Is religiosity an important consideration in Muslim consumer behavior

Abstract

Purpose This study aims to explore whether religiosity influences consumer purchase behavior among Muslim consumers in Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach An in-depth, semi-structured interview protocol was developed and administered to a sample of 90 participants, both male and female, across eight metropolitan cities of Pakistan. Professionals, university students and housewives were part of the sample. NVivo Version 11 was used for data analysis to answer the research questions raised in this study. Moreover, the purposive sampling method has been used in this research. Findings The behavior of consumers was found to vary with the degree of involvement and the degree of religiosity. Study findings are divided into three themes. Firstly, a high level of religiosity makes Muslim consumers follow the Islamic principles of food consumption, by evaluating the product ingredients, spending moderately and verifying a halal logo at the time of purchase. Secondly, a major theme is the view that religiosity has no influence on food consumption; it is more about individuals’ needs and priorities. Finally, the consumers’ overall perception of quality, product value, purity and health consciousness over-powers the concept of religiosity. Research limitations/implications Because of its qualitative and exploratory nature, the generalizability of this paper is limited. In addition to that, this research is just focused on one Muslim country. Practical implications This study suggests that western food exporters may use religiosity and other factors as probable segmentation variables to effectively position their brands. Religious images and other factors may be highlighted in product packaging and communication campaigns by marketers to gain recognition and usage of western food and consumption among religious, Pakistani Muslim consumers. The output of this research may support prospective entrants into the food business; those interested in exploring the Asian consumer market. Findings from this study may also be helpful for those in the west interested in exploring Pakistan as an emerging consumer market. Social implications The presence of western imported food may improve the quality of life by having more opportunities and healthier options for the nation. Western food products can also bring cultural convergence whereby the underdeveloped nation feels upgraded and modern. Moreover, if the western food products are certified halal, the product has a fair chance of adoption and penetration in the society. Also, the food products coming from the western world induces mindfulness, people are more aware about innovative and useful ingredients that can satisfy their taste buds, improve their health, increase their life expectancy and contented approach toward life. Originality/value Thus far, limited research has analyzed religiosity of an overwhelmingly Muslim population and its impact on consumer behavior. This study is a preliminary effort to provide a basic understanding of the behavior of Pakistani Muslims, who have been insufficiently investigated by marketing and consumer researchers. The intriguing results are to remind marketers that there are several factors that govern religiosity and lead to a purchase decision.

Religiosity and Impulsive Buying Tendencies: A model and Empirical Application

“…Accordingly, materialism is in contrast to the values of religiosity and opposes the teaching of balanced and antithetical consumption. The results also validate the proposition that religious customers are more sensitive towards risk and are less likely to experience risk (Bukhari et al, 2019;Yousaf & Shaukat Malik, 2013). Customers with the deep involvement of religiousness have interdependence and avoid experiencing new technology and products.…”

“…Religiosity describes the individual belief in God and commitment to perform life as per the principles set by God (Raggiotto et al, 2018). It is well established that religiosity influences individual's behavior including consumption behavior (Bukhari et al, 2019;Essoo & Dibb, 2004) and business behavior (Abuznaid, 2009;Wilson, 2006). Literature emphasized to conceptualize the complex nature of religiosity as a multidimensional construct (Lindridge, 2005;Mohd Dali, Yousafzai, & Abdul Hamid, 2019).…”

“…However, the marketing literature addressing impulsive buying behavior from religious context is relatively understudied (Musadik & Azmi, 2019). Researchers call for further research to examine consumer decision making in context of religiosity (Agarwala et al, 2019;Bukhari et al, 2019;Islam & Chandrasekaran, 2020). Muslim consumers are followers of common values that originate from their religious guidelines (Musadik & Azmi, 2019).…”

Electronic Word-of-Mouth Turis Muslim Mengenai Pariwisata Halal di Lombok, Nusa Tenggara Barat, Indonesia

“…Penelitian terhadap perilaku turis muslim dapat dimulai dengan pemahaman terhadap religiositas Islami yang dimiliki turis muslim. Religiositas Islami merupakan derajat keyakinan, ketaatan, dan komitmen seseorang terhadap ajaran, nilai, aturan, dan praktik agama Islam dalam kehidupannya (Al Abdulrazak & Gbadamosi, 2017;Bukhari et al, 2019;Ilter, Bayraktaroglu, & Ipek, 2017;Mohd Dali, Yousafzai, & Abdul Hamid, 2019;Wahyoedi, 2017). Religiositas merefleksikan cara hidup individu dan masyarakat dalam bentuk nilai-nilai dan sikap-sikap yang kemudian membentuk perilaku dan praktik keseharian (Eid & El-Gohary, 2015b).…”

Maqamat Sufistic as a Solution for Coping Stress

“…Behavior in life for someone who practices maqamat will get used to pious deeds (doing good and beneficial). At work, someone will be led by his conscience to look for the halal (Bukhari et al, 2019);Mukholik & Luthfi, 2018). The behavior of Sufi maqamats becomes a spirit that gives a spirit to someone to behave that puts forward the benefit in global life (Suradi & Susanto, 2018).…”