See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/335581479

Religiosity, values and consumer behaviour: a study of young Indian Muslim

consumers

Article  in  Journal of Consumer Marketing · August 2019

DOI: 10.1108/JCM-10-2017-2415

CITATIONS READS

4 626

2 authors:

Tajamul Islam Uma Chandrasekaran

Symbiosis International University Pondicherry University
8 PUBLICATIONS   62 CITATIONS    15 PUBLICATIONS   64 CITATIONS   

SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE

All content following this page was uploaded by Uma Chandrasekaran on 12 September 2019.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

 Religiosity, values and consumer behaviour:
a study of young Indian Muslim consumers
Tajamul Islam
Symbiosis Institute of Management Studies, Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Pune, India, and
Uma Chandrasekaran
Pondicherry University, Pondicherry, India

Abstract
Purpose – This paper aims to examine the relationship between religiosity and consumer values, religiosity and consumer decision making styles
(CDMS), and the mediating role of consumer values in the relationship between religiosity and CDMS among young Indian Muslim consumers.
Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from 487 young Muslim consumers across three states of India through a survey using a
structured questionnaire. The data were analysed by using the techniques of exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modelling.
Findings – Religiosity negatively influenced novelty-fashion consciousness and brand consciousness decision making styles. Religiosity was found to
have a significant positive relationship with the “interests of collectivities (IOC)” values and a significant negative relationship with the “interests of
individual (IOI)” values. The results indicate that both “IOI” values and “IOC” values mediated the relationship between religiosity and novelty-
fashion consciousness and brand consciousness.
Originality/value – The results of the study provide vital insights regarding the relationship between religiosity, values and CDMS. It provides
insights about the consumption behaviour of young Muslim consumers of India who have not been studied as a consumer group.
Keywords Consumer behaviour, Muslim consumers, Religiosity, Consumer values, Consumer decision-making styles, Indian Muslim consumers
Paper type Research paper

Introduction Modernity, because of increased emphasis on reason, has

Classical scholars such as Weber (1904,1930) once predicted
that modernity driven by market capitalism would lead to the
loss of connection between the individual and the sacred, which
will eventually deprive religion of the central position that it
once held in traditional societies. It was expected that national
affluence and globalisation would diminish the importance of
local cultures and religions but paradoxically the importance of
religion has actually magnified. According to a global poll by
WIN-Gallup International (2016), based on interviews with
more than 66,000 men and women from 68 countries, a
sizeable 62 per cent claimed to be religious. Levin (2016) in a
study found that a majority of American adults relied on prayer
to heal themselves. Approximately, 80 per cent of American
adults prayed for their own healing and nearly 90 per cent have
prayed for the healing of others. For psychological, cultural,
historical, neurological and logistical reasons religion will
probably never vanish (Nuwer, 2014). Even if organised
religions somehow wane out, our quest for the divine will find
expression through other informal manifestations such as
spiritualism, witchcraft and superstition, etc.
Instead of jettisoning religion to the background, modernity
paradoxically nurtures it (Firat and Venkatesh, 1995).
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on
Emerald Insight at: www.emeraldinsight.com/0736-3761.htm
disenchanted and disconnected the individual, which has led to
alienation. In such a situation, religion and spirituality perhaps
offer some meaning in life that the modern disenchanted and
alienated individual is desperately seeking. Studies have shown
how consumers sacralise the profane and secular consumption
situations to provide meaning to their lives (Belk et al., 1989).
Also, as people become more prosperous and more globalised
they tend to express their religious and cultural identities more
confidently and vehemently.
Marketing and consumer researchers have typically shirked
the subject of religion owing to its sensitive and controversial
nature (Bailey and Sood, 1993; Solomon, 2015; Taylor et al.,
2010). However, in the recent past burgeoning scholarly
interest has been observed in the role of religion on marketing
and consumer behaviour (Cruz et al., 2017; Mathras et al.,
2015). Studying religion is vital because religion provides a
philosophical framework or worldview that informs the belief
system of consumers and shapes their values, which, in turn,
assists in shaping consumer tastes and preferences (Engelland,
2014). Religion affects directly by laying down the rules of
conduct, as well as indirectly by contributing to the formation
of values and attitudes of the followers (Bailey and Sood,
1993).
On the other hand, values play a crucial role in the
consumption activities of an individual (Solomon, 2015;
Vinson et al., 1977). The values of a particular culture may
influence the consumption motives, which, in turn, determine

Journal of Consumer Marketing Received 8 November 2017

© Emerald Publishing Limited [ISSN 0736-3761] Revised 19 April 2019
[DOI 10.1108/JCM-10-2017-2415] Accepted 16 July 2019
 A study of young Indian Muslim consumers
Tajamul Islam and Uma Chandrasekaran
the choice criteria used by consumers (Henry, 1976). Religion
and values are perceived to be considerably interrelated and
this association has been empirically investigated (Roccas,
2005; Schwartz and Huismans, 1995). Religion highlights the
importance of some values and downplays the importance of
others (Rokeach, 1969).
The studies on religion and consumer values have typically
been conducted in the Western and Judeo-Christian context.
Also, the mediating role of values in the relationship between
religion and consumer behaviour has been seldom investigated.
Based on these considerations, the present study was
undertaken to empirically examine the relationship between the
Islamic religion and consumer values and its consequential
impact on consumer decision making styles (CDMS). More
specifically, the purpose of this paper was to examine the
influence of religiosity on CDMS; to examine the influence of
religiosity on consumer values; and to investigate the mediating
role of consumer values in the relationship between religiosity
and CDMS. The study provides an alternative cultural and
geographic context by studying young Indian Muslim
consumers who have remained markedly un-investigated by
consumer researchers. The study examined young consumers
because India has the world’s largest youthful population
(UNFPA, 2014). In total, 30 per cent of India’s total
population belong to the age group of 10-24 years. Among the
Muslim community in India, 33 per cent are in the age group of
10-24 years (Census of India, 2011a, 2011b). They are in
sizeable numbers and are expected to influence and shape the
present and future trends with regard to marketplace behaviour.
Muslim consumers
Muslim consumers are becoming the subject of interest to
marketers and academicians. Global brands are waking up to
the huge potential offered by Muslim markets worldwide. The
Muslim market is reckoned to be the next big market
opportunity after India and China (Simpfendorfer, 2015).
Muslims follow the Sharia (Islamic law) guidelines to decide
what is allowed (referred to as Halal) and what is prohibited
(referred to as Haram). There is a substantial demand for
Sharia compliant products and services generated by 1.8 billion
Muslims living in different parts of the world. Muslims
constitute 25 per cent of world’s population and half the
Muslim population is under the age of 25. They are expected to
increase to 35 per cent in the next 20 years and by 2070 Islam
will be the world’s largest religion (Pew Research Center,
2015). Although this huge market is not homogenous in
behaviour, it is guided by certain common values (Temporal,
2011). The Thomson Reuters (2018, 2019) report on “State of
Global Islamic Economy” estimated the global Muslim spend
across lifestyle sectors at US$2.1tn in 2017 and the spending
power is estimated to reach $3tn by 2023. The growing Muslim
population worldwide, relatively affluent consumers in the
Middle East and the substantial contribution of Islamic
countries to world trade (Marinov, 2006) are some of the
economic reasons for firms to engage in Muslim markets.
Marketers are increasingly appreciative to the potential of
Muslim markets and are realising the loss of opportunity by
choosing to ignore the Islamic market. Ogilvy and Mather
launched the world’s first Islamic branding agency called
Journal of Consumer Marketing
“Ogilvy Noor” in 2010, which offered expert advice on
building brands for Muslim consumers globally. Nestle
Malaysia produces about 300 halal compliant food and
beverage products, which are exported worldwide. Modest
fashion is going mainstream. Macy’s, Adidas, Nike and
American Eagle Outfitters have recently introduced modest
clothing for Muslim women. The British multinational retailer
Marks and Spencer (M&S) launched full-cover modest
swimsuits called “burkinis” to cater to the needs of Muslim
women. Dolce and Gabbana introduced the hijab and abaya
collection for the Muslim women in January 2016. Recently,
H&M also launched the first mainstream modest fashion line
called LTD. Other major fashion brands that have produced
clothing lines targeting Muslim consumers include DKNY,
Tommy Hilfiger, Mango and Oscar de la Renta. Besides food,
finance and fashion, Halal is becoming important in other
categories such as travel, media and recreation and
pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.
The opportunities in the Islamic economy stretch beyond the
Muslim-majority nations. More than 350 million Muslims live
as minorities around the world who are increasingly asserting
their religious sensitivities in the marketplaces. Muslims are
becoming more aware of their identities and more attentive to
the requirements of their religion. Given their special
requirements and evolving mind-sets, the Muslim consumers
are creating complex challenges for international marketers
who have generally ignored religious aspects in their marketing
programmes (Alserhan, 2011).
Background and theoretical framework
Religion and consumer behaviour
The earliest studies on religion and consumer behaviour were
conducted in the early 1980s by Hirschman. The studies
involved comparisons between Catholics, Protestants and Jews
with respect to various aspects of buyer behaviour such as
consumption innovativeness, product information transfer,
novelty seeking (Hirschman, 1982), brand loyalty (Hirschman,
1981), choices of weekend entertainment, transportation, pet
selection and residence selection (Hirschman, 1983). These
studies indicated significant differences between respondents of
different religions with respect to consumption behaviour.
Wilkes et al. (1986) conceptualised religion in terms of the
religiosity, which is referred to as “the degree to which a person
adheres to his or her religious values, beliefs, and practices and
uses them in daily living” (Worthington et al., 2003, p. 85). Few
studies have also argued that religiosity is a more important
variable in terms of affecting consumer behaviour than mere
affiliation to a particular religion (McDaniel and Burnett, 1990;
Mokhlis, 2009). However, many studies have confirmed the
significant role of both religious affiliation and religiosity on
various consumption aspects across cultural and geographical
contexts (Ahmed et al., 2013; Bailey and Sood, 1993; Delener,
1990; Essoo and Dibb, 2004; Fam et al., 2004; Hirschman
et al., 2011; Izberk-Bilgin, 2012; Karatas  and Sandikci, 2013;
La Barbera and Gürhan, 1997; Sood and Nasu, 1995;
Swimberghe et al., 2009). Two major themes can be observed
from the studies on religion and consumer behaviour. In most
of the earlier studies belongingness to a particular religion is
seen as a distinguishing factor that sets apart the followers of
 A study of young Indian Muslim consumers
Tajamul Islam and Uma Chandrasekaran
different religions with respect to their consumption
behaviours. Religion is conceptualised as a “cognitive system”
(Hirschman, 1983), which shapes the marketplace behaviour of
followers of different religions. Hence, the value for the
marketer lies in its potential as a segmentation variable. On the
other hand, many studies view religion as a component of
identity and consumption is seen as the means to construct,
maintain and express religious identities (Hirschman et al.,
2011; Izberk-Bilgin, 2012). These studies highlight how
consumers use market resources to assert and build their
religious identities (Karatas  and Sandikci, 2013). These two
distinct approaches, which have taken different epistemological
positions towards studying the relationship between religion
and consumption, also underline the symbiotic relationship in
which religious identity shapes the consumption practices and
consumption, in turn, contributes to the development and
expression of religious identity.
Recently, a growing interest towards studying Muslim
consumers and Muslim markets has been noticed among the
consumer and marketing researchers. The introduction of the
Journal of Islamic Marketing, the Oxford Global Islamic
Branding and Marketing Forum, the launch of a global
reference for Islamic economy intelligence, namely, Salaam
Gateway, and a series of global Islamic marketing conferences
are some of the initiatives that are augmenting the interest in
the Muslim market and at the same time highlighting the
growing importance of understanding Muslim consumers and
markets. While not disregarding the fact that the Muslim world
is a “mosaic of views” on various aspects of life and avoiding
lazy stereotypes of “monolithic Muslims”, the diverse
adherents of the Islamic faith have a certain specific life outlook
(El-Bassiouny, 2014), which is, perhaps, the result of their
strongly and widely held religious tenets. This strong
attachment to religious tenets is probably the reason for the
comparatively greater interest that Muslim markets have
generated among businesses than other religious communities
such as Christianity or Hinduism.
In one of the earliest studies on religion and consumption
behaviour Bailey and Sood (1993) found Muslims to have
markedly different consumer shopping behaviour from the
consumers of other religious groups. They were found
more likely to be “impetuous shoppers” and less likely to be
“informed shoppers”, which the authors attributed to the
fatalistic philosophy of life in Islamic religion. In a similar vein,
Muslim consumers from Mauritius were found to be more
practical and innovative in their shopping behaviour (Essoo
and Dibb, 2004). With regard to their perceived offence
towards the advertisement of controversial products, Muslim
consumers were found to be clearly distinct from the
Christians, Buddhists and non-religious believers (Fam et al.,
2004). Muslims found these advertisements most offensive and
the unfavourable attitude towards contentious messages further
exacerbated with increased religiosity or religiousness (Michell
and Al-Mossawi, 1995). Religious Muslim consumers take the
religious injunctions as the source of reference while making
purchase decisions regarding food, clothing and even
automobiles (Shah Alam et al., 2011). The religion of Islam
besides being a system of beliefs and practices also provides a
way of life for a serious follower. The sharia guidelines
encompass almost all aspects of human life. Islamic law and
Journal of Consumer Marketing
teachings besides explicitly specifying the acceptable modes of
behaviour (such as in the matters of food and clothes), also lays
down the general guidelines of conduct such as, abstaining
from extravagance and espousing the values of modesty and
humbleness.
While the studies discussed above are informative, the
literature on religion and consumption warrants further
enquiry with regard to the underlying mechanism of the
relationship between religion and consumption. Past studies
have not explored the mediating influence of values between
religiousness and various consumer behaviour variables. There
is a scope for improving and enriching the theory by explaining
the relationships through mediators and moderators, that can
provide the process evidence. The present study attempts to
address this gap in literature by investigating the mediating
influence of values in the relationship between religiosity and
CDMS.
Consumer decision making styles and religion
Sproles and Kendall (1986, p. 268) developed the consumer
style inventory (CSI) based on the consumer characteristics
approach, which consists of 40 items pertaining to cognitive
and affective orientation in decision making. They define the
consumer decision making style as “a mental orientation
characterizing a consumer’s approach to making choices”.
Consumers, according to this approach, adopt a shopping
personality, which is enduring, and analogous to the personality
concept in psychology. Previously, shopping typologies were
developed by a number of researchers, which were aimed at
describing profiles of consumers, assuming that consumers
engage in decision making with certain mindsets or
personalities (Bellenger and Korgaonkar, 1980; Darden and
Reynolds, 1971; Moschis, 1976; Stone, 1954). However, the
consumer characteristic approach by Sproles and Kendall
(1986) has been widely applied and considered to be the most
systematic and robust method (Bakewell and Mitchell, 2003;
Lysonski and Durvasula, 2013). The 40 item CSI represents
eight distinct fundamental decision making styles/traits, which
include – perfectionist, brand conscious, novelty-fashion
conscious, recreational, price conscious, impulsive, confused
by overchoice and habitual orientations. The CSI has been
widely tested across nationalities and cultures to measure
decision making styles and has become a well-accepted
approach (Lysonski and Durvasula, 2013). Studies have
demonstrated the varying decision making styles across cultural
contexts (Fan and Xiao, 1998; Hiu et al., 2001; Lysonski et al.,
1996; Mitchell and Bates, 1998). Factors such as cultural
orientation (Leo et al., 2005), socialisation and social structural
background (Shim and Koh, 1997) have been found to
influence the decision making styles of consumers. Religion
being an important component of culture and socialisation
agent will, therefore, be expected to influence the decision
making styles of consumers. Although prior research has not
investigated the direct link between religion and CDMS,
researchers have tested the impact of religion on consumer
orientations while making purchases. Religious individuals
have been found to be more economic shoppers, more likely to
purchase products on sale (Sood and Nasu, 1995), more
hesitant to try new products (Essoo and Dibb, 2004) and less
likely to switch products and stores (Choi, 2010). The present
 A study of young Indian Muslim consumers
Tajamul Islam and Uma Chandrasekaran
study embarks on testing the influence of Muslim religiosity on
the two decision making styles of brand consciousness and
novelty-fashion consciousness adopted from the CSI.
Brand consciousness is the consumer orientation towards
purchasing expensive and well-known national brands (Sproles
and Kendall, 1986). Price equals quality for brand conscious
consumers and the popularity of these brands provide
consumers a sense of familiarity, which, in turn, reduces the
risk perception involved in the purchase (Giovannini et al.,
2015). Many studies have found highly religious individuals to
be relatively risk-averse (Abbott-Chapman and Denholm,
2001; Hilary and Hui, 2009; Jiang et al., 2015). Religious
Catholic and Jewish consumers were found to perceive higher
levels of risk in their purchase decisions (Delener, 1990). The
risk aversion trait among highly religious individuals is
manifested in the actions such as avoidance of drinking and
smoking, wearing seatbelts, eating a balanced diet, etc.
(McCullough and Willoughby, 2009). Reducing uncertainty
and simplifying the decision making process is one of the major
functions of branding (Aaker, 1991). Given that higher degree
of religiosity is associated with the preference for the status quo
and avoidance of risk, it may be hypothesised that such traits
among highly religious individuals are reflected in higher
preference for well-known national brands, and hence, making
them more brand conscious. Therefore, the following
hypothesis is proposed:
H1. Islamic religiosity has a significant positive influence on
the consumer decision making style of brand
consciousness.
Novelty-fashion conscious consumers tend to like new and
innovative products and gain excitement in trying and seeking
new things (Sproles and Kendall, 1986). Consumers seeking
innovative products are driven by the need for stimulation
(Venkatesan, 1973) and need for uniqueness (Fromkin, 1971).
These consumers have a tendency to make decisions regarding
purchases independently and their acts and decisions are not
regulated by the communicated influence of others (Bass,
1969). Religion, on the other hand, generally seeks to reinforce
social integration, which warrants the regulation of individual
behaviour through the fear of sanctions and reward of
maintaining social relations (Coleman, 1990). Essoo and Dibb
(2004) found that highly religious individuals, because of their
traditional and conservative orientation, were less likely to try
new products as compared to their casually religious
counterparts. Independent thought and action is generally
frowned upon in most of the religions of the world. Islam and
fashion have often been seen in tension with each other (Moors,
2003). Also, the aversion towards risk among highly religious
individuals may further lead to lower propensity towards trying
novel products. Hence, the following hypothesis is proposed:
H2. Islamic religiosity has a significant negative influence on
the consumer decision making style of novelty-fashion
consciousness.
Values and religion
According to Rokeach (1973), “a value is an enduring belief
that one mode of conduct or end state of existence is preferable
Journal of Consumer Marketing
to an opposing mode of conduct or end-state of existence. A
value system is an enduring organisation of beliefs concerning
preferable modes of conduct or end-states of existence along a
continuum of relative importance”. Values are generally
universal but the relative importance of values in different
cultures sets them apart. Two levels of values were identified by
Rokeach (1973) – terminal and instrumental. Terminal values
are the desirable end states of existence while instrumental
values refer to the desirable modes of conduct through which
terminal values can be achieved. Some of the popular
instruments used by researchers to measure values include,
Rokeach value survey (RVS), list of values (LOV), values and
lifestyles (VALS) and Schwartz value survey (SVS).
Consumer values are important because many products and
services are purchased and consumed for their ability to achieve
certain value related goals (Solomon et al., 2006). Decisions
regarding good and bad, right and wrong, avoiding and worth-
doing are centred on the possible ramifications on cherished
values (Schwartz, 2012). As values are the outcome of culture,
consumer values differ across cultures (Shim and Eastlick,
1998; Valencia, 1989). Schwartz and Huismans (1995)
examined the relationship between values and religiosity. On
the basis of their psychological, theological and sociological
analysis of religiosity they developed some hypotheses on the
relationship between religiosity and the 10 types of values
proposed by Schwartz (1992), which are as follows:
1 Most positive correlation between religiosity and tradition
values and most negative correlation between religiosity
and hedonism values.
2 Positive correlation between religiosity and conformity,
benevolence and security values.
3 Negative correlation between religiosity and stimulation
and self-direction values.
4 The correlations of religiosity with universalism,
achievement and power values are less positive than the
correlations with conformity, security and benevolence
values.
5 Also, the correlations of religiosity with universalism,
achievement and power values are less negative than
stimulation and self-direction value.
These hypotheses were confirmed and received support across
four Judeo-Christian religious groups. However, the effect of
social context may produce variations in the pattern of
relationships between religiosity and values (Roccas, 2005).
Also, the socio-economic development of the country has been
found to affect the magnitude of religiosity-values association
(Saroglou et al., 2004). Therefore, it is important to investigate
the relationship between religiosity and values in other religious
and geographical contexts. The value types proposed by
Schwartz (1992) can be categorised as values representing
“interests of collectivities (IOC)” (universalism, tradition,
conformity, security and benevolence) and “interests of individual
(IOI)” (stimulation, self-direction, hedonism, achievement and
power). The universalism and benevolence values emphasise
concern for others and treating them as equals. The values of
conformity, tradition and security emphasise self-restriction,
preserving the traditional practices and protection of stability
(Saroglou et al., 2004). The sayings of Prophet Mohammad
(called as Hadith or Sunnah) and the Quran, which constitute
 A study of young Indian Muslim consumers
Tajamul Islam and Uma Chandrasekaran
the primary sources of Islamic principles and guidelines, have
encouraged benevolence (Beekun and Badawi, 2005) and
equality of humankind (Kamali, 2002). The religion of Islam is
generally identified as more group oriented and collectivist
(Soutar, 2010). Collectivism has been found to be positively
associated with the values of conformity, tradition and security
(Cukur et al., 2004). Muslims are guided by the values of
modesty, morality, community and family, etc. (Hodge, 2002)
which originate from the religious teachings and principles.
Justice, benevolence, honesty, integrity, piety and gratitude are
some of the virtues taught in the Quran (Halstead, 2007). More
religious individuals are expected to follow the teachings and
internalise the values of religion more seriously. Therefore, it is
proposed that higher levels of Islamic religiosity will have a
positive influence on the “IOC” values.
On the other hand, the self-direction and stimulation values
emphasise independent thought and action. Similarly, the
achievement and power values emphasise pursuit of individual
success and dominance, and hedonism emphasises pleasure
and sensuous gratification (Saroglou et al., 2004). An
individual in Islam is entrusted with the freedom of enterprise
and can derive benefit from its property, but at the same time
does not hold absolute right for owning. An individual is seen as
a trustee of the gifts of God and personal enjoyment of property
with only individualistic ends is deplored (Ahmed, 1971).
Similarly, overt consumption of luxuries and hoarding is not
desirable in Islam (Nwankwo et al., 2014). Further, the religion
of Islam being a more collectivist oriented religion, the
independent thought and action will not be generally
encouraged. Therefore, it is posited that higher levels of Islamic
religiosity will have a negative influence on the “IOI” values.
Based on the above discussion following hypotheses are
proposed:
H3. Islamic religiosity has a significant positive influence on the
“interests of the collectivities” values, namely, universalism,
tradition, conformity, security and benevolence.
H4. Islamic religiosity has a significant negative influence on
the “interests of the individual or self” values, namely,
stimulation, self-direction, hedonism, achievement and
power.
Values have been defined as the trans-situational goals that act
as guiding principles in the life of an individual. Important
values are pursued by behaving in ways that express them or
promote their attainment (Bardi and Schwartz, 2003). In
consumer research, values have been found to influence
attitudes and behaviour of the consumers (Allen, 2001; Henry,
1976; Vinson et al., 1977). The means-end model by Gutman
(1982) asserts that a close relationship exists between the values
consumers seek to satisfy and their product and brand choices.
Consumer values have been found to be related to the
importance placed on store attributes (Erdem et al., 1999);
brand choice behaviour (Rokeach, 1973); desired consumer
benefits (Gutman, 1990); online grocery shopping (Hansen,
2008); patronage of shopping malls (Shim and Eastlick, 1998);
and mall shopping behaviour (Cai and Shannon, 2012). Allen
(2001) suggests that values shape consumers’ choice of product
directly when they are evaluating the symbolic meaning of the
product, and indirectly when they are evaluating the utilitarian
Journal of Consumer Marketing
meaning of the product. The values of risk aversion and face
consciousness were found to contribute to the divergent
decision making styles of American and Chinese consumers
(Bao et al., 2003). Risk aversion negatively affected the novelty-
fashion conscious orientation. Wang et al. (2000) suggested
that hedonic values were positively associated with novelty
seeking and foreign brand preferences, and negatively
associated with utilitarian orientation. Values were found to
have a direct and indirect effect on brand preferences (Casidy
Mulyanegara and Tsarenko, 2009). Brand choice was seen to
be driven by the values of freedom, belongingness, excellence,
and connection in a study on a group of Australians who were
engaged in extreme sports (Beverland et al., 2006). Literature
suggests that religiosity influences values (Saroglou et al., 2004;
Schwartz and Huismans, 1995) and values determine the
attitude and behaviour (Schwartz, 1992). Therefore, the
consumer decision making orientations can be linked to
religiosity and values. As per the cultural cognition thesis, the
cultural values act as key factors in shaping the individual’s
perception of social risk (Kahan and Braman, 2006).
Individuals with higher preference for interrelationships with
others are more concerned about the approval of their choices
by others, and therefore, perceive higher risk in purchase
decision making process (Keh and Sun, 2008). The literature
suggests that higher preference for “IOC” values is associated
with greater perceived risks and leads to lower innovativeness
(Steenkamp et al., 1999). Conversely, the “IOI” values may
lead to lower levels of perceived risk. This relationship between
values and perceived risk may, in turn, influence the brand
consciousness and novelty-fashion consciousness decision
making styles. Given the hypothesised effect of religiosity on
decision making styles (H1 and H2), the effect of religiosity on
values (H3 and H4) and the influence of values on the CDMS
as suggested by past research, it is proposed that consumer
values mediate the relationship between religiosity and CDMS
of brand consciousness and novelty-fashion consciousness.
Hence, the following hypothesis is proposed:
H5. Consumer values will mediate the relationship between
religiosity and CDMS of novelty-fashion consciousness
and brand consciousness.
The hypothesised model is depicted in the Figure 1.
Figure 1 Hypothesized model
H5
IOC Values
3
H Brand
H1 Consciousness
Religiosity
Novelty-
H2
Fashion
H
4 Consciousnes
IOI Values
H5
 A study of young Indian Muslim consumers
Tajamul Islam and Uma Chandrasekaran
Methodology
Sample selection and data collection
The target population for the present study were the young
Indian Muslim consumers who were pursuing their post-
graduation or Master’s degree in the universities and colleges in
India. The respondents for the present study were randomly
selected from nine institutes across three states in India. Multi-
stage cluster sampling was used to select the respondents. The
15th national census conducted by census organisation of India
categorises the 28 Indian states and 7 union territories as
majority, significant, minority and negligible Muslim
populations. The states having negligible Muslim populations
were excluded from the study. Eventually, three states, namely,
Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh having
majority, significant and minority Muslim populations,
respectively, were selected randomly. In the second stage,
Muslim minority colleges and universities offering post
graduate courses in these three states were listed out. A total of
seven colleges and two university campuses were randomly
chosen from which respondents were eventually selected. After
obtaining the approval from the authorities of each institution
and after fixing the dates and timings for the survey, the
students were assembled in classrooms and were given a brief
introduction about the survey. While encouraging the students
to participate in the survey, it was also ensured that no one was
pressurised to participate and the respondents were free to
decide. The final respondents were selected randomly among
the students showing willingness to take part in the survey.
Taking into consideration the previous studies conducted on
religion and consumer behaviour, statistical requirements and
financial resources, a sample in the range of 450-500
respondents was considered to be appropriate for the study.
Out of 550 questionnaires distributed among the respondents
from August 2014 to April 2015, a total of 511 were received
back (response rate = 92 per cent). Further, 24 questionnaires
were discarded because of the incomplete or invalid responses
yielding a sample of 487. The demographic profile of the
respondents is presented in Table I.
Measures and measurement validation procedure
The measurement scales involved in the study were adapted
from the previous studies with appropriate modifications. The
Stark and Glock (1968) framework, which identifies five
dimensions of religiosity (i.e. ideological, ritualistic, devotional,
experiential and consequential) was adapted for measuring the
construct of religiosity. The 31 items for religiosity scale
representing each of the five dimensions were adapted from
Hassan (2007) and Rehman and Shahbaz Shabbir (2010) and
Table I Demographic profile of the respondents
Description No.
Female 267
Male 220
State
Jammu and Kashmir 196
Kerala 154
Andhra Pradesh 137
Age group 20-26 years
Journal of Consumer Marketing
the respondents were asked to indicate their level of agreement
or disagreement on a five-point Likert scale where 1 = strongly
disagree and 5 = strongly agree. For measuring CDMS of
“novelty-fashion consciousness” and “Brand consciousness”
the items from CSI developed by Sproles and Kendall (1986)
were used [Appendix 3]. The items were measured on a five-
point Likert scale with 5 referring to “strongly agree” and 1
referring to “strongly disagree”. For measuring values, the
present study adopted the shortened version of SVS scale
referred to as short Schwartz’s value survey (SVSS), developed
by Lindeman and Verkasalo (2005). The SVSS offers a
practical alternative to the lengthy 57-item SVS and has been
found to show evidence of acceptable reliability and validity
(Lindeman and Verkasalo, 2005). The abbreviated version
consisted of 10 values types, which were presented to the
respondents along with the description of each value. The
respondents were asked to indicate the importance of each
value as a “life guiding principle” on a six-point scale ranging
from 1 (not at all important) to 6 (very important).
All the constructs were subjected to an exploratory factor
analysis. The items with factor loadings below 60.5,
substantial cross-loadings and communalities less than 0.50
were considered for deletion. After deleting an item, the factor
analysis was again conducted and the items were assessed. The
procedure was repeated until an optimal structure with all
significant loadings (above 60.5), no cross-loadings and all
communality values above 0.50 was obtained. For the
remaining items, internal consistency approach was used to
assess the reliability of each of the constructs. The Cronbach’s
alpha values ranged from 0.746 to 0.821, which indicates
acceptable levels of reliability (Table II).
The factor analysis of the religiosity scale provided a reduced
set of 17 items, which were combined into a single composite
measure [Appendix 1]. These items represented all the five
dimensions of religiosity, and therefore, the composite measure
gave an overall assessment of an individual’s religiosity.
Novelty-fashion consciousness and brand consciousness scales
consisted of four-items each, which were derived from the
factor analysis of CSI. The factor analysis of 10 value items of
SVSS resulted in the removal of one value item, namely, self-
direction. The remaining nine value types [Appendix 2] were
extracted into two factors, which were labelled as “ (IOC)
values” (consisting of benevolence, universalism, conformity,
security and tradition) and “interests of the individual (IOI)
values” (consisting of hedonism, stimulation, achievement and
power). These two sets of value types derived from the factor
analysis represent opposing motivations.
Next, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using SPSS Amos
24.0 was conducted to confirm the factorial structure of the
constructs in the study model. The following fit statistics indicate
(%)
Table II Cronbach’s alpha values for various constructs in the study
54.8
Constructs Cronbach’s alpha value
45.2
Religiosity 0.746
40 Novelty-fashion consciousness 0.816
32 Brand consciousness 0.813
28 IOC values 0.821
IOI values 0.805
 A study of young Indian Muslim consumers Journal of Consumer Marketing
Tajamul Islam and Uma Chandrasekaran

a good fit for the measurement model: chi-square ( x 2) = Table IV Results of structural model estimation – (religiosity and CDMS,
225.657, df = 113; GFI = 0.947; TLI = 0.954; CFI = 0.961; religiosity and values)
RMSEA = 0.045; SRMR = 0.0399 (Hu and Bentler, 1999).
Standardised
The convergent validity for each of the latent constructs was
parameter
assessed through the examination of average variance extracted
Structural relationship t-value estimate p-value
(AVE) and construct reliability (CR) values, which were within
acceptable ranges i.e. AVE  0.5, CR  0.7 (Hair et al., 2014) Religiosity fi Brand
as shown in Table III. The Square root of AVE estimates were consciousness – H1 2.333 0.12 0.020
greater than the inter-construct correlations, which indicated Religiosity fi novelty-fashion
that there are no issues with the discriminant validity of the consciousness – H2 2.538 0.13 0.011
model (Table III). Religiosity fi IOC values – H3 4.589 0.228 0.000
As this study is based on self-reported data, it was important Religiosity fi IOI values – H4 2.269 0.114 0.023
to test the presence of common method bias (CMB). Two IOC values fi Brand
methods were used to analyse CMB. First, the traditional consciousness 6.637 0.364 0.000
Harman’s single-factor test was performed by constraining all IOC values fi novelty-fashion
the factors in EFA to just one. The single factor accounted for consciousness 3.953 0.217 0.000
less than 25 per cent of variance, which indicated lack of IOI values fi Brand
significant CMB. Next, a common latent factor (CLF) was consciousness 5.017 0.273 0.000
created in the CFA model. All the observed items in the model IOI values fi novelty-fashion
were connected to the CLF. The unconstrained common consciousness 3.259 0.181 0.001

method factor model was compared with the fully constrained Notes: p-value is significant at 0.05 level; the fit statistics of the SEM
(zero constrained) common method factor model. The x 2 test model indicate adequate levels of model fit; x 2 = 295.841, df = 130; GFI =
indicated that there were no significant differences, which 0.936; TLI = 0.934; CFI = 0.944; RMSEA = 0.051; and SRMR = 0.062 (Hu
demonstrates that we were unable to detect any CMB affecting and Bentler, 1999)
our model (Gaskin and Lim, 2017).

Results a significant negative influence over “IOI” values. The results

Structural equation modelling (SEM) procedure was used to
test the hypotheses. Table IV provides the standardised
parameter estimates, associated significance levels, t-values and
fit indices for the proposed structural model. H1 predicts that
religiosity has a significant positive influence on brand
consciousness and H2 predicts that religiosity has a significant
negative influence on novelty-fashion consciousness. As shown
in Table IV, the study findings support H2 but not H1.
Interestingly, the findings indicate a significant negative
relationship between religiosity and brand consciousness, in
contradiction of the predicted relationship. These findings
suggest that Islamic religiosity has a negative influence on both
novelty-fashion consciousness and brand consciousness i.e.
higher levels of religiosity will lead to lower levels of brand
consciousness and novelty-fashion consciousness.
H3 predicts that religiosity has a significant positive influence
on “IOC” values while H4 predicts that religiosity has a
significant negative influence on the “IOI” values. Support is
found for both H3 and H4. As shown in Table IV, the
standardised parameter estimates indicate that religiosity has a
significant positive influence on the “IOC” values and it has
suggest that higher levels of religiosity led to higher belief in
“IOC” values (which included universalism, benevolence, tradition,
conformity and security) and lower liking for “IOI” values (which
included stimulation, hedonism, achievement and power).
Further, Table IV also reports the estimates of the
relationships between values and the two decision making
styles. The results indicate significant positive relationships
between “IOI” values and the two decision making styles, while
the relationship is significantly negative between “IOC” values
and the two decision making styles.
Hypothesis H5 posits that values mediate the relationship
between religiosity and CDMS of novelty-fashion
consciousness and brand consciousness. The two value types
identified in the study were used as possible mediators. The
bootstrapping procedure in SPSS Amos was used, as it is
considered to be a better alternative for testing mediation
(Cheung and Lau, 2007). Before testing the hypothesis, the
structural model was assessed for its overall fit. The fit statistics
as shown in Table V indicate that the model has adequate levels
of model fit. Zhao et al. (2010) approach was considered while
interpreting the mediation results.

Table III Validity estimates

Discriminant validity
Constructs AVE CR Novelty- fashion consciousness Brand consciousness IOI values IOC values
Novelty- fashion consciousness 0.53 0.82 0.73 – – –
Brand consciousness 0.52 0.81 0.49 0.72 – –
IOI values 0.51 0.80 0.07 0.12 0.71 –
IOC values 0.50 0.83 0.12 0.26 0.48 0.70
Notes:  Square root of the AVE estimates;  inter-construct correlation
 A study of young Indian Muslim consumers
Tajamul Islam and Uma Chandrasekaran
Table V Mediation results of religiosity – values – CDMS model
Relationship Direct without mediator
Religiosity – IOI values –
novelty-fashion
consciousness 0.13 (0.011)
Religiosity – IOI values –
brand consciousness 0.12 (0.020)
Religiosity – IOC values –
novelty-fashion
consciousness 0.13 (0.011)
Religiosity – IOC values–
brand consciousness 0.12 (0.020)

Notes: Values in brackets are the associated p-values; p-value is significant at 0.05 level; the fit statistics of the SEM model indicate adequate levels of
model fit; x 2 = 415.635, df = 128; GFI = 0.915; TLI = 0.901; CFI = 0.903; RMSEA = 0.042; and SRMR = 0.068 (Hu and Bentler, 1999)
Table V indicates that there is a mediating effect of both types
of values in the above model. When the indirect effect
(bootstrapping) is significant and the direct with mediator
effect is not significant, it is designated as “indirect-only”
mediation as per Zhao et al. (2010) approach. This type
of mediation overlaps with Baron and Kenny’s (1986) “full
mediation”. The indirect only mediation indicates that the
mediator identified is consistent with the hypothesised
theoretical framework (Zhao et al., 2010). The results indicate
that both “IOC” values and “IOI” values mediated the
relationship between religiosity and novelty-fashion
consciousness and brand consciousness. Religion, because of
its encouragement and acceptance of “IOC” values and its
disliking for “IOI” values, results in the negative relationship
between religiosity and novelty-fashion consciousness and
brand consciousness (Table V – see direct without mediator).
Discussion
The goal of this study was to investigate the relationship
between religiosity, values and CDMS. The study finds that
religiosity negatively influenced novelty-fashion consciousness
and brand consciousness. In other words, more religious
individuals were less likely to be novelty-fashion conscious
and brand conscious. A study by Farrag and Hassan (2015)
on Egyptian Muslim youth also found a negative relationship
between religiosity and attitude towards fashion. The
findings from the present study substantiate the earlier
findings from previous research. Interestingly, the negative
relationship between religiosity and brand consciousness was
contrary to the hypothesis proposed. Previous research has
indicated that highly religious individuals tend to perceive
more risk, and therefore, to reduce the risk involved, they
should, perhaps, be more brand conscious and less novelty-
fashion conscious. The possible explanation for this
unanticipated finding could be that the brand consciousness
orientation also entails buying expensive brands, which may
not be preferred by religious individuals. Islamic religion
preaches the impermanence of life and the transience of
worldly pleasures. However, at the same time, Islam does not
prohibit people from living good lives. For example, the
following verse in Quran:
We put things for you in this world that you can use to live well. (Quran 4:10)
Journal of Consumer Marketing
Direct with mediator Indirect effect (bootstrapping) Zhao et al. (2010)
0.071 (0.149) 0.018 (0.028) Indirect-only (MEDIATION)
0.017 (0.717) 0.030 (0.050) Indirect-only (MEDIATION)
0.067 (0.185) 0.044 (0.003) Indirect-only (MEDIATION)
0.008 (0.865) 0.082 (0.004) Indirect-only (MEDIATION)
Similarly, there are many instances when Prophet Muhammad
showed admiration for beautiful clothes, perfumes, nice horses,
etc., and there are stories about companions of the Prophet who
were rich and lived wealthy lives. However, extravagance and
going overboard is prohibited. Again, the extravagance is a
relative concept and differs from person to person and context to
context. There is no cut-off mentioned about the extravagance in
Islam. In addition to that, the interpretation of many religious
teachings differ across Muslim communities in the world. Some
Muslim communities tend to have an ultraconservative
interpretation of Islamic teachings. Maybe the more conservative
outlook of individuals with higher religiosity makes them less
brand conscious and less novelty-fashion conscious. Also, the
collectivistic orientation of religious individuals may lead them to
prefer a low profile lifestyle and seek conformity by avoiding
expensive brands and novel products.
Religiosity had a significant negative relationship with “IOI”
values and a significant positive relationship with “IOC” values.
The “IOI” values included the values of stimulation, hedonism,
achievement and power. The “IOC” values included the values
of universalism, benevolence, tradition, conformity and security. In
the past, the relationship between values and religiosity has
been empirically investigated. The findings from the present
study are in line with the earlier conclusions made by
researchers. Most of the major contemporary religions
inherently encourage their followers to pursue causes beyond
the personal materialistic desires. Religion seeks to alleviate the
self-indulgence quests and nurture the self-transcendental
values and beliefs by promoting the religious creeds,
prescriptions and rituals (Schwartz and Huismans, 1995). The
positive relationship between religiosity and “IOC” values of
universalism, benevolence, tradition, conformity and security is
because of the fact that religion seeks to foster the values, which
encourage people to go beyond the personal self-directed goals
and, which emphasise preserving the status quo. On the other
hand, the negative relationship between religiosity and “IOI”
values of stimulation, hedonism, power and achievement is due to
the tendency of religion to discourage quests for self-indulgence
as these values are seen as antithetical to spiritual pursuits.
Schwartz and Huismans (1995) found similar relationships
between religiosity and values on samples of Israeli Jews,
Spanish Roman Catholics, Greek Orthodox and Dutch
Calvinist Protestants. The present study on young Islamic
 A study of young Indian Muslim consumers
Tajamul Islam and Uma Chandrasekaran
followers from India confirms the relationship between
religiosity and values. Although Islam does not advocate
complete renunciation of worldly pleasures and leisure
(Ibrahim, 1982), it does frown upon the excessive focus on
hedonistic pursuits. For example, Islam prohibits excessive use
of luxuries and warns against hoarding (Nwankwo et al., 2014).
In an attempt to fill the gap in prior literature on religion and
consumer behaviour, this study examined the mediating role of
consumer values in the relationship between religiosity and
CDMS among the young Indian Muslim consumers. The
results of the study confirm this relationship. Consumer values
have been found to be central to consumer decision making
(Jensen, 2001; Kilbourne et al., 2005). The study results
suggest that the negative relationship between religiosity and
brand consciousness and novelty-fashion consciousness is due
to the negative relationship of religiosity with “IOI” values and
the positive relationship of religiosity with “IOC” values.
Cross-cultural consumer research indicates a positive
correlation between individualism and adoption of innovations
(De Mooij and Hofstede, 2011). The “IOI” values because of
their focus on self-centric desires encourage the novelty-fashion
consciousness and brand consciousness tendencies. On the
other hand, the “IOC” values because of their emphasis on self-
sacrifice and renunciation of worldly pursuits will, perhaps,
discourage these tendencies. Religion as per the present study
acts as an antecedent or source of these values that lead to the
expression of observed consumer behaviours in the study.
Theoretical and managerial implications
From a theoretical perspective, it can be speculated that the
religiosity variable significantly influences consumer decision
making orientations. The results suggest that an individual’s
level of religiosity can provide valuable inputs regarding the
values and belief system and subsequently the marketplace
behaviour of the consumer.
An important theoretical contribution of this study is the
examination of the mediating role of values in the relationship
between consumer religiosity and consumption behaviour.
Although many studies have examined the relationship
between religiosity and consumption behaviour, there are no
studies testing the mediating role of values in this relationship.
This study explains the underlying mechanism through which
religiosity influences consumer behaviour. Specifically, the
results suggest that among religious Muslim consumers, the
adoption of “IOC” values and the disliking for “IOI” values
influences their brand consciousness and novelty-fashion
consciousness. Thus, the present study offers and emphasises a
value-based framework to be adopted for understanding the
role of religiosity on various aspects of consumer behaviour.
Future research may focus on the values espoused by different
religions to explain the relationship between religion and
consumer behaviour.
Further, by providing an Asian/Indian context of Muslim
consumers the study supports the earlier research on the role of
religion on consumer behavioural aspects, which has been
predominantly based on western Judeo-Christian consumers.
Eastern cultures, which are generally more collectivistic, tend
to attribute greater importance to their respective religions, and
therefore, share a different relationship with religion as
compared to individualistic western contexts. This study
Journal of Consumer Marketing
advances the previous literature by providing the evidence from
India, which is a collectivistic society and confirms the
important role played by religion among Indian Muslim
consumers. The study also provides further support to the
previous research regarding the relationship between religiosity
and values. The results indicate that religiosity-values
relationships hypothesised by Schwartz and Huismans’ (1995)
is also holding true in the Indian Muslim context.
The implication for marketers is that religiosity can be
applied as a segmentation variable especially in the markets
where religion plays a predominant role in the lives of
consumers. The importance of religion, especially in eastern
cultures, should be acknowledged by marketing practitioners.
Lindridge (2005) observed that for Asian Indians religion was
more significant than British Indians, which affected their
consumption behaviour. Given the relatively enduring nature
of religion as compared to other demographic variables, its
significance as a segmentation variable can be exploited by the
marketers. Although it would be inconceivable for the
marketers to measure the religiosity of the consumers, there are
societies and cultures where overall religiosity level is high. For
instance, in a study conducted by Hassan (2007) across five
Muslim majority countries including Kazakhstan, Indonesia,
Pakistan, Egypt and Malaysia, it was found that some countries
had lower levels of overall religiosity while some exhibited
higher levels of religiosity. Similarly, in the recent WIN-Gallup
International (2016) survey countries such as Thailand,
Nigeria, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Indonesia were found
to be the most religious and most believing nations. More than
90 per cent of the population in these countries declare
themselves religious and believing in God, life after death, soul,
heaven and hell. Interestingly, the survey also found the
expression of beliefs higher among younger people. An ongoing
study about the diversity of values across national cultures,
based on responses from individuals of 60 countries, which
represent nearly 90 per cent of the world’s population,
identified five value-based orientations referred as archetypes
(Midgley, 2018). The study suggested that one of the
archetypes called “maximalists” predominate in countries,
which are most monolithic in their values (mostly Asian and
African countries), and hence, are ripe for cultural
stereotyping. The “maximalists” tend to avoid making trade-
offs with their values, are religious and traditional in outlook.
The communication campaigns of marketers operating in such
cultures should highlight the “IOC” values to engage and
connect with the consumers. These values could provide a
sound basis to marketers to build their positioning models. A
brand embodying these values will be expected to be evaluated
favourably among the consumers in highly religious societies.
Clothing retailers can position their stores as per the “IOC”
values in their marketing campaigns. Message appeals can
include values of universalism, benevolence, tradition, conformity
and security while introducing new offerings and building the
consciousness about brands among the consumers in religious
societies. The strategies will help to overcome the reluctance of
highly religious consumers to embrace novel products and be
more brand conscious.
The study provides insights about Muslim consumers in
India who have not been studied as a distinct consumer group.
Muslim consumers in India are important because they
 A study of young Indian Muslim consumers
Tajamul Islam and Uma Chandrasekaran
constitute a huge number. In total, 172.2 million Muslims live
in India in almost every part of the country (Census of India,
2011a, 2011b) and are projected to constitute the world’s
largest Muslim population (i.e. 311 million) in 2050 (Pew
Research Center, 2015). In total, 33 per cent of the total
Muslim population in India belong to the age-group of 10-24,
which follows the global trend of Muslim populations around
the world in being predominantly youthful. The study results
can be highly valuable for the marketers targeting or planning to
target Muslim consumers in India. This study has the potential
to inform significant markets not only in India but also around
the world as there are a sizeable number of Muslims worldwide
and also the Indian Muslims who have settled in western
countries.
Limitations and future research directions
The study had some limitations, which should be taken into
account while assessing the implications and findings of the
study. The study sample consisted of university going young
Muslim consumers. Although students have been widely used
as respondents in consumer research their limited disposable
income and consumption experience restricts the
generalisability of the findings. Also, the narrowness of the
sample in terms of education and other demographic attributes
limits the generalisability of the findings to the entire
population. Future studies could expand the topic by including
more heterogeneous samples to derive stronger and more
generalisable conclusions.
The study measured general consumption behaviours of the
consumers instead of focussing on any specific product/service
category. It is highly possible that the influence of religion may
vary as per the product/service category. For example, Bakar
et al. (2013) found how use of religious symbols on product
packages influences the purchase intentions of the consumers
and how it varies across varying levels of religiosity and
products of different symbolic value. Similarly, religious
influence may differ between high involvement and low
involvement products. It would be an interesting avenue for
future research to compare the influence of religiosity across
various product and service categories.
References
Aaker, D.A. (1991), Managing Brand Equity, Free Press,
New York, NY.
Abbott-Chapman, J. and Denholm, C. (2001), “Adolescents’
risk activities, risk hierarchies and the influence of
religiosity”, Journal of Youth Studies, Vol. 4 No. 3,
pp. 279-297.
Ahmed, Z. (1971), “Socio economic values of Islam, and their
significance and relevance to the present day world”, Islamic
Studies, Vol. 10 No. 4, pp. 343-355.
Ahmed, Z., Anang, R., Othman, N. and Sambasivan, M.
(2013), “To purchase or not to purchase US products: role
of religiosity, animosity, and ethno-centrism among
Malaysian consumers”, Journal of Services Marketing, Vol. 27
No. 7, pp. 551-563.
Allen, M.W. (2001), “A practical method for uncovering the
direct and indirect relationships between human values and
Journal of Consumer Marketing
consumer purchases”, Journal of Consumer Marketing,
Vol. 18 No. 2, pp. 102-120.
Alserhan, B.A. (2011), The Principles of Islamic Marketing,
Gower Publishing Limited, England.
Bailey, J.M. and Sood, J. (1993), “The effects of religious
affiliation on consumer behavior: a preliminary
investigation”, Journal of Managerial Issues, Vol. 5 No. 3,
pp. 328-352.
Bakar, A., Lee, R. and Rungie, C. (2013), “The effects of
religious symbols in product packaging on Muslim consumer
responses”, Australasian Marketing Journal (AMJ), Vol. 21
No. 3, pp. 198-204.
Bakewell, C. and Mitchell, V.W. (2003), “Generation Y female
consumer decision making styles”, International Journal of
Retail & Distribution Management, Vol. 31 No. 2, pp. 95-106.
Bao, Y., Zhou, K.Z. and Su, C. (2003), “Face consciousness
and risk aversion: do they affect consumer decision-
making?”, Psychology and Marketing, Vol. 20 No. 8,
pp. 733-755.
Bardi, A. and Schwartz, S.H. (2003), “Values and behavior:
strength and structure of relations”, Personality and Social
Psychology Bulletin, Vol. 29 No. 10, pp. 1207-1220.
Baron, R.M. and Kenny, D.A. (1986), “The moderator–
mediator variable distinction in social psychological research:
conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations”, Journal
of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol. 51 No. 6, p. 1173.
Bass, F.M. (1969), “A new product growth for model
consumer durables”, Management Science, Vol. 15 No. 5,
pp. 215-227.
Beekun, R.I. and Badawi, J.A. (2005), “Balancing ethical
responsibility among multiple organizational stakeholders:
the Islamic perspective”, Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 60
No. 2, pp. 131-145.
Belk, R.W., Wallendorf, M. and Sherry Jr, J.F. (1989), “The
sacred and the profane in consumer behavior: theodicy on
the odyssey”, Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 16 No. 1,
pp. 1-38.
Bellenger, D.N. and Korgaonkar, P.K. (1980), “Profiling the
recreational shopper”, Journal of Retailing, Vol. 56 No. 3,
pp. 77-92.
Beverland, M., Farrelly, F. and Quester, P. (2006), Brand-
Personal Values Fit and Brand Meanings: Exploring the Role
Individual Values Play in Ongoing Brand Loyalty in Extreme
Sports Subcultures, ACR North American Advances.
Cai, Y. and Shannon, R. (2012), “Personal values and mall
shopping behavior: the mediating role of attitude and
intention among Chinese and Thai consumers”, Australasian
Marketing Journal (AMJ), Vol. 20 No. 1, pp. 37-47.
Casidy Mulyanegara, R. and Tsarenko, Y. (2009), “Predicting
brand preferences”, Journal of Fashion Marketing and
Management: An International Journal, Vol. 13 No. 3,
pp. 358-371.
Census of India (2011a), “All India religion census data 2011”,
Office of the Registrar general & census commissioner, India,
New Delhi, available at: www.census2011.co.in/religion.
php
Census of India (2011b), “Population census 2011”, Office of
the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India,
New Delhi, available at: www.census2011.co.in/
 A study of young Indian Muslim consumers
Tajamul Islam and Uma Chandrasekaran
Cheung, G.W. and Lau, R.S. (2007), “Testing mediation and
suppression effects of latent variables: bootstrapping with
structural equation models”, Organizational Research
Methods.
Choi, Y. (2010), “Religion, religiosity, and South Korean
consumer switching behaviors”, Journal of Consumer
Behaviour, Vol. 9 No. 3, pp. 157-171.
Coleman, J.S. (1990), Foundations of Social Theory, Belknap,
Cambridge, MA.
Cruz, A.G.B., Seo, Y. and Buchanan-Oliver, M. (2017),
“Religion as a field of transcultural practices in multicultural
marketplaces”, Journal of Business Research.
Cukur, C.S., De Guzman, M.R.T. and Carlo, G. (2004),
“Religiosity, values, and horizontal and vertical
individualism—collectivism: a study of Turkey, the United
States, and the Philippines”, The Journal of Social Psychology,
Vol. 144 No. 6, pp. 613-634.
Darden, W.R. and Reynolds, F.D. (1971), “Shopping
orientations and product usage rates”, Journal of Marketing
Research, Vol. 8 No. 4, pp. 505-508.
De Mooij, M. and Hofstede, G. (2011), “Cross-cultural
consumer behavior: a review of research findings”, Journal of
International Consumer Marketing, Vol. 23 Nos 3/4,
pp. 181-192.
Delener, N. (1990), “The effects of religious factors on
perceived risk in durable goods purchase decisions”, Journal
of Consumer Marketing, Vol. 7 No. 3, pp. 27-38.
El-Bassiouny, N. (2014), “The one-billion-plus
marginalization: toward a scholarly understanding of Islamic
consumers”, Journal of Business Research, Vol. 67 No. 2,
pp. 42-49.
Engelland, B.T. (2014), “Religion, humanism, marketing, and
the consumption of socially responsible products, services,
and ideas: introduction to a special topic section”, Journal of
Business Research, Vol. 67 No. 2, pp. 1-4.
Erdem, O., Ben Oumlil, A. and Tuncalp, S. (1999),
“Consumer values and the importance of store attributes”,
International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management,
Vol. 27 No. 4, pp. 137-144.
Essoo, N. and Dibb, S. (2004), “Religious influences on
shopping behaviour: an exploratory study”, Journal of
Marketing Management, Vol. 20 Nos 7/8, pp. 683-712.
Fam, K.S., Waller, D.S. and Erdogan, B.Z. (2004), “The
influence of religion on attitudes towards the advertising of
controversial products”, European Journal of Marketing,
Vol. 38 Nos 5/6, pp. 537-555.
Fan, J.X. and Xiao, J.J. (1998), “Consumer decision-making
styles of young-adult Chinese”, Journal of Consumer Affairs,
Vol. 32 No. 2, pp. 275-294.
Farrag, D.A. and Hassan, M. (2015), “The influence of
religiosity on Egyptian Muslim youths’ attitude towards
fashion”, Journal of Islamic Marketing, Vol. 6 No. 1,
pp. 95-108.
Firat, A.F. and Venkatesh, A. (1995), “Liberatory
postmodernism and the reenchantment of consumption”,
Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 22 No. 3, pp. 239-267.
Fromkin, H.L. (1971), A Social Psychological Analysis of the
Adoption and Diffusion of New Products and Practices from a
Uniqueness Motivation Perspective, ACR Special Volumes.
Journal of Consumer Marketing
Gaskin, J. and Lim, J. (2017), CFA Tool, AMOS Plugin.
Gaskination’s StatWiki.
Giovannini, S., Xu, Y. and Thomas, J. (2015), “Luxury fashion
consumption and generation Y consumers: self, brand
consciousness, and consumption motivations”, Journal of
Fashion Marketing and Management: An International Journal,
Vol. 19 No. 1, pp. 22-40.
Gutman, J. (1982), “A means-end chain model based on
consumer categorization processes”, Journal of Marketing,
Vol. 46 No. 2, pp. 60-72.
Gutman, J. (1990), “Adding meaning to values by directly
assessing value-benefit relationships”, Journal of Business
Research, Vol. 20 No. 2, pp. 153-160.
Hair, J.F., Black, W.C., Babin, B.J. and Anderson, R.E.
(2014), Multivariate Data Analysis, 7th ed., Pearson
Education Limited.
Halstead, J.M. (2007), “Islamic values: a distinctive framework
for moral education?”, Journal of Moral Education, Vol. 36
No. 3, pp. 283-296.
Hansen, T. (2008), “Consumer values, the theory of planned
behaviour and online grocery shopping”, International
Journal of Consumer Studies, Vol. 32 No. 2, pp. 128-137.
Hassan, R. (2007), “On being religious: patterns of religious
commitment in Muslim Societies1”, The Muslim World,
Vol. 97 No. 3, pp. 437-478.
Henry, W.A. (1976), “Cultural values do correlate with
consumer behavior”, Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 13
No. 2, pp. 121-127.
Hilary, G. and Hui, K.W. (2009), “Does religion matter in
corporate decision making in America?”, Journal of Financial
Economics, Vol. 93 No. 3, pp. 455-473.
Hirschman, E.C. (1981), “American Jewish ethnicity: its
relationship to some selected aspects of consumer behavior”,
Journal of Marketing, Vol. 45 No. 3, pp. 102-110.
Hirschman, E.C. (1982), “Religious differences in cognitions
regarding novelty seeking and information transfer”, NA-
Advances in Consumer Research, Vol. 9, pp. 228-233.
Hirschman, E.C. (1983), “Religious affiliation and
consumption processes: an initial paradigm”, Research in
Marketing, Vol. 6, pp. 131-170.
Hirschman, E.C., Ruvio, A.A. and Touzani, M. (2011),
“Breaking bread with Abraham’s children: Christians, Jews
and Muslims’ holiday consumption in dominant, minority
and diasporic communities”, Journal of the Academy of
Marketing Science, Vol. 39 No. 3, pp. 429-448.
Hiu, A.S., Siu, N.Y., Wang, C.C. and Chang, L.M. (2001),
“An investigation of decision-making styles of consumers in
China”, Journal of Consumer Affairs, Vol. 35 No. 2,
pp. 326-345.
Hodge, D.R. (2002), “Working with Muslim youths:
understanding the values and beliefs of Islamic discourse”,
Children & Schools, Vol. 24 No. 1, pp. 6-20.
Hu, L.T. and Bentler, P.M. (1999), “Cutoff criteria for fit
indexes in covariance structure analysis: conventional criteria
versus new alternatives”, Structural Equation Modeling: a
Multidisciplinary Journal, Vol. 6 No. 1, pp. 1-55.
Ibrahim, H. (1982), “Leisure and Islam”, Leisure Studies, Vol. 1
No. 2, pp. 197-210.
Izberk-Bilgin, E. (2012), “Infidel brands: unveiling alternative
meanings of global brands at the nexus of globalization,
 A study of young Indian Muslim consumers
Tajamul Islam and Uma Chandrasekaran
consumer culture, and Islamism”, Journal of Consumer
Research, Vol. 39 No. 4, pp. 663-687.
Jensen, H.R. (2001), “Antecedents and consequences of
consumer value assessments: implications for marketing
strategy and future research”, Journal of Retailing and
Consumer Services, Vol. 8 No. 6, pp. 299-310.
Jiang, F., Jiang, Z., Kim, K.A. and Zhang, M. (2015), “Family-
firm risk-taking: does religion matter?”, Journal of Corporate
Finance, Vol. 33, pp. 260-278.
Kahan, D.M. and Braman, D. (2006), “Cultural cognition and
public policy”, Yale Law & Policy Review, Vol. 24, p. 149.
Kamali, M.H. (2002), Freedom, Equality, and Justice, The
Islamic Texts Society, Cambridge, Vol. 47.
Karatas , M. and Sandikci, Ö. (2013), “Religious communities
and the marketplace learning and performing consumption
in an Islamic network”, Marketing Theory, Vol. 13 No. 4,
pp. 465-484.
Keh, H.T. and Sun, J. (2008), “The complexities of perceived
risk in cross-cultural services marketing”, Journal of
International Marketing, Vol. 16 No. 1, pp. 120-146.
Kilbourne, W., Grünhagen, M. and Foley, J. (2005), “A cross-
cultural examination of the relationship between materialism
and individual values”, Journal of Economic Psychology,
Vol. 26 No. 5, pp. 624-641.
La Barbera, P.A. and Gürhan, Z. (1997), “The role of
materialism, religiosity, and demographics in subjective
well-being”, Psychology and Marketing, Vol. 14 No. 1,
pp. 71-97.
Leo, C., Bennett, R. and Härtel, C.E. (2005), “Cross-cultural
differences in consumer decision-making styles”, Cross
Cultural Management: An International Journal, Vol. 12 No. 3,
pp. 32-62.
Levin, J. (2016), “Prevalence and religious predictors of
healing prayer use in the USA: findings from the Baylor
religion survey”, Journal of Religion and Health, pp. 1-23.
Lindeman, M. and Verkasalo, M. (2005), “Measuring values
with the short Schwartz’s value survey”, Journal of Personality
Assessment, Vol. 85 No. 2, pp. 170-178.
Lindridge, A. (2005), “Religiosity and the construction of a
cultural-consumption identity”, Journal of Consumer
Marketing, Vol. 22 No. 3, pp. 142-151.
Lysonski, S. and Durvasula, S. (2013), “Consumer decision
making styles in retailing: evolution of mindsets and
psychological impacts”, Journal of Consumer Marketing,
Vol. 30 No. 1, pp. 75-87.
Lysonski, S., Durvasula, S. and Zotos, Y. (1996),
“Consumer decision-making styles: a multi-country
investigation”, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 30
No. 12, pp. 10-21.
McCullough, M.E. and Willoughby, B.L. (2009), “Religion,
self-regulation, and self-control: associations, explanations,
and implications”, Psychological Bulletin, Vol. 135 No. 1,
p. 69.
McDaniel, S.W. and Burnett, J.J. (1990), “Consumer
religiosity and retail store evaluative criteria”, Journal of the
Academy of Marketing Science, Vol. 18 No. 2, pp. 101-112.
Marinov, M. (2006), Marketing in the Emerging Markets of
Islamic Countries, Springer.
Mathras, D., Cohen, A.B., Mandel, N. and Mick, D.G.
(2015), “The effects of religion on consumer behavior: a
Journal of Consumer Marketing
conceptual framework and research agenda”, Journal of
Consumer Psychology.
Michell, P.C. and Al-Mossawi, M. (1995), “The mediating
effect of religiosity on advertising effectiveness”, Journal of
Marketing Communications, Vol. 1 No. 3, pp. 151-162.
Mitchell and Bates, L. (1998), “UK consumer decision-
making styles”, Journal of Marketing Management, Vol. 14
Nos 1/3, pp. 199-225.
Midgley, D. (2018), “The five archetypes that define national
culture”, available at: https://knowledge.insead.edu/
economics-finance/the-five-archetypes-that-define-national-
culture-10446Mitchell (accessed 5 March 2018).
Mokhlis, S. (2009), “Religious differences in some selected
aspects of consumer behavior: a Malaysian study”, The
Journal of International Management Studies, Vol. 4 No. 76,
pp. 67-76.
Moors, A. (2003), “Islam and fashion on the streets of San’a,
Yemen”, Etnofoor, pp. 41-56.
Moschis, G.P. (1976), “Shopping orientations and consumer
uses of information”, Journal of Retailing, Vol. 52 No. 2,
p. 61.
Nuwer, R. (2014), “Will religion ever disappear?”, available
at: www.bbc.com/future/story/20141219-will-religion-
ever-disappear (accessed June 9 2016).
Nwankwo, S., Hamelin, N. and Khaled, M. (2014),
“Consumer values, motivation and purchase intention for
luxury goods”, Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services,
Vol. 21 No. 5, pp. 735-744.
Pew Research Center (2015), “The future of world religions:
population growth projections, 2010-2050”, available at:
www.pewforum.org/2015/04/02/religious-projections-2010-
2050/
Rehman, A.U. and Shahbaz Shabbir, M. (2010), “The
relationship between religiosity and new product
adoption”, Journal of Islamic Marketing, Vol. 1 No. 1,
pp. 63-69.
Roccas, S. (2005), “Religion and value systems”, Journal of
Social Issues, Vol. 61 No. 4, pp. 747-759.
Rokeach, M. (1969), “Part I. Value systems in religion”,
Review of Religious Research, Vol. 11 No. 1, pp. 3-23.
Rokeach, M. (1973), The Nature of Human Values, Vol. 5, Free
Press, New York, NY.
Saroglou, V., Delpierre, V. and Dernelle, R. (2004), “Values
and religiosity: a meta-analysis of studies using Schwartz’s
model”, Personality and Individual Differences, Vol. 37 No. 4,
pp. 721-734.
Schwartz, S.H. (1992), “Universals in the content and
structure of values: theoretical advances and empirical tests
in 20 countries”, Advances in Experimental Social Psychology,
Vol. 25 No. 1, pp. 1-65.
Schwartz, S.H. (2012), “An overview of the Schwartz theory of
basic values”, Online Readings in Psychology and Culture,
Vol. 2 No. 1.
Schwartz, S.H. and Huismans, S. (1995), “Value priorities and
religiosity in four Western religions”, Social Psychology
Quarterly, Vol. 58 No. 2, pp. 88-107.
Shah Alam, S., Mohd, R. and Hisham, B. (2011), “Is religiosity
an important determinant on Muslim consumer behaviour in
Malaysia?”, Journal of Islamic Marketing, Vol. 2 No. 1,
pp. 83-96.
 A study of young Indian Muslim consumers
Tajamul Islam and Uma Chandrasekaran
Shim, S. and Eastlick, M.A. (1998), “The hierarchical
influence of personal values on mall shopping attitute and
behavior”, Journal of Retailing, Vol. 74 No. 1, pp. 139-160.
Shim, S. and Koh, A. (1997), “Profiling adolescent consumer
decision-making styles: effects of socialization agents and
social-structural variables”, Clothing and Textiles Research
Journal, Vol. 15 No. 1, pp. 50-59.
Simpfendorfer, B. (2015), “The next 1.7 billion consumers;
selling to the Muslim world”, available at: www.forbes.com/
sites/bensimpfendorfer/2015/04/17/muslim-consumers-and-
digital-gummies/#78a1290d32d8 (accessed 9 August 2015).
Solomon, M.R. (2015), Consumer Behavior: Buying, Having,
and Being, 11th ed., Pearson Prentice-Hall, Upper Saddle
River, NJ.
Solomon, M., Bamossy, G., Askegaard, S. and Hogg, M.K.
(2006), Consumer Behaviour: A European Perspective, 3rd ed.,
Pearson Education Limited.
Sood, J. and Nasu, Y. (1995), “Religiosity and nationality: an
exploratory study of their effect on consumer behavior in
Japan and the United States”, Journal of Business Research,
Vol. 34 No. 1, pp. 1-9.
Soutar, L. (2010), “British female converts to Islam:
choosing Islam as a rejection of individualism”,
Language and Intercultural Communication, Vol. 10
No. 1, pp. 3-16.
Sproles, G.B. and Kendall, E.L. (1986), “A methodology for
profiling consumers’ decision-making styles”, Journal of
Consumer Affairs, Vol. 20 No. 2, pp. 267-279.
Stark, R. and Glock, C.Y. (1968), American Piety: The Nature of
Religious Commitment, Univ of CA Press, Vol. 1.
Steenkamp, J.B.E., Ter Hofstede, F. and Wedel, M. (1999),
“A cross-national investigation into the individual and
national cultural antecedents of consumer innovativeness”,
Journal of Marketing, Vol. 63 No. 2, pp. 55-69.
Stone, G.P. (1954), “City shoppers and urban identification:
observations on the social psychology of city life”, American
Journal of Sociology, Vol. 60 No. 1, pp. 36-45.
Swimberghe, K., Sharma, D. and Flurry, L. (2009), “An
exploratory investigation of the consumer religious
commitment and its influence on store loyalty and consumer
complaint intentions”, Journal of Consumer Marketing,
Vol. 26 No. 5, pp. 340-347.
Taylor, V.A., Halstead, D. and Haynes, P.J. (2010),
“Consumer responses to Christian religious symbols in
advertising”, Journal of Advertising, Vol. 39 No. 2, pp. 79-92.
Temporal, P. (2011), Islamic Branding and Marketing: Creating
a Global Islamic Business, John Wiley & Sons.
Thomson Reuters (2018/19), “State of the global Islamic
economy report 2018/19”, available at: www.salaamgateway.
com/en/story/Report_State_of_the_Global_Islamic_Economy_
201819-SALAAM06092018061914/
UNFPA (2014), State of the World Population 2014: The Power of
1.8 Billion - Adolescents, Youth and the Transformation of the
Future, UNFPA, New York, NY.
Valencia, H. (1989), “Hispanic values and subcultural
research”, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science,
Vol. 17 No. 1, pp. 23-28.
Venkatesan, M. (1973), “Cognitive consistency and novelty
seeking”, Consumer Behavior: Theoretical Sources,
pp. 355-384.
Journal of Consumer Marketing
Vinson, D.E., Scott, J.E. and Lamont, L.M. (1977), “The role
of personal values in marketing and consumer behavior”,
Journal of Marketing, Vol. 41 No. 2, pp. 44-50.
Wang, C.L., Chen, Z.X., Chan, A.K. and Zheng, Z.C. (2000),
“The influence of hedonic values on consumer behaviors: an
empirical investigation in China”, Journal of Global
Marketing, Vol. 14 Nos 1/2, pp. 169-186.
Weber, M. (1904/1930), The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of
Capitalism, Scribner, New York, NY.
Wilkes, R.E., Burnett, J.J. and Howell, R.D. (1986), “On the
meaning and measurement of religiosity in consumer
research”, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science,
Vol. 14 No. 1, pp. 47-56.
WIN-Gallup International (2016). “Religion prevails in the
world”, available at: http://gallup-international.bg/en/
Publications/2017/373-Religion-prevails-in-the-world
Worthington, E.L., Jr, Wade, N.G., Hight, T.L., Ripley, J.S.,
McCullough, M.E., Berry, J.W. and O’Connor, L. (2003),
“The religious commitment inventory–10: development,
refinement, and validation of a brief scale for research and
counseling”, Journal of Counseling Psychology, Vol. 50 No. 1,
p. 84.
Zhao, X., Lynch, J.G. and Chen, Q. (2010), “Reconsidering
Baron and Kenny: myths and truths about mediation analysis”,
Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 37 No. 2, pp. 197-206.
Further reading
Steiger, J.H. (2007), “Understanding the limitations of
global fit assessment in structural equation modeling”,
Personality and Individual Differences, Vol. 42 No. 5,
pp. 893-898.
Appendix
1 Religiosity:
 I regularly offer prayer five times a day.
 I regularly recite the Holy Quran.
 Besides Ramadan, I also fast during the other months
(on special occasions).
 I regularly offer non-obligatory (nafl) prayers.
 I consult the Quran and hadith to make specific
decisions in my daily life.
 I have a feeling of being afraid of Allah.
 I have a feeling of being punished by Allah for some
wrong done.
 I feel connected to Allah through religion.
 A religious person always tries to be honest and fair
with others.
 A religious person always helps those who need help.
 A religious person always avoids humiliating others.
 There is life after death.
 The devil (shaitan) actually exists.
 I always keep myself away from earning through
haram (prohibited) means.
 I feel sorrow and dissatisfaction when I do something
against my faith.
 A study of young Indian Muslim consumers
Tajamul Islam and Uma Chandrasekaran
I have a feeling that Allah listens and answers my
prayers.
 I fast regularly during the month of Ramadan.
2 Short SVSS
 IOC values:
– Benevolence (helpful, honest, forgiving, loyal and
responsible).
– Universalism (protecting the environment, a
world of beauty, unity with nature, equality, a
world at peace, social justice, broadminded and
wisdom).
– Conformity (politeness, obedient, honouring
parents and elders and self-discipline).
– Security (national security, social order, clean,
family security and reciprocation of favours).
– Tradition (humble, devout, accepting my portion
in life, respect for tradition and moderate).
 IOI values:
– Hedonism (pleasure, enjoying life and self-
indulgence).
– Stimulation (daring, a varied life and an exciting
life).
For instructions on how to order reprints of this article, please visit our website:
www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/licensing/reprints.htm
Or contact us for further details: permissions@emeraldinsight.com
View publication stats
Journal of Consumer Marketing
– Achievement (success, capability, ambition and
influence on people).
– Power (social power, authority and wealth).
3 CDMS
 Novelty-fashion conscious:
– Fashionable, attractive styling is very important
to me.
– I keep my wardrobe up-to-date with the
changing fashions.
– I usually have one or more outfits of the very
newest style.
– It is fun to buy something new and exciting.
 Brand conscious:
– I prefer buying best-selling brands.
– Well-known national brands are best for me.
– The more expensive brands are usually my
choices.
– I have favourite brands I buy over and over.
Corresponding author
Tajamul Islam can be contacted at: tajamul.islam@sims.edu
and tajamulislam52@gmail.com