A review of the primary and secondary research methods employed in an article 01: for MBA students

A review of the primary and secondary research methods employed in an article 01: for MBA students (information from chatpdf.com)

The article reviewed: 

Changiz Valmohammadi, Farzad Asayesh, Rasoul Mehdikhani & Roghayeh Taraz (2025) Influencer Marketing, EWOM, E-Brand Experience, and Retail E-Brand Loyalty: Moderating Influence of E-Brand Love, Journal of Relationship Marketing, 24:1, 66-92, DOI: 10.1080/15332667.2024.2405292

My question 1: "What are the research objectives and research questions of the study?"

The reply: "The primary research objective of the study is to examine how influencer marketing influences various aspects of online retail, specifically focusing on its impact on E-brand experience, EWOM (electronic word-of-mouth), and E-brand loyalty. Additionally, the study aims to explore the moderating role of E-brand love in these relationships. By establishing this framework, the researchers seek to fill a gap in existing literature regarding the complex interactions between these variables in the context of digital marketing.

The specific research questions articulated in the study include:

1. How does influencer marketing impact E-brand experience?
2. What is the effect of influencer marketing on EWOM in online retail?
3. How does influencer marketing influence E-brand loyalty?
4. Does E-brand love moderate the relationship between influencer marketing and E-brand experience, EWOM, and E-brand loyalty?

These objectives and questions guide the investigation into the mechanisms through which influencer marketing affects consumer perceptions and behaviors in the digital retail environment, with a particular focus on the moderating influence of emotional attachment (E-brand love)."

My question 2: "What are the primary research methods and secondary research methods employed in this study? And what are the justifications of usage on each of these research methods in this study?"

The reply: "The study employs a combination of primary and secondary research methods to ensure comprehensive data collection and robust analysis.

Primary Research Methods:

• Survey Questionnaire: The main primary data collection tool was a structured questionnaire distributed to 900 customers of online retail stores in Iran. The questionnaire used a 5-point Likert scale to measure variables such as influencer marketing, EWOM, E-brand experience, E-brand loyalty, and E-brand love. A total of 310 complete responses were obtained, yielding a response rate of 34.4%.

• Sampling Technique: Simple random sampling was used to select participants, ensuring each customer had an equal chance of participation, which helps in obtaining representative data.

• Data Analysis Tools: The collected data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0 and SmartPLS 4, employing techniques like exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modeling to test hypotheses and validate the model.

Justification: The questionnaire method allows for quantifiable data on perceptions and relationships among variables, facilitating statistical testing of hypotheses and the development of a conceptual model.

Secondary Research Methods:

• Literature Review: An extensive review of existing literature was conducted to develop the conceptual framework, form hypotheses, and identify relevant scales and constructs sourced from prior studies.

• Theoretical Foundations: Signaling theory and prior empirical findings provided a basis for understanding the relationships and moderating roles of variables such as E-brand love.

Justification: Using existing literature ensures the study is grounded in established theories, helps in defining constructs accurately, and supports hypothesis development with validated scales and concepts.

Summary of Justifications:

• The primary research via surveys provides empirical, quantifiable evidence directly from consumers, enabling hypothesis testing and model validation.
• Secondary research through literature review offers theoretical grounding, validates measurement scales, and guides the conceptual model development, ensuring the study is built upon credible, prior knowledge."

My question 3: "What are strengths and weaknesses of each of these research methods used? And to what extent these research methods complement each other to make up a coherent research methodology?"

The reply: "Strengths and Weaknesses of the Research Methods Used in the Study

Primary Research Method: Survey Questionnaire

Strengths:

• Quantitative Data Collection: Enables precise measurement of perceptions, attitudes, and behavioral intentions related to influencer marketing, E-brand experience, EWOM, and loyalty.
• Large Sample Size: The survey of 310 respondents provides a sufficient data set for statistical analysis, enhancing the reliability and generalizability within the studied context.
• Statistical Rigor: Facilitates hypothesis testing through advanced analysis techniques like SEM and PLS, allowing for robust validation of relationships.
• Standardization: Structured questions ensure consistency, reducing ambiguity and respondent bias.

Weaknesses:

• Potential for Response Bias: Participants might respond in socially desirable ways or misunderstand questions.
• Limited Depth: While useful for measuring relationships, surveys do not capture nuanced insights into consumer motivations or underlying reasons behind attitudes.
• Sample Limitations: Focusing solely on online retail consumers in Iran may limit the external validity across different cultural or market contexts.
• Low Response Rate (34.4%) might introduce non-response bias, which can affect representativeness.

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Secondary Research Method: Literature Review and Theoretical Foundations

Strengths:

• Theoretical Grounding: Provides a solid basis for constructing hypotheses, operationalizing variables, and selecting measurement scales.
• Credibility and Validity: Builds on validated concepts and prior empirical findings, enhancing the study’s academic rigor.
• Identifies Gaps: Helps in pinpointing under-researched areas, such as the role of E-brand love, guiding the research focus.

Weaknesses:

• Potential Bias: Reliance on existing studies can limit perspectives, especially if the literature is narrow or outdated.
• Context Specificity: Prior findings may not fully apply across different cultural or technological contexts, making direct application challenging.
• Dependent on Quality of Sources: The robustness of the theory and scales depends on the quality and relevance of the prior studies.

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Complementarity and Coherence of Methods

The combination of primary and secondary methods creates a complementary and coherent research approach:

• Strengthening Validity: The literature review ensures that the constructs measured via the survey are grounded in validated scales and theoretical frameworks, enhancing the validity of the primary data collection.

• Methodological Rigor: Quantitative primary data, analyzed through sophisticated models, provides empirical evidence to test the hypotheses derived from theory, integrating theory and data.

• Balanced Perspectives: While the survey captures actual consumer perceptions and behaviors, the literature review offers insight into underlying mechanisms and theoretical constructs, leading to a more holistic understanding.

• Mitigating Weaknesses: The weaknesses inherent in each method are mitigated—literature review offsets the limited depth of surveys by providing context, and the survey provides empirical validation that purely theoretical work might lack.

Overall, these methods synergize to produce a robust, well-founded, and empirically validated examination of the research questions, ensuring the study’s findings are both theoretically grounded and practically reliable."

My question 4: "What can be said on the underlying research philosophy of the overall research approach of this study?"

The reply: "The underlying research philosophy of this study aligns primarily with post-positivism, characterized by its emphasis on empirical observation, measurement, and hypothesis testing within a structured framework.

Key Aspects Indicating Post-Positivist Philosophy:

1. Empirical and Quantitative Focus:

• The use of structured surveys, Likert-scale measurements, and statistical techniques such as SEM and PLS-SEM highlights a commitment to empirical data collection aimed at testing predefined hypotheses.

2. Deductive Approach:

• The study starts with a theoretical framework based on prior literature (e.g., signaling theory, previous scales) and derives specific hypotheses, which are then empirically tested. This top-down approach reflects a deductive logic typical of post-positivism.

3. Objective Measurement and Validation:

• The emphasis on validity checks, reliability testing, and measurement model validation underscores a belief in objective, measurable phenomena, and the pursuit of generalizable knowledge.

4. Recognition of Reality's Complexity:

• Although the research aims for objectivity, there is acknowledgment of contextual factors (e.g., cultural setting in Iran), suggesting an understanding that social phenomena are complex but still amenable to systematic study under certain assumptions.

5. Use of Statistical Inference and Model Testing:

• Reliance on statistical models to infer relationships and test hypotheses further emphasizes a scientific, positivist tendency, seeking causality or association between variables.

Implications of This Philosophy:

• The study assumes that consumer perceptions and behaviors related to influencer marketing and E-brand loyalty can be measured objectively and analyzed through quantitative methods.
• It seeks to produce generalizable, theory-driven conclusions that can be applied beyond the specific context, consistent with post-positivist aims.

Limitations and Reflection:

• While primarily post-positivist, the study also acknowledges the importance of context (e.g., cultural factors, demographic influences), which indicates an openness to interpretative nuances, a feature leaning towards critical realism that recognizes the existence of social mechanisms but emphasizes empirical validation.

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In summary, the overall research approach reflects a post-positivist epistemology, emphasizing empirical rigor, hypothesis testing, and verification within a structured methodological framework to understand consumer behavior in the digital marketing context.

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