FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE CONSUMER ILLICIT CIGARETTES PURCHASE INTENTION AMONG GENERATION Y IN KLANG VALLEY, MALAYSIA
AWAL FITRI ABDUL HAMID

UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA (UITM), MALAYSIA
(ARSHAD AYUB GRADUATE BUSINESS SCHOOL)

Abstract

This study aims to assess the state of illicit cigarettes while studying the existing theories with the framework and examine the factors influencing consumer illicit cigarettes purchase intention among generation Y in Klang Valley, Malaysia, with attitude acting as a mediator. Tobacco consumption is dangerous and threats human health. Moreover, people that purchase cigarettes are mostly from low-income and middle-income countries. Consumption of cigarettes has negative effects on the government, and the illegal market keeps increasing in every part of the world even though the government and authorities have done prevention. The illicit cigarettes caused market share trading to increase in Malaysia as many consumers intend to purchase from the smuggler as the price and popular brands are sold cheaper. Furthermore, smoking culture has become a social norm, influenced by peers and the community. Along with the culture, social media also plays a huge part in making them intend to purchase cigarettes. Knowledge is an important factor to be examined to determine why youth intend to purchase illicit cigarettes. Attitude acts as a mediator along with subjective norms (SN) and perceived behavior control (PBC), as the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) will be used in this study. Attitude, SN, and PBC are important factors to be examined, especially when using TPB. This study will use a quantitative method to cover the Klang Valley area with a survey questionnaire involving 300 respondents. Moreover, this is a cross-sectional study as data will be observed by analyzing and collected at specific time points. Knowledge, brand, social influences, price, subjective norms (SN), perceived behavior control (PBC), and attitudes as the mediator towards the intention to purchase cigarettes will be the potential variables in this research. Furthermore, this study uses two theories, the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT). Data analysis techniques are inferential and will be analyzed using PLS-SEM. The expected outcomes are that all factors, including knowledge, brand, social influences, and price, impact the intention to purchase cigarettes and depend on the individual attitude. The expected output of this research is to assist the government and authorities in creating policies and measures on how to prevent the increase in cigarette consumption and the intention of purchasing cigarettes, especially illicit ones. Furthermore, more awareness of health warnings regarding cigarettes can be taken.

Keywords: illicit cigarettes, purchase intention, attitude, theory planned behavior, social cognitive theory

Topic: Marketing management (colloquium)