EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOUR OF ONLINE RETAIL PRODUCTS IN PORT HARCOURT

Abstract

This study investigated the extent of relationship between emotional intelligence and Consumer buying behaviour of online retail  products in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Specifically, the study determined the extent to which self-awareness, self-regulation and empathy relates to purchase decision and post-purchase behaviour of online product consumers in Port Harcourt. This study was underpinned by the Appraisal theories of emotion based on its assumptions. The descriptive survey design was adopted in this study. The population of this study was infinite as it comprised of all the customers of the  online shopping malls in Port Harcourt, Rivers State of Nigeria. The sample of the study was determined through  the Cochran’s formula for calculating sample with infinite population. Thus, the sample size was 190. The simple random sampling was employed to enable every member of the population equal chance of being selected to compose the study. The primary instrument used was the questionnaire that consisted of 25 items using the 5 point likert scale and it was distributed via Monkey Survey app. The descriptive statistics which dealt with the presentation of demographic and other related data of this study was done through the use of frequency tables. Whereas the hypotheses were analyzed by the use of the spearman rank Correlation Coefficient through the application of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22. It was found amongst others that there was a positive and significant relationship between self-awareness, self-regulation and  empathy with  purchase decision and  post-purchase behaviour  of online product consumers in Port Harcourt. It was then concluded that that the emotional intelligence of individuals who purchase online products were for different uses; thus, the emotional intelligence of online product consumers in department shops improves the service the shops provide to their customers. It was then recommended amongst others that online firms should utilize the self-awareness, self-regulation and apply empathy technique to increase purchase decision and post purchase behaviour of online product consumers in Port Harcourt. Coherently, the results of this study contributed to scholarship as it filled the existing knowledge gap and contributed greatly to literature in the area of emotional intelligence and consumer choice making