Chapter III: Methodology
This chapter will describe the research design and methodology that will apply to the
study. This chapter includes a description of the theoretical model dimensions and variables,
procedures for how the data will be collected, a description of the data collection instrument, as
well as a description of the procedures for data analysis. This chapter will end with a discussion
of the validity and reliability of the study to support the quality of the research.
3.1.Operationalization: Description of Model Dimensions and Variables
The best approach for social media marketing research, the main goal of which is to
examine the effect between SNS activities, brand equity and purchase intention in the outdoor
touring sector of Aruba should cover a positivist philosophy, and be quantitative.
The framework of positivism is to “understand and study human beings and their actions
in the environment, and then, outcomes or results are explained on the basis of theories and facts
by the researchers” (Kadhi, 2009, p. 64). According to Bhattacherjee (2012), the positivism tends
to rely exclusively on theories that can be directly tested. The current study attempts to test four
theories (SCT, SPT, MST, and TAM) and confirm certain assumptions through research
questions and hypotheses related to SNS activities, brand equity, and purchase intention.
The quantitative design will be tested through the use of a questionnaire. The
questionnaire is composed of four sections that form the primary constructs of the conceptual
model: SNS (interaction, involvement, promotional messages and eWOM), brand equity (brand
awareness/associations, perceived quality, and brand loyalty), purchase intention, and
demographic information, including age, gender, and the frequency of consumers’ visits to the
SNS relative to outdoor touring companies in Aruba. In order to make sure that the right
1
variables were measured, the questions for the questionnaire were adapted from previous
research concerning the main constructs of interaction (Kim, & Ko, 2012), involvement, eWOM
and purchase intention (Alhidari, Iyer, & Paswan, 2015), promotional messages (Sung & Kim,
2014), brand awareness/associations, and brand loyalty (Uslu, Durmus, & Kolivar, 2013), and
perceived quality (Lee & Fayrene, 2011). Such procedure created higher reliability.
Each construct is determined to be multidimensional with an intention to measure more
than one of the concepts that were found to be relevant based on literature (See Appendix B).
3.2. Procedures for Data Collection
All constructs in the conceptual model were unobservable variables. For this purpose, the
related items are identified for each construct to be included in the questionnaire, which
measured the constructs in question. Therefore, the research used three to seven questions for
each underlying variable. A seven point Likert-type scale was chosen with the anchors ‘strongly
disagree’ (1) and ‘strongly agree’ (7), because not only 54.29% of the items that measure the
constructs also used this scale, but also because according to Nunnally (1978), having more scale
points is better, though there is a diminishing return after around 9-11 points. Along with
sections related to the main constructs of the conceptual model, the section of demographics was
measured using single-item scales.
Standardized paper based questionnaires in English were administered (See Appendix C).
The questionnaire consisted of 41 questions divided into four sections. At the beginning of the
survey a brief introduction was provided describing the purpose of the research. It was
distributed at the main outdoor touring company in Aruba (De Palm Tours) (Tour Operators in
Aruba, n.d.) due to the fact that major companies provide a more complete range of outdoor
2
activities. The questionnaire was handed out to tourists who were interested in experiencing an
outdoor activity, and who were Facebook, Twitter, TripAdvisor, or LinkedIn users as they
represent the desired population.
It was proposed that data be collected in July 2016 and that target respondents be selected
as a convenience sample. The target sample size for the current study was 348 (Survey Sample
Size Calculator, n.d.) responses and represents an approximation of the number of people who
enter Aruba on a daily basis (the number of tourist in July 2015 = 109.251/30), with a confidence
of 95%, and a margin error of 5% (See Appendix E) (Key Tourism Indicators, 2015).
The convenience sample was selected during ten continuous days (starting on Monday,
July 25 to Wednesday, August 3, 2016) of customers using De Palm Tours. The researcher rode
the bus as the tourists were being transported back to their hotel from one of the attractions on
Aruba, De Palm Island and the Beach. A total of 392 adults were asked to participate, and of
those, 44 declined to participate, resulting in a total of 348 surveys that were filled out by
respondents for an overall response rate of 88.77%.
Regarding ethical considerations, data was collected following ethical principles.
Respondents were assured that their participation was voluntary, responses were anonymous, and
data was kept confidential. Furthermore, participants were aware of the objectives of the study,
the data collection technique, and they had the freedom to withdraw from the study at any time
without any consequence thereupon. The following section discusses the procedures used for the
data analysis.
3.3. Description of Data Analysis
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The collected data was examined using IBM SPSS v.23. Three types of analyses were
proposed for this study. First, in order to provide a description of the sample from which data
was collected, descriptive information on gender, SNS account, time spent on SNS on average
every day, and age were described, as well as the means, modes, range, and standard deviations
for the variables. Moreover, to test the differences in demographic variables between perception
of SNS activities by tourists on Aruba and outdoor touring companies, T-tests were applied in
order to answer research question six.
Second, to determine the construct validity and reliability of SNS activities, measured by
interaction, involvement, promotional messages, and eWOM, brand equity (brand
awareness/associations, perceived quality, and brand loyalty), and purchase intention, principal
component analysis (PCA) and reliability tests were applied. This was used to test the measure of
consistency between different items of the same construct. The reliability can be estimated in
terms of Cronbach’s alpha. The recommended Cronbach’s alpha benchmark is 0.70 (Nunnally,
1978).
Third, to test if ‘SNS individual constructs have a positive influence on brand equity;’
simple linear regression analyses were conducted in order to assess research question seven. The
independent variables in this research are multi-item variables, which consist of interaction,
involvement, promotional messages, and eWOM. Moreover, the Pearson Correlation test was
used to answer research questions one to five and to test the linear relationship between each
SNS construct and brand equity, and between brand equity and purchase intention, giving values
from –1 to +1 inclusive. “The size of the absolute value (ignoring the sign) provides an
indication of the strength of the relationship” (Pallant, 2010, p.121).
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3.4. Description of Validity and Reliability
The validity of the proposal is divided into internal and construct. The internal validity in
a quantitative research is defined as the identification of causal relationships whereby certain
variables may influence other variables in the research study (Shenton, 2004). In the research,
the internal validity can be established by distinguishing the unit of analysis, connecting the
analysis to prior theory identified in a literature review, and the presentation and analysis of
studies (Yin, 2003).
The other type of validity, construct, refers to the degree to which somenthing measures
what it is supposed to measure (Pallant, 2010). According to The American Psychological
Association (APA), four types of validity were identified. These four types corresponded to
different aims of testing: (a) content validity, (b) predictive validity, (c) concurrent validity, and
(d) construct validity (American Psychological Association, 1954). In 1966, the APA reduced
predictive validity and concurrent validity to a single category: criterion-related validity
(American Psychological Association, 1966). Sheperd (1993) noted that construct validity
involves the empirical and the logical requirements of criterion and content validity. Nunnally
(1978) reported that “construct validity has [even] been spoken of as ... factorial validity” (p.
111). Therefore, PCA was used for measuring validity, as in the studies of Lee & Fayrene, 2011,
and Brogi, et al., 2013.
On the other hand, reliability is “the degree to which the measure of a construct is
consistent or dependable” (Bhattacherje, 2012, p.56). There are many ways of estimating
reliability: inter-rater, test-retest, split-half, and internal consistency. The current proposal used
5
the internal consistency reliability test, specifically Cronbach’s Alpha. The following chapter
discusses the results that were captured from this study.
6
Construct
Interaction
Independent
Constructs
Involvement
Promotional
messages
e-Word of
mouth
Variables and Questions Numbers
1. X social networking enables
information sharing with others.
2. Conversation or opinion exchange
with others is possible through X social
networking.
3. It is easy to deliver my opinion
through X social networking.
4. I spend more than 3 hours per day on
social networking
5. I update my profile regularly on social
networking
6. I post updates of my activities on
social networking
7. I comment on my friends activity
updates and posts
8. I like to get news and other
information on social networking
9. I am proud to tell people that I am on
social networking
10. Social networking have become part
of my daily routine
The company post are
11. Promotional
12. Intended to generate sales
13. Related to the company’s products,
and services
14. I always share my experiences with
other members on social networks
15. I always provide my opinions with
other members on social networks
16. I post links of
videos/articles/pictures on social
networks
17. Overall, social networks is an
important source of information for me
7
Scale
Reference
Hypothesis
Reliabilities
5 point
Likert
Kim &
Ko
(2012)
H1
0,87
7 point
Likert
Alhidari,
Iyer &
Paswan
(2015)
H2
0,93
7 point
Likert
Sung &
Kim
(2014)
H3
0,83
7 point
Likert
Alhidari,
Iyer &
Paswan
(2015)
H4
0,88
Intermidiate
Constructs
26. I am aware of X.
27. Some characteristics of X come to
Brand
my mind quickly
Awareness/ 28. I can quickly recall the symbol or
Associations logo of X.
29. I have difficulty in imagining X in
my mind
5 point
Likert
Yoo &
Donthu
(2001)
0,83
30. I consider myself to be loyal to X
31. X would be my first choice
32. I will not buy other brands service
if X is available
5 point
Likert
Yoo &
Donthu
(2001)
0,88
Brand
Loyalty
Dependent Construct
Perceived
Quality
Purchase
Intention
33. This brand is of good quality
34. I can expect superior performance
from this brand
35. This brand is very reliable
36. This brand is better as compared to
other brand(s) of the product in terms
of service experience
37. The likely quality of X is
extremely high.
38. The likelihood that X would be
functional is very high
39. I intend to buy new services after
seeing advertisements once or twice on
social networking sites
40. I intend to buy a service if it has
been vouched for by my friends on
social networking sites
41. I intend to buy a service if I see
that it has got a lot of positive
feedback on social networking sites
42. I look up for opinions on social
networking sites for services which I
am planning to buy
43. Social networking sites affects my
opinions and experiences about the
real world
8
H1, H2,
H3, H4
5 point
Likert
Lee &
Fayrene
(2011)
0,96
5 point
Likert
Yoo &
Donthu
(2001)
0,92
7 point
Likert
Alhidari,
Iyer &
Paswan
(2015)
H5
0,87
Appendix C
Dear participant,
I am an MBA student at the University of Aruba and the following survey is a part of my Master’s thesis
focusing on social networking site activities and the effect on brand equity and purchase intention. The
questionnaire should take no more than 5-10 minutes to complete. The survey is anonymous and your
responses will be used for the purposes of this research only.
Thank you in advance,
Marinelda Cartaya
Section A
1. Do you have a social networking account (Facebook, TripAdvisor, Twitter or LinkedIn)?
o Yes
o No
2.
o
o
o
o
o
What are the social networking sites that you use? Please select all that apply
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
TripAdvisor
Other:____________________________
3. How much time do you spent on social networking sites on average every day?
○ Less than 30 mins
○ 30 mins – 1 hour
○ 1 hour – 2 hours
○ More than 2 hours
○ More than 3 hours
4. How often did you visit the social networking sites of the outdoor touring companies in Aruba before
your stay on Aruba?
○ Less than 30 mins
○ 30 mins – 1 hour
○ 1 hour – 2 hours
○ 2 hours – 3 hours
○ More than 3 hours
5. What is your age?
o 18 to 24 years
o 25 to 34 years
o 35 to 44 years
o 45 to 54 years
o 55 to 64 years
o Age 65 or older
6. What is your gender?
○ Male
○ Female
9
7. What is your country of origin?
______________________________
Section B
8. How much do you agree with the following statements?
Strongly
Disagree
SNS Activities
Social networking sites enables
information sharing with others
Conversation or opinion exchange with
others is possible through social
networking sites
It is easy to deliver my opinion through
social networking sites
I spend more than 3 hours per day on
social networking sites
I update my profile regularly on social
networking sites
I post updates of my activities on
social networking sites
I comment on my friends activity
updates and posts
I like to get news and other information
on social networking sites
I am proud to tell people that I am on
social networking sites
Social networking sites have become
part of my daily routine
I always provide my opinions with
other members on social networking
sites
I post links of videos/articles/pictures
on social networking sites
Overall, social networking sites are an
important source of information for me
I always share my experiences with
other members on social networking
sites
10
2
3
Neither
Agree or
Disagree
5
6
Strongly
Agree
The De Palm Tours posts are:
Promotional
The De Palm Tours posts are:
Intended to generate sales
The De Palm Tours posts are:
Related to the company’s products, and
services
Section C
9. How much do you agree with the following statements?
Strongly
Disagree
2
Brand Equity
I was aware of De Palm Tours before
this trip
Some characteristics of De Palm
Tours come to my mind quickly
I can quickly recall the symbol or logo
of De Palm Tours
I consider myself to be loyal to De
Palm Tours
De Palm Tours would be my first
choice for outdoor activities
I will not buy other services if De
Palm Tours is available at the time of
renting
De Palm Tours are of good quality
I can expect superior performance
from the De Palm Tours
De Palm Tours company is very
reliable
De Palm Tours is better as compared
to other brand(s) of outdoor touring
companies in terms of the service
experience
The likely quality of De Palm Tours is
extremely high
The likelihood that De Palm Tours
would be functional is very high
11
3
Neither
Agree or
Disagree
5
6
Strongly
Agree
Section D
10. How much do you agree with the following statements?
Purchase Intention
I intend to buy new services after
seeing advertisements once or twice
on social networking sites
I intend to buy a service if it has been
vouched for by my friends on social
networking sites
Strongly
Disagree
2
I intend to buy a service if I see that it
has got a lot of positive feedback on
social networking sites
I look up for opinions on social
networking sites for services which I
am planning to buy
Social networking sites affect my
opinions and experiences about the
real world
Thank you for your help in this important research!
12
3
Neither
Agree or
Disagree
5
6
Strongly
Agree