A Purchase Decision Behavior Model by Generation Z: The Mediating Role of Consumer Motivation
Keywords:
Generation Z, purchase decision, affiliate marketing, advertising, consumer motivation
Abstract
Background: Given Generation Z’s significant dependence on e-commerce platforms, it is crucial to understand how they shop in the digital economy. However, limited studies have examined how affiliate marketing and advertising influence actual purchase decisions, particularly when mediated by consumer motivation.
Method: A quantitative explanatory design was employed using a survey of 200 Generation Z respondents aged 18 to 26 who actively make online purchases. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4.0. A bootstrapping approach was applied to test the mediation effect.
Results: The findings indicate that advertising has a significant influence on consumers’ purchase decisions (β = 0.578, p < 0.05), whereas affiliate marketing does not. Both affiliate marketing and advertising positively influence consumer motivation; however, motivation does not significantly affect purchase decisions
Conclusion: These findings advance motivation theory by highlighting the greater influence of external digital stimuli over intrinsic drivers in shaping Generation Z’s purchasing behavior. Practically, the study suggests that Indonesian e-commerce platforms, such as Shopee and Tokopedia, should prioritize interactive and storytelling-based advertising combined with urgency-driven strategies (e.g., flash sales and exclusive promotions) to enhance purchase effectiveness
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Tsao, W.-C. (2014). Exploring Routes to Persuasive Online Advertising. International Journal of Business and Management, 9(12). https://doi.org/10.5539/ijbm.v9n12p35
Annur, C. (2024, February 20). Indonesia Masuk Jajaran 10 Negara Paling Sering Belanja Online.
Areen Chic, S., & Fardian Bilqisthi, M. (2024). Tantangan dan Peluang Blockchain di Era Digital dalam Bidang Keamanan Data dan Transaksi Digital. In Journal of Comprehensive Science (Vol. 3, Number 11).
Ayu Alfyya Fathinasari, Purnomo, H., & Poniran Yudho Leksono. (2023). Analsis of the Study of Digital Marketing Potential on Product Purchase Decisions in Generation Z. Open Access Indonesia Journal of Social Sciences, 6(5), 1075–1082. https://doi.org/10.37275/oaijss.v6i5.174
Bell, L., McCloy, R., Butler, L., & Vogt, J. (2020). Motivational and Affective Factors Underlying Consumer Dropout and Transactional Success in eCommerce: An Overview. In Frontiers in Psychology (Vol. 11). Frontiers Media S.A. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01546
Beulahbel Bency, P. B. (2019). Achievement Motivation and Achievement of Higher Secondary Students of Kanyakumari District. Shanlax International Journal of Education, 7(4), 56–62. https://doi.org/10.34293/education.v7i4.633
Bunga, A., Fitriane, A., & Nugroho, A. (2022). THE FULFILMENT OF MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS ON MAIN CHARACTERS IN “ENCANTO” MOVIE: A HUMANISTIC STUDY. In Journal of Intensive Studies on Language. http://journal2.um.ac.id/index.php/jisllac
Chan, D. (2023). A Study on the Factors Influencing Purchase Intention of Generation Z Users in Virtual Brand Community. Communications in Humanities Research, 16(1), 278–289. https://doi.org/10.54254/2753-7064/16/20230020
Dwivedi, Y. K., Rana, N. P., Abdallah, M., & Alryalat, A. (2017). Affiliate Marketing: An Overview and Analysis of Emerging Literature. http://www.swansea.ac.uk/iss/researchsupport/cronfa-support/
Ejelöv, E., Bergquist, M., Hansla, A., & Nilsson, A. (2022). Why are they eco-friendly? Attributing eco-friendly descriptive norms to intrinsic motivation increases pro-environmental purchase intention. PLoS ONE, 17(10 October). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0265839
F Fitria, Adisti, D. T., D Dea, Gumelar, A., & Adi Setiawan. (2024). Exploration of the Role of Tiktok Content: Influencer Strategy, Affiliate Marketing, and Online Customer Reviews in Influencing Generation Z Purchasing Decisions at Shopee. Athena: Journal of Social, Culture and Society, 2(2), 345–356. https://doi.org/10.58905/athena.v2i2.287
Feijoo, B., Zozaya, L., & Sádaba, C. (2023). Do I question what influencers sell me? Integration of critical thinking in the advertising literacy of Spanish adolescents. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-023-01872-y
Grigoreva, E. A., Garifova, L. F., & Polovkina, E. A. (2021). Consumer Behavior in the Information Economy: Generation Z. International Journal of Financial Research, 12(2), 164. https://doi.org/10.5430/ijfr.v12n2p164
Hajduova, Z., Hutmanova, N., Jusko, L., & Molitoris, L. (2021). The influence of advertising on children’s buying behaviour: a case study in Slovakia. Marketing and Management of Innovations, 5(3), 199–210. https://doi.org/10.21272/mmi.2021.3-17
Hardianawati. (2023). AFFILIATED MARKETING CONTENT IN SHOPEE THROUGH TIKTOK MEDIA ON PURCHASE DECISIONS. Revista de Gestao Social e Ambiental, 17(4). https://doi.org/10.24857/rgsa.v17n4-025
Hilken, T., Keeling, D. I., Ko De Ruyter, &, Dominik Mahr, &, & Chylinski, M. (2019). Seeing eye to eye: social augmented reality and shared decision making in the marketplace. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-019-00688-0/Published
Hochreiter, V., Benedetto, C., & Loesch, M. (2023). The Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) Paradigm as a Guiding Principle in Environmental Psychology: Comparison of its Usage in Consumer Behavior and Organizational Culture and Leadership Theory 1. Journal of Entrepreneurship and Business Development, 3(1), 7–16. https://doi.org/10.18775/jebd.2806-8661.2021.31.5001
Kumar, A., Joshi, S., Sharma, M., & Vishvakarma, N. (2022). Digital humanitarianism and crisis management: an empirical study of antecedents and consequences. Journal of Humanitarian Logistics and Supply Chain Management, 12(4), 570–593. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHLSCM-02-2022-0020
Laurinda, C., Pangaribuan, C. H., & Thaib, D. (2024). Unraveling The Factors Influencing Impulsive Buying Behavior Among Gen Z Using Shopee Paylater: A Quantitative Anaylsis Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0). In Asian Journal of Social and Humanities (Vol. 2). https://ajosh.org/
Prasanna, M., & Priyanka, A. L. (2024). Marketing to Gen Z: Understanding the Preferences and Behaviors of Next Generation. www.ijfmr.com
Rebollo, H. P. M., & Hinlayagan, K. R. (2023). Understanding the Influence of Hedonic and Convenience Motivation and E-Service Quality towards Customer Satisfaction in Online Food Delivery Services Among Generation Z Consumers. Journal of Production, Operations Management and Economics, (34), 26–39. https://doi.org/10.55529/jpome.34.26.39
Shetu, S. N. (2023). Do user-generated content and micro-celebrity posts encourage generation Z users to search online shopping behavior on social networking sites—the moderating role of sponsored ads. Future Business Journal, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s43093-023-00276-3
Shikha Goel, & Pankaj Madan. (2025). Gen Z in the Omnichannel Era: Rethinking Consumer Behavior for Sustainable Business Success. International Journal of Technology & Emerging Research, 1(5). https://doi.org/10.64823/ijter.2505015
Singh, Dr. R. (2023). Advertisements and emotional appeal: Influence people to get to buy. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Trends, 5(2), 21–24. https://doi.org/10.22271/multi.2023.v5.i2a.255
Sobande, F., & Klein, B. (2023). ‘Come and get a taste of normal’: Advertising, consumerism and the Coronavirus pandemic. European Journal of Cultural Studies, 26(4), 493–509. https://doi.org/10.1177/13675494221108219
Sudirjo, F., Ausat, A. M. A., Suherlan, S., & Azzaakiyyah, H. K. (2024). Understanding Psychological Dynamics in Consumer Decision-Making Processes in the Digital Marketing Era: A Review. Jurnal Penelitian Inovatif, 4(2), 635–644. https://doi.org/10.54082/jupin.384
Tsao, W.-C. (2014). Exploring Routes to Persuasive Online Advertising. International Journal of Business and Management, 9(12). https://doi.org/10.5539/ijbm.v9n12p35
Published
2026-06-03
How to Cite
Sudrajat, A., Kusnanto, D., Megawati, L., Millasyfa, N., Mardiah, D., & Oktavianita, A. (2026). A Purchase Decision Behavior Model by Generation Z: The Mediating Role of Consumer Motivation. Sharia Economic and Management Business Journal (SEMBJ), 7(2), 39-53. https://doi.org/10.62159/sembj.v7i2.2324
Section
Articles
Copyright (c) 2026 Ajat Sudrajat, Danang Kusnanto, Liya Megawati, Nadya Millasyfa, Dinda Mardiah, Ayu Oktavianita
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