Shaping Intention: How Personality Traits Bridge Social Influence and Control Beliefs in Selected Malaysian Consumers’ Preference for Foreign Hygiene Products

Research Aims: This empirical study examines the relationships between subjective norm (SN) and perceived behavioural control (PBC) on purchase intention (INT) of foreign-made hygiene products among selected Malaysian consumers, with personality traits (PT) examined as a potential mediating variable. Design/methodology/approach: A purposive sampling technique was employed, and data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire distributed via Google Forms. Total of 260 valid responses were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) to evaluate both the measurement and structural models. Research Findings: The result indicates that both SN and PBC significantly influence INT. furthermore, PBC significantly predicts PT, and PT also exerts a significant influence on INT. However, the relationship between SN and PT was found to be non-significant. Mediating analysis revealed that PT does not mediate the relationships between SN and INT, nor between PBC and INT. Additionally, the assessment of the higher-order construct confirmed that the relationships between PT and its lower-order constructs were statistically significant. This study offers novel insights by integrating PT as a mediator in the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) framework in the context of foreign hygiene product consumption, a domain that has received limited attention in Malaysian consumer research. Theoretical Contribution/Originality: From a practical standpoint, marketers and brand strategists can benefit from these insights by tailoring their campaign to align more closely with consumers’ behavioural control and social influence factors, rather than relying heavily on personality driven segmentation. Keywords: Personality Traits, Subjective Norm, Perceived Behavioural Control, Purchase Intention