How religious values influence British Muslim consumers in sustainable consumption

Durrani, Baseer

Abstract

British Muslims have emerged as an increasingly important demographic for whom religious beliefs and values play an important role in their purchasing decisions. Based upon increasing
consumer trends in Halal food consumption, Islamic Banking, Islamic Insurance and Islamic Fashion, it can be argued that religion has a significant influence upon Muslim consumers purchase behaviour. Established academic theory widely acknowledges the fact that one’s value system has
a lasting impact and influence upon behaviour, perceptions and consumption. Religion in many instances provides followers with a specific value system which acts as guide and reference point
for their conduct, behaviour, extending to day to day living. Islamic values thus emerge as a guiding force for its adherents who rely on Qur’anic teachings for not only their personal values,
but also their conduct, clothing and dietary laws. Within a society driven by consumption, these values are said to further shape and drive purchasing behaviour. To date, research has mainly
focused on the influence of religion on consumer behaviour, though relationship between religion and Islamic values on sustainable behaviour has been mostly neglected. In light of this, the study
looks to understand and explore the extent to which Muslims actually follow their core values based on religious cues and adapt to sustainable and pro-environmental life style. The context of
automotive industry is discussed, and key issues are highlighted during the discussion related towards the environment and individual’s use of electric cars.
As a means of furthering the inquiry at hand, a qualitative research methodology is adopted. The data is collected by means of a phenomenological approach by conducting in-depth semi structure interviews of 27 British Muslim participants. By applying thematic analysis, the findings reveal that Muslim consumers have limited knowledge of Islamic teachings regarding the importance of
xvii sustainable consumption and therefore, religion is given less importance within the context of purchasing electric cars. In-terms of theoretical contributions, the study expands the body of
knowledge within the field of consumer behaviour by addressing the importance of religious values during the consumption situation. For practical contributions, the findings highlight
implications for marketers to better understand the needs of UK Muslim consumers and enhance their marketing strategies towards this increasing market segment.

Citation

Durrani, B. How religious values influence British Muslim consumers in sustainable consumption. (Thesis). University of Salford

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Jul 3, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 3, 2019