An empirical survey of individual consumer, business firm and financial institution attitudes towards Islamic methods of finance

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review the attitudes, perceptions and knowledge of Islamic financial products and services.

Design/methodology/approach

A synoptic survey of empirical analyses about Islamic financial products and services and comparison with the literature on conventional financial services and products.

Findings

It was found that while religious conviction is a key factor in the use of Islamic finance, consumers also identify bank reputation, service quality and pricing as being of relevance. When selecting a financial institution's products and services, business firms usually employ criteria that are more conventional, such as the cost of finance, in their decision making. There is also interest among financial institutions in supplying Islamic financial products and services, but this is mitigated by complications with firm management and a lack of familiarity with business conditions. The concept of risk sharing with borrowers serves as a substantial barrier to most financial institutions engaging in Islamic methods of finance. Research limitations/implications – This survey is limited to work published in refereed journals, books and book chapters.

Practical implications

Need for further theoretical and empirical research on how religious convictions affect consumers in their financial decision making. In addition, most work on Islamic finance is in a single national context, international comparisons are required.

Originality/value

This paper is the only known empirical survey of attitudes, perceptions and knowledge of Islamic financial products and services. It provides guidance for future research in Islamic finance and serves as an aid for decision making by policymakers, consumer interest groups, business firms and financial institutions.

Citation

Gait, A. and Worthington, A. (2008), "An empirical survey of individual consumer, business firm and financial institution attitudes towards Islamic methods of finance", International Journal of Social Economics, Vol. 35 No. 11, pp. 783-808. https://doi.org/10.1108/03068290810905423