Preferable Smartphone

brands among MSU Students

By:
Abbas Muhsein
Samuel Michael A/L Arokiasamy
Sani Salsabil bin Eddy Yusuf
1. Introduction
 Background Study

Smartphone is a mobile phone with an advanced operating system. Smartphone also

provides more functions and applications than standard phones.
According to the Euro Monitor International (2012) the most popular operating system in
Malaysia:
Android (53%)

Apple (23%)

Window (10%)

Blackberry OS (8%)
 Background Study

However, the sales of smart phone are increasing rapidly in the global market and this
situation is expected to continue for another few years.

Euro Monitor International (2012) also predicted that smart phone sales in Malaysia will
reach 3,181,000 units in 2013, 3,566,100 units in 2014, and 3,406,430 units in 2015.

This finding shows that, smart phone has a great opportunity for future growth in Malaysia.
The addition of more mobile features on a phone will motivate users switching to smart
phones in the future.
 Objective

To know which smart phone is preferable among MSU students

To know the properties of the preferable smartphone brands among MSU students
 Hypothesis

Relationship exists between 3 Perceived Usefulness (PU) and acceptance of a smart phone
among MSU students.
Relationship exists between 3 Perceived Ease of Use (PEOU) and acceptance of a smart
phone among MSU students.
Relationship exists between Internet Self-Efficacy (ISE) and acceptance of smart phone.
Relationship exists between Internet Self-Efficacy (ISE) and Perceived Usefulness (PU),
relationship exists between Internet Self-Efficacy (ISE) and Perceived Ease of Use (PEOU).
 Key Terms

Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) - information systems theory that models how users
come to accept and use a technology.
Perceived usefulness (PU) - This was defined by Fred Davis as "the degree to which a
person believes that using a particular system would enhance his or her job performance".
Perceived ease-of-use (PEOU) - Davis defined this as "the degree to which a person
believes that using a particular system would be free from effort.
2. Literature Review
 Literature Review
1. Technology Acceptance Model (TAM)
a. TAM was applied to acceptance or adoption of smart phone by few researchers

b. TAM comprised two measurable determinants for technology product or system

acceptance namely perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease to use (PEOU).

c. These determinants are significant in the acceptance of a particular technology

product or system.
 Literature Review

2. Conceptual Framework
a. Figure 1 shows the conceptual framework of this research, which was adapted from
the TAM.
b. TAM is widely utilized in studies on acceptance of a new technology or services.
c. However, TAM remains the best models used by many researchers.
 Literature Riview
1. Perceived Usefulness (PU) and Perceived Ease of Use
(PEOE)
a. Convenience factors, social needs, and influences were
the factors that influenced the dependency of students
on smart phones.
b. A positive relationship exists between the dependency
of students on smart phones and their purchase
behaviour in the future.
c. This model shows that usage behaviours are depend on
the subjects intention to use, perceived usefulness, and
perceived ease to use.
d. The findings showed that the usage of Internet banking
is significantly affected by perceived usefulness but not
by perceived ease to use.
 This study showed that PEOU and PU were positively related to the
attitude toward using smart phones.
Job relevance and experience were added as moderating factors.
The research model used in this research was based on TAM.
The findings confirmed that self-efficacy, PEOU, and PU were significantly
influenced by consumers attitude toward using smart phones.
The results demonstrated that PU, PEOU, and attitudes positively affected
the adoption of advanced mobile services.
 Literature Riview
1. Internet Self-Efficacy (ISE)
a. This study strongly believes that, ISE influences PEOU, PU, and
acceptance of smart phones.
b. The findings indicated that computer self-efficacy has a significant
effect on the acceptance of towards acceptance of Internet banking
through perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and perceived
credibility.
c. Besides, eight items of Internet self-efficacy scale were developed in
their research. The results showed that the items are reliable and
consistent.
d. According to Hsu & Chiu (2003), self-efficacy in terms of Internet and
web-specific strongly affected electronic service acceptance and usage.
 The results of this study indicate that the relationship between constructs
is not different among the models.
However, behavioral intention was strongly affected by self-efficacy.
3. Methodology
The objectives of this study were to:
To know which smart phone is preferable among MSU
students
To know the properties of the preferable smartphone brands
among MSU students
 3.1 Research approach and design
A survey obtains information from a sample of people that respond to
a series of questions posted by reporter.
The researcher select a sample or subgroup of people from CFS.
Surveys are conducted for the general purpose of obtaining about
their opinion, advantages and disadvantages about their smartphone.
The answers to these questions are then regarded as a description
identifying the opinions of whole students from which sample was
taken.
 3.2 Research setting & Respondents

The survey was conducted inside MSU campus.

The survey respondent consisted of MSU CFS students.
30 respondents were selected among students consisted of 18 male and 12
female, range age between 18-23 years old.
 3.3 Instrument
Divided into 3 parts. In part 1, the respondents were asked
about gender. They also asked about which brand of
smartphone you own.
In part 2, consist of 7 questions. In question 1, the respondents
were asked to rate about choosing current smartphone or other
brands has same function as current smartphone. In questions 2
and 3, the respondents were asked to rate quality of
smartphone and other opinion about your smartphone.
Beside, in question 4-6, the respondents were asked to rate the
value of smartphone, will you switch to another smartphone
and would you recommend your brand of smartphone to other
people. The last question is asked to rate the loyalty to your
own smartphone.
Part 3, the respondents were asked about their course. All 30
questionnaires were distributed to the respondents.
 3.4 Procedure

Questionnaire were personally distributed by the researcher to students to

complete.
In order to participate, the students must be from central foundation studies.
The survey will ask about your opinion of your own smartphone.
The researcher took 2 months to complete the survey. Firstly, questionnaire were
distributed and collected from 5 January 2015 to 7 January 2015. Next, data was
analysed from 20 to 30 January 2015.
Then, making conclusion from the data from 1 February 2015 to 2 February 2015.
4. Results
 Gender

Female
40%

Male
60%

Male Female

Questionnaires were distributed to 30 respondents in Management and

Science University (MSU) among Centre for Foundations studies (CFS).
Male respondents is more than female respondents.
Our respondents were all aged 18-23.
 Male respondents on smartphone brands
Apple
22%
Others
34%

Samsung
22%
Lenovo Sony
11% 11%
Apple Samsung Sony Lenovo Others

A total of 18 male respondents were collected.

Apple 22%, Samsung 22%.
Sony and Lenovo both 11%.
34% on respondents choose others smartphone brands.
 Female respondents on smartphone brands
Lenovo Others
Sony 8% 0%
8%

Samsung
17%

Apple
67%
Apple Samsung Sony Lenovo Others

A total of 12 female respondents.

Most respondents choose Apple smartphone. 67%
Samsung 17%, Sony and Lenovo 8%. No respondents choose other
smartphone brands.
Value Count Percent
Strongly Disagree 0 0.0%
Disagree 5 16.7%
Neither agree nor disagree 6 20.0%
Agree 11 36.7%
Strongly agree 8 26.7%
Value Count Percent
Strongly Disagree 1 3.5%
Disagree 3 10.3%
Neither agree nor disagree 7 24.1%
Agree 10 34.5%
Strongly agree 8 27.6%
Value Count Percent
Strongly Disagree 1 3.3%
Disagree 0 0.0%
Neither agree nor disagree 6 20.0%
Agree 13 43.3%
Strongly agree 10 33.3%
Value Count Percent
Strongly Disagree 1 3.3%
Disagree 0 0.0%
Neither agree nor disagree 1 3.3%
Agree 21 70.0%
Strongly agree 7 23.3%
Value Count Percent
Strongly Disagree 2 6.7%
Disagree 10 33.3%
Neither agree nor disagree 7 23.3%
Agree 5 16.7%
Strongly agree 6 20.0%
Value Count Percent
Strongly Disagree 1 3.3%
Disagree 1 3.3%
Neither agree nor disagree 8 26.7%
Agree 9 30.0%
Strongly agree 11 36.7%
Value Count Percent
Strongly Disagree 1 3.3%
Disagree 2 6.7%
Neither agree nor disagree 9 30.0%
Agree 11 36.7%
Strongly agree 7 23.3%
 STUDENT COURSE
FMS FIE FLW FVA FIB

FVA FIB
3% 10% FMS
FLW 20%
7%

FIE
60%

FMS 20%.
Highest percentage is the respondents from FIE which is 60%
FLW is 7%
Lowest percentage is the respondents from FVA which is 3%
Finally, FIB is 10%
5. Conclusion
 5.1 Conclusion

This research study explores brand equity and brand identity by

comparing several Smartphone brand.
The major purpose of this study is to explore smartphone
consumer behavior by finding the determents of smartphone
purchase.
The result shows that product performance, branding, product
design, and price have the influence on peoples buying decision
process.
 5.2 Research Limitations

The brand personality scale of this study was simplified. Because of the first
try, the scale may be not mature enough and there may be a certain effect
on measurement accuracy of brand personality.

This study is a one-time study of brand personality of smart phone, we can

only research by horizontal comparison with different brands, instead of
longitudinal comparison from the time dimension. Therefore the depth of
study is limited.
 5.3 Future Research Directions

It is necessary to survey more consumers if the conditions of

budget and time permit in the future. We need to know more
about impression of brand personality of different types of
smart phone consumers, so we can collect more samples to
represent the majority of consumers.
It is necessary to investigate in regular tracking. We can
collect the data including brand value & market share, at
different time. After the correlation analysis between the data
and brand personality, we can put forward more specific
suggestions of Chinese and foreign smart phone brands to
improve brand marketing of smart phone in the future.