9th Student Research Conference in Marketing (SRCM) - 2025
Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://repository.kln.ac.lk/handle/123456789/29644
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Item Impact of Brand Credibility on Purchase Intention towards Women Fast Fashion Brands in Sri Lanka: Examining the Mediating Effect of E-WOM(Department of Marketing Management, Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2025) Gampolage, T. L.; Jayawardene, S. M.This study investigates the relationship between consumers intentions to purchase from Sri Lankan women's fast fashion brands and brand credibility, with a focus on the mediating effect of electronic word-of-mouth (E-WOM). The study assesses the growing significance of E-WOM in shaping consumer behavior by examining the components of brand credibility, namely; consistency, reputation, and experience. The study offers insights into consumer decision-making processes in an emerging market context, and it is based on Source Credibility Theory and Signaling Theory. The study intends to bridge the knowledge gap regarding consumer behaviors unique to fast fashion in developing countries such as Sri Lanka. 71% of respondents lived in Colombo, and the survey was conducted in the Western Province of the nation. Using data from 355 female respondents, the findings offer significant new insights into the connection between brand credibility and purchase intention. Brand credibility was found to be a strong predictor of purchase intention, with a beta coefficient of 0.681 (p < 0.01), highlighting its direct impact on consumer behavior. Additionally, the study demonstrated the significance of E-WOM as a mediating factor, showing that when consumers came across positive online reviews, their purchase intentions increased by 12%. Remarkably, 74% of respondents between the ages of 18 and 30 said they heavily relied on peer reviews and recommendations, indicating a dependence on E-WOM that is unique to this demographic. This dependence emphasizes even more how digital interactions influence consumers' perceptions of brands. Furthermore, 64% of participants shared positive experiences after receiving outstanding service, highlighting how crucial customer satisfaction is for building brand reputation and encouraging online advocacy. These results show both localized consumer preferences and behaviors specific to Sri Lanka's fast fashion industry, in addition to global trends. Although the study offers insightful theoretical and practical information, the findings generalizability is constrained by its cross-sectional design and geographic focus on Sri Lanka's Western Province. Additionally, the research allows for the exploration of other market segments or demographic groups by focusing solely on women's fast fashion brands. However, by validating the mediating function of E-WOM in the relationship between purchase intention and brand credibility, especially in a developing market context, the study makes a substantial theoretical contribution. From a practical standpoint, it emphasis how crucial it is to use digital platforms to improve customer engagement and foster trust in cutthroat marketplace. When doing future market research, it can be investigating different industries or using longitudinal study designs to capture changing consumer behavior over time in order to further broaden the scope and applicability of research findings.Item Effect of Perceived Quality Assurance on Customer Loyalty in Automobile After-Sales Services: Investigating the Mediating Role of Customer Relationship Management(Department of Marketing Management, Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2025) Perera, G. M. V. D.; Jayawardene, S. M.This research investigates the impact of perceived quality assurance (PQA) on customer loyalty (CL) in the automotive after-sales service sector in Sri Lanka, focusing on the mediating role of customer relationship management (CRM). Sri Lanka’s unique market dynamics, marked by high vehicle ownership costs and reliance on after-sales services, create a critical need for customer retention strategies. This study addresses the discrepancies in the literature regarding the mediating role of CRM in strengthening the relationship between service quality dimensions touch, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy and customer loyalty. Previous scholars have highlighted how integrating quality assurance practices and CRM contributes to sustainable customer engagement and loyalty. In developing countries such as Sri Lanka, the quality of after-sales service is critical for automobile customer loyalty because vehicles are often repaired and used for a long time due to the high purchase cost. Hence, the engagement of automobile customers with aftersales services is very high in countries such as Sri Lanka. However, there is a dearth of knowledge regarding how CRM activities mediate the relationship between perceived service quality and customer loyalty of automobile aftersales industry. Therefore, this research aims to examine the relationship between perceived quality assurance and customer loyalty in automobile aftersales services with special reference to Sri Lanka. A quantitative research approach was adopted using a structured survey distributed to a sample of 400 vehicle customers in Sri Lanka. Data collection targeted key dimensions of service quality, CRM practices, and loyalty indicators. Statistical analysis, including descriptive statistics, correlation, and regression analysis, was performed using SPSS software. Hypotheses were developed based on a conceptual framework integrating PQA, CRM, and CL and were tested to determine the strength and direction of relationships among the variables. The results confirm that all dimensions of perceived service quality significantly affect customer loyalty, with assurance and reliability showing the highest impact. CRM emerged as an important mediator, enhancing the impact of reliable quality assurance on loyalty. The findings are consistent with the existing literature, highlighting the importance of service quality dimensions in driving loyalty while expanding knowledge by emphasizing the mediating role of CRM. This study reaffirms the need to integrate robust CRM systems to bridge quality gaps and develop deeper customer relationships. Demographic results indicated that most of the participants were male, had been associated with service providers for more than seven years and lived in the western Province. Cronbach’s Alpha and KMO values were applied to assess the internal reliability and validity of items: all Cronbach’s Alpha values, and all KMO values were above the accepted criteria. Pearson coefficient yielded positive correlation between responsiveness, empathy, and customer loyalty where responsiveness and empathy were most correlated with each other with correlation coefficients higher than 0.7. Estimated results of the regression analysis showed that perceived quality assurance had a very significant positive influence on the dependent variable, customer loyalty and mediating role of CRM. As the table of model summary statistics presented, the R squared values were 0.629 meaning high explanatory power. The overall model indicated the values of B = 0.994 and the significance value of 0.000 for confirming all hypothesis. The study’s reliance on cross-sectional data limits its ability to observe long-term dynamics of customer loyalty. Given the self-reported nature of the data, social desirability bias may affect survey responses. In addition, the single market – Sri Lanka – limits the generalizability of the findings to other geographic contexts or industries. Future studies could address these limitations through longitudinal designs and multi-market comparisons. Theoretically, this research contributes to the limited knowledge on the mediating role of CRM in the PQA-CL relationship in developing economies. In practice, it provides actionable insights for automotive service providers in Sri Lanka, emphasizing the integration of quality assurance and CRM to improve customer satisfaction and loyalty. Recommendations include standardizing service quality delivery, investing in CRM training, and leveraging data analytics to personalize customer interactions. These steps can guide practitioners in designing effective after-sales strategies. Future research could explore digital CRM tools and evolving customer expectations in the automotive sector.