The purpose of this chapter is to briefly explain the overall research topic by dividing them into sections of research background: Social Media Influencers Roles in Influencing Research Paper, UPM, Malaysia

The purpose of this chapter is to briefly explain the overall research topic by dividing them into sections of research background, problem statement, research questions and objectives, and significance and scope of the research.

The dependent variable of this chapter is the online purchasing intention behaviour of online consumers. According to Murugesan KM & Ganapathi R, purchasing behaviour consists of all human behaviour that goes into making purchase decisions. An understanding of consumer behaviour enables a marketer to take marketing decisions that are compatible with its consumer’s needs.

As the element and platform for buyers evolve so does the purchasing behaviour of consumers. According to Gruzd, Wellman&Takhteyev, the easy access to the internet has allowed customers the opportunity to use social media, i.e. Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook, and to convey and interact without the requirement for the physical meeting.

This way of purchasing makes it not only accessible but also feasible for consumers and buyers alike. Hajli (2013) suggest that trust online relating to purchasing products may be easily built online as there are communities online supporting or giving public feedbacks on the products

With that in mind, the online environment is viewed by users from a new perspective, in a commercial way. The development of the Internet and its unlimited worldwide impact were the basis to outreach entrepreneurship to the new sphere. Businesses using the Internet gained a new dimension of communication with other businesses and organizations. This then gave birth to an online way of doing things including shopping which then leads to buying.

Thus, this leads to the purpose of this research which is to better understand the factors influencing the dependent variable of this study which is the online purchasing intention behaviour.