Factors Affecting Young Consumers’ Online Purchase Intention in Sri Lanka with Special Reference to Undergraduates in General Sir John Kotelawela Defence University

Abstract

The continued growth of technological advancements and improved Internet comprehension has converted the nature of day-to-day customer activities, and most offline operations have moved to online operations. In this context, electronic-commerce transactions in Sri Lanka are expected to continue to grow in the near future. The aim of the study is to investigate the factors affecting young consumers’ online purchase intention in Sri Lanka. The study will consider online purchase intention of young consumers with special reference to undergraduates of KDU in Sri Lanka. The research is based on Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Perceived Risk Theory and the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) which are commonly used theories in the research field of online purchase intention. The research explores how the perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, perceived risk, subjective norms and attitude towards the behaviour affect the online purchase intention of young consumers. In terms of research methodology, this study follows the quantitative approach, and the necessary data for the execution of the study were gathered through questionnaires distributed around 400 young consumers in KDU. Further, the study employed regression analysis. The researchers found that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, perceived risk, subjective norms and attitudes towards behaviour have significant influence with positive effect on online purchase intention of young consumers in Sri Lanka.