Examining the effects of Korean popular cultures on the online purchase behavior of Vietnamese consumers: theory of planned behavior

Purpose Korean multinational firms have sought to leverage the Korean Wave as a unique selling point in the global retail market. To clarify the validity of such attempts, this paper aims to examine whether Korean waves influence the online retail purchase behavior of affected foreign consumers. Design/methodology/approach This paper develops a series of hypotheses and tests them using structural equation modeling and confirmatory factor analysis of the empirical data. Findings The descriptive data analysis and hypothesis test results revealed that national branding through the Korean Wave enhanced the favorable impression of Korean products, making Korean e-tailers more competitive in the global retail marketplace. Originality/value This paper is one of the first of its kind to assess the extent to which popular culture influences online retail purchase behaviors and verify the theory of planned behavior using empirical analysis of survey data obtained from Vietnamese consumers.