Thesis (D.B.A.)--Chulalongkorn University, 2011

To measure the influence of opinion leaders towards purchase decisions of opinion seekers through personal forces of opinion seeker’s expertise and opinion leader’s expertise, and interpersonal forces of tie strength and homophily. This study also seeks further explanation from cross-cultural dimensions, and product-category involvement. This findings show that the influence of opinion leaders towards purchase decision of opinion seekers do not have equal weighting on the purchase decision due to those personal and interpersonal forces. It is also found that varied level of influence on purchase decisions is due to cultural background. Collectivists are influenced by opinion leaders more than individualists. This is not only true across countries, but also within both countries themselves. In addition, different types of product-category involvement result in dissimilar significant personal and interpersonal forces. Thus, marketing academics and marketing managers should find that different types of product-category involvement as well as different cultural background may require different marketing. As such, they can utilise this study to plan a more suitable and effective marketing strategy.