THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES ON

COLLEGE STUDENTS' CONSUMPTION PATTERNS

BY

Medha Mishra

TU Regd No: 7-2-25-1509-2014

Exam Roll no.: 14380/14

A Summer Project Report Submitted to

Faculty of Management, Tribhuvan University

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

Bachelor of Business Administration

at the

Nepal Commerce Campus

Tribhuvan University

New Baneshwor

April 6, 2018
 Letter of Approval
This summer project entitled "The impact of social networking sites on college students'
consumption pattern" has been submitted by "Medha Mishra" for final examination to the
faculty of management, Tribhuvan University, in fulfillment of the requirement for the
degree of BBA. The research committee of this campus has found this summer project
report satisfactory in scope and quality and has therefore forwarded for examination.

Asso. Prof. Dr. Prakash Neupane

Chairman

BBA Research Committee

ii
 STUDENT'S DECLARATION
This is to certify that I have completed the Summer Project entitled "The impact of
social networking sites on college students' consumption pattern” under the guidance of
“Mr.Bharat Rai” in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of
Business Administration at Faculty of Management, Tribhuvan University. This is my
original work and I have not submitted it earlier elsewhere.

Date:

Signature:

Name: Medha Mishra

iii
CERTIFICATE FROM THE SUPERVISOR
This is to certify that the summer project entitled “The impact of social networking sites
on college students' consumption pattern” is an academic work done by Medha Mishra
submitted in the partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of
Business Administration at Faculty of Management, Tribhuvan University under my
guidance and supervision. To the best of my knowledge, the information presented by
him/her in the summer project report has not been submitted earlier.

______________________

Signature of the Supervisor

Name: Bharat Rai

Designation:

Date:

iv
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
My outmost gratitude goes to the Tribhuvan University for including this Project Work in
the syllabus of BBA, which I think is very helpful in developing practical knowledge of
the student. This report aims to examine the impact of social networking sites on college
students' consumption pattern.

I have tried my best to present the subject matter in a most simple and easily
understandable form. The persons who remained source of inspiration and
encouragement to present this report deserve to be acknowledged in the right earnest. I
am thankful to the people who kindly contributed their time for the completion of this
report.

Finally, my deepest appreciation goes to Mr. Bharat Rai, Professor Dr. Jeevan Kumar
Bhattarai, Asso. Professor Dr.Prakash Neupane, Mr. Chandra Dip Lamichhane and Mr.
Surya Devkota whose guidance gave me support to accomplish this task.

Thank you!

Medha Mishra

April, 2018

v
 Table of Contents

Cover Page i
Letter of Approval ii
Letter of Approval ............................................................................................................ ii
STUDENT'S DECLARATION ...................................................................................... iii
CERTIFICATE FROM THE SUPERVISOR .............................................................. iv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................. v
Table of Contents ............................................................................................................. vi
List of Tables .................................................................................................................. viii
List of Figures ................................................................................................................... ix
Executive Summary .......................................................................................................... x
CHAPTER I ...................................................................................................................... 1
INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................. 1
1.2 Context Information .................................................................................................. 1
1.2 Purpose of the Study ................................................................................................. 2
1.3 Significance of the study........................................................................................... 2
1.4 Literature Survey ...................................................................................................... 2
1.5 Research Methods ..................................................................................................... 3
1.5.1 Research Design................................................................................................. 3
1.5.2 Population .......................................................................................................... 4
1.5.3 Sample Size........................................................................................................ 4
1.5.4 Sample Method .................................................................................................. 4
1.5.5 Source of Data.................................................................................................... 4
1.5.6 Data Collection Instruments .............................................................................. 4
1.5.7 Data Analysis Tools ........................................................................................... 5
CHAPTER II ..................................................................................................................... 6
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS .................................................................. 6
2.1 Respondent's Profile ................................................................................................. 6
2.1.1 Gender of Respondents ...................................................................................... 6
2.1.2 Age ..................................................................................................................... 7
Figure 2.2 Working status of respondents ...................................................................... 9
2.2 Data Presentation and Analysis ................................................................................ 9

vi
 2.2.1 Facebook Usage ................................................................................................. 9
2.2.2 Frequency of checking facebook of respondents ............................................. 10
2.2.3. Number of friends on facebook ...................................................................... 11
2.2.4 Number of companies/businesses liked on facebook ...................................... 13
2.2.5 Frequency of shopping at the stores liked on facebook ................................... 14
2.2.6 Frequency of receiving information from companies liked on Facebook ....... 15
2.2.7 Opinion of respondents regarding the main cause triggering the online
shopping among students .......................................................................................... 15
2.2.8 Measurement of Impact of Social Networking Sites ....................................... 16
2.2.9 Respondents comments or additional information or suggestions on impact of
social networking sites on college students' consumption pattern ............................ 21
2.3 Findings and Discussion ......................................................................................... 22
CONCLUSION AND ACTION IMPLICATIONS ..................................................... 23
3.1 Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 23
REFERENCES
Annex- A Questionnaire .....................................................................................................
Annex-B: Mean Calculation...............................................................................................

vii
 List of Tables

Table 2.1 Composition of Respondents based on Gender 6

Table 2.2 Composition of Respondents Based on Age 7
Table 2.3 Composition of Respondent Based on Working Status 8
Table 2.4 Facebook Usage of respondents 9
Table 2.5 Frequency at which respondents check their Facebook account 10
Table 2.6 Number of friends on Facebook 12
Table 2.7 Number of companies/businesses liked on Facebook 13
Table 2.8 Frequency of shopping at stores liked on Facebook 14
Table 2.9 Frequency of receiving information from pages liked on Facebook 15
Table 2.10 Opinion of respondents regarding main cause triggering online
shopping among college students 16
Table 2.11 Measurement of impact of social networking sites on consumption
pattern 16

viii
 List of Figures

Figure 2.1 Composition of Respondents Based on Age 8

Figure 2.2 Composition of Respondents Based on Working Status 9
Figure 2.3 Facebook Usage 10
Figure 2.4 Frequency at which respondents check their Facebook account 11
Figure 2.5 Number of friends on Facebook 12
Figure 2.6 Number of companies/businesses liked on Facebook 13
Figure 2.7 Frequency of shopping at stores liked on Facebook 14
Figure 2.8 Opinion of respondents regarding more female consumer shopping
online than males 17
Figure 2.9 Opinion of respondents regarding liking and visiting pages
recommended by friends 18
Figure 2.10 Opinion of respondents regarding frequent checking of Facebook
and exposure to different pages and their promotions 19
Figure 2.11 Opinion of respondents regarding the attractive sales and offers
encourages to buy online products 20

ix
 Executive Summary
The research is about the impact of social networking sites on college students'
consumption pattern. The general objective of conducting this research is to analyze the
impact of social networking sites on college students' buying habit. The specific
objectives are to examine the view of college students, social media usage frequency and
effect of word of mouth advertising.
For the completion of this research, 100 samples were taken. The data was collected
through structured questionnaire.
This research study examines the effect of social media, particularly Facebook, on the
purchasing habits of college students. Moreover, the research also examines the role of
gender and social media usage frequency on consumption patterns. Findings revealed that
Facebook is being used to obtain sales information and promotions. Furthermore, gender
has an impact on social networking sites. Additionally, this study found the higher the
frequency of social media usage the more likely customers are to shop at the businesses
they have befriended.

x
 CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION

1.2 Context Information

Social media is a popular trend today, especially among college students. Businesses are
always looking for new ways to reach customers, especially ones readying to enter the
work force. This study examines the impact of social media on the buying habits of
college students.
Several past research studies have focused on the effects of electronic word-of-mouth
communication on consumer behavior. Hu, Liu, & Zhang (2008) discovered a positive
relationship between products with good online reviews and the sales of that product. The
more a reviewer was exposed to the product and the more credibility the reviewer had the
more influential the individual’s feedback became. This word-of-mouth communication
had an impact on potential buyers’ decisions.
The companies use social media sites to communicate directly with the customer, as
companies are able to increase brand loyalty, create sales leads, and increase publicity
through this medium. Furthermore, social media sites are being used for marketing
research by both companies and customers in addition; customers obtain and investigate
companies and brands on social media websites
The purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of social media, particularly Facebook ,
on students’ consumption patterns. This report also examines if the role of social media
on consumption patterns differs between genders. For example, are males or females
more likely to use promotions offered by companies they have befriended or follow? The
final research question seeks to determine whether or not word-of-mouth
recommendations made via social media platforms have varying impacts based on usage
frequency. This research question analyzes the number of times student check their social
media accounts and the frequency they use the promotions offered.

1
1.2 Purpose of the Study
The major purpose of the study is to analyze the impact of facebook on buying habit of
college students.

The other specific purposes of study are streamlined as follows:

 To examine the role of social media on consumption patterns between male and
female.
 To identify the impact of word-of-mouth to purchase the product from social
networking.
 To examine the impact of frequency of facebook usage.

1.3 Significance of the study

The main purpose of the survey is to analyze the impact of social media, particularly
Facebook, on students’ consumption patterns. This study is focused on assessing the
students in terms of "consumption patterns". This study will be significant in the
following grounds:
 It will be useful in creating most favorable type of advertisement and publicity
patterns to influence the perspective customers buying habit.
 Deeper understanding of consumption patterns of customers can help managers to
design marketing strategy that will concentrate on customers.
 It will be a valuable reference for scholars and researchers to conduct further
similar research.

1.4 Literature Survey

Recent trends show that social media usage has increased. One of the most well-known
social media sites is Facebook. This site currently boasts 2.13 billion active users, and
over 50% of active users log on to the site every day (Facebook, 2018). Members are able
to connect with friends on the site. There are 1.15 billion daily active users. Facebook
users are 76% female and 66% male.

2
Many studies have supported the idea that a positive correlation exists between online
product reviews and sales (Hu, Liu, & Zhang, 2008). In 2008, Hu, Liu, and Zhang tested
the idea that products with favorable reviews sell better than products with unfavorable
reviews. In addition, Hu et al. sought to determine whether the quality of the reviewer
(reviewer appears more reliable) would influence the effectiveness of the review. By
analyzing reviews found on Amazon.com’s Web Service, Hu et al. (2008) discovered
statistically significant differences in sales between products that had favorable and
unfavorable online reviews. These findings are important because they show electronic
word-of-mouth communications do influence consumers, though the influence may be
moderated by other factors (Hu et al., 2008). Managers who are seeking to improve
electronic word-of-mouth communications would be better served by targeting the
influential reviewers, as their reviews will be given greater consideration (Hu et al.,
2008).Early research on social media focused on understanding the characteristics of
individuals who used this communication medium
A similar study conducted by Hyllegard, Ogle, Yan, and Reitz (2011) sought to
understand students’ motivation in using Facebook and fanning, or liking, particular
brands on the social networking site. The researchers found students use the site to
establish personal connections with others and use the site to create affiliations with
brands that define who they are and help them establish a sense of self (Hyllegard et al.,
2011).

1.5 Research Methods

This section discusses about the research methods that includes research design, study of
population, sampling method, sample size, nature of the data, data collection instruments
and data analysis tools. Each of them has been explained as follows:

1.5.1 Research Design

The study is based on the structured questionnaire which has been developed and
distributed to the target respondents to get the opinion about the various issues regarding
the impact of facebook on college students' consumption pattern. The information
received has been tabulated and appropriate statistical tools have been applied to analyze
the impact of social networking sites. So the research design is descriptive in nature.

3
1.5.2 Population
The population for this study is comprised of all students of university taking different
courses who use social networking sites. For this purpose convenience sampling method
is used as to make our research more simple and efficient. Samples of the students of
NCC BBA are chosen for our research. To gather the primary information on preference
of consumers, questionnaire survey was conducted with 100 respondents (25 students of
each semester).

1.5.3 Sample Size

For this purpose convenience sampling method is used as to make our research more
simple and efficient. Samples of the students of NCC BBA are chosen for our research.
To gather the primary information on preference of consumers, questionnaire survey was
conducted with 100 respondents (25 students of each semester).

1.5.4 Sample Method

Due to the high limitation of time and resources, convenience sampling method has been
used to complete this report. This study is complete by collecting data from NCC BBA
students with 100 respondents (25 students of each semester).

1.5.5 Source of Data

The present study is basically conducted based on primary data and there is less use of
secondary data. Depending on the nature of data and information following sources have
been utilized:

i. Primary Source: Structured questionnaires have been used as the primary source of data
collection.
ii. Secondary Source: Various internet sites, previous similar research works, Journals,
relevant books have been used as a source of collecting secondary data.

1.5.6 Data Collection Instruments

This research is based on primary data which was collected with the help of structured
questionnaire. It contains a rigid set of questions and the respondents were asked to
answer the question. Data were collected using a survey Questionnaire containing:

4
 o Rank order question
o Closed end questions
o Likert scale questions
o Respondents’ personal information.

1.5.7 Data Analysis Tools

In this study, collected data are analyzed using descriptive tools. They are used in the
research in order to draw out the reliable conclusion. The various data analysis tool that
are used are frequency, percentage, pie-chart and bar diagram, measures of central
tendency. Likert scale has been used to measure the impact of facebook on college
students' consumption pattern.

5
 CHAPTER II
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
This chapter presents and analyzes the primary data collected through structured
questionnaire from NCC BBA students. The questionnaires were distributed to 100
people out of which all 100 were responded. The collected data was sorted, classified,
tabulated and presented in the form of tables, charts, graphs and bar diagrams for the
purpose of drawing conclusion.

This chapter shows the respondent's profile, data presentation and analysis and findings
and discussion which are discussed below:

2.1 Respondent's Profile

It is always wise to examine the socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents
because it makes the significant impact on outcome of the study as the characteristics of
respondents play significant role in expressing and giving the responses about the
problem. The research was related to NCC BBA students' social media usage and
consumption pattern. This section presents the findings about the respondent’s profile in
terms of their age, gender, and employment status. The data are shown in frequencies,
percentage and bar diagram:

2.1.1 Gender of Respondents

Table 2.1 shows the composition of male and female respondents of the study. Among
100 respondents, 54 are female and 46 are male. The responses on the question given by
respondents are shown with the help of following table :

Table 2.1 Gender of Respondents

Gender Frequency Percentage (%)

Male 46 46
Female 54 54
Total 100 100

6
The statistics in the table 2.1 presents that 54 percent of the respondents are female and
46 percent of them are male. It shows higher majority of female respondents than male
respondents.
2.1.2 Age
Table 2.2 shows the age group of respondents taken under the study. For conducting this
study, the respondents have been classified into five group of age: Under 18 years, 18-20
years, 20-22 years, 22-24 years and 25 years and over.
The responses provided by the respondents about their age have been presented in table
and bar graph as follows:
Table 2.2 Age of Respondents (n=100)

Age Frequency Percentage (%)

Under 18 9 9

18-20 26 26

20-22 38 38

22-24 20 20

24 and over 7 7

Total 100 100

The Table 2.2 presents that thirty eight percent of respondents belong to the age group of
20-22, which is followed by 26 percent in age group 18-20. There are 20 percent
respondents whose age is in between 22-24. There are nine percent respondents whose
age is under 18. Also we can see few percent of respondents i.e. seven percent
respondents in age group 24 and over. So, the majority of respondents fall in the age
group 20-22.

7
The age distribution of respondents has also been shown in figure 2.2

40
35
30
25
Percentage

20
15
10
5
0
Under 18 18-20 20-22 22-24 24 and over

Age

Figure 2.1 Age of Respondents

2.1.3 Working Status

Table 2.3 shows the working status of respondents of the study. Among 100 respondents,
63 are unemployed, 37 do part time job and no one has full time job. The responses on
the question given by respondents are shown with the help of following table and bar
diagram.

Table 2.3 Working status of respondents

Working status Frequency Percentage (%)

Full time job 0 0

Part time job 37 37

Unemployed 63 63

Total 100 100

8
 Unemployed
Working status

Part time job

Full time job

0 20 40 60 80

Percentage

Figure 2.2 Working status of respondents

2.2 Data Presentation and Analysis

This section presents the presentation and analysis of data after administering the
questions to respondents. Percentage, pie-chart and bar- graph are used for the purpose of
proper presentation and analysis of data. This contains measurement of impact of social
networking sites, particularly facebook on consumption pattern of NCC BBA students'
consumption pattern which is discussed as under:

2.2.1 Facebook Usage

The question 2.2.1 is concerned with the question “Do you have a facebook account?"
The responses to question are divided into two categories: Yes and No. Table 2.4 shows
that all the respondents had facebook account. The responses provided by respondents are
presented in following table and bar diagram: Table 2.4 Facebook usage of respondents

Facebook usage Frequency Percentage (%)

Yes 100 100

No 0 0

9
 120

100

80

60

40
Percentage

20

0
Yes No

Facebook Usage

Figure 2.3 Facebook usage of respondents

2.2.2 Frequency of checking facebook of respondents

The question 2.2.2 is concerned with the question “How often do you check your
facebook account?"The response is divided into four categories: Never, Only once a day,
Often and Very Frequently.

The responses provided by the respondents regarding the question have been presented in
table and bar diagram as follow:

Table 2.5 Frequency at which respondents check their facebook account

Responses Frequency Percentage

Never 0 0

Only once a day 7 7

Often 38 38

Very frequently 55 55

10
 60

50

Percentage 40

30

20

10

0
Never Only once a day Often Very frequently

Responses

Figure 2.4 Frequency of facebook checking

From the above diagram it can be observed that fifty five percent respondents check their
facebook accounts very frequently, thirty eight percent check it often, seven percent
check it only once in a day and there are no one who never check their facebook
accounts.

2.2.3. Number of friends on facebook

The question 2.2.3 is concerned with the question "How many friends do you have on
Facebook??" The option is divided into five categories: More than 500, 401-500, 301-
400, 201-300, 101-200 and 1-100.
The responses provided by the respondents regarding the question have been presented in
table and pie chart as follow:

11
Table 2.6 Number of friends on facebook

Number of friends Frequency Percentage

More than 500 49 49

401-500 23 23

301-400 18 18

201-300 7 7

101-200 3 3

1-100 0 0

Total 100 100

The table 2.6 indicates the number of friends respondents have on facebook. Most of the
respondents have more than 500 friends (i.e. forty nine percent), twenty three percent
have 401-500 friends, eighteen percent have 301-400 friends, seven percent have 201-
300 friends, three percent have 101-300 friends and no one has less than 100 friends.
3%
7% Number of friends on facebook

More than 500

18% 49% 401-500
301-400
201-300
101-200
1-100

23%

Figure 2.5 Number of friends on facebook

12
2.2.4 Number of companies/businesses liked on facebook
The responses to the question "How many companies/businesses have you liked on
Facebook?" are divided into five categories: None, 10-20, 20-30, 30-40, 40-50 and More
than 50. The responses are presented in following table and bar diagram:
Table 2.7 Number of companies/businesses liked on facebook
Number of companies/businesses liked Frequency Percentage (%)

None 0 0

10-20 9 9

20-30 17 17

30-40 21 21

40-50 20 20

More than 50 33 33

Total 100 100

The table 2.7 shows number of companies/businesses liked by respondents on facebook.

The majority of respondents i.e. 33 respondent have liked More than 50 pages, 21
respondents have liked 30-40 pages, 20 respondents have liked 40-50 pages, 17
respondents have liked 20-30 pages, 9 respondents have liked 10-20 pages and there is no
one who have not liked any of the pages.
The above responses are shown with the help of bar diagram:
35
30
25
20
Percentage

15
10
5
0
None 10-20 20-30 30-40 40-50 More than
50
Number of companies/businesses liked

Figure 2.6: Number of companies/businesses liked on facebook

13
2.2.5 Frequency of shopping at the stores liked on facebook
The responses to the question "How often do you shop at the stores you have liked on
Facebook?" are divided into four categories: Never, Often, Frequently and Very
frequently. The responses provided by respondents are presented in following table and
bar diagram.

From the Table 2.8 it can be observed that thirty nine percent respondents often shop
from the stores they liked on facebook, twenty eight percent shop frequently, eighteen
percent never shop and 15 percent shop very frequently.

Table 2.8 Frequency of shopping at the stores liked on Facebook

Frequency of shopping Frequency Percentage (%)

Never 18 18

Often 39 39

Frequently 28 28

Very frequently 15 15

Total 100 100

Very frequently
Frequencyof shopping

Frequently

Often

Never

0 10 20 30 40 50

Percentage

Figure 2.7 Frequency of shopping at the stores liked on Facebook

14
2.2.6 Frequency of receiving information from companies liked on Facebook
The responses to the question "How often do you receive information about sales,
specials or coupons from the companies you liked on Facebook?"are dived into four
categories: Never, Often, Frequently and Very Frequently..The responses of respondents
regarding the question are presented as follows:

Table 2.9 Frequency of receiving information from companies liked on Facebook

Frequency of receiving information Frequency Percentage

Never 17 17

Often 56 56

Frequently 20 20

Very frequently 7 7

Total 100 100

The table 2.9 shows the frequency of receiving information from companies liked on
Facebook. From the above response provided by respondent we come to know that the
respondents often receive information about sales, specials and coupons from the stores
they have liked.

2.2.7 Opinion of respondents regarding the main cause triggering the online
shopping among students
The question 2.2.7 is concerned with the question “What do you think can be the main
cause triggering the online shopping among students?" It is a ranking question where the
respondents have to rank the given option assigning 1 for most effecting factor and 3 for
least one. It is noted that the number 1 denoted effecting factor has lowest mean value
and the number 3 has highest mean value. The option is divided into three categories:
Word of mouth advertisement, Frequent checking of social media and Attractive offers
and sales. The responses provided by the respondents regarding the question has been
presented in table as follow:
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 Table 2.10 Opinion of respondents regarding the main cause triggering online shopping

Responses Ranking Mean

Word of mouth advertisement 1 1.09

Frequent checking of social media 2 2.35

Attractive sales and offer 3 2.56

2.2.8 Measurement of impact of social media on consumption pattern of college

students

Table 2.11 presents the five point likert scale statistics to analyse the impact of social
media on consumption pattern of college students. The 5-point likert scale has been used
with scales: strongly disagree, disagree, neutral, agree and strongly agree from 1 to 5
point respectively. The responses of 100 respondents are presented using the table 2.11:
Table 2.11 Measurement of impact of social media on consumption pattern

Statements Total Strongly Strongly

Respondents Disagree Agree
Disagree Neutral Agree

There are more female

consumers shopping online
than male. 100 0 13 24 43 20

The pages which are

recommended by friends
are mostly liked and 100 1 5 3 70 21
visited.

The frequent checking of

facebook account leads to
exposure to different pages 100 0 0 0 16 84
and their promotions.
Attractive sales and offers
100 0 0 0 37 63
encourages to buy the
online products.

16
A. Opinion of respondents regarding more female consumer shopping online than
male

The Figure 2.8 shows that out of 100 respondents, almost half of the respondents i.e. 43
percent reported they agree to the statement “There are more female consumer shopping
online than male.” Twenty four percent respondents were neutral to the statement
whereas twenty percent reported they were strongly agree to the statement. Thirteen
percent reported they disagree to the statement. There were no respondents who strongly
disagree to the statement.

There are more female consumer shopping online than male.

Strongly agree

Agree
Opinion of respondents

Neutral

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

0 10 20 30 40 50

Percentage

Figure 2.8 Opinion of respondents regarding more female consumer shopping online than
male

17
B. Opinion of respondents regarding liking and visiting pages recommended by
friends
The second statement addressed in likert scale is related with liking and visiting pages
recommended by friends.
The pages which are recommended by friends are
mostly liked and visited.

Strongly agree
Opinion of respondents

Agree

Neutral

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

0 20 40 60 80
Percentage

Figure 2.9 Opinion of respondents regarding liking and visiting pages recommended by
friends.

The second statement of likert scale is "The pages which are recommended by friends are
mostly liked and visited." The figure shows that more than half of the respondents (70
percent) agree to the statement and more than one by fifth respondents i.e. 21 percent
strongly agree to the statement. Five percent respondents reported that they disagree with
the statement. Out of the 100 respondents, 3 percent respondents were neutral with the
statement and only one percent strongly disagrees with the statements.

18
C. Opinion of respondents regarding frequent checking of facebook and exposure to
different pages and their promotions

The third statement is related with exposure to different pages and their promotions are
directly linked with frequent checking of facebook account.

The frequent checking facebook account leads to exposure

to different pages and their promotions.

Strongly agree

Agree
Opinion of respondents

Neutral

Disagree

Strongly disagree

0 20 40 60 80 100

Percentage

Figure 2.10 Opinion of respondents regarding frequent checking of facebook account and
exposure to different pages and their promotions

The third statement is “The frequent checking facebook account leads to exposure to
different pages and their promotions." Out of the 100 respondents, 84 percent of the
respondents strongly agree to the statement. Sixteen percent reported that they agree with
the statement. There were no respondents who disagree and neutral with the statement.

19
D. Opinion of respondents regarding the attractive sales and offers encourages
buying the online products.

The fourth statement is related with the impact of attractive sales and promotions.
Majority of respondents agree with the statement which is presented in Figure 2.12 as
under:

Attractive sales and promotions encourages to buy the online

products.
Opinion of respondents

Strongly Agree

Agree

Neutral

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

Percentage

Figure 2.11 Opinion of respondents regarding the attractive sales and offers encourages
to buy the online products.

The fourth statement is "the attractive sales and offers encourages to buy the online
products."Out of the 100 respondents, 63 percent of the respondents strongly agree to the
statement. Thirty seven percent reported that they agree with the statement. Since all
respondents agree with the statement, it shows attractive sales and offers encourage to
buy the online products.

20
2.2.9 Respondents comments or additional information or suggestions on impact of
social networking sites on college students' consumption pattern
Respondents were asked about their thoughts or suggestions regarding impact of social
networking sites on college students' consumption pattern and most of them agreed that
social networking sites have highly influenced their buying habits. Respondent’s
comments and suggestions on impact of social networking sites are classified in table
2.12 as under:

Table 2.12 Classification of Respondents Comments and Suggestions Regarding Impact

of Social Networking sites

S.N Responses Number of Percentage

Respondents

1 Advertisements attract buyers 42 42

2 Attractive offers 21 21

3 Availability of unique products 14 14

4 Misrepresentation of low quality products 7 7

5 Availability of easy payment services 2 2

6 No response 14 14

Total 100 100

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 Table 2.12 shows comments and suggestions by the respondents regarding impact of
social networking sites. Forty two percent respondents reported that advertisements atrrat
buyers, twenty one percent reported attractive offers, fourteen percent reported
availability of unique products, seven percent reported that the low quality products were
misrepresented with the help of attractive pictures, two percent suggested for the
availability of easy payment services and rest fourteen percent didn’t give any response.

2.3 Findings and Discussion

From the research conducted on impact of social networking sites on NCC BBA students'
consumption pattern following findings has been found:
 Almost all the students used facebook daily.
 Most of the respondents rank number 1 for most effecting factor i.e. word of mouth
advertisement and assign 3 for least influencing factor i.e. attractive sales and offer.
 From this research, we come to know that majority of respondents (55 percent) checked
facebook very frequently.
 Forty nine percent of respondents have more than 500 friends on facebook.
 Majority of respondents like more than 50 pages on facebook.
 Majority of respondents (39) often do shopping on stores they have liked on Facebook.
 Fifty six percent of respondents often receive information from pages they have liked on
facebook.
 Majority of respondents (43%) agree that there are more female consumer shopping
online than male.
 Majority of respondents (70%) agree that the pages recommended by friends are mostly
liked and visited.
 Eighty four percent of respondents strongly agree that the frequent checking of Facebook
leads to exposure to different pages and their promotions.
 Sixty three percent of respondents strongly agree that attractive sales and offers
encourage to buy online products.

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 CHAPTER III

CONCLUSION AND ACTION IMPLICATIONS

3.1 Conclusion
The research is conducted on NCC BBA students and opinion has been collected
regarding the impact of social networking site, particularly Facebook on consumption
pattern of college students through structured questionnaire. As analysed in the above
data presentation and analysis made in above chapter, we can conclude that due to word
of mouth advertisement students are encouraged for online shopping. Mostly females are
involved in buying online products. The attractive sales and offers also encourage buying
online products. The frequent checking of facebook account is prone to expose the
students to number of companies and their promotions. Above all, Facebook is the most
commonly used social networking site and it is leading to significant impact on
consumption pattern of college students.

3.2 Action Implications

This study can be helpful to the companies to develop efficient advertising strategy to
attract target customers specially college students by analyzing their consumption pattern.
Based on the result of this study, various additional studies can be developed. The study
can be replicated in several different institutions. As technology continues to advance and
new social networking platforms are adopted, the present study could be expanded to
include these additional channels, while also tracking the general effectiveness of present
communication channels over time. For example, a study conducted in the future could
determine whether electronic word-of-mouth communication on Facebook has
maintained the same level of effectiveness or whether the site’s effectiveness has
lessened.

23
 REFERENCES
Facebook.(2018).Facebook.com Statistics.Retrieved from http://www.facebook.com/
press/info.php/statistics

Hu, N., Liu, L., & Zhang, J. J. (2008, March 11). Do online reviews affect product sales?
The role of reviewer characteristics and temporal effects. Information Technology and
Management, 9(3), 201-214.

Hyllegard, K. H., Ogle, J. P., Yan, R., & Reitz, A. R. (2011, September). An exploratory
study of college students' fanning behavior on Facebook. College Student Journal, 45(3),
601-616.

Foregger, S. K. (2008). Uses and gratifications of facebook.com Doctoral dissertation,

Michigan State University

Pant, P. R. (2003). Fundamentals of Business Research Methods. Buddha Academic

Enterprises. Kathmandu.

Agrawal. G. R. (2012). Project Management in Nepal. M. K. Publishers and Distributors

Pvt. Ltd. Kathmandu

x
 Annex- A Questionnaire

Dear Respondents,

I am a student of Bachelor in Business Administration (BBA) from Nepal Commerce

campus, Tribhuvan University. I would like to request you for spending few minutes to
fill this questionnaire. This survey aims to examine the impact of social networking sites
on consumption pattern of NCC BBA students. The information will be used for only
academic purpose and will be kept confidential. Your valued information will be highly
valued.

1. Respondent's Profile
a. Name (optional): ………………………..
b. Gender: Male Female
c. Age:
Under 18
18-20 years
20-22 years
22-24 years
24 years and over
d. Do you work a…
Full time job
Part time job
I am not currently employed

2. Do you have a facebook account?

Yes No
3. On average, how often do you check your Facebook account?
Never Only once in a day
Often Very frequently

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4. How many friends do you have on Facebook?
More than 500
401-500
301-400
201-300
101-200
1-100

5. How many companies/businesses have you liked on Facebook?

None
10-20
20-30
30-40
40-50
More than 50

6. How often do you shop at the stores you have liked on Facebook?
Never Often

Frequently Very frequently

7. How often do you receive information about sales, specials or coupons from the
companies you liked on Facebook?
Never Often

Frequently Very frequently

8. What do you think can be the main cause triggering the online shopping among
students?(Rank 1 for the main factor and 3 for least affecting factor)
Word of mouth advertisement
Frequent checking of social media
Attractive offers and sales

xii
9. To what extent would you agree or disagree in following statements. [Please assign 1
to strongly Disagree, 2 for disagree, 3 for neutral, 4 for agree, and 5 for strongly agree]

Statement 1 2 3 4 5

There are more female consumer shopping online than male .

The pages which are recommended by friends are mostly liked and
visited.

The frequent checking facebook account leads to exposure to different

pages and their promotions.

Attractive sales and offers encourage buying the online products.

10. Please provide any additional information or comments, if any, regarding impact of
social networking sites on college students' consumption pattern.
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………

xiii
 Annex-B: Mean Calculation

Mean Calculation for Ranking of different factors triggering online shopping

Ranking 1 2 3 Total

Word of mouth 93 5 2 100

advertisement

Attractive offers and 5 34 61 100

sales

Frequent checking of 2 61 37 100

social media

Total 100 100 100

Calculation of Mean for Word of mouth advertisement

Ranking (x) Number of Respondents(f) Fx

1 93 93

2 5 10

3 2 6

Total N=100 Σfx=109

Mean = Σfx/N = 1.09

Calculation of mean for Attractive offers and sales

X F Fx

1 5 5

2 34 68

3 61 183

N=100 Σfx=256

Mean= Σfx/N =256/100 = 2.56

xiv
 Calculation of mean for frequent checking of social media

X F fx

1 2 2

2 61 122

3 37 111

N=100 Σfx=235

Mean =Σfx/N= 235/100 = 2.35

Ranking of different factors triggering online shopping

Factors Ranking Mean

Word of mouth 1 1.09

advertisement

Frequent checking of 2 2.35

social media

Attractive offers and sales 3 2.56

xv