UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS HO CHI MINH CITY
International School of Business
------------------------------

Phan Van Nam

FACTORS INFLUENCING MALE
CONSUMER PURCHASE INTENTION:
A STUDY OF SKIN CARE PRODUCTS
IN HO CHI MINH CITY

MASTER OF BUSINESS (Honours)

Ho Chi Minh City - Year 2015


UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS HO CHI MINH CITY
International School of Business
------------------------------

Phan Van Nam

FACTORS INFLUENCING MALE
CONSUMER PURCHASE INTENTION:
A STUDY OF SKIN CARE PRODUCTS
IN HO CHI MINH CITY

ID: 22120095

MASTER OF BUSINESS (Honours)
SUPERVISOR:

answer my questionnaire.

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TABLE OF CONTENT
ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................... 8
Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION .................................................................................. 9
1.1 Background ........................................................................................................... 9
1.2 Management problems and questions..................................................................... 9
1.3 Research objectives and values ............................................................................ 10
1.4 Scope................................................................................................................... 10
1.5 Structure of study................................................................................................. 10
Chapter 2: LITERATURE REVIEW, HYPOTHESES AND RESEARCH
MODEL ................................................................................................................... 12
2.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 12
2.2 Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) ...................................................................... 12
2.3 Normative factors impact on men purchasing behaviors ...................................... 13
2.3.1 Family .............................................................................................................. 13
2.3.2 Spouse .............................................................................................................. 14
2.3.3 Friend ............................................................................................................... 14
2.4 Product attributes impact on men purchasing behaviors ....................................... 14
2.4.1 Quality.............................................................................................................. 15
2.4.2 Packaging ......................................................................................................... 15
2.4.2 Price ................................................................................................................. 15
2.4.3 Brand................................................................................................................ 16
2.5 Personal image..................................................................................................... 16
2.6 Men’s attitudes toward applying skin care products ............................................. 17
2.7 Purchase intention................................................................................................ 18
2.8 Research Model ................................................................................................... 19

4.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 32
4.2 Descriptive of statistics ........................................................................................ 33
4.3 Reliability analysis (Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient) ............................................. 34
4.4 Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA)...................................................................... 35
4.5 Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA)................................................................... 35
4.5.1 Introduction for CFA ........................................................................................ 35
4.5.2 CFA factor “Beliefs in product attributes” testing ............................................. 36

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4.5.3 CFA 3 factors personal image, attitudes toward applying skin care products and
purchase intention testing .......................................................................................... 38
4.5.4 CFA factor “Normative influences” testing....................................................... 40
4.5.5 Composite reliability (CR) and average variance extracted (AVE) testing ........ 41
4.5.6 CFA for whole model testing ............................................................................ 42
4.6 Structural equation modeling (SEM).................................................................... 45
4.6.1 SEM result........................................................................................................ 45
4.6.2 Model estimations by bootstrap ........................................................................ 47
4.6.3 Hypothesis testing............................................................................................. 48
4.7 Summary ............................................................................................................. 49
Chapter 5: CONCLUSIONS................................................................................... 50
5.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 50
5.2 Research findings ................................................................................................ 50
5.3 Limitations and direction for further research ...................................................... 52
5.4 Managerial implications....................................................................................... 53
5.5 Conclusions ......................................................................................................... 54
REFERENCES ........................................................................................................ 55
APPENDIX A: Reliability analysis (Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient) ..................... 62
APPENDIX B: Exploratory factor analysis (EFA)................................................ 67

Table 4.9: Summary result of testing hypothesis........................................................ 49

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ABSTRACT
The research aims to some factors affecting on men's intention to buy male skin care
products in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Fishbein and Ajzen’s theory of reasoned
action model is applied as a theoretical framework to conduct the research; it is also
supported factor "personal image". The research question measures the impact of
factors "beliefs in product attributes, personal image, normative influences, and
attitudes toward applying skin care products" to men's consumer purchase intention on
buying male skin care products. Based on research purposes, a questionnaire was
developed and distributed selectively to Vietnamese male consumers aged 23 to 55
years in Ho Chi Minh City who work both indoors and outdoors. 250 appropriate
questionnaires were collected and then tested model fit by confirmatory factor analysis
and structural equation modeling in Amos version 22. The results of the study confirm
that all factors "beliefs in product attributes, personal image, normative influences, and
attitudes toward applying skin care products" have effects on purchase intention in
buying men's skin care products among Ho Chi Minh male consumers. Therefore,
applying theory of reasoned action to explain men's purchase intention to skin care
products in Ho Chi Minh City is appropriate.
Key words: Skin care products, cosmetic, personal image, product attributes, purchase
intention, normative influences.

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Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION

buying more skin care products, approximately 80% men mainly purchase by others
such as wife, company (Sukato & Elsey, 2009).
1.3 Research objectives and values
The study investigates attitude towards applying skin care products and normative
influences on men’s purchase intention. The focus is the impact of personal image
and beliefs in product attributes on men’s using attitudes. To do so, the study can
permit to understand more thinking of men about personal image, what they feel
after using cosmetics and what customers trust before buying cosmetics, both of
them are market trends and purchasing evaluation in skin care market of men in
Ho Chi Minh City.
The study also examines components in society that affected on men’s personal image.
It is important to understand both relationship between men’s behavior and normative
influences, to set up marketing mix strategy for not only men but also people who is
important for them such as family, wife, friend. From those things above, all
companies will find out appropriate way to expand and develop skin care market for
men in Vietnam, especially in Ho Chi Minh City.
1.4 Scope
This study is limited to research on factors affecting by men perspective toward their
purchasing decision making of skin care products in Vietnam’s market, particularly
in Ho Chi Minh City. Moreover there is more convenient, accessible and directly to the
point, in order to target the men who are in the age range between 23-45 years old and
living, working in Ho Chi Minh City as the respondents for the questionnaire survey.
The questionnaires will be distributed to respondents during the beginning of May
2014 to the ending of Sep 2014. The study will finish at the end of Oct 2014.
1.5 Structure of study
The structure of the study is divided into five chapters. Chapter 1 gives an overview of
the research topic. Chapter 2 presents the theory of reasoned action (TRA) and research
models. Chapter 3 shows the methodology for testing the model scales and the
proposed hypotheses. Chapter 4 illustrates the analysis of information and research


toward that behavior and how that person thinks other people would view them if
he/she performed the behavior. A person’s attitude, combined with subjective norms,
forms someone’s behavioral intention. If a person has positive attitudes about
something, he/she will have bigger purchase intention on buying it. To investigate men
behavior in Ho Chi Minh City, TRA model is appropriate choice for because it predicts
consumer behavior and provides an explanation of that behavior (Manstead, 2004).
Furthermore, it is applied broadly for most various attitudinal investigations (e.g.

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online travel shopping behavior (Lee, Qu & Kim, 2007); mobile chat services
(Nysveen, Pederson & Thorbjornsen, 2005); adopting banking channel (Wan, Luk &
Chow, 2005); food products purchasing (Choo, Chung & Pysarchik, 2004) and settings
cultural in some countries such as U.S.A (Lee & Littrel 2005; Ulaga & Eggert, 2006);
Norway (Nysveen, Pederson & Thorbjornsen, 2005), Australia (Patterson 2004); Hong
Kong (Wan, Luk & Chow, 2005); and Taiwan (Shih & Fang, 2004)).
The study add personal image to TRA in order to increase the predictability of male
consumer behavior toward buying skin care products in Thailand. It is very important
because men have purchased skin care products for improving their “personal image”
(Sturrock & Pioch, 1998; Thompson & Hirschman, 1995), which describes the image
of a good working person, a citizen who are discerning in this context.
2.3 Normative factors impact on men purchasing behaviors
People are strongly influenced by the reference group (family, spouse, and friend).
According to Sukato and Elsey (2009), families possibly convince consumers into
purchasing a particular product. Moreover, Antoinette (2007) notes that women (wife
or partner) have an influence on men behavior such as men will buy skin care products
easier or take care more on themselves if they are encouraged and accepted by people
who surround them. There are many groups that affect a person's behavior. A reference
group includes groups directly (face to face) or indirectly effect to attitude or behavior

Friends can influence a consumer by giving feedback how they perceived given
products or services, or affecting to values and aspire of consumer, or impacting on the
type of behavior displayed of consumer (Solomon, Barnossy, Askegaard and Hogg,
2006). In Vietnam, where parents living with children until children grow up, so their
influence can be basic. Except for the time with the family, the rest time of men is used
for work and learning, which means they will be in contact with friends, co-workers
during this period. Men’s behaviors will be affected less or more by friend. Therefore,
friends will be important elements in normative influences.
2.4 Product attributes impact on men purchasing behaviors
Product attributes are the characteristics or features that describe a specific product and
will effect on consumers’ purchase decision (Hossain, 2007). Product attributes can be
tangible (can include characteristics such as size, color, weight, volume, smell, taste,
touch, quantity, and material composition) or intangible (can include characteristics

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such as price, quality, reliability, and beauty/aesthetics). This study only mentions
quality, packaging, brand, and price as skin care product attributes based on qualitative
analysis.
2.4.1 Quality
According to Draelos and Thaman (2006), Skin care product helps men take care
themselves, prevents their skin from the hygienic of the skin under optimal conditions
of sanitation and comfort, or attracts someone or something. Relating to this study, in
Vietnam market, skin care products include facial foam, cleanser, toner, day or night
cream, moisturizing cream, eye cream, anti-wrinkle & other anti-aging, sun block and
tanning cream. Additionally men prefer the products which are invisible, fast
penetrated, easy to use, less process, pleasant to put, less smells and with a proficient
consequence (Chanintorn & Jiraporn, 2010).
2.4.2 Packaging

represents company and can differentiate the goods and services from the rivals’
(Aaker, 1991; Keller, 1998). A brand is an intangible asset, sometime it is the most
valuable asset of company. In addition, a brand is also including quality of products,
packaging, promotion, advertising, distribution as well as its overall presentation
(Murphy, 1998). Following the consumers’ perspective, brand name is a guarantor of
reliability and quality in products (Roman et al., 2005). Vietnamese people generally
and men particularly tend to buy and use brand name products, especially foreign brand
name with a view to highlight their personality in different situational contexts.
2.5 Personal image
Personal image is the perception that people has about someone, affects success of that
person in every aspect of life, career, and love. Factor that impacts on personal image is
the beauty values of the society that a person lives in (Goldsmith, Moore & Beaudoin,
1999). In the Vietnamese society, a popular skin for men is brown as honey or white
cute as Korean actresses. And a very important standard for Vietnamese men skin was
no acne and scarring. Beauty values for personal image change from time to time.
Comments of normative groups on personal image of men would contribute to
changing men's attitudes towards the use of skin care products under positive (Belk,
1978).

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2.6 Men’s attitudes toward applying skin care products
Women have focuses on their appearance for long times ago. They try to take care of
their personal image for being more attractive and taking advantages in competition in
life (Blanchin et al., 2007). In addition, it is said that shopping and grooming with
appearance is just for women but now changing gender perception in society are
creating acceptation for men to illustrate some feminine characteristics including
preening, dressing and showing emotions (Conseur, 2004). Currently, appearance,
personal image and youth are becoming more and more important in this society. So

psychology, sociology, social anthropology, marketing and economics. Normally,
buying process including five steps is that step 1: recognizes problem, it means
identifying something a consumer needs, step 2: searches for information, which means
searching consumer’s knowledge bases or external knowledge sources for information
on the product, step 3: the possibility of alternative options, meaning whether searches
information of many alternatives, step 4: the intention to purchase the product and then
implements the actual purchase of the product, step 5: evaluates after purchasing (Peter
and Donnelly, 2007).
It can be seen that purchase intention is an important step in buying behavior, after
considering and evaluating the product (Chen, 2008; Grewal et al., 1998). Purchase
intention expresses the willingness of consumers to buy products or services in the
short term buying decision (Wu et al., 2011, Fandos and Flavian, 2006). Today, many
studies show that purchase intention is impact by familiar influences, social groups. In
fact, the more purchase intention obtains, the more possibly purchase decision takes
place (Espejel et al., 2008).

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2.8 Research Model

Beliefs in
product attributes

H2
Attitudes toward applying
skin care products

H5
H3

based on its origin and flavor, color, performance, brand messages, price, whether it is
safe for skin, trial, outlet atmosphere, packaging, ingredients, and whether it was tested
on animals. Therefore, attributes affecting buying skin care products are expected to
include price, quality, packaging, promotion, salesperson, advertising, brand, and type
of distribution. Consequently, the research investigates how those products attributes
effect on the attitudes of Vietnamese male consumer toward buying skin care products.
Thus, the second hypothesis is proposed as follows:
H2: Beliefs in product attributes positively affect male consumers’ attitudes toward
applying skin care products.
2.8.3 The Relationship between Personal Image and Attitudes
Beaudoin, Moore and Goldsmith (1998) implies that attitudes toward buying apparel
are linked to personal image because purchasing apparel satisfies various needs, such
as personal image or personal identify. Like apparel, skin care cosmetics have symbolic
or communicative value (Coulter, Feick & Price, 2002). Person perception changes
positively toward to cosmetics when they affect personal appearance (Belk, 1978).
Accordingly, Coulter, Feick, and Price (2002) found that personal image had an
influence toward applying and buying cosmetic products for women in Hungary. In
this study, personal image will be examined in men and therefore it is expected that
personal image influences the attitudes of male consumers in the purchase of skin care
product in this study. Hence, the third hypothesis is proposed as follows:
H3: Personal image positively affects male consumers’ attitudes toward applying skin
care products.
2.8.4 The relationship between Normative Influences and Behavior Intention
Shih and Fang (2004) find that normative influences such as spouse, family,
colleagues, expert, and celebrity endorsement make influences on behavioral intention

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in adopting Internet banking for customers in Taiwan. In this study, normative

Chapter 3 presents the research method that is performed to adjust and evaluate the
scales of concepts, and test the fit of the model with market information with
assumptions set out. This chapter consists of six main components: (1) research design,
(2) population, sample size and sampling method, (3) data collection, (4) data analysis,
(5) measurement scale, (6) research process.
3.2 Research design
This study applied deductive approach in order to confirm and reject all issues that
were form base on previous research and theories. According to Bryman & Bell (2007)
and Chanintorn & Jiraporn (2010) noted that deductive approach begins with a general
ideas (such as theory, laws, principles) and based on them, specific hypotheses are
formed which could be tested in order to support the general ideas. Moreover, both
qualitative and quantitative research implemented to collect primary data in this
study.
3.2.1 Qualitative research
Qualitative research is collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data by observing
what people did and said. The nature of this type of research is exploratory and
open-ended. Small numbers of people are interviewed in-depth and/or a relatively
small number of focus groups were conducted (Kirk & Miller, 1986). In this study,
participants were asked to respond to general questions and the interviewer or group
moderator probed and explored their responses to identify and defined people’s
perceptions, opinions and feelings around skin care products and to determine the
degree of agreement that existed in the group.
3.2.2 Quantitative research
Quantitative research is a quantitative approach that will be adopted as it is highly
structured to find out men behavior toward skin care products. Quantitative research is
associated with exploring connections between variables (Bryman & Bell, 2007).

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