DO THI KIM NGAN AN INVESTIGATION OF FOMO ON IMPULSIVE BUYING ON SOCIAL COMMERCE PLATFORM: A STUDY ON TIKTOK LIVESTREAM AN INVESTIGATION OF FOMO ON IMPULSIVE BUYING ON SOCIAL COMMERCE PLATFORM: A STUDY ON TIKTOK LIVE STREAM DO THI KIM NGAN BACHELOR IN MARKETING VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI BACHELOR OF BUSINESS (MARKETING) HELP UNIVERSITY APRIL 202 APRIL 2025 AN INVESTIGATION OF FOMO ON IMPULSIVE BUYING ON SOCIAL COMMERCE PLATFORM: A STUDY ON TIKTOK LIVESTREAM BY DO THI KIM NGAN Graduation Project Submitted to Vietnam National University, Hanoi – International School in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Marketing and Department of Business Studies, HELP University, in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Business (Marketing) Hons APRIL 2025 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL GRADUATION PROJECT An Investigation of FOMO on impulsive buying on Social Commerce platform: A study on TikTok livestream DO THI KIM NGAN Hanoi - Year 2025 1 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL GRADUATION PROJECT An Investigation of FOMO on impulsive buying on Social Commerce platform: A study on TikTok livestream SUPERVISOR: MS NGUYEN THI HUONG LY STUDENT: DO THI KIM NGAN STUDENT ID: 21070276 – E2300054 SUBJECT CODE: MGT400 SUBJECT CODE BY CLASS: DUAL-MKT2021A COHORT: MAJOR: MARKETING Hanoi - Year 2025 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my advisor, Dr. Nguyen Thi Huong Ly, for her invaluable guidance, patience, and encouragement throughout the research process. Her expertise and insightful feedback have greatly contributed to the completion of this thesis. I am also profoundly grateful to International School – Viet Nam National University and HELP University- Malaysia, for providing me with the necessary resources and a conducive academic environment to conduct this study.
Additionally, I extend my sincere appreciation to the participants of this research, whose valuable responses and cooperation made this study possible. This thesis, titled "An Investigation of FOMO on Impulsive Buying on Social Commerce Platform: A Study on TikTok Livestream", would not have been completed without the continuous support from my professors, classmates, and colleagues in the Marketing program. Their insightful discussions and shared experiences have been instrumental in shaping the research. A special thanks to my family and friends for their unwavering support, motivation, and understanding during this challenging journey.
Their encouragement has been a source of strength, helping me overcome obstacles and stay focused on my goals. Last but not least, I would like to express my appreciation to all those who have, in one way or another, contributed to the completion of this thesis. Without their support, this research would not have been possible. 3 BUSINESS DEPARTMENT BACHELOR OF BUSINESS MGT400 GRADUATION PROJECT DECLARATION FORM Name: DO THI KIM NGAN Student ID: 21070276 – E2300054 Programme of Studies: MARKETING Title of Project/Dissertation: An Investigation of FOMO on impulsive buying on Social Commerce platform: A study on TikTok livestream Name of Supervisor(s): Msc NGUYEN THI HUONG LY Declaration: In accordance with the appropriate regulations, I hereby submit the above Graduation Project forexamination and I declare that: (i) I have read and understood the sections on Plagiarism found in the University’s “GeneralInformation to Students” Handbook and certify that the Graduation Project embodies the results of my own work.
(ii) I have adhered to the ‘Harvard system of referencing’ or a system acceptable as per “The Referencing Guide” for referencing, quotations and citations in my Graduation Project. Eachcontribution to, and quotation in my Graduation Project from the work of other people has been attributed, and has been cited and referenced. (iii) I have not allowed and will not allow, anyone to copy my work with the intention of passingit off as his or her own work. (iv) I am aware that I may have to forfeit the degree in the event that plagiarism has beendetected after the award.
(vi) I am aware that my Graduation Project may be used by my supervisor(s) and/or HELPUniversity for further research or any collaborative work, and under no circumstances whatsoever would claim any rights to the said work. Signature: Date: 4 ABBREVIATION Fear of missing out FOMO Stimulus – Organism - Response SOR Cronbach’s Alpha CA Composite Reliability CR Average Variance Extracted AVE Heterotrait-Monotrait Ratio HTMT Structural Equation Modeling SEM Price Promotion PP Time – Limted Promotion TLM Impulsive Buying IB Variance Inflation Factor VIF Multi-Group Analysis MGA 5 Contents ABSTRACT. Background of the study. Research objectives and questions.
Structure of Study. 15 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW .1 Current status of the research problem .3 Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) .5 Time-limited promotion .7 Theoretical background for research framework .9 Develop research hypothesis .1 Pricing promotion and Fear of missing out .2 Time-limited promotion and Fear of missing out .3 Fear of missing out and Impulsive buying .4 The effect of income as a moderator. 28 CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHOD. 32 CHAPTER 4: DATA ANALYSIS & RESEARCH RESULTS.
Characteristic of Respondents .2 Evaluation of measurement model .3 Evaluation of SEM structural model on SMARTPLS .1 Path parameter in diagram .2 Assessing impact relationships .3 Collinearity/Multicollinearity Assessment .4 Coefficient of Determination (R² Value) .4 Moderating effect analysis .3 Limitations of the Research .4 Recommendations for Future Research. 59 7 TABLE OF FIGURES Figure 1 Number of Registered TikTok Users Over Time (Projected Until 2029) (Singh, 2025). 11 Figure 2 TikTok annual consumer spending worldwide from 2016 to 2023 12 Figure 3 SOR Theory. 23 Figure 4 Proposed Research Model.
25 Figure 5 Measurement model. 39 Figure 6 Path parameter in diagram. 44 8 LIST OF TABLES Table 1 Previous Studies Overview. 32 Table 3 Characteristic of Respondents.
38 Table 4 Outer loading - Matrix. 41 Table 5 Construct reliability and validity - Overview. 42 Table 6 Construct reliability and validity - Overview. 47 Table 11 MGA Results for the Relationship between FOMO and Impulsive Buying by Income Group.
48 9 ABSTRACT This study focuses on exploring the factors influencing impulsive shopping behavior on TikTok livestream, especially the impact of fear of missing out (FOMO) created by price promotions and time limits. The study also examines the moderating role of personal income on the relationship between FOMO and impulsive shopping behavior. Data were collected from 356 participants and analyzed using SmartPLS software. The results showed that FOMO has a significant influence on impulsive shopping behavior.
More importantly, personal income was identified as an important moderator, affecting the extent of the impact of FOMO on impulsive shopping decisions. This study provides insights into online shopping behavior and suggests effective marketing strategies for sellers on TikTok livestream. Background of the study The rapid development of new-generation information technology has brought about profound changes in the business sector, expanding customer experience touchpoints from traditional stores to digital spaces (Liu et al., 2022, cited by Hoyer et al. In this context, livestream e-commerce has emerged as a powerful form of interaction, attracting the attention of marketers (Liu et al., 2022, cited by Hu and Chaudhry, 2020; Kang et al., 2020; Xu et al.
Unlike other technologies that focus on one-way interactions, livestream e-commerce enables real-time two-way communication between sellers and buyers, creating a vivid and emotional shopping experience (Liu et al., 2022, citing Haimson and Tang, 2017; Wohn et al. Technological developments have also continuously changed consumer behavior through new forms of interaction between customers and businesses (Apasrawirote & Yawised, 2022c, citing Cambra-Fierro et al. In particular, live video has become an effective marketing channel, supported by new technologies and delivered through personal computers and smartphone devices (Apasrawirote & Yawised, 2022c, citing Chen & Lin 2018) v. The Internet offers the advantages of convenience, ease of access, and two-way communication, while social media (SM) channels 10 provide a means to engage and develop relationships with a business’s target customers (Apasrawirote & Yawised, 2022c, cited by Sun et al.05 million active users and an expected 2.35 billion users by 2029 (Singh, 2025) vii, has quickly become a popular direct e-commerce platform.
Figure 1 Number of Registered TikTok Users Over Time (Projected Until 2029) (Singh, 2025) viii Consumers on TikTok spent $3.32 million in 2022, up 15.66% from the previous year (Statista, 2025) ix. Notably, consumer spending on TikTok has skyrocketed from $160 million in 2019 to $1.7 billion in 2021, showing incredible growth (Statista, 2025) x. 11 Figure 2 TikTok annual consumer spending worldwide from 2016 to 2023 (in million U. dollars) In Vietnam, with 72.70 million active social media users as of January 2024 (DataReportal) xi, platforms like TikTok are becoming an integral part of consumers’ digital lives.
This has encouraged TikTok to introduce TikTok Shop, an e-commerce platform focused on live streaming and short videos (Firdausiah et al., 2023, citing Ahmadi & Hudrasyah, 2022; Pratama & Deniesa, 2023) xii. Live streaming has proven to be effective in improving sales performance (Widodo, 2023, citing Sun et al. In the digital era, Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) has emerged as a critical psychological phenomenon influencing consumer behavior, especially in online environments. FoMO is characterized by the anxiety that others might be having rewarding experiences that one is absent from, which drives individuals to remain constantly connected and updated.
This fear has intensified with the rise of livestreaming and social commerce platforms such as TikTok, where trends shift rapidly and exclusive deals are available for limited periods. As Betoncu & Ozdamli (2019) xiv note, FOMO is increasingly seen as a “digital disease,” especially affecting Generation Z, who are highly connected to technology and social media (Lee, 2023). xv 12 Platforms like TikTok strategically utilize FOMO-driven marketing tactics—offering exclusive promotions, limited-time discounts, and time-sensitive content during livestream sessions—to stimulate impulsive purchasing behaviors (Rachman et al., 2024 xvi; Alfarisi & Sukaris, 2024 xvii). In these scenarios, consumers often make decisions without careful consideration due to a perceived urgency, driven by the fear of missing out on benefits others may gain.
This marketing strategy, referred to as commercial FOMO marketing appeal, capitalizes on individuals’ emotional triggers and social comparison instincts (Lee, 2023) xviii. Therefore, understanding the role of FOMO in the context of short-form video consumption and social commerce is crucial for decoding modern consumer psychology. However, despite the increasing popularity of live e-commerce, there is still a lack of research on how customers’ purchasing behavior is affected by this format (Widodo, 2023) xix. In particular, factors such as fear of missing out (FOMO) and sales promotions can stimulate impulsive buying behavior on platforms such as TikTok (Widodo, 2023) xx.
Therefore, this study aims to examine the effects of FOMO and sales promotions on impulsive buying behavior on TikTok livestream. Research objectives and questions 1.1 Research objectives This study aims to analyze the factors in TikTok livestreams that affect customers' shopping behavior, focusing on the impact of price promotions and time-limited promotions on Fear of Missing Out (FOMO), and thereby, on impulsive buying behavior. In particular, this study will also evaluate the moderating role of personal income on the relationship between FOMO and impulsive buying behavior. Specifically, the study will determine how price promotions and time limits create FOMO in consumers, and how FOMO promotes impulsive buying behavior on the TikTok livestream platform.
From there, this study will provide recommendations and methods to improve the quality of TikTok livestream sales, in order to promote consumers' shopping behavior.2 Research questions To achieve these objectives above, research questions are addressed as follows: Question 1: How do price promotion and time-limited promotion affect consumers' Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) when watching livestreams on TikTok? Question 2:How does Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) influence consumers' impulsive buying behavior on TikTok livestream? Question 3:How does personal income (income) moderate the relationship between Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) and impulsive buying behavior on TikTok livestream? 1.3 Expected result This study predicts that price promotions and time-limited promotions in TikTok Live shopping will significantly drive FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) by creating a sense of urgency and scarcity.