to make the purchase, then they prefer
short but concise reviews to rationalize their decision quickly. Participant 9 is one of them
and states:

'Once I had to buy a dress to wear in a wedding function. I liked it a lot and really wanted
to buy it. However, I was not 100% sure, so I wanted to know what others who previously
bought the dress think about wearing it. Honestly, deep in my heart I just wanted someone
to tell me that the dress is fine or beautiful haha, like you know just give me a push.. like a
validation. I found some review comments, and they were positive, and like as soon as I
read some sentences, I said to myself, just buy it.'

Lastly, almost all of our participants claim that they have never made an online purchase
without finding or knowing other customer's feedback. For females, it concerns more when
it relates to beauty or skincare, while for males, it includes electronics such as a camera or
computer accessories.

4.4 Channels
Which/what websites do you visit if you are evaluating a product?

Some of our participants prefer websites that relate to the retail sector. However, some
others prefer company websites if they allow feedback comments. Such participants only
want to know if there are reviews present on a company website but are hesitant in relying
upon the content since some believe that the reviews could be biased or fake. Some of our
participants also choose websites which allow comparing products or rating of them.
Another popular channel is social media, especially YouTube and Instagram. In the majority
of responses, the participants state that they begin by using Google search engine to reach
sources that are not detected otherwise. Google is also used to finding company websites or
websites that offer free product information or user experiences, such as a personal blog or
rating websites.

The reviews found on retail websites are termed satisfactory or convenient but not too
trustworthy. To get a complete picture of what different sources think, some participants
usually check and visit different platforms. Sometimes the search is undetermined in the
beginning, and Google's provided links are enough. Participant 5 states:

'I use google and type the words, and whatever shows on the first page or top of the page, I
just check them. It has rarely occurred to me to check more than 2 or 3 sources. Because
sometimes they provide contradictory, biased, or inadequate information, and it makes you
more confused.'

30
Websites for rating / Comparison of shopping

One of the similarities between the majority of responses was that they offer a synopsis of
various products. The participants stated that since these platforms specialize in providing
reliable information in terms of product prices, or descriptions; therefore, the reviews can
be an outcome of objective tests or trials. This characteristic is a reason why participants
trust such websites more than, for instance, the company website. The majority of our
participants look for local comparison shopping websites if products are purchased from
other cities. However, when an international purchase is involved, they tend to have a
broader reach and choose a mix of both rating or comparison shopping websites. It is also
common to compare the products in terms of price, or if there are other substitutes present.

Participant 10 states:

'The same way that if it is your first time and you go to a shop and want to buy... let us take
like a bag of rice to cook biryani you ask and look for different types of rice, and you want
to know their price, qualities, origin, etc., the same way you want to make sure that when
you buy something online, you can compare them and pick the best one. If you go to each
company website, it takes a long time but a rating or a website that allows you to compare,
and if there are reviews, then it gets the job done because you have all the information you
need.'

The participants who prefer rating or comparison shopping also want to know whether they
are directly affiliated with some products or companies. They have a negative attitude
towards websites that are not transparent or offer false information about price/substitutes
or product descriptions. Participant 9 tells:

'Once I had to buy a skincare product. I checked the comparison shopping website, and I
found that in one source, the price was lower than others. So, I was happy and checked the
source in order to buy the product. However, I was angry because the company website
showed another price. Yeah, really, I mean I was puzzled afterward. I lost my trust and
never went back to recheck the comparison website.'

The participants want also to make sure that the website is well-known or trusted by others,
and a random rating website is not generally preferred. If the display of content is also
complicated and takes more time to find the information, then the majority of our
participants either switch or stop using such websites.

Retail websites

Our participants state that retail websites are like everything in demand being offered in one
package as they can compare, find reviews, and eventually buy the products. Some famous
retails such as Amazon or eBay are correctly pointed out by our participants. They state that
since such websites operate worldwide, therefore, the content found on these websites are
useful and can satisfy the participants. Generally, those participants that prefer retail
websites believe that it is because they trust the source and also save time. The reviews
present on the retail websites are used more before the actual step of buying the product
takes place, and other sources are checked beforehand.

Furthermore, a minority of our participants claim that if reviews on the retail websites are
reasonable, they will not check any other sources. Such participants state that they want to
save time instead and directly buy the product. The majority agree that retail websites are

31
mostly favorable if cheaper products are intended for, but if products cost more, then such
websites are visited at the last stages of the purchasing process, i.e., to find a supplier and
buy the product. With regards to the reviews, our participants trust those who reveal mixed-
valence, and also, there has to be a decent amount of reviews for the trust to be built.

Social Network Websites

Social network sites (SNS) are the most popular eWOM channels for our participants.
Almost all of them have had at least some experience of finding other people's comments
or having posted reviews about their own experiences. There was a hesitation about the
trustworthiness since Instagram was favored more than Facebook. Almost all of the
respondents are active on at least one or two of the SNSs. Such respondents are familiar
with the use and purpose of the SNSs and tend to always check at least one SNS before
making a buying decision. The trustworthiness of the review is dependent upon the
communicator. The majority of our participants do not fancy influencer type reviews. They
collectively believe that such reviews can be biased. If the review is posted, recommended,
or commented by a friend, then its trustworthiness and the hesitation tends to go
away. Participant 4 states;

'I have a friend who posts reviews of skincare products. Whenever I want to buy something,
I try to know her suggestions and read or listen to what she says about them. I know her
personally, so I believe her words. So many times I have purchased online only because she
has given good reviews about the products. Honestly, it has never annoyed me.'

YouTube is also popular among our respondents. However, the majority who prefer it are
aware of ads, influencers, manipulated reviews, or product placements. On a personal basis,
some of the participants believe that videos with good quality and a person they can trust
are essential to make reviews more attractive and hence, more convincing. The expertise of
the communicator is mostly rated based on the popularity of their video or reviews attached
to it. All the participants confessed that the credibility of the platform or the communicator
has to be high or perceived to be high in order for the reviews to be taken seriously. When
selecting amongst the experts or people who look trustworthy, participants want to
listen/read different reviews and usually settle for purchasing if there is a consistency in the
main points in the reviews. The majority of the participants do not prefer only positive
reviews but a mixture of both positive and negative feedback.

Discussion Forums/Personal blogs/Wikis

Our participants are not familiar with these channels. The reason is that discussion forums
or blogs are not so prevalent among this age group of our study. Some of the participants
did not remember the last time they visited any blog or wikis for its sake. Only when the
google search leads to such channels did they made a guess, and since these channels usually
are full of information and pages full of text, our participants do not stay long enough at
them to find and read reviews. Only some participants had some experience of discussion
groups found on SNSs rather than forums with their own website such as Reddit.

Change in/of purchase intention

The respondents want to avoid websites or communicators that reveal biased or a particular
agenda in their reviews. However, if the websites are familiar or recommended by someone
near to them, then the information is highly likely to trigger purchase intention. Retail
websites and SNSs are visited frequently, and many participants have had experiences of

32
making online purchases afterward. The retail website is also used for purchasing the
product since the reviews are typically accessed on other websites such as comparison
shopping or SNSs. The purchase intention is also dependent upon the website's ease of use
in terms of finding relevant content, the time it takes to access the required information, and
its perceived trustworthiness. For almost all the participants, a single channel does not seem
to affect their purchasing intentions instantly; instead, they prefer to look at numerous
channels to make a conversant buying decision.

33
5. Data Analysis
5.1 Use of internet
In the literature review, we discussed that online shopping patterns could be generally
divided into two categories; Hedonic and utilitarian. Hedonic buyers tend to enjoy the
experience or engage for the sake of fun or playfulness derived from the purchasing
behavior. Mostly, the purchases include luxury offerings, and customers feel pleasure or
content afterward. On the other hand, consumer needs are the fundamental drivers of
utilitarian shopping. Such customers purchase only those products useful mostly for their
practical purposes (Radionova & Praude, 2016; Bilgihan & Bujisicb, 2015). Since we chose
to study Gen Y or Millennials, our review about the literature also showed that they want to
manage and value time and also have better access to money or in a sense possess high
spending power (Gözükara & Çolakoğlu, 2016). Hence, we included some questions about
the participants' usage of internet habits, and by knowing and analyzing such factors, we
place them into the two categories.

Our findings indicate a mixed pattern with the majority preferring utilitarian shopping. The
stated majority believe that whenever they want to do online shopping, it is motivated by a
specific need. Such behavior is resembling a utilitarian shopper, but there were also only
some participants who claimed to buy for the little fun and search online for products to
seek enjoyment from the purchase itself. Online reviews are thought to be more critical for
the utilitarian participants since they want to be confident that the product fulfills the
acclaimed needs. Therefore, it becomes an essential part of the decision making for
consumers who were part of our study. For the hedonic shoppers, reviews still played a role,
but depending upon the product, it had more of a confirmation boost and did not specifically
affect the purchase decision process. The utilitarian shopper also relies more on reviews
when it is their first-time purchase, and in such a situation, they lack ample information and,
as a result, need online information search. The hedonic shoppers also believe that if the
product such as a laptop/smartphone is of significant monetary value, they want to know
and get hold of reviews.

Both hedonic and utilitarian shoppers in our study favor the access to international markets
via online purchase. Some of the respondents make use of their utility in order to save time
and energy. With a few clicks, the product can be purchased while the same product would
take hours to find in shops usually situated far from where they live. Our analysis reveals
that even though the pandemic crisis has affected the purchasing power of all respondents,
a minority are opportunistic and have been trying to find and purchase discounted goods
from both domestic or international companies. For such hedonic shoppers, the pleasure of
finding cheap products overrun the long delivery time.

5.2 Valence
The first component studied for this thesis is Valence. It relates to the nature of the content
or review, which could be neutral, negative, or positive (Amblee & Bui, 2011). The
participants were asked about how they perceive the Valence of eWOM and how it affects
their purchase intention. Their performances were also questioned about the purpose of
searching or choosing one type over the other. At least two global themes were identified
as a result of our thematic analysis. The first one was the desire to seek and find reviews
that have both negative and positive Valence. Preference for just perspective, awareness of
possible defects, and ensuring that the reviews are not fake or have a hidden agenda are the

34
organizing themes. The second global theme was the consumer's change in purchase
intention if there is a critical ratio between negative and positive reviews. The organizing
themes were loss of desire to buy the product or doubt about the quality of the product if
only negative reviews are present. The analysis also aims to reveal why some participants
select some valence type and if such preferences are lifted with the number of online reviews
available.

Most participants want to read negative reviews. The basic themes connecting to such a
pattern of behavior is to be careful about one's online purchase and not falling for bogus or
exaggerated contents. They want to be cognizant of the possible shortcomings of the
intended products and hence if such defects can be substituted or avoided totally. The
majority of the participants confessed to having had changed their intention to purchase
while being exposed to a higher quantity of negative reviews. It decreases the
trustworthiness to believe in the product description and shifts it instead towards the content
of the review. Negative reviews are found to be more influential when the product costs
more. It is also found that the perception of what it feels to read a review can also affect
consumer purchase intentions. For instance, if the participants feel that the review has a
hidden agenda or is connected to any sponsors or company, then such a review is negatively
perceived and skipped. Another basic theme prevailing is that the prevalence of negative
reviews has an impact on the brand or what the participant called the 'reputation' of the
company.

Both positive and negative reviews are perceived to possess significance. When they are
both read, the purchase intention is highly influenced, and the consumer feels more satisfied
and confident. Such mixed reviews are favored by the participants who also can indicate
higher chances of leading to purchase decisions. However, for the purchase intention to be
impacted, there has to be a critical ratio between the amount of positive and negative
reviews. In such a ratio, the negative reviews must not exceed the positive ones. If there are
merely positive reviews available, then it conveys a suspicious message to the participants.
Hence, consumers doubt the authenticity of such reviews, quantity increase leads to the
belief of manipulation hidden either by the company or the communicators, and a refusal to
buy the product. Purchase intention can also be affected by the type of product. If it is too
expensive, the negative reviews are influential since they reveal potential shortcomings.
However, if it is cheap, then they need to know the shortcomings of the product is not a
huge priority. In such a situation, positive reviews tend to help the customer reach a
purchase decision. During an impulsive purchase or when time is limited, only positive
reviews are considered. If the review valence is accurate, the participants also trust the same
source for future engagements.

Figure 5 illustrates the different factors which make the respondents more likely to prefer a
particular type of review and under which situations do they affect the purchase intentions.
The effects are illustrated via color, and the corresponding columns explain how they affect
the participants' purchase intention.

35
 • If the opportunity cost is
low
• The product has low
monetary value
• Sense of security to
rationalize a pre-
Valence determined purchase
• A Just Perspective
• Honest Opinions
Positive

Negative
Purchase Intention
Mixed

• Different perspectives /
fair experience
• Ratio/Amount of the
reviews
• Trust for
communicator/Medium
• Expensive products
eWOM Component
• Sense of security to
rationalize a pre-
Fig 5 eWOM Valence on Purchase Intention
determined purchase

36
5.3 Length
The second eWOM component studied in this thesis is the eWOM length. The participants
were given authority to imagine what they perceive to be a lengthy, medium, or short
reviews. Via such a hypothetical situation, we allowed the participants to create a subjective
interpretation of defining such reviews. At least two global themes were emerging from the
analysis. The first one was about the reading patterns, and the organizing themes were that
the content and style, type of product, the trustworthiness of the review, and also the valence
of the review. The second global theme is the utility of different review sizes in different
situations, and organizing themes include time and financial constraints, prior experiences,
and credibility of the source/communicator. Previous research such as Schindler and
Bickart, (2012) has indicated the lengthy reviews are perceived to contain more utility or
are deemed more useful. It is applied in a situation when the consumer seeks to reduce
uncertainty and where access to more information leads to better decisions (Furner et al.,
2016). We are also aware that our sample, i.e., millennials, are seen to practice high
impatience rates (Gözükara & Çolakoğlu, 2016).

Firstly, for the reading preferences, basic themes are that participants attitude depends on
what the review style offers and if it is a straightforward recommendation or if it contains
other attributes and on which channel does it exist. If there is a match such that the review
is perceived to satisfy a need, then they rely more on reading the entire text. However,
subjective preferences tend to vary and are irrelevant to the size of the review. Some
participants decide it beforehand to skip or select reviews, and instead of relying on or
processing the complete information, they only want to see the keywords and get the whole
picture. There is also a variation in preferences if a particular type of products is involved
such that if it is too expensive, then the participants are cautious about picking reviews of
either long or medium size so that they could get more information. This is also done in
order to avoid the ambiguity or inadequate content provided by short reviews. For low price
products, f short or medium-sized reviews are selected. This is done because shorter reviews
provide a quick overview of the evaluations related to the product.

The preference for lengthy reviews to be confident about the last step of the purchase
decision process reflects what previous research, such as Tercia and Teichert (2016), has
predicted. It is assumed that people living in cultures that score high on UAI tend to seek
certitude and fair treatment. It is the reason that the majority of the respondents preferred to
either read a medium review or get hold of lengthy reviews. The reliance is also put on the
communicator’s expertise and the information found in a review encompassing attribute-
value. It is still imperative to notify that there are still variations amongst the respondents
in using the review such that some participants expect to observe some normative or
keywords in order for the review to be deemed credible.

There is a hesitance or negative vibe if short reviews are offered for expensive products.
Short reviews are also perceived to contain negative valence even though the content could
be decisive. It is mainly due to the idea that short reviews lack adequate information.
Nevertheless, in the case of hedonic buyers, short reviews are preferred under two
conditions. Firstly, the product is a result of an impulsive urge, and secondly, the review is
concise and includes normative language. The purchase intention of hedonic buyers can be
related to either short or medium reviews only in order to rationalize the buying decision.
For utilitarian shoppers, long reviews are highly preferred and also implies purchasing
intention. It is expected that such a review contains facts or detailed descriptions about the
product, and if satisfied, it aids in selecting the product for purchase. If the review is too
formal and indirect, it also has a weak connection to the purchase intention. The review has

37
to instead contain both factual and normative information in order for the consumer to be
convinced. The type of information, its channel, the product cost, the style of review, and
the communicator’s expertise are essential aspects that differ amongst the participants. If
there is a specialized eWOM channel and the communicator holds the expertise, then
lengthy reviews are favored. However, on affiliated or miscellaneous channels, medium-
size or short reviews are mostly selected. On average, the participants read a lower quantity
of lengthy reviews because such consumers generally dedicate a limited amount of time to
finding and reading reviews. Prior experiences also connect to a choice of reviews such that
some participants indicated on multiple occasions that they remember reading either short
or long reviews and, as a result, now prefer similar reviews. They feel confident, and when
the content and style of review resemble with their lifestyle, they are more likely to develop
purchase intentions.

In Figure 6, the findings are illustrated with regard to their effect on purchasing intentions.
The colors are designated to each type, and in the corresponding boxes, we show how
participants prefer different review sizes and their following impact on their buying
intentions.

• Expensive products
• Utilitarian shoppers
• Information Search
• Communicator Trust
Length • Valence Perception
• Type of Channel

Long

Short
Purchase Intention
Medium

• Cheap products
• Normative/Subjective
information
• Style and Content
• Review Availability
• Prior experiences
• Hedonic Shoppers
• Rationalize/Confirm
eWOM Component buying decision

• Sense of security to
Fig 6. eWOM Length on Purchase intention rationalize a pre-
determined purchase

38
5.4 Channels
eWOM channels are the last component included in this study. The participants were asked
about at least four different types such as specialized, affiliated, social and miscellaneous
eWOM as witnessed in earlier studies such as Kudeshia and Kumar, (2017) and Givili and
Levy, (2016) who stated that these channels vary with each other across several levels such
as the purpose of use, ability to provide reliable data and other characteristics such as ways
to engage the audience or manner of interaction. The participants were asked about how
they perceive the content offered by these channels, and as a result, at least two global
themes were evident. The preference for credible sources determined the choice of channels.
The organizing themes attached differences due to shopping orientations, channel
functionality, and expertise of the source. The second global theme is the effect of the
channel on consumer behavior with organizing themes such as transparency or credibility
of the host, familiarity or socially known recommenders, channel switch, or a simultaneous
mixture of different sources.

There is a difference in why or how participants perceive different eWOM channels.

However, almost all the participants state that they want to access credible information and
if they doubt that the review content is not trustworthy or fake or even connected to
promoting the product in terms of sponsorship, then they skip such reviews, and if the
channel is specialized in such, they avoid the channel too. The hedonic participants prefer
comparison-shopping or rating platforms because such channels are flexible in providing
necessary information about price alternatives or other evaluations. Such flexibility reflects
reliable expertise and channel usage ease. However, such channels lack additional functions
such as buying the product, and if the information is not updated, and it differs from other
company websites, the channels are not perceived to be trustworthy.

SNSs, together with retail websites, corresponded to affiliate/social eWOM and were the
most appreciated channels. It was due to the user’s familiarity with the platform, increased
conveniences in services provided, and also ease of quick use in case of limited time. Retail
websites include not only reviews but also purchase options as well as other suggested
products. Utilitarian shoppers detected in our study stated that such a channel is triggered
in either during the information search or buying decision of the purchase process. A
majority of the participants reported that they use SNSs almost every day and, as a result,
are exposed to random product ads, which can trigger interest and reviews if followed are
either searched on the same website or affiliate ones. Although they are skeptical about the
credibility of reviews found on SNSs, they compensate such doubt by using a mix of
channels such as affiliated and comparison shopping. Some participants value factual or
genuine reviews and always strive to find correct and easy to understand information.
YouTube is widely used since it aids visual stimulation. The trustworthiness of SNSs also
depends on whether the review or comments are posted or recommended by a person whom
the participants know, and if the social tie is evident, the participant doubt diminishes as
such reviews are not ambiguous anymore.

Both utilitarian and hedonic buyers insist on the review to be objective and hold appropriate
credibility. The participants showed no or minimum interest in miscellaneous eWOM, i.e.,
forums and personal blogs. This is because they are not familiar with such channels, and
rarely have they found credible information. They reported that the information if found,
can be excessive and confusing. If time is constrained, then such websites do not hold any
utility, and if by chance such channels are visited, then both hedonic and utilitarian buyers
believe it is due to Google or suggestions resulted via such a search. The basic themes for
understanding the potential effect of eWOM channels of purchase intentions were mostly

39
related to the source trustworthiness or expertise of the communicator. All the participants,
irrespective of either hedonic or utilitarian orientations, have stated that the purchase
intention can arise if they can trust the review or the communicator. Some participants have
favorite channels, while some others are undecided. For the first group, if the desired
eWOM channel does not contain the product reviews, then they usually rely on social ties
or Google Search. The second group starts with randomly skimming through different
channels and can suffice once a pattern is observed in such reviews. Such consistency
reveals the credibility of the information and triggers purchase intention. Furthermore, the
purchase intention can also be triggered if the review channels have been recommended by
another individual who has social ties with the participant. This is much ensured and found
on a channel such as SNSs. If the participant is still skeptical, then they can reach out to
other channels such as affiliated or specialized, and the purchase intention is affected if the
participant trusts the reviews found on the retail websites.

Figure 7 illustrates HOW different eWOM channels can affect consumer purchase
intention, but there was very limited participant response for Miscellaneous channels,
hence, no emerging themes and insights have been revealed by our interviews. As a result,
no major connects are shown in the figure below;

eWOM Component

• Purchasing tool
• Information type
• Buying reason
• Convenience
Channels • Review availability

Specialized

Affiliated Purchase Intention

Social

Miscellaneous • Familiarity
• Spontaneous purchase
• Social ties
• Ease of use
• Functionality

• Usage ease
• Product/Price evaluation
& substitute availability
• Hedonic shoppers
• Time & convenience
• Trust

Fig 7. eWOM Channels on Purchase intention

40
5.5 Overview
Figure 8, shows the overall development in our conceptual framework due to our findings.
In the boxes we have the manners or emergent themes that are indicating how the eWOM
selected components affect purchase intentions of the Pakistani Millennials.

Fig 8. Developed Framework

Valence

Review Ratio
Communicator Credibility
Product Type
Fair Experience
Rationalize a purchase decision
Review Amount

Length

Buying Reason Purchase Intention

Product Type
Information search
Style & Content
Valence Perception
Prior experiences
Trustworthiness

Channels

Trustworthiness
Convenience (Time)
Review availability
Social Ties
Product evaluation
Familiarity

Figure 8. Developed Framework

41
6. Conclusion
6.1 Concluding our findings to the Research Question
In this study, we chose consumers from Pakistan after discovering that there was an apparent
lack of research from consumers in the developing world. Since most of the previous
research used in this thesis is quantitative, we chose the qualitative method with semi-
structured interviews with an aim to study effects of eWOM components from the consumer
perspective. Hence, we asked;

RQ: How do the eWOM components impact the consumer's purchase intention?
A study into how eWOM Valence, Length, and Channels impact purchase intentions of
Millennials in Pakistan.

The empirical results were analyzed in Chapter 5, and in the following passages, the
research question is addressed using the same analysis, and specific conclusions will be
drawn for each eWOM component, respectively. In the General conclusion & Discussion
part, we connect our findings to the literature used in the theory chapter of this paper and
discuss its relatable implications.

Channels
Based on our analysis, a connection between eWOM channel characteristics and consumer
purchase intentions is evident. Our findings state that different eWOM channels trigger
different customer attitudes. One notable conclusion is that if the channel shows credibility,
consumer purchase intention is directly affected. However, our participants showed
different preferences for eWOM channels and if a channel offers convenient service and
possess the needed information, then purchase intentions are also triggered. Sometimes, the
effect depends on the type of information and communicator trust. Finally, some eWOM
channels such as Miscellaneous are new to the participants; hence, no primary evidence was
found to relate them to their purchase intentions.

Valence
Our participants reported a unique desire to know and read negative reviews. For the
purchase intention to be triggered with eWOM valence, a critical ratio, including more
positive than negative reviews, should be present. Merely positive reviews are appreciated
if the consumer is determined to buy the product and awaits validation, but exaggerated
positive reviews or merely negative ones are less attractive.

Length
For expensive products our participants demand extended reviews with a matching style
and content. When time is limited, and the product is cheap, short and concise reviews are
preferred to trigger purchase intentions. Furthermore, the review text and length should be
perceived as objective, unbiased, and well-written, and the communicator has to be
trustworthy for it to affect purchase intentions.

42
6.2 General Conclusions & Discussion
In the Introduction passage, we indicated that Jones (2020) and Rosamond (2020) have
reported that the Corona pandemic has affected the consumers globally. Since this study
was carried out during such a situation, we have found that the Pakistani consumers are also
affected and report low spending patterns and decreased motivation to engage in e-
shopping. However, via the interview guide, we had arranged questions such that the main
focus would be on their overall online shopping experiences, not current. Therefore, we
could still study the effects of eWOM components on their purchase intention.

Solka et al. (2011) stated that Millennials are more attracted to hedonic shopping; however,
our data showed that in Pakistan, Generation Y is mostly utilitarian with a minority of
hedonic buyers. Concerning gender, both male and female participants revealed similar
attitudes towards relying on eWOM communications. This finding goes against the finding
in Awad and Ragowsky's (2008) study in which female respondents were found to be more
reliant on EWOM than the males. The participants mostly engage in online shopping if they
need something that otherwise is not found in a nearby shop market. They appreciate
objective information and holds high regard for the trustworthiness or credibility of the
source/communicator. Such an effect can be evidence of the assumption made by Hoftsede
et al. (2010) that cultures with high UAI tend to value source trustworthiness and credibility,
and since Pakistan has a relatively high UAI, therefore, its consumers appreciate more
trustworthy information. It also allows the participants to seek familiar sources and listen
more to recommendations coming from their reference network, which indicates the
importance of social ties in eWOM marketing. It supports the HSM model's prediction with
regards to the heuristic assessment, which entails that a message's persuasiveness is mostly
dependent upon simplified means such that consumers desire a shortcut or easier route and,
hence, attain the purchase intention by trusting the source of information.

Google has a massive role in anchoring the information search in earlier stages of the
decision-making process, and the search result usually opts for which channel is used to
eWOM consumption. The findings also reveal that overall the participants rely heavily on
SNSs and affiliate channels for consuming eWOM. It is similar to the findings by Kudeshia
and Kumar (2017), stating that SNSs profoundly influence purchase intentions. Due to high
usage prevalence in this age group, the participants use SNSs and retail websites to access
reviews, which eventually affects their purchase intention. Since almost all of the
participants stated their daily use of SNSs for other purposes, they reported higher ease and
familiarity towards such channels. Such a finding supports Gvili and Levy (2016) that the
effect on purchase intention can vary depending upon the message delivery manners. We
found that as the reviews become more accessible on the desired channel, there is a higher
chance that it impacts the purchase intention. This is clear support to the previous studies
such as Parry et al. (2012) and Frasquet et al. (2015), who showed that perceived easiness
could be linked to purchase intention.

Kudeshia and Kumar (2017) stated that the purchase intention could be affected by Valence;
however, in our study, we found out that it is not merely Valence. There has to be a ratio in
eWOM Valence for the purchase intention to be triggered. It could be argued that when a
product is expensive, the customers rely on the regular route of the HSM model and dedicate
more time and effort to validate the information's trustworthiness. A just perspective is
desirable, and since nothing is called perfect, the inclusion of negative reviews, besides the
positive ones, can indicate impartiality. This finding supports the claim by Schindler and
Bickart (2012) that a disproportionate quantity of positive reviews should be prevented.

43
Furthermore, in this study, the participants claimed that the variety in Valence could provide
sufficient information, and as a result, a notable impact on their purchase intentions. Such a
finding supports Lopez and Sicilia (2013) that more information is related to a more
significant influence of eWOM on purchase intentions. It is also consistent with what HOE
model by Lavidge and Steiner, (2106) predicts such that after consumers become aware of
the product, further information search such as eWOM allows them to know more about the
product which eventually affects their buying attitude. Our study finds that merely posting
or focusing on positive reviews does not influence purchase intentions since the participants
doubt such content's credibility. It is, therefore, the evidence against the study by Lee et al.
(2009), which state that the practitioners should invest more in spreading positive eWOM.
The overall effect of the eWOM Valence is significant and supports the previous studies
such as Ladhari and Michaud (2015) and Mauri and Minazzii (2013).

The study also finds that for expensive products, lengthy reviews are appreciated, and this
partially affirms that Furner et al., (2016) study that short reviews cannot convince
customers to make confident purchases. If the review exceeds a desirable limit, our study
found that the participants avoid or read only a few sentences. This is evidence of the Mishra
and SM (2016) study stating that more or lengthy reviews lead to less content internalization
by consumers. If the time is limited or the product type is of less monetary value, then
skimming through the review happens, which supports the Park and Lee's (2008) findings
that consumers usually ignore the details and scan the text to find the main ideas. It also
supports the prediction by the HSM as Chaiken and Trope (1999) stated that sometimes
individuals strive for quick and easy decisions. The utilitarian shoppers in this study
generally preferred longer reviews, and this supports the study by Mudambi & Schuff
(2010), stating that longer reviews appear more useful for utilitarian products. The
participants reported higher demand for reliability and expertness of the source if the
channel is SNS, and this supports the finding by Saleem & Ellahi (2017) that for fashion
products via SNS, expertness is crucial for triggering a buying decision. It also supports
Cheung and Thadani (2012), who stated that in cases when the buyer lacks information
about a product, the provider must have credible expertise.

6.3 Theoretical Contributions

We formulated a research question and collected data via semi-structured interviews, and
by our analysis, we could build on the conceptual framework and answer the research
question. Previous studies about eWOM have focused on different components, yet an in-
depth qualitative study for Valence, channels, and length was not observed. For instance,
Schindler and Bickar (2012) studied the content and style, while Kudeshia and Kumar
(2017) included Valence, but this study investigated eWOM on a larger scale and included
three components altogether. The results of this study support many assumptions of the
previous literature and agree that eWOM has excellent potential in affecting the purchase
intentions of the selected respondents. The findings of SNSs as important eWOM channel
that possess great prospective to affect the purchase intentions contributes to previous work
done by Gvili and Levy (2016) who has stated that channels do matter and people perceive
them differently.

We know that previous studies, such as Chan and Ngai (2011), have stated that eWOM
research is condensed in the developing world. Therefore, this study fulfilled such a
theoretical gap, and the findings can be valuable in understanding eWOM in the developing
world. It is to be noted that as mentioned earlier, this research did not study the cultural
impacts on eWOM rather than how different components may impact the consumer. Still,
the findings have implicitly indicated the impact of specific cultural dimensions on

44
customer behavior. For instance, Pakistan scores very low, i.e., 14 and is considered a
collectivistic society (Hoftsede Insights, 2020), and our study affirms and contributes to
previous research such as Fong and Burton (2008) who found that people from collectivistic
cultures value online reviews or suggestions more. It is also a contribution to supporting the
studies such as Pentina et al. (2015), who stated that cultural differences vary and impact
the eWOM perception.

Furthermore, according to Lopez and Sicilia (2014), the eWOM research lacked a focused
approach towards understanding eWOM concerning customer behavior, and via this study,
we contribute to such a gap by doing a comprehensive qualitative study. There was also a
noticeable gap about the research being fixated on only a few industries such as tourism,
food, and movie (Baber et al., 2011) but this study has allowed the findings to be applicable
on a variety of products since we included both genders and allowed them to define and
freely pick their product of desire. The most popular choice was either electronics or
skincare products, which are also relatively new topics in the context of eWOM effects on
purchase intentions.

6.4 Managerial implications

Keitzmann and Canhoto (2013) have demonstrated that marketers usually struggle in
finding ways to harness the eWOM potential and also invest smartly in the digital outlet to
increase product sales. Hence, this study recommends that, for attracting consumers from
the global world, managers need first to identify the most efficient eWOM channels. Such
a statement is supported by previous research such as Gvili and Levy (2016), who have
shown that people behave differently across different channels. The managers need to be
aware of the established cultural norms and their effect on customer behavior. If they are to
enter into a developing economy such as Pakistan, they should care about establishing trust
with the consumers. This study has shown that the consumers are more ready to appreciate
honest and transparent information, and managers should know that according to previous
research Cui et al. (2014), it is more probable for consumers to share and recommend the
product to other people. Since the business world has been transformed due to the internet
in the developing world, this study recommends managers to include customers in the value
creation process by allowing them to access free and valuable information. The findings
also indicate that a balanced eWOM can lead to more perceived usefulness of the product;
therefore, managers need to avoid exaggerated or biased ads or eWOM that only glamorizes
their products. Managers should apply more eWOM as part of their marketing mix since it
is highly desirable for evaluating a product and can trigger consumer purchase intentions
(Kudeshia & Kumar, 2017).

The managers are suggested to include eWOM in their strategy mix by ensuring that the
information is available at the right channel and appropriate length and impartial Valence.
This study further suggests that if the managers are to enter the Pakistani market, they need
to be attentive about managing the eWOM on SNSs. Exaggerated or only positive eWOM
is perceived ambiguous, and only negative reviews can turn away the customers. Mixed
reviews, including both negative and positive reviews, are highly helpful. Pakistani
millennials are more utilitarian than hedonic; therefore, products with higher usefulness
tend to sell more. The review is highly valued if the source seems credible, and lengthy
reviews are preferred for expensive products. However, when inexpensive products are
involved, then short but precise reviews can easily trigger the purchase intentions. Managers
also need to consider affiliated and social eWOM for attracting new customers since the
participants in this study have reported more familiarity with retail websites and SNSs. It is
also advisable that managers adhere to customized eWOM for specific demographics such

45
as the Millennials so that their preferences are met. In their answers, all of the participants
have implicitly reported connections between the eWOM components, and it is advised that
managers include a combination of determinants to gain the anticipated effect.

6.5 Societal Implications

This study can have some societal implications. As the research concerns consumer
purchase intentions with eWOM, which is accessing online content about products or
brands, the findings relate to many societal stakeholders. Since almost everyone has certain
material needs, wants, and wishes to be fulfilled; therefore, it could be postulated that
everyone is a consumer and a stakeholder. With the prevalence of better and more
commodities, consumers have to make choices, and marketers aim to manipulate consumer
decisions by convincing them to buy their products/services. It has been shown that
consumers in diverse cultures behave differently, and via this study, it is evident that in the
developing world, people demand better and more efficient sources of information in order
to make a confident purchase. This study slightly indicated the changes in customer
behavior during COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the study offers a grasp on how
specific channels such as SNSs are evolving to become more effective in the business sector
and how customers themselves tend to spread the eWOM.

6.6 Limitations
We included three eWOM components based on previous research and the overall scope of
this study; however, our findings could have been extrapolated if at least one more
component was considered.

Due to the unanticipated crisis, the participants' online shopping patterns were drastically
affected, as many participants reported low purchasing powers with no recent e-shopping
experiences. They also responded based on their memories and how they engaged in online
shopping before the pandemic. As a result, they might have underestimated or
overestimated their overall shopping habits.

In Pakistan, resources such as electricity and high-speed internet are not always accessible.
As a result, some sessions were postponed, or if one started, we faced challenges such as
low voice/video quality or internet connection inconveniences. Such disturbances could
have affected the flow and focus of the answers offered by our participants.

The interviewers could have approached the data collection differently. Although the same
guide was used for all the interviews, still the individual factors such as their personalities,
knowledge of how to conduct interviews, or even degree of interest in specific questions
may have limited our findings.

The interviews were done in three languages, and besides English, the data gathered in other
languages were translated and then transcribed. Although two Pakistani language graduates
helped us, however, it could be possible that specific details or valuable insights were either
misquoted, incorrectly translated, or lacked full meaning disclosure.

46
6.7 Future Research Suggestions
This study aimed to explore the eWOM components, i.e., Valence, Length, and Channels,
and their effect on the buying intentions of Pakistani Millennials. Nonetheless, for future
research, the following suggestions could be made;

Post pandemic qualitative study and comparing its results with our findings

Running comparative research including a developed and a developing country and

focusing upon the effects of cultural variances.

Extrapolating the finding by using the same eWOM components but with different study
methods, such as quantitative.

Substituting the provided hypothetical situation in our guide with a service and
understanding eWOM component effects on the service industry

Studying how different components of eWOM interact with each other and if such a
phenomenon indicates relatable findings.

Focusing on whether there is a relationship between certain characteristics such as age-

group, education, or income level of a particular demographic to eWOM or their purchase
intentions.

47
7. Truth Criteria
7.1 Validity and Reliability
Validity annotates the extent to which an assumption or a statement can be sound or truthful.
Kvale (2007, p.122) defines it in the context of social sciences as making it assured that the
research method aligns itself with the overall purpose of the investigation set out by the
researcher. In a sense, the researcher is not misguided and has studied what was intended
for studying in the first place. Furthermore, Kvale (2007, p.122) states that reliability
determines how consistent the results are if the study is to be replicated. It also indicates the
trustworthiness of the results of the study. For instance, a qualitative study done via
interviews would merely entail if the same results can be achieved if the same participants
are interviewed again. Kvale (2007, p.122) states further that the analysis of the study with
regards to transcribing the data also lies within the scope of reliability aspect of truth criteria
since the analysis of the transcripts could lead to different results if other researchers
perform it.

Other researchers believe that since it is challenging to measure qualitative data objectively;
therefore, reliability does not hold any essential relevancy (Stenbacka, 2001, p.552).
Furthermore, the reliability and validity of qualitative research are more dependent on the
researcher than on the research itself. As opposed to quantitative research, which possesses
an intrinsic potential to measure the quantitative data impartially, qualitative data is mostly
measured as a result of the subjective interpretations via the researchers (Golafshaani, 2003,
p.600). Since there is an expected need to validate the level achievable, further
trustworthiness measurements such as dependability, credibility, confirmability, and
transferability are to be applied to assess this study (Thomas & Magilvy, 2011, p.152).

7.2 Dependability
To fulfill specific requirements related to the dependability of a qualitative study, readers
must have a clear grasp of how the researchers have arrived at certain conclusions put
forward in their study. This has to be done in terms of which methodological choices were
made together with the philosophical assumptions. Dependability can be related to
reliability as authors such as Thomas and Magilvy (2011, p.153) suggest that for the
analysis, peers can be included, or the study can be replicated to augment the findings for
results comparison. For this study, it was improbable that other peers take part in the writing
procedure, and due to the limited time, it was also implausible to replicate the study. In such
a situation, extensive justifications for confident choices can efficiently avail. Reliability is
not advisably pertinent for the qualitative research (Stenbacka, 2011), and the scope of
interest of this research cannot entertain the generalizability factor. In a sense, if the study
had to be replicated, different results can be anticipated. Even if the same respondents had
to be studied again, their responses could vary because circumstances might differ, and the
attitudes could change. Moreover, this study was conducted during the Coronavirus crisis,
and if there is a considerable time gap between the replicated study and this study, it is
logically possible that the participant's behavior or perception yields completely different
results.

48
7.3 Credibility
A qualitative study can be deemed credible when others relate to the accounts gathered from
the interviews (Thomas & Magilvy, 2011, p.152). According to the authors, member
checking, and reflexivity are some useful strategies for weighing the credibility of
qualitative research. For member checking, during each interview, the participants were
allowed to add comments if the questions were unclear. They were also asked if they have
accurately comprehended the questions. During the research, the authors deliberately
engaged in many discussions in order to rationalize the choices made for this study. Such a
step helps cultivate reflexivity and allow justifying the taken steps. The translation allowed
the authors to minimize the risk of misinterpreting the empirical data. During all the
interviews, both the authors were present. The authors thoroughly checked the transcripts,
and field notes were also taken, and all the interviews were recorded and compared several
times.

7.4 Transferability
Thomas and Magilvy (2011, p. 153) state that if a study has high transferability, its findings
are transferable to another group of participants in a different context. In order to evaluate
transferability, the authors propose that characteristics, such as demographics or geography
of the target population, must be mentioned (Thomas & Magilvy, 2011, p.153). For this
study, the participants were Pakistani residents, and the findings may have some potential
to be transferred to people of the same cultural dimensions or at least to different cities in
Pakistan. However, the results may vary if the same study is replicated on participants
belonging to different cultures or nationalities. With regards to the age group, since only
millennials were studied and inevitable variations can be evident if participants belong to
different age groups.

7.5 Confirmability
When the other aspects of trustworthiness measurements are confirmed, it leads to
confirmability (Thomas & Magilvy, 2011, p.155). While doing qualitative research, there
is a chance that preconceptions impact the study, and as a result, the authors have to reflect
and be conscious of limiting personal biases continually. Hence, both authors acted
cautiously, especially while conducting the interviews. The authors did their best to avoid
loaded questions or lead the session and instead allowed participants to express their
thoughts freely. Post-interview discussions included our personal feelings and thoughts and
how they might affect our attitude towards analyzing the findings. Hence, it could be argued
that readers could trust the assumptions upon which this study was planned and conducted
and also trust the credibility of its findings.

49
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Appendix A – Interview Guide (English)
We start by introducing ourselves, the aim of the research/ethical guidelines for the first
needed few minutes. Then, we ask the following questions;

1: What is your gender?

2: How old are you and what is your occupation?
3: Which City/province of Pakistan do you live in?

Proceed by introducing the following hypothetical scenario;

Imagine, you want to buy a smartphone/laptop/skincare or any product you can think of. In
order to be sure of your purchase, you want to consider looking for some online reviews by
other buyers. It is interesting for us to know how you would approach and react to the
reviews. In a sense, if doing such can alter, strengthen or weaken your intention to purchase
the product.

Use of Internet

4. How do you engage in online shopping?

5. How do you see yourself as online buyer? How would you describe your online buying
behavior?

Valence

3: How do you prioritize reviews or do you prefer one type of reviews more than the other?
3.1: If there are mixed number of negative and positive reviews, how do you decide?

4: How do negative reviews affect your perception of the brand/product? Have you ever
regretted to do a purchase by reading only negative reviews?

5: How do you think that positive reviews predispose you towards a certain attitude?

6: How does your perception of a company/brand change based on type of reviews prevalent
about their products?

7: How do the tone (positive, negative) of reviews allow you to either buy/not buy a
product?

Length

15. When you find an online review, do you assess its quality based on its length?

16. When you find an online review, how do you prefer to read it and do you usually read
the first sentence, whole review or selectively look for key words?

17: Which review length is most desirable for you and why? At what level does a review
look too lengthy so that you skip reading it?

59
18: If your product of intention has mostly short/long reviews, how does it affect your
thinking about buying such a product?

19: How do you think that the length of a review affects your intention to buy a product?
19.1: How do short reviews relate to your perception of being exposed to enough
information?

Channels

8. Do you have any favorite/usual website for finding online reviews?

5.1 If Yes, why do you prefer them? If No, how do you find reliable websites?

9. Do you have any experience/knowledge of websites that you don’t trust upon for finding
online reviews?
6.1 If Yes, why do you doubt their credibility? If No, how do you find reliable sources
for product evaluation?

10. Which of the following platforms could offer you with more fruitful and honest reviews
and why?
A: Rating websites
B: Customer feedback/comments on retail sites
C: Social media platforms such as YouTube, Facebook & Instagram
D: Blogs, Discussion Forums

11: Do you remember if your thoughts about a certain product/brand changed either
positively or negatively after reading reviews on a particular channel?
If YES, then which website/s? If NO, then which channel do you assume to offer the least
credible online reviews and why?

12: How have reviews on SNS impacted your attitude towards buying a product?

13: How do you perceive customer feedback/reviews available on a company’s website and
how do they trigger your purchase intention?

14: What factors of channels are important and convince you of intending to buy certain
products?

60
‫)‪Appendix B – Interview Guide (Urdu‬‬
‫ﮨ م ﺧ و د ﮐ و ﻣ ﺗ ﻌ ﺎ ر ف ﮐ ر ا ﻧ ﮯ ﺳ ﮯ ﺷ ر و ع ﮐ ر ﺗ ﮯ ﮨ ﯾ ں ‪ ،‬ﻣ ﻘ ﺻ د ﯾہ ﮨ ﮯ ﮐ ہ ﭘ ﮩ ﻠ ﮯ ﺿ ر و ر ی ﭼ ﻧ د ﻣ ﻧ ٹ ﮐ ﮯ ﻟ ﺋ ﮯ‬
‫ﺗﺣ ﻘﯾق ‪ /‬اﺧ ﻼ ﻗ ﯽ ر ﮨﻧﻣ ﺎ ﺧ ط وط ۔ ﭘﮭ ر ‪ ،‬ﮨم ﻣ ﻧ در ﺟ ہ ذ ﯾ ل ﺳ و اﻻ ت ﭘو ﭼ ﮭ ﺗﮯ ﮨﯾں ۔‬

‫آپ ﮐﯽ ﺻﻧف ﮐﯾﺎ ﮨﮯ؟‬

‫آپ ﮐﯽ ﻋﻣر ﮐﺗﻧﯽ ﮨﮯ اور آپ ﮐﺎ ﻗﺑﺿہ ﮐﯾﺎ ﮨﮯ؟‬

‫آپ ﭘﺎﮐﺳﺗﺎن ﮐﮯ ﮐس ﺷﮩر ‪ /‬ﺻوﺑﮯ ﻣﯾں رﮨﺗﮯ ﮨﯾں؟‬

‫ﻣﻧدرﺟہ ذﯾل ﻓرﺿﯽ ﻣﻧظرﻧﺎﻣﮯ ﭘﯾش ﮐرﮐﮯ آﮔﮯ ﺑڑھﯾں؛‬

‫ذرا ﺗﺻور ﮐرﯾں ‪ ،‬آپ اﺳﻣﺎرٹ ﻓون ‪ /‬ﻟﯾپ ﭨﺎپ ‪ /‬ﺳﮑﻧﮑﯾر ﯾﺎ ﮐوﺋﯽ اﯾﺳﯽ ﻣﺻﻧوع ﺧرﯾدﻧﺎ ﭼﺎﮨﺗﮯ ﮨﯾں ﺟس‬
‫ﮐﮯ ﺑﺎرے ﻣﯾں آپ ﺳوچ ﺳﮑﺗﮯ ﮨو۔ اﭘﻧﯽ ﺧرﯾداری ﮐو ﯾﻘﯾﻧﯽ ﺑﻧﺎﻧﮯ ﮐﮯ ﻟﺋﮯ ‪ ،‬آپ دوﺳرے ﺧرﯾداروں‬
‫ﮐﮯ ذرﯾﻌہ ﮐﭼﮭ آن ﻻﺋن ﺟﺎﺋزے ﺗﻼش ﮐرﻧﮯ ﭘر ﻏور ﮐرﻧﺎ ﭼﺎﮨﺗﮯ ﮨﯾں۔ ﮨﻣﺎرے ﻟﺋﮯ ﯾہ ﺟﺎﻧﻧﺎ دﻟﭼﺳپ ﮨﮯ‬
‫ﮐہ آپ ﺟﺎﺋزوں ﮐﮯ ﺑﺎرے ﻣﯾں ﮐس طرح رﺟوع ﮐرﯾں ﮔﮯ اور ان ﮐﺎ ردﻋﻣل ﮐرﯾں ﮔﮯ۔ اﯾﮏ ﻟﺣﺎظ ﺳﮯ‬
‫اﮔر اﯾﺳ ﺎ ﮐر ﻧﮯ ﺳ ﮯ ﻣ ﺻ ﻧو ع ﮐ ﯽ ﺧ ر ﯾدار ی ﮐ ﮯ اﭘﻧﮯ ار ادے ﮐ و ﺑدﻟﻧﺎ ‪ ،‬ﺗﻘو ﯾت ﺑﺧ ش ﯾﺎ ﮐ ﻣز ور ﮐ ﯾﺎ ‪،‬‬
‫ﺟ ﺎﺳ ﮑ ﺗ ﺎ ﮨ ﮯ ۔‬

‫ا ﻧ ﭨر ﻧ ﯾ ٹ ﮐ ﺎ ا ﺳ ﺗ ﻌ ﻣ ﺎ ل‬

‫آپ آن ﻻﺋن ﺧرﯾداری ﻣﯾں ﮐس طرح ﻣﺷﻐول رﮨﺗﮯ ﮨﯾں؟‬

‫آپ آن ﻻﺋن ﺧرﯾدار ﮐﯽ ﺣﯾﺛﯾت ﺳﮯ اﭘﻧﮯ آپ ﮐو ﮐس طرح دﯾﮑﮭﺗﮯ ﮨﯾں؟ آپ اﭘﻧﮯ آن ﻻﺋن ﺧرﯾداری ﮐﮯ‬
‫ر و ﯾﮯ ﮐ و ﮐ س ط ر ح ﺑﯾ ﺎن ﮐر ﯾں ﮔ ﮯ ؟‬

‫واﻟﻧس‬

‫آپ ﺟﺎﺋزوں ﮐو ﮐس طرح ﺗرﺟﯾﺢ دﯾﺗﮯ ﮨﯾں ﯾﺎ آپ اﯾﮏ طرح ﮐﮯ ﺟﺎﺋزوں ﮐو دوﺳرے ﺳﮯ زﯾﺎده ﺗرﺟﯾﺢ‬
‫د ﯾﺗﮯ ﮨﯾں ؟‬

‫اﮔر ﻣﻧﻔﯽ اور ﻣﺛﺑت ﺟﺎﺋزوں ﮐﯽ ﻣﺧﻠوط ﺗﻌداد ﻣوﺟود ﮨﮯ ﺗو آپ ﻓﯾﺻﻠہ ﮐﯾﺳﮯ ﮐرﯾں ﮔﮯ؟‬

‫ﻣﻧﻔﯽ ﺟﺎﺋزے ﮐس طرح ﺑراﻧڈ ‪ /‬ﻣﺻﻧوع ﮐﮯ ﺑﺎرے ﻣﯾں آپ ﮐﮯ ﺗﺎﺛر ﮐو ﻣﺗﺎﺛر ﮐرﺗﮯ ﮨﯾں؟ ﮐﯾﺎ آپ ﻧﮯ‬
‫ﮐ ﺑﮭ ﯽ ﻣ ﻧﻔ ﯽ ﺟ ﺎﺋز ے ﭘڑ ھ ﮐ ر ﺧ ر ﯾ د ار ی ﮐ ر ﻧﮯ ﮐ ﺎ اﻓﺳ و س ﮐ ﯾ ﺎ ﮨﮯ ؟‬

‫آپ ﮐﯾﺳﮯ ﺳﻣﺟﮭﺗﮯ ﮨﯾں ﮐہ ﻣﺛﺑت ﺟﺎﺋزے آپ ﮐو ﮐﺳﯽ ﺧﺎص روﯾہ ﮐﯽ طرف ﻣﺎﺋل ﮐرﺗﮯ ﮨﯾں؟‬

‫ﮐﻣﭘﻧﯽ ‪ /‬ﺑراﻧڈ ﮐﮯ ﺑﺎرے ﻣﯾں آپ ﮐﮯ ﺗﺎﺛرات ﮐس طرح ان ﮐﯽ ﻣﺻﻧوﻋﺎت ﮐﮯ ﺑﺎرے ﻣﯾں ﻣروﺟہ‬
‫ﺟ ﺎ ﺋز و ں‬

‫ﮐﯽ ﺑﻧﯾﺎد ﭘر ﺗﺑدﯾل ﮨوﺗﮯ ﮨﯾں؟ ﺟﺎﺋزے ﮐﺎ ﭨون ﻣﺛﺑت ‪ ،‬ﻣﻧﻔﯽ آپ ﮐو ﻣﺻﻧوﻋﺎت ﺧرﯾدﻧﮯ ﯾﺎ ﺧرﯾدﻧﮯ ﮐﯽ‬
‫اﺟ ﺎز ت ﮐ ﯾﺳ ﮯ د ﯾﺗ ﺎ ﮨﮯ ؟‬

‫ﻟﻣﺑﺎﺋﯽ‬

‫ﺟب آپ ﮐو ﮐوﺋﯽ آن ﻻﺋن ﺟﺎﺋزه ﻣل ﺟﺎﺗﺎ ﮨﮯ ‪ ،‬ﺗو ﮐﯾﺎ آپ اس ﮐﯽ ﻟﻣﺑﺎﺋﯽ ﮐﯽ ﺑﻧﯾﺎد ﭘر اس ﮐﮯ ﻣﻌﯾﺎر ﮐﺎ‬
‫ﺟ ﺎ ﺋز ه ﻟ ﯾ ﺗ ﮯ ﮨ ﯾ ں ؟‬

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 ‫ﺟب آپ ﮐو ﮐوﺋﯽ آن ﻻﺋن ﺟﺎﺋزه ﻣل ﺟﺎﺗﺎ ﮨﮯ ﺗو ‪ ،‬آپ اﺳﮯ ﭘڑھﻧﮯ ﮐو ﮐس طرح ﺗرﺟﯾﺢ دﯾﺗﮯ ﮨﯾں اور‬
‫ﮐﯾﺎ آپ ﻋﺎم طور ﭘر ﭘﮩﻼ ﺟﻣﻠہ ‪ ،‬ﭘورا ﺟﺎﺋزه ﭘڑھﺗﮯ ﮨﯾں ﯾﺎ ﮐﻠﯾدی اﻟﻔﺎظ ﮐﯽ ﺗﻼش ﮐرﺗﮯ ﮨﯾں؟‬

‫ﺟﺎﺋزه ﻟﯾﻧﮯ ﮐﯽ ﮐون ﺳﯽ ﻟﻣﺑﺎﺋﯽ آپ ﮐﮯ ﻟﺋﮯ اﻧﺗﮩﺎﺋﯽ ﺿروری ﮨﮯ اور ﮐﯾوں؟ ﺟﺎﺋزه ﮐﺗﻧﯽ ﻟﻣﺑﯽ ﺣد ﺗﮏ‬
‫ﻧظر آرﮨﺎ ﮨﮯ ﮐہ آپ اﺳﮯ ﭘڑھﻧﺎ ﭼﮭوڑ دﯾں؟‬

‫اﮔر آپ ﮐﮯ ارادے ﺳﮯ زﯾﺎده ﺗر ﻣﺧﺗﺻر ‪ /‬طوﯾل ﺟﺎﺋزے ﮨوں ﺗو ‪ ،‬اس طرح ﮐﯽ ﻣﺻﻧوﻋﺎت ﺧرﯾدﻧﮯ‬
‫ﮐﮯ ﺑﺎرے ﻣﯾں آپ ﮐﯽ ﺳوچ ﭘر ﮐﯾﺎ اﺛر ﭘڑﺗﺎ ﮨﮯ؟‬

‫آپ ﮐس طرح ﺧﯾﺎل ﮐرﺗﮯ ﮨﯾں ﮐہ ﺟﺎﺋزے ﮐﯽ ﻟﻣﺑﺎﺋﯽ آپ ﮐﯽ ﻣﺻﻧوﻋﺎت ﺧرﯾدﻧﮯ ﮐﮯ ارادے ﮐو ﻣﺗﺎﺛر‬
‫ﮐر ﺗﯽ ﮨﮯ ؟‬

‫ﻣﺧﺗﺻر ﺟﺎﺋزے ﮐﺎ ﮐﺎﻓﯽ ﻣﻌﻠوﻣﺎت ﮐﮯ ﺳﺎﻣﻧﮯ آﻧﮯ ﮐﮯ آپ ﮐﮯ ﺧﯾﺎل ﺳﮯ ﮐﯾﺎ ﺗﻌﻠق ﮨﮯ؟‬

‫ﭼﯾﻧﻠز‬

‫آن ﻻﺋن ﺟﺎﺋزے ﺗﻼش ﮐرﻧﮯ ﮐﮯ ﻟﺋﮯ ﮐﯾﺎ آپ ﮐﯽ ﭘﺳﻧدﯾده ‪ /‬ﻣﻌﻣول ﮐﯽ وﯾب ﺳﺎﺋٹ ﮨﮯ؟‬

‫اﮔر ﮨﺎں ‪ ،‬ﺗو آپ ان ﮐو ﮐﯾوں ﺗرﺟﯾﺢ دﯾﺗﮯ ﮨﯾں؟ اﮔر ﻧﮩﯾں ﺗو ‪ ،‬آپ ﮐو ﻗﺎﺑل اﻋﺗﻣﺎد وﯾب‬
‫ﺳﺎﺋﭨﯾں ﮐﯾﺳﮯ ﻣﻠﯾں ﮔﯽ؟‬

‫ﮐﯾﺎ آپ ﮐﮯ ﭘﺎس وﯾب ﺳﺎﺋٹ ﮐﺎ ﮐوﺋﯽ ﺗﺟرﺑہ ‪ /‬ﻋﻠم ﮨﮯ ﺟس ﭘر آن ﻻﺋن ﺟﺎﺋزے ﺗﻼش ﮐرﻧﮯ‬
‫ﮐﮯ ﻟﺋﮯ آپ ﭘر ﺑﮭروﺳہ ﻧﮩﯾں ﮨﮯ؟‬

‫اﮔر ﮨﺎں ‪ ،‬ﺗو آپ ان ﮐﯽ ﺳﺎﮐﮭ ﭘر ﮐﯾوں ﺷﮏ ﮐرﺗﮯ ﮨﯾں؟ اﮔر ﻧﮩﯾں ﺗو ‪ ،‬آپ ﮐو ﻣﺻﻧوﻋﺎت‬
‫ﮐﯽ ﺗﺷﺧﯾص ﮐﮯ ﻟﺋﮯ ﻗﺎﺑل اﻋﺗﻣﺎد وﺳﺎﺋل ﮐﯾﺳﮯ ﻣﻠﯾں ﮔﮯ؟‬

‫ﻣﻧدرﺟہ ذﯾل ﻣﯾں ﺳﮯ ﮐون ﺳﺎ ﭘﻠﯾٹ ﻓﺎرم آپ ﮐو زﯾﺎده ﻧﺗﯾﺟہ ﺧﯾز اور دﯾﺎﻧت دار ﺟﺎﺋزے‬
‫ﭘﯾش ﮐرﺳﮑﺗﺎ ﮨﮯ اور ﮐﯾوں؟‬
‫اے‪ .‬درﺟہ ﺑﻧدی ﮐﯽ وﯾب ﺳﺎﺋﭨﯾں ﺑﯽ‪ :‬ﺧورده ﺳﺎﺋﭨوں ﭘر ﺻﺎرﻓﯾن ﮐﯽ راﺋﮯ ‪ /‬ﺗﺑﺻرے‬
‫ج‪ :‬ﺳوﺷل ﻣﯾڈﯾﺎ ﭘﻠﯾٹ ﻓﺎرم ﺟﯾﺳﮯ ﯾوﭨﯾوب ‪ ،‬ﻓﯾس ﺑﮏ اور اﻧﺳﭨﺎﮔرام ڈی‪ :‬ﺑﻼگ ‪ ،‬ﺑﺣث ﻓورم‬

‫ﮐﯾﺎ آپ ﮐو ﯾﺎد ﮨﮯ ﮐہ اﮔر ﮐﺳﯽ ﺧﺎص ﭼﯾﻧل ﭘر ﺟﺎﺋزے ﭘڑھﻧﮯ ﮐﮯ ﺑﻌد ﮐﺳﯽ ﺧﺎص‬
‫ﻣﺻﻧوع ‪ /‬ﺑراﻧڈ ﮐﮯ ﺑﺎرے ﻣﯾں آپ ﮐﮯ ﺧﯾﺎﻻت ﻣﺛﺑت ﯾﺎ ﻣﻧﻔﯽ طور ﭘر ﺗﺑدﯾل ﮨوﺋﮯ ﮨﯾں؟‬

‫اﮔر ﮨﺎں ‪ ،‬ﺗو ﭘﮭر ﮐس وﯾب ﺳﺎﺋٹ ‪ /‬وﯾب ﺳﺎﺋﭨس؟ اﮔر ﻧﮩﯾں ‪ ،‬ﺗو ﭘﮭر آپ ﮐون ﺳﺎ ﭼﯾﻧل ﮐم‬
‫ﺳﮯ ﮐم ﻗﺎﺑل اﻋﺗﺑﺎر آن ﻻﺋن ﺟﺎﺋزے ﭘﯾش ﮐرﻧﮯ ﮐﺎ ﮔﻣﺎن ﮐرﺗﮯ ﮨﯾں اور ﮐﯾوں؟‬

‫اﯾس اﯾن اﯾس ﭘر ﺟﺎﺋزوں ﻧﮯ ﭘروڈﮐٹ ﺧرﯾدﻧﮯ ﮐﮯ ﺑﺎرے ﻣﯾں آپ ﮐﮯ روﯾہ ﭘر ﮐس طرح‬
‫اﺛر ڈاﻻ؟‬

‫ﮐﺳﯽ ﮐﻣﭘﻧﯽ ﮐﯽ وﯾب ﺳﺎﺋٹ ﭘر آپ ﮐو ﮐﺳﭨﻣر ﮐﯽ آراء ‪ /‬ﺟﺎﺋزے دﺳﺗﯾﺎب ﮨﯾں اور وه آپ‬
‫ﮐﯽ ﺧرﯾداری ﮐﮯ ارادے ﮐو ﮐﯾﺳﮯ ﻣﺗﺣرک ﮐرﺗﮯ ﮨﯾں؟‬

‫ﭼﯾﻧﻠز ﮐﮯ ﮐون ﺳﮯ ﻋواﻣل اﮨم ﮨﯾں اور آپ ﮐو ﮐﭼﮭ ﻣﺻﻧوﻋﺎت ﺧرﯾدﻧﮯ ﮐﮯ ارادے ﭘر‬
‫راﺿﯽ ﮐرﺗﮯ ﮨﯾں؟‬

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