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Research Scholar, Faculty of Management, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Vadapalani Campus , Chennai, Tamil Nadu , India
Assistant Professor (Senior Grade), Faculty of Management, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Vadapalani Campus , Chennai, Tamil Nadu , India
This study investigates how the reputation of social media influencers affects online prosocial behaviour, focusing on the sequential mediating roles of parasocial interaction and perceived homophily. Grounded in Source Credibility Theory, Parasocial Interaction Theory, the Similarity-Attraction Paradigm, and Social Cognitive Theory, the research addresses a critical gap in understanding the psychological pathways linking influencer traits to socially beneficial outcomes. The study specifically explores male followers of fashion and grooming influencers on platforms such as Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts. A cross-sectional design was employed using purposive sampling. Data were collected from 459 male social media users who follow at least one male fashion/grooming influencer. Validated scales were used to measure influencer reputation, parasocial interaction, perceived homophily, and online prosocial behaviour. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was applied to test the hypothesized sequential mediation model. Findings reveal that influencer reputation positively predicts both parasocial interaction and perceived homophily, which, in turn, significantly influence online prosocial behavior. The strongest mediator was perceived homophily, followed by parasocial interaction. Notably, the sequential mediation path from influencer reputation to prosocial behavior via parasocial interaction and perceived homophily was statistically significant, underscoring the dual affective and cognitive mechanisms at play. The statistical results indicated that perceived homophily is positively influenced by the influencer's reputation (β = 0.998, t = 58.393, p < .001) and prosocial behavior (β = 0.574, t = 2.381, p = .017). This study contributes to influencer marketing literature by shifting the focus from commercial outcomes to prosocial digital behaviors. Practical implications suggest that brands should collaborate with reputable influencers who evoke emotional bonds and perceived similarity with their followers to foster socially responsible engagement online.
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