An Experimental Research Proposal Study of Consumers’ Attitude and Behavior Towards Online Fashion Shopping: Cross-Cultural Study of Malaysia And United Kingdom

Abstract             Rapid explosion of the number of online retailers as well as online customers has been observed in these past few years. This experimental study seeks to explain and investigate the customers' behavior and attitude towards online shopping. But what makes this interesting is the cross-cultural investigation, a comparative study of Malaysian customers' behavior and attitude with the English customers' attitude. Quite difficult is the implementation of different methods for analysis since this is a psycho-socio-cultural study. The customers' behavior and attitude towards online shopping differentiates on socio-cultural basis. Moreover, the role of advertising significantly contributes to the differentiation of attitudinal and behavioral framework of different customers may it be a Malaysian or an English. Introduction             The rapid development and changes in technology brought a significant shift to people's consciousness, behavior and attitude. The presence of online shopping attracts different people of different cultures. This becomes a concrete manifestation of how technology influences and shapes the world today. Insofar as business still kicking and colonized all possible channels for profit, it would be continuously bring interested people for researches and further studies. Background of the Study These fast few years have seen a rapid explosion of the online retail business which includes an explosion in the sheer number of available products as well as number of online stores. Some researches made data gathering on investigating customers' online shopping behaviors and attitudes by collecting huge amount of clickstream data to find possible behavior patterns within. The use of cognitive modeling and structural equation model on customers' stickiness and customers' preferences are what researchers used to identify particular type of behavior and attitude of customers who used to go online shopping. Malaysians and English people are equality have the same needs but differences lies on the fact that they invoke different ways due to social, cultural, and economical constraints. Statement of the Problem             This paper seeks to answer the questions like what prevailing attitude and behavior does a customer has despite the differences in culture, what are the distinct cultural behavior a Malaysian has that an English do not have and vice versa and finally, what are the cultural and social attributes we can get in a Malay/English attitude and behavior during their access to online fashion shopping. Research Objectives             The primary objective of this study is to present customers' differences in attitude and behavior on online shopping using a cross-cultural approach. It would be an interesting study to tackle the cultural and social underpinnings of customers who are using an online fashion shopping. Hence, in order to further understand their behavior and attitude Research Questions             The questions raise some critical points on the topic. It asks how culture makes differences on the behavior and attitude of a customer given the same channel which is the internet. Further, it questions the validity of previous methodologies in understanding the behavioral and attitudinal framework of customers. Significant/Justification             This study gives new thoughts in understanding the behavior and attitude of customers. What makes this study significant is the fact that it takes a quite difficult task of understanding inductively the behavior of customers using a cross-cultural approach. Scope and limitations             The study will particularly focuses on selected customers in Malaysia and UK. In order to come up with such scheme, the study will also select dominant online shopping websites in which customers from UK and Malaysia are permanent subscribers. Design and Methodology             The use of cognition modeling and structural equation model will be utilized in terms of measuring the behavioral and attitudinal framework of customers. Cultural methods and approaches will be in use to further investigate the underlying cultural elements in the behavior and attitude shown by customers. Project Deliverable             Due to time constraints and other external factors affecting the whole of the research the need of setting a timeframe will be opt in order to have an organize research deliverance. The gathering of data, information, and observation will be made in three months prior to the approval of the study. After such, the rest of the months will be used for analysis of filed report and interviews in preparation for presentation and examination of panel References Atchariyachanvanich, K. (2007). A Study on Factors Affecting the Success of Electronic Commerce. Department of Informatics, SOKENDAI, Japan.   Chang, P., Mendonca, D., & Im, I. (2004). Inside the Customer: Modeling Cognition during Online Shopping. Proceedings of the Tenth Americas Conference on Information Systems, New York.   Kurniawan, S.H. (n.d.). Merged Structural Equation Model of Online Retailer's Customer Preference and Stickiness. Detroit, MI, USA