Thesis Defence - MKT Arooba Iqbal (7363) Final

Linkages between self-congruity, brand familiarity, perceived quality and purchase
intention: A study of fashion retail brands
A thesis submitted
By
Arooba Iqbal (7363)
To
Department of Business Administration
In partial fulfillment of
The requirement for the
Degree of
MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
In
Marketing
This thesis has been
Accepted by the faculty
FACULTY OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Sajid Ali
Advisor
Dr. Syed Ali Raza

Director Academic
Acknowledgement
I pen down my deepest sense of indebts towards ALLAH SWT, my family and friends who
soulfully provided their constant support and the right input to undertake challenges. They
believed in me before I believed in myself. To them I owe my wonderful today and a dream
filled future.
My deepest gratitude and appreciation goes to my advisor Sir Sajid Ali, Research Associate,
IQRA University, North Campus, for imparting his knowledge and expertise in this study.
Without his encouragement, valuable advices, support, help, guidance, and suggestions, this
thesis would have not been completed. It is a great honor to work under his supervision.
Finally, I would like to thank all those who directly or indirectly, have lent their helping hand in
completion of this study.
Sincerely,
Arooba Iqbal (7363)
ii
Table of Contents
Acknowledgement...................................................................................................ii
List of Tables..........................................................................................................vi
List of Figures........................................................................................................vii
Abstract................................................................................................................viii
1. Introduction..........................................................................................................2
1.1 Background....................................................................................................2
1.2 Problem Statement.........................................................................................5
1.3 Research Objective........................................................................................6
1.4 Research Questions........................................................................................6
1.5 Significance of the study................................................................................7
1.6 Limitations of the study.................................................................................8
1.7 Structure of the study.....................................................................................8
2. Literature Review..............................................................................................11
2.1 Theoretical Background...............................................................................11
2.2 Empirical Reviews.......................................................................................13
iii
2.3 Theoretical Framework................................................................................39
3. Methodology......................................................................................................42
3.1 Research Approach......................................................................................42
3.2 Research Purpose.........................................................................................42
3.3 Research Design...........................................................................................43
3.4 Sampling Technique....................................................................................43
3.5 Sample Size..................................................................................................44
3.6 Data Collection Instrument..........................................................................44
3.7 Statistical Technique....................................................................................45
3.8 Operational Definition.................................................................................45
3.8.1 Self-congruity........................................................................................45
3.8.2 Brand Familiarity..................................................................................45
3.8.3 Perceived Quality..................................................................................45
3.8.4 Purchase Intention.................................................................................46
3.9 Ethical Consideration...................................................................................46
4. Data Analysis.....................................................................................................48
4.1 Descriptive Analysis....................................................................................48
4.2 Model Measurement....................................................................................51
iv
4.3 Blind Folding...............................................................................................56
4.4 Path Analysis................................................................................................57
4.5 Discussion....................................................................................................59
5. Conclusion.........................................................................................................65
5.1 Conclusion...................................................................................................65
5.2 Recommendations........................................................................................67
5.3 Implications..................................................................................................67
Bibliography..........................................................................................................70
Appendix................................................................................................................85
v
List of Tables
Table no Description Page no
4.1 Respondents Profile 49
4.2 Convergent Validity Test 52
4.3 Fornell-Larcker Criterion 53
4.4 Cross loading 54
4.5 Heterotrait-Monotrait Ratio (HTMT) 55
4.6 Stone-Geisser Q-Square Test 56
4.7 Path Coefficients 57
4.8 Specific Indirect Effects 58
vi
List of Figures
Figure No. Description Page No
2.3 Theoretical framework 39
4.1 Path Model 62
vii
Abstract
The objective of this research is to examine the factors that impact the purchase
intention of consumer towards fashion retail brands. This research attempts to
measure the extent to which self-congruity, brand familiarity and perceived
quality effects the intention of consumer to purchase fashion brands where gender
moderates the relationship between them. Structured questionnaires were
distributed among 400 respondents residing in Karachi, Pakistan. Structural
equation modeling technique is used to analyze the data collected from the
respondents. The results indicate that a positive and significant relationship exist
between self-congruity, brand familiarity, perceived quality and purchase
intention of consumers but gender does not moderates the relationship between
the variables. The research highlights that familiar brands provides consumer an
opportunity to understand the brand personality and strong brand personality
helps consumers in identifying themselves with the brand and they want to get
associated with those brands. Managerial implications and recommendations are
also discussed.
Keywords: self-congruity, brand familiarity, perceived quality, purchases
intention, gender.
viii
Linkages between self-congruity, brand familiarity, perceived 1
quality and purchase intention: A study of fashion retail brands
CHAPTER # 1
Introduction
1. Introduction
1.1 Background
In the past few decades, fashion industry has shown immense growth.
Many new brands have entered the market intensifying the competition. With the
increase in competition, it has become extremely important for marketers to
understand the consumer-brand relationship and analyze the factors that
influences consumer’s intention of purchasing fashion brands because it
significantly impact profitability of the company (Ismail & Spinelli, 2012). With
the exapnsion in fashion industry, the consumer attitude towards the fashion
brands have greatly transformed because with so many options available
consumers can compare and evaluate various brands and intends to purchase the
one that fits with their personality (Jung & Shen, 2011).
Purchase intention predicts what consumer might buy in future depending
on attitude and behavior of consumer towards the brand (Kim, Chun & Ko, 2017).
It is a promise that a consumer makes to one’s self to purchase a specific brand at
any time one visits the market. A higher purchase intention is an indication of
higher desire of a consumer to buy a product. A consumer intends to purchase a
product that offers features that fulfills his needs (Das, 2014). Understanding the
consumer intention to purchase is important to boost the sales of particular brand
in order to capitalize on its profit. The process starts with the information search
related to the brand required. Then evaluate the characteristics of the brand by
using it and comparing it to the previously used alternatives. The one that matches
the intention of the consumer is preferred when making purchase decision. If the
consumer is satisfied, he recalls and intends to purchase the same brands
whenever the need arises (Tariq et al., 2013). Many intrinsic and extrinsic factors
escalate the consumer’s intention and persuade them to purchase (Park & Stoel,
2005).
Previously many studies have investigated the factors affecting the
purchase intention of consumer because for marketers it is one of most important
predictor of actual purchase behavior. Some of the variables identified by the
researchers are; brand experience, brand affect, brand trust (Chen-Yu, 2016),
word of mouth and brand awareness (Hutter et al., 2013). All these and many
other factors do predict purchase intention of cosnumer but with increase in
competition, changing consumer preferences and need for social acceptance
prompts marketers to develop a brand image that is consistent with the image of
the target consumer. Brand-user image congruency stimulates consumer intention
to purchase a brand that matches with his personality and possess similar
characteristics that is reflected to the society as well (Li et al., 2011). It is
observed that consumers are more interested in purchasing brands that are similar
to how they perceive themselves currently or in future (Usakli & Baloglu, 2011).
For identifying the match between self-image and brand image, it is
important that cosnumer is familiar with the brand and its personality traits. Brand
familiarity is another predictor of consumer purchase intention. It is the the
amount of knowledge consumer has about the brand through experience with the
brand. The experience may depend on usage, information collected or on
recommendations. Brand familiarity plays an important role in consumer decision
making process because it not only helps in evaluating a specific brand but also
mitigates the perceived risk (Dawar & Lei, 2009). When consumers are less
familiar with the brand they hesitate while purchasing it because of doubt of
quality. Consumers in this case process more information about the brand and
there are high chances of getting dissatisfied if the information is not upto their
expectations. It is observed that consumers intend to purchase familiar brands
more than less familiar brands because of the positive relationship with the
familiar brands (Lin, 2013).
Perceived quality of the brand is an important factor that impacts the
purchase intention of consumers because a brand that is considered superior in
quality in comparison to other brands is more preferred by consumers. From
earlier studies it has been confirmed that brands that are congruent with the self
image of consumers are evaluated as higher in quality because consumers feel
positive about themselves and if the image of brand matches with the user
personality than they will think highly of the brands and intends to purchase those
brands (Kwak & Kang, 2009). Perceived quality helps marketers in understanding
the gap between the expectations of consumers and performance of the brand. No
consumer intends to purchase a product that is perceived as inferior in quality (Su,
Swanson & Chen, 2016).
1.2 Problem Statement
Over the years, Pakistani fashion industry has expanded greatly but with
expansion, competition has also increased. Many Pakistani designers and
marketers today face a lot of trouble in persuading consumer to purchase their
brand because many alternatives are available in the same category. It has become
extremely important for marketers to differentiate their brand from competitors by
establishing a brand personality, creating excessive awareness related to the
product and try providing them quality that they perceive. Earlier a lot of research
has been carried out in many different countries like China, Korea, Taiwan, New
Zealand, Malaysia and United States for measuring the purchase intention of
consumer in different industries. These studies identified various factors that help
in predicting the consumer purchase intention. In his study Kim (2017) found that
consumers are not always willing to buy the best quality fashion brands. Rather
they give more importance to perceive value of the brand. Another study carried
out by Esmaeilpour (2015) states that self-congruence does not directly impacts
purchase intention of consumer. Self-congruence impacts purchase intention
through perceived quality. Lu (2015) observed that self-congruity and perceived

quality have impact on purchase intention but factors like financial ability and
availability of product may not be able to convert purchase intention into actual
purchase behavior. So the main purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of
these factors on purchase intention of consumers towards fashion retail brands. In
addition, none of the studies introduced gender as a moderator to analyze the
differences in the opinion of males and females while making purchases. So the
main scope of this study is to investigate the impact of self-congruity, brand
familiarity and perceived quality on purchase intention of fashion retail brands in
Pakistan with gender as moderator because no such study have ever been
conducted in Pakistani context especially with respect to fashion retail industry.
1.3 Research Objective
The objective of this study is to analyze the extent to which self-congruity,
brand familiarity and perceived quality predicts the purchase intention of
consumers towards Pakistani fashion retail brands considering gender as a
moderator. The focus of this research is to measure the impact and relationship
strength between the variables.
1.4 Research Questions
RQ1: What is the impact of self-congruity, brand familiarity and perceived
quality on purchase intention?

RQ2: How gender moderates the relationship between self-congruity,
brand familiarity, perceived quality and purchase intention?
1.5 Significance of the study
Purchase intention is one of the most significant predictors of actual
purchase behavior of consumer so outcomes of this study will be of great
importance for the marketers to understand the thinking process of consumers
when they come across different brands. Because of the intense competition, it is
necessary for the marketers to have deeper understanding of the factors that
influence the purchase intention of consumers in order to differentiate themselves
from the competing brands. As this study is focused on fashion retail brands, it
will help marketers in establishing a distinct brand image in the minds of the
consumer by developing congruency between the consumer and the brand.
Because for fashion brands having brand personality is very important because
consumer always prefer a brand that matches with their personality as it reflects
the same in public. Therefore, a marketer who uses the variables derived from the
results of this study in their strategy is more likely to predict purchase intention
more appropriately. Identifying the consumers who intend to purchase the brand
will help the marketers in targeting the actual consumers, which ultimately results
in actual purchase behavior.

1.6 Limitations of the study
There are certain limitations of this study and that is because limited time
and cost can be applied to complete this research. The data is collected only from
specific shopping malls of Karachi. Consumers purchasing clothing brands were
included in the data because in this study only clothing industry is considered.
Fashion brands include many more industries like jewelry, perfumes, shoes,
accessories, hand bags etc. The result might differ for different industry. Also
only few variables were included to study the impact on purchase intention of
consumer towards fashion retail brands. Adding more variables can give more
specific results.
1.7 Structure of the study
The research begins with the introduction chapter where all information
related to background of the study is discussed with relevant references. Later the
purpose of conducting this research is identified and objectives are also specified.
The second chapter comprises of review of past studies and theory supporting this
research. The third chapter deals with the methodologies that are used to gather
organize and analyze the data from the target consumer. It includes all the tools
and techniques that will be used to collect data. Chapter four displays the results
generated after applying the statistical techniques on the data collected. It further
interprets all the results and identifies whether the hypotheses are supported or
not. The last chapter concludes and discusses the entire study based on the results
and give managerial implications and recommendations for future studies related
to the topic.
CHAPTER # 2
Literature Review
2. Literature Review
2.1 Theoretical Background
According to Sirgy (1986), self-congruity theory explains how consumers
evaluate different brands based on their self-concept and prefer brands that are
consistent with their self-image. This theory supports cognitive-consistency
theories. As most of the consumers feel dissatisfied, unpleasant and regret if they
choose brand that is inconsistent with their inner self. Therefore, consistency
between the beliefs and behavior is very necessary for customer satisfaction.
Study conducted by Wang, Yang & Liu (2009) supports the theory by explaining
that when self-image of a consumer matches with the brand personality it deviates
the interest of the consumer towards the product that increases the purchase
intention.
According to Shin, Hancer & Song (2016) consumers choose brands that
enhances their image in public and through which they can express themselves.
Self concept is one of the major construct of this theory because consumer
compare their self concept with the brand concept and searches for congruity
between the two. There are four components of self-image, including; an actual
self-image, an ideal self-image, an actual social self-image and an ideal social
self-image (Sirgy, 1982). Actual self-image refers to how consumers view
themselves in comparison to others. Ideal self-image is what consumer wants to
be. This concept deals with consumers feeling of lack of confidence about
himself. Actual social self-image is related to how we believe people think of us
and how we like people to think of us. Lastly, ideal social self is about how
consumers would like others to see them. People are motivated to do things that
cause others to think highly of them. If store manager designs store in a way that
positions the store personality distinctively in the mind of the consumer that is
congruent with the self-concept of consumer there are very high chances that
consumer will get attracted and will prefer to buy from that particular store
(Willems et al., 2011).
Brands often display certain symbols or images that help the consumer in
recognizing the brand and build its personality. These symbols or images are
designed in a way that matches with different personality traits. The perception of
consumer towards the quality of these brands is positive because of the
congruence between themselves and personality of the brand because the brand is
considered to have similar attributes and characteristics as possessed by the
consumer so these brands are rated highly (Yusof & Ariffin, 2016).
Brand familiarity is the experience or interactions consumer have had with
the brand. Familiarity is one of the ascept that helps consumer in comparing their
self-image with the brand image because they are well aware about the brand, its
attributes, image, functions and position in the market. This helps the consumer in
selecting a brand that is most consistent with self-image and show similar
attributes that enhances the image of the consumer (Das, 2015) Greater familiarity
with the brand increase the chances of consumer feeling good about the brand and
its quality. Brand familiarity not only includes personal interactions but also
includes indirect exposures such as word of mouth, advertisements, salesperson
interaction etc. All these experiences creates a perception related to the product in
the mind of the consumer which aids the consumer in matching their image with
the image of the brand communicated through all these mediums (Dursun et al.,
2011).
Perceived quality involves evaluating the brand based on your own
experience and perception related to its excellence and supermacy in comparison
to other brands. Kwak & Kang (2009) observed that there is a significant
relationship between consumer perception of quality and self-image congruence.
Brands that matches with the personality of the consumer are perceived as higher
in quality or higher the consistency between consumer self-image and image of
the particular brand user the more positive is the evaluation of that brand.
2.2 Empirical Reviews
H1: Self-congruity positively influences purchase intention.
Kwak & Kang (2009) discussed the role of self-congruence and perceived
quality on purchase intention of licensed merchandise of sports team in Korea.
The data was collected from 260 spectators who attended the Korean Basketball
League. The data was analyzed by performing confirmatory factor analysis and
structural equation modeling. The outcomes of the study indicates that there exist
a positive and direct relationship between self-congruity and purchase intention of
licensed sports team merchandise. This makes it evident that most of the
consumers are motivated to buy the merchandise in order to show support to their
favourite team and to identify themselves as part of the team. Through this study
managers will be able to design sportswear in a way that utilizes the team
trademark creatively on merchandise so that consumers can distinguish
themselves from fans of other teams. It is recommended that managers should
employ not only tangible products like apparels but also intagible products like
mobile apps in order to engage consumers in this way fans will relate more with
their favourite teams.
Li, Wang & Yang (2011) seek to explore the effect of brand credibility,
brand origin, self-image congruence on purchase intention in Chinese auto
industry. A total of 477 respondents belonging to major cities of China
participated in the research. To test the proposed hypotheses regression analysis
was used. From the results, it is proved that more self-congruent consumers tend
to have higher purchase intention. Social status and prestige are identified as most
important factors for Chinese consumers when making purchase decision for
automobile. The research shows that consumer prefer those cars or brands that
matches with their social status and self-image. It is suggested that to comply with
the self-image of the consumers, manager of the brand stores need to make it
more customized based on the image of their potential consumers. It is

recommended that factors such as brand awareness and brand knowledge should
be included because a consumer might not possess enough information about the
brand to match with self-image.
Davis & Lang (2013) carried out a research study to measure the impact of
self congruity on usage and purchase intention. Face to face interviews were
conducted with 493 local residents of New Zealand. The data collected from the
sample was analyzed by applying confirmatory factor analysis and structural
equation modeling. The results of the study does not support the hypothesis of
relationship between self congruity and purchase intention. The researchers
concluded that many of the consumers like action or fighting games but the
doesnot reflect their true self. Consumers who like violent games does not mean
are violent and fights with people in real life. Similarly a consumer who plays
sporty video games might not participate in physical games or playing driving
games doesnot reflect any driving skills. It is observed that consumers play game
to achieve gaming skills not to match their personality or image with the game.
Wang, Yang, & Liu (2009) examined the effect of brand personality and
congruity on purchase intention. Questionnaires were distributed among 477
respondents in main cities of China because of higher number of potential
automobile buyers. Confirmatory factor analysis is used to analyze the data.
According to the proposed outcomes self-image congruity has positive influence
on purchase intention of consumers. When self-image of a consumer matches

with the brand personality it deviates the interest of the consumer towards the
product that increases the purchase intention. The image of the company does not
effect the purchase decision because consumer mostly see the fit between their
image and the image of the brand rather than matching their image or personality
with the image of the company. It is important for companies to build brands
because while purchasing car consumer evaluates the personality of the car. If the
personality of the brand is strong the purchase intention is higher.
Shin, Hancer & Song (2016) investigates the impact of theory of planned
behavior and self-congruity on local food purchase among travelers in United
States. Data was collected through emails from 854 respondents and was analyzed
by performing structural equation modeling and confirmatory factor analysis. The
results supports the hypotheses by confirming that self congruity has direct
positive impact on local food purchase. The researchers stated that if a traveler see
congruence in his personality with local food users personality then he has more
positive attitude towards the product in order to conform to the local culture.
Sometimes they feel pressurize to buy the product because of the surroundings
and to match themselves with the locals.
Hung & Petrick (2011) probes the impact of self-congruity and functional
congruity on intention of consumer to purchase cruise tickets for vacations. The
sample size for the study is 897 respondents which includes both cruisers and
non-cruisers. For analyzing the data confirmatory factor analysis and structural
equation modeling was performed. The results of the analysis proposed that self-
image congruity is significantly related to travel intention of consumers. The
consistency between self image and cruiser image motivates consumer to avail the
opportunity to travel on cruise in vacations to feel satisfied. It is suggested that
managers should potray image of the cruise travel in a way emphasizing on the
attributes and image of the prospective traveler. They should focus on advertising
the activities on cruise that consumer will feel comfortable in performing and
conform to their perceived image.
A research conducted by Aguirre, Bosnjak & Sirgy (2012) analyzes the
effect of congruity on consumer decision making process which includes
intention, behavior and attitude. For the analysis the researcher reviewed previous
literature related to self-congruity and its impact on different variables. A total of
46 articles were studied by the researchers and identified the variables that are
effected by self-congruity to predict the intention, behavior and attitide of
consumer. Meta-analysis and homogeneity analysis was applied to analyze the
information gathered from literature review. The hypothesis was supported by
confirming that self-cogruity effect is stronger when self-motives are attached
while intentding to purchase rather than public-motives. It is stated that brands
that enhance self-concept leads to achieving better public image. The
advertisements of such brands should focus on engaging attributes that highlights
the self-image of consumer to increase the congruency between the two.

Tingchi, Huang & Minghua (2007) analyzes the congruency between
endorser personality and the product image and consumer intention to purchase
the brand based on the match between the two. The researcher selected 30
students as sample and they were given a list of 10 products endorsed by different
athletes in Chinese TV advertisement in a year. They were asked to rate the
advertisements based on the congruency between the athelete image and the
product image. The results suggested that in Chinese sports market attractiveness
of the endorser is more important than the match between the product and the
endorser personality. Although consumer views the match between both the
personalities while making purchase intention but most of the consumer end up
buying product because their favourite athelete endorses it.
H2: Self-congruity positively influences perceived quality.
Erdogmus & Budeyri (2012) examine the role of personality congruence,
perceived quality and prestige on brand loyalty in ready to wear market in Turkey.
Sample consist of 564 respondents belonging to generation Y i.e., born between
1977 and 1994. The data collected from the sample was analyzed by performing
structural equation modeling and exploratory factor analysis. It is evident from the
result that personality congruence is positively related to perceived quality. It is
observed that generation Y consumers are young ,enthusiastic, trendy and
socializing. Consumer tends to select clothing that expresses their personality and
life-style. They believe that brands that have similar characteristics like them are
more reliable, durable and are high on quality. Also brand that matches their
personality are considered more attractive and graceful by the consumers. It is
recommended that managers need to incorporate such images and celebrities in
their promotional ads that reflects excitement and sincere personality. This will
help in creating a positive brand image in consumer’s mind.
Shamah et al., (2017) studied the impact of self congruity on loyalty,
environment perception, product perception, price perception and service
perception. A total of 911 reposndents belonging to Egypt and Morocco
participated in the survey. The data collected from the sample was tested by using
structural equation modeling, confirmatory factor analysis and exploratory factor
analysis. The results confirms the existence of significant relationship between
self-congruity and perception of consumers towards the product. As this study is
conducted in Islamic state so religious perception an important factor to consider.
Religious perceptions alter individual choices and A product that comply with the
image of consumer i.e, does not violate any of the religious obligations is
considered of better quality. Further it has been discussed that in restaurant
business designing restaurant according to local culture can influence the
perception of consumers. Also employees are one of the most important element
in stimulating the consumer perceptions because they are the ones who interact.
Higly trained personnel with excellent communication skills to comfort the guests
and solve their queries on their own can create a higher quality perception.
Lu & Xu (2015) investigates the relationship between self congruity,
perceived quality and brand association towards sports wear brand on brand
loyalty of Chinese consumers. A total of 333 college students participated in the
research. Structural equation modeling and confirmatory factor analysis was used
to analyze the data collected from the respondents. The outcomes of the study
suggests that self conguity directly and significantly impacts perceived quality of
brand. When the congruity between self image and brand is strong the quality
perception of the product is high which generates brand loyalty towards the
product. It is suggested that managers should work towards creating a strong
brand image. The image of the brand should highlight attributes that consumers
can relate with. This helps in creating a higher quality of perception towards the
sports wear brand.
Esmaeilpour (2015) carried out a research study to measure the impact of
perceived quality, congruence, prestige and tribalism on brand loyalty and
attitude. To test the hypotheses 450 questionnaires were received from the
students of Islamic Azad University Tehran. The data was tested by using linear
structural relations. Personality congruence is found to be significantly related to
perceived quality. A brand consistent with the self image of the consumer is
perceived to be of high quality. A manager can identify the charactersitics of
different personalities through conducting market research. Identifying the
personality traits will help the managers in building strong brand personality. The
brand personality should be consistent with the personality traits of target
consumers. The congruence between the brand and consumer will help in
generating positive attitude towards the brand. These traits should be promoted
through different mediums such as advertising and public relations.
H3: Brand familiarity positively influences perceived quality.
Dursun et al., (2011) investigate the effect of risk, quality, familiarity and
shelf space on purchase intention of consumers in Turkey. The researchers carried
out a survey related to purchase intention of four consumers goods including
milk, napkin, olive oil and dish washing powder. The sample comprises of 173
graduate students. The data collected was analyzed through confirmatory factor
analysis. The outcomes of the analysis indicates that brand familiarity has
significant impact on perceived quality of the brand. It is important for managers
to create awareness of their brand among consumers through in-store sampling,
promotional activities, advertising and additional information about the brand in
order to become more familiar because when consumer has adequate information
about the product through trial they tend to buy the product. High familiarity leads
to high quality perception which in turn increases the purchase intention of
consumers.
Schnurr, Brunner-Sperdin & Stokburger-Sauer (2017) examine the effect
of context attractiveness on product attractiveness and product quality. Brand

familiarity is used as a moderator. The data was assembled from 194 European
students and was analyze by using multivariate analysis of variance. From the
results it is evident that products that familiar doenot impact the quality
perception of the product. The researchers declare that when an unfamiliar
product is placed in an attractive setting it is perceived as higher in quality as
compare to familiar product placed in attractive setting. That is because consumer
already has strong previous perception about the familiar product and putting it in
the attractive doesnot make any significant difference.
Gonzalez, Maria, & Trespalacios (2006) analyzes the impact of
experience, familiarity, reliance and self confidence on perceived quality and risk
between store brands and national brands. Research was carried out by
distributing questionnaires among the participants. A total of 436 questionnaires
were received for the kitchen rolls brand and 422 questionnaires were received for
shampoo brand. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to analyze the collected
data. The results supported the proposed hypothesis and approves that brand
familiarity has positive influence on perceived quality of store brand as compare
to national brands. When consumer are familiar with the brand they are well
aware of the quality of the brand and has positive perception of the quality.
Because of this they can easily distinguish between store brands and national
brands and risk perceived by the consumer is very low. The store managers are
advised to build a distinct brand image to enhance familiarity of their store brands
among shoppers. From the results it is observed that most of the consumers avoid
store brands because they are inexpensive as compare to national brands which
creates a perception of low quality product. So managers should explain the
reason for low cost and should try to create a positive image of store brands
among consumers.
Sheau-Fen, Sun-May & Yu-Ghee (2012) examines the relationship
between perceived risk, familiarity and perceived quality on purchase intention of
store brand. Age moderates the relationship between the variables. The sample
was collected from 220 repondents in two hyper markets in Malaysia. For
analysis confirmatory factor analysis was used. The results from the analysis
approves that brand familiarity exerts a positive impact on perceived quality of
store brands. It is recommended that the managers should employ different
marketing tactics to increase the familiarity of store brands among shoppers. This
can be done through in store displays where representatives can guide current and
potential consumers about the attributes of the product and other related
information and benefits they will receive. Also placing the brand on premium
location in the store can increase familiarity of the brand. All these can help in
building a positive perception of the brand in terms of quality.
Banovic et al., (2012) inspects the relationship between brand familiarity
and perceived quality of beef. The data was collected in a supermarket in Potugal
from a sample of 300 respondents. For analysis confirmatory factor analysis was
used. From the results it is obvious that consumers that are highly familiar with
the brand assess the quality of the beef by considering the color. Whereas
consumers that are less familiar with brand consider only the brand for analyzing
the quality of the beef. This suggests that those who are familiar with the product
has more insights about the brand and evaluate it more deeply by considering
more intrinsic cues. Whereas, less familiar consumers consider more extrinsic
cues. It is suggested that managers should increase the brand familiarity in order
to compete in the market with other brands because increase in familiarity will
increase perceived quality which will affect the intention to purchase.
Buil, Martínez & Chernatony (2013) analyzes relationship among brand
awareness, brand association, perceived quality, brand loyalty and brand equity.
Respondents from two European countries namely; UK and Spain particpated in
the research by filling the questionnaires related to three product categories (cars,
sportswear and electronics). The researchers received 607 valid questionnaires
from the respondents from both the countries. Structural equation modeling and
confirmatory factor analysis is used for analyzing the data collected. The results
of the analysis supports the hypothesis by stating that there is a positive impact of
brand awareness on perceived quality of products. The results of the study helps
the manager in identifying factors that directly impact perceived quality and build
brand equity. More knowledge and awareness about the product creates a positive
image of the brand in the mind of the consumer which in turn perceived as high in
quality as compare to those product which are less familiar to the consumers.
H4: Brand familiarity positively influences purchase intention.
Lin (2013) evaluated the role of brand familiarity and brand fit on
purchase intention. The data was collected from a sample of 198 domestic
consumers of co-branded hotels in Taiwan. Confirmatory factor analysis was
performed to analyze the data. The results proved that brand familiarity has
significant impact on purchase intention of offerings of the hotel. Familiarity with
the two hotels that has co branded influences the decision of the consumers. It is
observed that when consumers are well aware about the quality of services of the
hotel they possess more positive attitude towards the hotel and when that hotel is
co branded with other hotel, consumers perceive the same because of the high
familiarity and strong brand fit among the two co-branded hotels. It is suggested
that when a hotel plans to combine with another hotel to create a distinct entity it
is necessary that the manager should consider the familiarity of other brand
among the consumers and fit between the two entities because a loose fit may
leads to negative image in the mind of the consumers for both the hotels.
Simoes & Agante (2014) studied the impact of event sponsorship on
purchase intention and brand image of children in Portugal. Brand familiarity and
product involvement are used as moderator in the study to determine the strength
of the relationship between the variables. A sample of 334 children aged between
7 to 11 years participated in the survey. The data was analyzed through SPSS by
performing descriptive statistics. Researchers realized that they can create a brand
image in the mind of the children for non-familiar products through sponsorship
which will impact their purchase decision. Whereas for familiar brands
sponsorship doesnot make any difference because of the previous information
consumers have in their mind regarding the product. But this is only the
perspective of children the case might be entirely different for teenagers and
adults. So the marketers need to consider all the possible aspects before designing
advertisements and sponsorship programs.
Yu, Cho & Johnson (2017) examined the effect of brand familiarity and
brand loyalty on imagery elaboration and purchase intention of apparel. The data
was collected from a sample of 403 women in America and was analyzed by
using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. From the
results it is apparent that brand familiarity does not directly impact online
purchase intention. But there is an indirect impact of brand familiarity on
purchase intention mediated by imagery elaboration. It is recommended that
managers should use vitual applications to facilititate consumers so that they can
actually feel how a particular product will look when they wear it. Virtual images
and 360 degree view of the product backed by ample information about the
product will lead to positive consumer attitude towards the brand because of the
increase brand familiarity. Also using social media to promote virtual products of
the brand may bring positive reponse towards the brand.
Wu & Jang (2014) investigates the impact of awarness of ISO certified
mineral water products on perceived quality, brand preference, brand image,
brand attitude and purchase intention. A total of 496 questionnaires were filled by
the particpants in China. The data collected through survey was analyzed by using
structural equation modeling. It confirms that when a cosnumer is well aware
about the ISO certification of mineral water products the quality perception of the
product is higher. To develop a better perception of their product the concerned
authorities should work on passing the ISO certification standard this will help
them in creating a positive and reliable image of their product in the market.
When the quality standards are matched this will indirectly impact brand
preference, brand image, brand attitude and purcahse intention of consumers.
Park & Stoel (2005) examine the relationship between brand familiarity,
information related to product available on website and previous experience of
shopping apparel online on perceived risk and purcahse intention. The data was
collected from 166 college students in United States and was analyzed by using
multivariate analysis of variance. The results drawn from the analysis stated that
when a consumer is familiar with the brand offered by the website the intention to
purchase the brand from that particular website is higher than a brand that is less
familiar to the consumers. Cosumers evaluate a brand based on the prior

information they possess about a brand so brand familiraity plays a vital role in
making purchase decisison. Managers need to make the product available on the
website more familiar to the consumers through advertising and word of mouth to
generate more positive attitude towards the website.
Yunus & Rashid (2016) examines the impact of country of origin, brand
familiarity and perceived quality on purchase intention in Malayisan mobile
market. The questionnaires were distributed among 200 particpants. The data
collected was analyzed by performing pearson correlation. The results of the
study states that there is a significant relationship between brand familiarity and
purchase intention. Higher brand familiarity influences consumers attitude,
behavior and choices. Because of growing economy consumers have become
more familiar with the chinese brands and because of the increase in familiarity
consumers trust those brands and intend to purchase mobiles from China.
Osman & Subhani (2010) measured the impact of brand awareness on
purchase intention and repurchase intention, where consumer perception mediates
the relationship between them. Questionnaires were distributed among consumer
who are frequent buyers of tetra pack milk. Data was collected from 280
respondents residing in Karachi. For analysis Pearson chi-square method is used.
From the results it is evident that in case of milk brand familiarity does not impact
the purchase intention of consumer because it is low involvement product so
consumer can easily switch and buy any brand that is available at the store.
Managers are recommended to make their distribution network strong by making
their product available at all the stores to prevent cosumers from switching. Also
they should identify and advertise the differentiation in their milk brand by
associating it with something desirable to make consumer remember the brand
and prefer it because of unique image in consumer mind.
Malik et al., (2013) explores the effect of brand awareness and brand
loyalty on intention to purchase. A sample of 220 respondents belonging to
different cities of Punjab contributed in the research by filling out questionnaires.
The respondents were selected based on the fact that either they purchase fabric or
readymade garments from the market. Results were generated by analysing the
data through descriptive statistics and regression analysis. The outcomes from the
analysis indicates that brand awareness is strongly related to purchase intention.
In clothing industry there is a need to enhance the brand awareness to encourage
consumer to purchase from a particular brand and stay loyal to it. This can be
done by effective communication through advertisements which make target
consumer aware about the brand.
Hutter et al., (2013) assess the relationship between annoyance, word of
mouth, commitment, awareness and purchase intention of consumer to buy MINI
car by reviewing information through their Facebook page. An online survey was
conducted by sharing questionnaire link on official facebook page of MINI cars.
A total of 311 questionnaires were considered valid for evaluation. The data
collected was then analyzed by using structural equation modeling through
AMOS. The results of the study proposes that awareness about the brand has
significant impact on consumer intention to purchase. In case of MINI cars,
consumers positively review all the information available on their official
facebook page and shape their decision to purchase the car. Information
communicated through social media helps the manager in placing the product and
its attributes in consumer mind which help them whenever they decides to
purchase the product in future.
H5: Perceived quality positively influences purchase intention.
Tsiotsou (2006) inspects the impact of perceived quality and overall
satisfaction on purchase intention. A total of 197 university students participated
in the survey by filling out questionnaires. The data collected was then analyzed
by using structural equation modeling. The results of the research confirms that
perceived product quality influences the purchase decision of consumers.
Managers need to keep track of the changing quality standards and should utilize
them in advertisements of the product and other promotional campaigns because
consumers get most of the information about the product through the
advertisements so this can be used to enhance the perceived quality of the
product. The advertisements should focus on describing the attributes of the

product its usage and benefits consumer will get from it. This also helps in
building better quality perception in consumer’s mind.
Tariq et al., (2013) explores how purchase intention is affected by brand
image, product quality, product knowledge, product involvement, product
attributes and brand loyalty in context of FMCG products in Pakistan. A sample
of 362 university students was gathered and the data collected through
questionnaires was then analyzed through Pearson correlation coefficient. The
proposed hypothesis was accepted and approves that there exist a significant
relationship between perceived quality of product and purchase intention of
consumer. The researchers observed that the relationship is significant but not
very strong. The reason behind this is deceptive marketing techniques,
exaggeration in attributes and making false depiction of the products. The
managers does not give much importance to what message is conveyed to the
audience. They need to make sure to deliver what they convey through their
advertisements. And should focus on providing quality driven by the standard of
the consumers in order to increase purchase intention of consumers.
Flanagin et al., (2014) analyze the effect of information credibility and
product quality on purchase intention. The data was collected online from the
sample of 2139 internet users in United States. Multivariate analysis of covariance
is performed on the gathered data to test the hypotheses. The outcomes indicate
that higher perceived quality of product tends to generate higher purchase

intention. Most of the consumers agree that they search for information on
internet and find information available online more credible than any other
sources. The credibility shows the importance of user ratings. More credible
website are pereived as high in quality that increases the purchase intention of
consumers.
Sadeghi et al., (2017) investigates the influence of service climate on
intention to visit hotel in presence of perceived quality of service and quality of
relationship. The sample was collected from 200 hotel visitors and 200 hotel staff.
The data was analyzed by performing confirmatory factor analysis and structural
equation modeling. The results of the study support the hypothesis that perceived
quality of service has direct significant relationship with intention to visit hotel.
The managers of the hotel are advised to enhance the service climate to the extent
that it matches the consumer perspective of quality. Also feedback from the
visitors before leaving the hotel is very useful for improving the quality of
services. Employees are the ones who interact with consumers so management
needs to motivate them by giving them reward, train them and involve them in
decision making to come up with innovate ideas to serve visitors. Hotel staff
needs to have communication skills and ample knowledge in case if they want to
solve any problem immediately. All these increase the perceived quality of
service.
Vo & Nguyen (2015) explains the effect of perceived risk and familiarity
on perceived quality and purchase intention of private label in Vietnam. 380
repsondents participated in the research by filling out the questionnaires.
Structural equation modeling, exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor
analysis are used to analyze the data collected. The outcomes prove that purcahse
intention is directly influenced by perceived quality of private label products. The
researchers identified that perceived quality, perceived performance and physical
risk are most important factors that influence the purchase intention of private
labels. Cues such as store image influences the perceived quality which in turn
effect purcahse intention. Managers should continuously work to imrove the
quality of the products to meet the consumer expectations and to differentiate
themselves from competing brands. Awareness should be created about the
product through public relation activities in order to boost consumer confidence
and create strong brand image.
Zabkar, Brencic & Dmitrovic (2010) discuss the impact of attributes,
perceived quality and visitor satisfaction on behavioral intention to visit a tourist
destination. The data was collected from the visitors staying in different hotels of
Slovenia. A total of 1056 tourist staying at resorts and hotels particpated in the
research. Structural equation modeling and confirmatory factor analysis was run
to test the hypotheses. The results show that quality perception of the tourist
destination in the mind of the consumer directly and positively impacts their
decision and they intends to visit the destination. From the research some of the
factors were highlighted that impacts the perceived quality of the destination. One
of the strongest factors was behavior of local people towards the visitors. So it is
recommended that these factors can be controlled that will help the country in
attracting more tourist which will boost the economy of the country.
Lee et al., (2008) elucidates the influence of perceived quality, brand
consciousness and emotional value on intention to purchase the US clothing
brands in Mexico. The data was collected from 256 students studying in different
colleges in Mexico to identify the factors that persuade them to purchase US
clothing brands. The data was analyzed through structural equation modeling,
confirmatory factor analysis and exploratory factor analysis. The results of the
research presents that perceived quality of the product negatively effect the
purchase intention of consumer. The reason behind negative relation is very
evident that Mexican consumer prefer local brands more than expensive US
brands because they are more affordable and familiar to them. Also the demand
for locally manufactured brands is really high which create hinderance for US
brands and retailers to capture or increase their market share. US brands entering
in Mexican clothing market is recommended to advertise themselves using local
brand ambassadors because they praise domestic brands and people more. In this
way they can easily connect with the audience and capture the market.
Kuo, Wu & Deng (2009) inspects the influence of service quality,
perceived value of mobile added services and customer satisfaction on post-
purchase intention in Taiwanese mobile market. A total of 387 students enrolled
in 15 different universities in Taiwan partipated in the resaerch by filling the
questionnaire. Structural equation modleing and exploratory factor analysis were
run for nalayzing the data. The outcomes of the study propose that service quality
of the mobile network does not impact the purchase intention of consumer. But
there was an indirect impact of service quality on purchase intention through
perceived value and satisfaction of user. Value emerged as more important factor
than service quality because consumer are more concerned about what they are
getting for money they are paying rather than just the quality.
A research carried out by Knight & Kim (2007) measures the
association amongst uniqueness, quality perception towards brand and intention to
purchase US clothing brands in Japanese market. The sample consists of 175
university students studying in two japanese universities. For analysis structural
equation modeling was run for statistical results. The outcomes makes it evident
that perceived quality of brand has negative impact on consumer intention to
purchase US clothing brands. Japanese consumers are considered more inclined
towards their social norms and individuality so they prefer brands based on
emotional value rather than its quality. Brands that provide them uniqueness and
differentiated personality are more appreciated and bought rather than buying
prestigious brands. International brands are recommended to design clothing
styles that are consistent with their personality giving them a sense of
individuality.
H6: Gender moderates the relationship between Self-congruity and Purchase
Intention
Jeong & Jang (2017) explains the effect of self-image congruity of
restaurant customer on the relationship between promotionals ads of the restaurant
and intention of consumer to revisit the restaurant. Also it dellineates the effect
of information processing based on gender differences on the relationship
between self-image congruity and intention of consumer to re visit the restaurant.
The researchers conducted survey by distributing questionnaires among panel
members of a research company in United States. Analysis to variance test was
used to analyze the data collected from 959 respondents. Gender positively plays
the role of the moderator between self congruity and purchase intention of
consumer. Information processing of males and females is entirely different from
each other. In order to cater both the gender the restaurant manager should
highlight all the significant attributes of the restaurant keeping in mind both males
and females. Also they should employ advertising strategies that focuses on the
actual consumer to increase the congruity between self image and consumer
image.
Fugate & Phillips (2010) focus on studying the relationship among gender,
self-congruity, gender role perception and consumer response to congruity
between product and gender. The researcher selected sample from university
students. They were given questionnaires related to the study . A total of 492
filled and valid questionnaires were received. The data collected were than
analyzed through confirmatory factor analysis. The hypothesis confirms the
moderating effect of gender between self-congruity and purchase intention of
consumers. It is observed that consumers who are very concerned about the
congruity between self-image and product image are more likely to give
importance to congruity between product and gender roles. Male consumers are
more focused towards finding products that represents masculinity than female
consumers about choosing products that signifies feminity. It is suggested that
managers should clearly classify the products based on gender differences to grab
consumer attention specially in masculine products.
H7: Gender moderates the relationship between Perceived Quality and
Purchase intention
Borges, Babin & Spielmann (2013) evaluate the moderating role of gender
between image quality, price perception and purchase intention. The data was
collected from a sample of 209 university students. Hypotheses were tested by
using analysis of variance test. From the outcomes it can be concluded that female
oriented subjects show positive attitude in hedonic store atmosphere as compare
to males. Males show preference to utilitarian store atmosphere and consider such
stores of higher quality in comparison to hedonic atmosphere. Whereas females
consider stores with hedonic atmosphere more reliable and high in quality. It is
suggested to the retailers that hedonic environement stimulates female shoppers to
buy luxury brands and control the desire of getting discounts. This benefits the
retailers but it all depends on the type and interest of the consumers.
H8: Gender moderates the relationship between Brand Familiarity and
Purchase intention
Chiu et al., (2005) studied the moderating effect of gender on relationship
between personal innovativeness, perceived usefulness, personal awareness of
security and perceived ease of purchasing. Structural equation modeling and
mulivariate analysis of variance is used to analyze the data collected from 376
respondents who are customer of Taiwan’s largest internet provider. The results
proves that personal awareness about the security and quality of the website
influences the online purchase intention of male web user in comparison to female
users. Most of the female consumers does not feel comfortable in buying online
because of the difficulty in evaluating the product online. This can be improved
through word of mouth and effective advertising. Despite the fact that male
consumers prefer online transactions more than female consumers, still male
consumers need a sense of security because an online transaction that is secure is
highly appreciated by the consumers and they make repeat purchases.
2.3 Theoretical Framework
Figure 2.3 Theoretical Framework
The model explains the relationship between dependent and independent
variables. Here self-congruity, brand familiarity and perceived quality have direct
impact on purchase intention of consumer. Also self-congruity and brand
familiarity indirectly impacts purchase intention mediated through perceived

quality. Moreover gender moderates the relationship between self-congruity,
brand familiarity, perceived quality and purchase intention of consumers towards
fashion retail brands. Self-congruity theory given by Sirgy (1986) supports the
model by explaining how consistency between the self-image and brand image
creates a positive perception of the brand in the mind of the consumer which in
turn affects the purchase intention of consumers.

CHAPTER # 3
Methodology
3. Methodology
3.1 Research Approach
Research approach broadly specify the methods used by the researcher in
the study for data collection, data analysis and interpretation. There are three
types of research approaches, namely; quantitative, qualitative and mixed
approach. Quantitative research examines the relationship between variables with
the intent to test the theory. These variables are measured numerically and various
statistical techniques are used to analyze it. In qualitative research, theory is
developed by understanding the meaning of individual perception towards the
problem and the relationship between them. Mixed method research integrates
both quantitative and qualitative techniques to collect and analyse the data for
deeper understanding of the problem. For this study quantitative research
approach is used because the researcher tests the self-congruity theory and theory
of planned behavior by examining the relationship between self-congruity, brand
familiarity, perceived quality and purchase intention. Also one of the main
reasons of using quantitative approach is to generate unbiased data that is
applicable to larger population.
3.2 Research Purpose
Research purpose explains the motivation behind conducting a research.
There are three purpose of carrying out a research which includes; exploratory,
descriptive and explanatory research. Exploratory research begins with the idea or
theory that researcher wants to explore more about it because little or no literature
is available related to it. Whereas, descriptive research describes the profile of
group of people to identify their attitude and behavior towards a particular
subject. Lastly, explanatory research establishes a link between ideas to
understand the nature of relationship between the variables and the reason behind
the existance of the relationship. The purpose of this research is explanatory
because the study examines the relationship between self-congruity, brand
familiarity, perceived quality and purchase intention and test the hypotheses by
using statistical techniques.
3.3 Research Design
Correlational research design is used in this research because it measures
and investigates the relation between dependent and independent variables by
applying statistical techniques. This research aims to measure the presence and
nature of statistical relationship between self-congruity, brand familiarity,
perceived quality and purchase intention of consumer towards fashion brands.
3.4 Sampling Technique
This research uses convenience sampling technique that is a sub category
of non-probablity sampling technique to select sample from the target population.
There are number of different non-probablity sampling techniques from which

researcher can choose according to the appropriate sample size. For this research
convenience sampling is used because the researcher approaches sample that is
most conveniently avaliable and easily accessible.
3.5 Sample Size
Data will be collected from a sample of 400 respondents (Saunders, 2011)
residing and working in various firms in Karachi with minimum bachelors
qualification, to analyze the impact of independent variables on purchase
intention and to understand the moderating role of gender on the relationship
between them.
3.6 Data Collection Instrument
The tool used for collecting data from the sample is questionnaire. It
consist of statements related to three independent and one dependent variable that
will help the researcher in answering two research questions of this study.
Questionnaire is designed in a way that measures the impact of self-congruity,
brand familiarity and perceived quality on purchase intention of consumers based
on the five point likert scale. This scale ranges from 1 to 5. Where 1 represents
strongly disagree, 2 represents disagree, 3 represents neutral, 4 represents agree
and 5 represents strongly agree. The items of self-congruity were adopted from
study conducted by Sirgy et al. (1997); items of brand familiarity were adopted
from research carried out by Gonzalez, Maria & Trespalacios (2006) and items of
perceived quality were adopted from the research by Pappu & Quester (2006).
3.7 Statistical Technique
Structural equation modeling (SEM) is a multivariate data analysis
technique through which the researcher analyzes the multiple relationships
between variables. Structural equation modeling is bifurcate into two models;
measurement and structural. Meaurement model assess the relationship between
measured variable and its constructs whereas; structural model relates those
variables to one or more dependent variables. For this study the researcher uses
structural equation modeling by running confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and
path analysis through SMART PLS 3 to analyze the data collected from the
sample.
3.8 Operational Definition
3.8.1 Self-congruity
Self-congruity defines the extent to which concept held by consumer about
his own personality matches with the brand personality and image of the user of
that brand.
3.8.2 Brand Familiarity
Brand familiarity is the number of times consumer have interacted with
the brand in terms of using it or have gained information about it. It is overall
experience consumer have had with the brand. This leads to building brand image
in the mind of the consumer that helps them while making purchase decision.
3.8.3 Perceived Quality
Perceived quality is a verdict of consumer about the excellence and
supermacy of the product in comparison to its alternatives. The judgement of
quality depends on the consumer insight and what re factors that make a product
superior to others.
3.8.4 Purchase Intention
When a consumer is willing to purchase a product in future or whenever
need arises is known as purchase intention. Purchase inetntion is a strong
predictor of actual purchase behavior (Das, 2015).
3.9 Ethical Consideration
The privacy of the participants is prioritized by keeping their personal
information confidential and complete information related to the study is given to
the participants to avoid any ambiguity in the future. They are encouraged to
participate only when their full consent is attained and the responses are kept
anonymous.
CHAPTER # 4
Data Analysis
4. Data Analysis
4.1 Descriptive Analysis
Table 4.1 shows the descriptive profile of the respondents who
participated in the research by filling out the questionnaires. The sample size for
this research is 400 respondents with 100% response rate. Demographic variables
that were measured in this table include gender, marital status, age, education,
occupation and monthly income. These characteristics are observed to have better
understanding of our target audience and their individual preferences. As gender
is the moderator in this study so we questioned equal number of males and
females i.e, 200 each to understand the similarities and differences in their
opinions and choices. So, out 400 50% were males and 50% were females. Most
of the respondents were unmarried by obtaining the 63.8% (255 out of 400) of the
data while 36.3% (145 out of 400) were married. Majority of the respondents
were aged between 26 to 30 years making up to 68% (272 out of 400), followed
by 31-35 years with 15.8% (63 out of 400), below 25 years with 11.8% (47 out of
400), 36-40 years with 3.3% (13 out of 400) and 41-45 years with 1.3% (5 out of
400) of the total data. Almost 78.75% (315 out of 400) of the respondents held
Master’s degree. While others have obtained bachelors, MPhil and Ph.D. degrees,
percentage being 12% (48 out of 400), 5.75% (23 out of 400) and 3.5% (14 out of
400) respectively. The total sample comprises of 63.5% (254 out of 400) of office
workers, 19.8% (79 out of 400) professionals, 12.3% (49 out of 400) business
owners and 4.5% (18 out of 400) students. Monthly income of 26.3% (105 out of
400) of the respondent’s ranges between Rs. 41000 to 60,000, 23.3% (93 out of
400) earns between 61,000 to 80,000, 19% (76 out of 400) earns between 21,000
to 40,000, 17.3% (69 out of 400) earns between 81,000 to 100,000, 7.5% (30 out
of 400) earns below 20,000 and 6.8% (27 out of 400) earns more than Rs. 100,000
per month.
Table 4.1
Respondent Profile
Demographic Characteristics Category Frequency Percentage
Gender
Male 200 50.0
Female 200 50.0
Total 400 100
Marital Status
Married 145 36.3
Unmarried 255 63.8
Total 400 100.0
Age
Below 25 years 47 11.8
26-30 years 272 68.0
31-35 years 63 15.8
36-40 years 13 3.3
41-45 years 5 1.3
Total 400 100.0

Education
Bachelors 48 12.0
Masters 315 78.75
M.Phil 23 5.75
PhD 14 3.5
Total 400 100.0
Occupation
Student 18 4.5
Office Worker 254 63.5
Business 49 12.3
Professional 79 19.8
Total 400 100.0
Monthly Income
Less than 20,000 30 7.5
21,000-40,000 76 19.0
41,000-60,000 105 26.3
61,000-80,000 93 23.3
81,000-100,000 69 17.3
More than
27 6.8
100,000
Total 400 100.0
4.2 Model Measurement
The validity of measurement model is assessed by analyzing its goodness
of fit on the established acceptable levels and examining it to find the indication
of presence of construct validity. The term validity specifies that the data
collected by the researcher is appropriate for analysis and precisely measures
what it intended to measure (Thornhill & Saunders, 1997). The quality of the
research model is determined through three criterions. Valuation of path model is
carried out on three different levels; overall quality of measurement model,
quality of structural model and its structural regression equation used in the model
(Tenenhaus & Vinzi, 2005).
4.2.1 Convergent Validity
Convergent validity is recognized when there is presence of a strong
correlation between measurement items and its construct (Carmines & Zeller,
1979). High variance among all the indicators of the construct stipulates that there
is higher convergence. There is a set criterion for judging the establishment of
convergent validity. The average variance extracted should be higher than 0.5
(Fornell & Larcker, 1981), the chronbach’s alpha (Nunnally, 1978) and
composite reliability (Gefen, Straub & Boudreau, 2000) should be higher than 0.7
respectively. The table below represents the outcomes of the convergent validity
test:
Table 4.2
Convergent Validity Test
Average
Variance
Construc Cronbach's Composite
Item Loading Extracted
t Alpha Reliability
(AVE)
BF BF3 1.000 1.000 1.000 1.000

PI1 0.868
PI 0.727 0.879 0.784
PI2 0.903
PQ2 0.845
PQ 0.534 0.810 0.681
PQ3 0.806
SC1 0.847
SC2 0.857
SC SC3 0.870 0.918 0.938 0.753
SC4 0.895
SC5 0.869
The results indicate that the value of AVE for all the constructs is higher
than 0.5. Also the composite reliability for each variable is higher than the set
criterion i.e, 0.7. The cronbach’s alpha for three of the four constructs is above 0.7
indicating higher internal consistency. Whereas the cronbach’s alpha for
perceived quality is 0.534 poor internal consistencies between the items of the
construct. Brand familiarity loads only single item because of poor internal
consistency between the items (Hair, Hult, Ringle, & Sarstedt, 2016). From the
results it can be concluded that the scales used for brand familiarity, perceived
quality, self-congruity and purchase intention have convergent validity.
4.2.2 Discriminant Validity:
Discriminant validity measures the extent to which constructs that are not
intended to be related, differ from each other empirically (Hamid, 2017). There
are three criterion to evaluate the discriminant validity of the constructs namely;
Fornell & Larcker criterion, cross-loading and Heterotrait-monotrait (HTMT)
ratio.
The table of Fornell-Larcker criterion (1981) shows square root of
Average Variance Extracted (AVE) in diagonal pattern and the correlation
between the variables in off-diagonal areas. In this table the AVE of each variable
is compared with the shared variances between the variables to observe the
discriminant validity of the constructs. Discriminant validity is confirmed when
the values of diagonal elements is significantly larger than the off-diagonal
values. The outcomes of the Fornell-Larcker test were as following:
Table 4.3
Fornell-Larcker Criterion
BF PI PQ SC
BF 1.000 - - -
PI 0.276 0.886 - -
PQ 0.197 0.457 0.826 -
SC 0.216 0.460 0.280 0.868
Table 4.3 shows that value of each AVE on diagonal pattern are
considerably higher than the shared variances amongst the variables. Thus,
confirming the presence of discriminant validity (Fornell & Larcker, 1981).
The second criterion for examining discriminant validity is through cross
loading of the factors. It is confirmed when each factor loads highest value on the
construct they are assigned with than loading of remaining constructs (Fabrigar,
Wegener, MacCallum & Strahan, 1999). Table 4.4 shows the cross loadings:
Table 4.4
Cross Loading
BF PI PQ SC
BF3 1.000
PI1 0.868
PI2 0.903
PQ2 0.845
PQ3 0.806
SC1 0.847
SC2 0.857
SC3 0.870
SC4 0.895
SC5 0.869
The result of table 4.4 makes it apparent that each factor loading indicator
is highest on its assigned construct proving the existence of discriminant validity
(Gefen et al., 2000).
The third measure for examining the discriminant validity is Heterotrait-
monotrait (HTMT) ratio of correlation (Henseler, Ringle & Sarstedt, 2015).
According to this criterion value of indicator nearer to 1 represents that there is
lack of discriminant validity. For discriminant validity to be valid it is necessary
that the value of HTMT should be less than 0.9. If the value of any of the factor is
higher than 0.9 then discriminant validity is absent (Gold et al., 2001).
Table 4.5
Heterotrait-Monotrait Ratio (HTMT)
BF PI PQ SC
BF - - - -
PI 0.328 - - -
PQ 0.273 0.728 - -
SC 0.225 0.558 0.395 -
As all the HTMT values in table 4.5 is below 0.9, the standard proposed
by Gold et al., (2001). Thus presence of discriminant validity is approved.

4.3 Blind Folding
The predictive relevance of the model is observed by analyzing it through
Q2 statistics using Stone-Geisser Q-square Test (Stone, 1974, Geisser, 1974). The
model possesses predictive relevance when the value of Q2 is above zero because
it represents that the values are well reconstructed. Whereas, if the value of Q 2 is
less than zero it indicates that there is lack of predictive relevance in the model
(Fornell & Cha, 1994).
Table 4.6
Stone-Geisser Q-Square Test
Q² (=1-SSE/SSO) R2
PI 0.255 0.346
The value of Q-square for purchase intention in above table is 0.255 which
is higher than zero so it is confirmed that the model is fit for the analysis (Stone,
1974, Geisser, 1974). The value of R-square indicates that 34.6% of the variance
in purchase intention of consumer is explained by self-congruity, brand
familiarity and perceived quality of the brand.

4.4 Path Analysis
Path analysis is carried out to study the existence and significance of
casual relationship between the variables and to examine the impact of moderator
on the relationship between the variables. Here the analysis evaluates the
moderating impact of gender on the relationship between self-congruity, brand
familiarity, perceived quality and purchase intention.
The results of the analysis are given below in table 4.7:
Table 4.7
Path Coefficients
Standard
Sample P
Deviation
Mean (M) Values
(STDEV)
BF -> PI 0.138 0.047 0.004
BF -> PQ 0.146 0.047 0.002
Gender*BF -> PI 0.046 0.048 0.385
Gender*PQ -> PI 0.012 0.044 0.819
Gender*SC -> PI -0.038 0.052 0.497
PQ -> PI 0.322 0.039 0.000
SC -> PI 0.308 0.049 0.000
SC -> PQ 0.252 0.047 0.000
The outcomes of the test indicate that H1, H2, H3, H4 and H5 are accepted.
The P-values of BF->PI (0.004), BF->PQ (0.002), PQ->PI (0.000), SC-> PI

(0.000) and SC->PQ (0.000) are less than 0.05 specifying that all hypotheses are
accepted and there exist a significant relation between the variables. From the
results it also became evident that there is no moderating impact of gender on the
relationship between self-congruity, brand familiarity, perceived quality and
purchase intention. Therefore; H6, H7 and H8 are rejected and considered
insignificant because the p-values for all moderating effects are higher than 0.05.
Table 4.8
Specific Indirect Effects
Sample Mean (M) Standard Deviation P Values

(STDEV)
BF -> PQ -> PI 0.047 0.016 0.004
SC -> PQ -> PI 0.081 0.018 0.000
The p-value of BF -> PQ -> PI is 0.004 and SC -> PQ -> PI is 0.000,
which is less than 0.05. This indicates that perceived quality of the brand
positively influences the relationship between brand familiarity, self-congruity
and purchase intention of consumers. From the above results it is confirmed that
when there is no mediation the relationship between dependent and independent
variables is significant and when perceived quality mediates the relationship
between the variables the relationship is still significant. Hence, proving that
perceived quality partially mediates relationship between brand familiarity, self-
congruity and purchase intention of consumers
4.5 Discussion
This research aims to have better understanding on how self-congruity,
brand familiarity and perceived quality impacts purchase intention of consumers
towards fashion retail brands and analyzes whether gender acts as a moderator
between them or not. The results of the study made it apparent that H 1, H2, H3, H4
and H5 are accepted whereas H6, H7 and H8 are rejected, which implies that gender
does not moderates the relationship between self-congruity, perceived quality,
brand familiarity and purchase intention.
The first hypothesis studies the relationship between self-congruity and
purchase intention of consumers towards clothing brands. The results shows that
there is a significant relationship between the variables (P=0.000<0.05). Similar
results were observed in the studies carried out by Kwak & Kang (2009) and Li,
Wang & Yang (2011). Whereas Davis & Lang (2013) rejected the hypothesis.
The results of the study infers that chances of actual purchase behavior is higher
when there is congruence between personality of consumer and the brand
personality because when brand exhibits attributes that are appealing to
consumers they wants to get associated with it which leads to higher purchase
intention of consumers.
Second hypothesis examines the relationship between self-congruity and
perceived quality. The outcome of the study indicates that a significant
relationship exist between the variables (P=0.000<0.05). The hypothesis is
supported by Lu & Xu (2015) and Esmaeilpour (2015). The results of the study
specifies that consumer believes that the brands that are congruent to their self-
image are more reliable and better in quality because consumer think highly of
themselves and brands with similar attributes are perceived as high in quality.
Third hypothesis analyzes the relationship between brand familiarity and
perceived quuality. From the results it is implied that there is a positive
relationship between brand familaity and perceived quality (P=0.000<0.05). The
hypothesis is supported by Banovic et al. (2012) and Buil et al. (2013). The
findings of the study propose that when consumer are familiar with the brand they
are well aware of the quality of the brand and has positive perception of the
quality.
Fourth hypothesis is also accepted confirming that brand familiarity
significantly impacts purchase intention of consumers (P=0.032<0.05). The
findings are backed by the studies conducted by Lin (2013) and Yunus & Rashid
(2016) but the results are opposing in studies conducted by Osman & Subhani
(2010) and Yu et al. (2017). The outcomes suggests that higher brand familiarity
influences consumers attitude, behavior and choices and therefore increase the
purchase intention of consumer.
Fifth hypothesis examines the relationship between perceived quality and
purchase intention of consumers towards fashion brands. The result makes it
apparent that there is positive and significant relationship between the variables
(P=0.000<0.05). The studies that supported the relationship includes Flanagin et
al. (2014) and Sadeghi et al. (2017) and contrast with the study of Kuo et al.
(2009). Outcomes confirms that perceived quality positively influences purchase
intention because a brand that is considered superior in quality in comparison to
other brands is more preferred by consumers.
Sixth hypothesis studies the moderating effect of gender on the
relationship between self-congruity and purchase intention. The outcomes doesnot
support the hypothesis by rejecting that gender does not moderates the
relationship between the two variables (P=0.192>0.05). The results contrast from
study conducted by Jeong & Jang (2017) because brands in Pakistan position
themselves were differently for males and females. Brands that are specifically for
females will use cues to attract their attention. Similarly brands for males have
entirely different personality than female brands so both male and females can
easily assess the congruency between their personality and brand personality and
gender doesnot influence their decision.

Seventh hypothesis evaluates the moderating effect of gender on the
relationship between perceived quality and purchase intention. From the results it
is evident that the hypothesis is rejected that infers that gender does not moderates
the relationship between the variables (P=0.623>0.05). The results are opposing
to the study conducted by Borges et al. (2013) because opinion of males and
females in our society doesnot differ when it comes to the quality of the product.
Eighth hypothesis assess the moderating effect of gender on the
relationship between brand familiarity and purchase inetntion of consumers. The
results suggests that gender doesnot moderates the relationship between the
variables, thus rejecting the hypothesis (P=0.934>0.05). The results contrast from
the study conducted by Chiu (2005). This is because both males and females in
Pakistan always prefer brands that are familiar to them.

Figure 4.1
Path Model
CHAPTER # 5
Conclusion
5. Conclusion
5.1 Conclusion
This study intends to examine the extent to which self-congruity, brand
familiarity and perceived quality predicts the purchase intention of consumers
towards Pakistani fashion retail brands considering gender as a moderator. For the
analysis a total of 400 respondents residing in Karachi and working in different
organizations were surveyed through questionnaire. Hypotheses were developed
and tested by using structural equation modeling using Smart PLS software. The
results proposed that H1, H2, H3, H4 and H5 are accepted implying that there is
positive influence of self-congruity, brand familiarity and perceived quality on
purchase intention of consumers towards clothing brands in Pakistan. The result
also suggests that there is no moderating impact of gender on the relationship
between self-congruity, brand familiarity, perceived quality and purchase
intention. Thus, H6, H7 and H8 are rejected.
It is evident from the results that to attract more consumers towards a
brand the marketing team needs to work on establishing a distinct personality
because consumers in Pakistan evaluate brand personality and attributes before
making any purchase decision. Consumer prefer products that represents their
personality and self-concept in public. Chances of actual purchase behavior is
higher when there is congruence between personality of consumer and the brand
personality because when brand exhibits attributes that are appealing to
consumers they wants to get associated with it which leads to higher purchase
intention of consumers. Similarly from the results it is obvious that consumers
prefer products that are familiar to them and have positive perception of the brand
in their mind. Consumers in Pakistan hesitate to experiment in order to avoid risk
associated with it in terms of money and dissatisfaction. So they always search for
recommendations before trying out a brand that they are not familiar with. So
brands need to work on making themselves familiar to the audience through
advertising so that at least they have an image of the brand in their mind which
helps them in recognizing the brand while shopping. Both; self-congruity and
brand familiarity creates a perception related to the product in the mind of the
consumer that effect the purchase intention of consumer.
Consumers in Pakistan has similar views when it comes to making
purchase decisison whether it is male or female. Both gender prefer products that
are familiar to them or have experienced earlier. Similarly both men and women
prefer brands that are congruent with their self-image and represents their
perosnlaity in public. So gender doesnot effect the purchase intention of consumer
and they think in the similar way.

5.2 Recommendations
This study aims to analyze the factors that affect the purchase decision of
consumers and their preferences. So the sample size for this research is very small
and restricted only to people in Karachi working in different organizations. It is
recommended that for future the researchers should increase the sample size so
that results can be generalize more appropriately for the population. Also
consumers from other cities and cultures in Pakistan should also be included to
evaluate whether the results would be same or their opinions are different.
Increasing the sample size will also help in differences in the opinion of males
and females. Future researchers can also add more variables to the model to have
better understanding of the factors that attract consumers intention to purchase.
More constructs for each variable can be added by adding more questions in the
questionnaire to get deeper insights on the topic. This study only focuses on
fashion retail brands in Pakistan the results might differ for other categories so
more categories should be included in future research.
5.3 Implications
The objective of this study was to understand the factors that affect the
purchase intention of consumers and to identify the similarities and differences in
the opinions of the consumers. It is recommended that the managers should focus
on building strong brand image because consumer evaluates the perosnality and
search for the cues that matches with their self-image before making purchase
intention and if the personality of the brand is strong and possess attributes similar
to the target audience that intention to purchase the brand is higher. Also
manager can identify the charactersitics of different personalities through
conducting market research. Identifying the personality traits will help the
managers in building strong brand personality. The brand personality should be
consistent with the personality traits of target consumers. The congruence
between the brand and consumer will help in generating positive attitude towards
the brand. These traits should be promoted through different mediums such as
advertising and public relations.
From the results it is also very obvious that Pakistani consumers prefer
products that are familiar to them to achieve satisfaction so it is important for
managers to create awareness of their brand among consumers through in-store
sampling, promotional activities, advertising and additional information about the
brand in order to become more familiar because when consumer has adequate
information about the product through trial they tend to buy the product. High
familiarity leads to high quality perception which in turn increases the purchase
intention of consumers.
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Appendix
Appendix
Survey Questionnaire
Dear Respondent,
I am pursuing my MBA in Marketing from IQRA University, Karachi. I am

conducting this research to measure the impact of self-congruity, brand familiarity
and perceived quality on purchase intention of consumer towards fashion retail
brands.
A list of statements is given below related to the study variables. Please rate these
statements keeping in mind any fashion retail brand. I am requesting you to
participate in the study by answering the questionnaire it will hardly take your 2-3
minutes.
Please do not hesitate to share your personal information like age, income and
other details. Your information will be kept confidential and will not be misused
in any circumstances. Whatever you say on the questionnaire will not, in any way,
influence you.
I will appreciate your participation.
1 2 3 4 5
Strongly Disagree Neither Agree Agree Strongly
Disagree Nor Disagree Agree
Self-Congruity: SC1-SC5 (IV)
(Sirgy et al., 1997) 1 2 3 4 5
The retailer (retail store) is consistent with
SC1
how I see myself.
The retailer (retail store) reflects who I
SC2
am.
The image of the typical customer of this
SC3 retailer is congruent (consistent/identical)
with how I see myself.
The retailer (retail store) is a mirror image
SC4
of me.
I am quite similar to the typical customer
SC5
of this retailer (retail store).
Brand Familiarity: BF1-BF3 (IV)
(González, María & Trespalacios, 2006)
BF1 I have often purchased from the store
BF2 I am quite familiar with the store
BF3 I know the store well
Perceived Quality: PQ1-PQ4 (IV)
(Pappu & Quester, 2006)
The store offers products of very good
PQ1
quality
The store offer products of consistent
PQ2
quality
PQ3 The store offers very reliable products
The store offers products with excellent
PQ4
features
Purchase Intention: PI1-PI2 (DV)
(Shim et al., 2001)
I will shop from the store in the near
PI1
future
Whenever I need to buy something, it is
PI2 very likely that I will purchase from the
store
Select your current status
Gender Male Female
Marital Status Married Unmarried
Age Education Occupation Monthly

Household Income
(in PKR)
Below 25 Bachelor’s Student Less than 20,000
years
25-30 years Master’s Office Worker 21,000-40,000
31-35 years M.Phil. Business 41,000-60,000
36-40 years PHD Professional 61,000-80,000
41-45 years Other Housewife 81,000-100,000
46-50 years More than 100,000
Above 50
End of Survey

Thesis Defence - MKT Arooba Iqbal (7363) Final

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Thesis Defence - MKT Arooba Iqbal (7363) Final

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Linkages between self-congruity, brand familiarity, perceived quality and purchase

intention: A study of fashion retail brands

Arooba Iqbal (7363)

Department of Business Administration

The requirement for the

MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

This thesis has been

Accepted by the faculty

FACULTY OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

Dr. Syed Ali Raza

completion of this study.

Arooba Iqbal (7363)

1.2 Problem Statement.........................................................................................5

1.3 Research Objective........................................................................................6

1.4 Research Questions........................................................................................6

1.5 Significance of the study................................................................................7

1.6 Limitations of the study.................................................................................8

1.7 Structure of the study.....................................................................................8

2.1 Theoretical Background...............................................................................11

2.2 Empirical Reviews.......................................................................................13

3.1 Research Approach......................................................................................42

3.2 Research Purpose.........................................................................................42

3.3 Research Design...........................................................................................43

3.4 Sampling Technique....................................................................................43

3.5 Sample Size..................................................................................................44

3.6 Data Collection Instrument..........................................................................44

3.7 Statistical Technique....................................................................................45

3.8 Operational Definition.................................................................................45

3.8.2 Brand Familiarity..................................................................................45

3.8.3 Perceived Quality..................................................................................45

3.8.4 Purchase Intention.................................................................................46

3.9 Ethical Consideration...................................................................................46

4.1 Descriptive Analysis....................................................................................48

4.2 Model Measurement....................................................................................51

4.4 Path Analysis................................................................................................57

Table no Description Page no

4.1 Respondents Profile 49

4.2 Convergent Validity Test 52

4.3 Fornell-Larcker Criterion 53

4.4 Cross loading 54

4.5 Heterotrait-Monotrait Ratio (HTMT) 55

4.6 Stone-Geisser Q-Square Test 56

4.7 Path Coefficients 57

4.8 Specific Indirect Effects 58

Figure No. Description Page No

2.3 Theoretical framework 39

4.1 Path Model 62

intention of consumer towards fashion retail brands. This research attempts to

measure the extent to which self-congruity, brand familiarity and perceived

moderates the relationship between them. Structured questionnaires were

distributed among 400 respondents residing in Karachi, Pakistan. Structural

between self-congruity, brand familiarity, perceived quality and purchase

opportunity to understand the brand personality and strong brand personality

associated with those brands. Managerial implications and recommendations are

Keywords: self-congruity, brand familiarity, perceived quality, purchases

increase in competition, it has become extremely important for marketers to

understand the consumer-brand relationship and analyze the factors that

influences consumer’s intention of purchasing fashion brands because it

brands have greatly transformed because with so many options available

Purchase intention predicts what consumer might buy in future depending

It is a promise that a consumer makes to one’s self to purchase a specific brand at

higher desire of a consumer to buy a product. A consumer intends to purchase a

consumer intention to purchase is important to boost the sales of particular brand