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Do fear and perceived knowledge of Covid-19 drive sustainable consumption behaviour in Muslims? The mediating role of religiosity

Aysha Batool (Lyallpur Business School, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan)
Rizwan Shabbir (Lyallpur Business School, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan)
Muhammad Abrar (Lyallpur Business School, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan)
Ahmad Raza Bilal (Faculty of Business, Sohar University, Sohar, Oman)

Journal of Islamic Marketing

ISSN: 1759-0833

Article publication date: 19 May 2022

Issue publication date: 7 June 2023

433

Abstract

Purpose

This research aims to investigate the impact of fear and perceived knowledge (PK) of Covid-19 on the sustainable consumption behaviour (SCB) of Muslim consumers and to test the mediating role of (intrinsic) religiosity.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 417 responses were collected during Covid-19 lockdown through an online structured survey using the snowball technique. A two-step research approach was adopted. In Study 1, an exploratory factor analysis was performed on the SCB measurement scale through SPSS. In Study 2, hypothesised associations were analysed using SmartPLS-SEM.

Findings

PK of Covid-19 pandemic directly motivates SCB in Muslim consumers, whereas fear has no direct effect on any factor of SCB. Religiosity is found to be a significant driver of SCB. Indirect effects also depict that religiosity positively mediates the association between fear and SCB as well as PK and SCB.

Practical implications

The study may guide policymakers and marketers in using the current pandemic as a tool to inspire sustainable consumption. Religious values, teachings and knowledge about the pandemics can be publicised to create awareness and induce desired behaviour to cope with adverse events and adopt sustainable consumption patterns and lifestyles among Muslim consumers.

Originality/value

The article is the pioneer of its kind to present survey research about Covid-19 fear and PK’s impact on SCB through religiosity. It adds to the Islamic marketing literature about religiosity, coping theory, PK and fear of pandemics and their role in transitioning Muslim consumers towards SCB. Moreover, the use of partial least squares structural equation modelling in the context of Covid-19 research was extended.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors would pay thanks to the anonymous respondents and reviewers for their valuable feedback. Authors acknowledge the use of SmartPLS as data analysis tool and be grateful to the management of SmartPLS for issuing the license key to use “SmartPLS 3” available at: www.smartpls.com

Funding: The authors received no external funding for this research.

Citation

Batool, A., Shabbir, R., Abrar, M. and Bilal, A.R. (2023), "Do fear and perceived knowledge of Covid-19 drive sustainable consumption behaviour in Muslims? The mediating role of religiosity", Journal of Islamic Marketing, Vol. 14 No. 7, pp. 1645-1668. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIMA-08-2021-0258

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited

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