Generation Z’s Behavioral Factors Affecting Purchase Intention Through Social Media Portals: A Hybrid PLS-SEM and ANN Modeling Approach

The objective of this study is to ascertain the behavioral factors that influence the online purchase intention (PI) of Generation Z. For this, it extended the theory of planned behavior (TPB) by incorporating five new concepts. We collected data using non-probability convenience and purposive sampling approaches. We surveyed 551 from Generation Z using a standardized questionnaire. The study adopted a hybrid approach that combines SEM with artificial neural network (ANN) analysis to investigate real-world information. The outcomes demonstrated that attitude (PA), subjective norms (SN), behavioral control (PBC), live streaming (LS), celebrity endorsement (CE), promotional tools (PT), and online reviews (OR) significantly correlated with Gen-Z’s online PI employing SMPs. The ANN results revealed that CE had the most significant impact on the online PI of Gen-Z’s students with 97.5% normalized importance, followed by OR (74.4%), LS (57.1%), PA (54.7%), SN (53.9%), PBC (49.3%), and PT (46.5%). In addition, personal faith significantly reinforces the positive relationship between PA and PI and LS and PI. The outcomes offer several theoretical and practical implications, such as the interconnectedness of the constructs and the understanding of the TPB constructs of human behavior. Online businesses must encourage Gen-Z to increase their positive attitudes toward online purchasing. Enterprises may offer relevant information, precise pricing details, and efficient delivery services, which can effectively promote Gen-Z’s attitude to participate in online shopping. The study uniquely considers Gen-Z’s purchase intention (PI) through SMPs by applying expanded TPB constructs and adopting a hybrid approach that combines SEM with ANN analysis.