Research methodology
The epistemological position of this project is pragmatism as it focuses on a specific question and aims to deliver practical solutions and interventions (Bryman Bell, 2011). The research uses sequential-mixed methods which is divided into two continuous parts-primary and secondary. From identifying the question and the gap in the secondary research, multi-method qualitative approaches are being used which includes the surveys and eight online semi-structured interviews with Chinese Millennial consumers to conduct the further interventions.
Quantitative Research- The Survey
According to my questionnaire towards the Chinese market, most people know the concept of virtual clothes. However, only less than 10% people have bought or tried before. I also found that almost one in 10 people revealed that they have bought clothes online only to wear them once, with the aim of posting a photo on social media.
Qualitative Research- The Interview
To gain further understanding about the Chinese consumers’ attitudes towards eWOM, semi-structured interview was designed to further explore and discuss. 8 participants were selected between 18-30 years old due to the selective criteria. The online semi-structured interviews lasted between 25-30 minutes and were fully recorded and transcribed. This part of the qualitative research aims to fill in the gap identified in the literature review and offers insight for further analysis.
The interview was semi-structured and a list of prepared questions was asked with no stringent obligation to adhere to such prearranged structure. Previous literature review and quantitative research helped to form the basis of the questions for the interviews. There could be several limitations for qualitative interviews and the reliance on certain data collection technique could possibly affect the overall accuracy of the conclusion. Though certain limitations cannot be avoided fully, efforts were made to minimise its effects to the research results- these actions are outlined.
Sampling For Interview
Before the interviews, all participants were emailed the information sheet about this research and signed the consent forms. Every individual was asked about their preference of video or audio recording to increase their likelihood of sharing true thoughts. At first, the criteria were set out for the interview participants to meet in order to be considered for the qualitative research project. When selecting the participants for the interview, every individual was identified whether met certain criteria set by the researcher. The basic criteria were list below.
| Selection Criteria |
| Age between 18-30(Millennials) |
| social media user |
Limitations
This part discusses the methodological limitations that occurred in the research. Both quantitative and qualitative methods in the research have several limitations due to time constraints and the limited size of the sample. The online survey includes only a small sample of the entire Chinese consumers, given the number of responses. Limited by the sample selection of the questionnaire survey, the age of the respondents is too concentrated and mainly between 20 and 24 years old. Respondents in this age group are mainly undergraduate students, whose social relations are relatively simple, and their consumption ability is limited.
Additionally, in reason of the coronavirus and the limited time to conduct the research, there were only eight interviewees for the online interviews. Though the small size of sample limited the generalisability of results and may adversely affect the reliability and validity of the research, several attempts were made and the study provides a basis for further research on the topic of eWOM. Another limitation is that the research considers all websites and social platforms rather than focus on some specific platform like the Xiaohongshu in China, which is mentioned by most interviewees. The comparison between different platforms and websites could bring some managerial insights and more interesting findings. The main limitations are summarised in Table.