Maya F. Farah

The influence of religiously motivated consumer boycotts on brand image, loyalty and product judgment

Purpose – The purpose of this paper was to examine the influence of religiously motivated boycotts, such as the one conducted in Saudi Arabia against Danish companies, on corporate brand image, customer loyalty and product judgment. Despite a growing research interest in understanding the effects of different types of consumer animosities on companies’ performance, there appears to be a scarcity of studies addressing the specific effects of religious animosity. Religious animosity is considered as an additional type which may have more stable and longer-term impacts than other animosities on behaviour. Design/methodology/approach – The study was based on a two-stage design: an exploratory qualitative stage involving 11 in-depth interviews, followed by a more comprehensive quantitative stage designed to test a proposed theoretical model. Data was collected from Saudi customers of the Danish company Arla Foods in Saudi Arabia. Data was analysed using structural equation model (LISREL 8). Findings – The mode...

The Effects of Religion and Religiosity on Advertisement Assessment among Lebanese Consumers

ABSTRACT Religion plays a significant role in the way consumers perceive the advertising of controversial products. Religiosity, which describes an individuals commitment and adherence to religious values and beliefs, is also of a noteworthy relevance in how consumers appraise product advertisements. Conducted in Lebanon, the study employed a survey design that was administered to a randomized sample including respondents from the two main religions in the country, namely Islam and Christianity. The questionnaire was completed by a representative sample of 527 Lebanese consumers. Those sampled from each region were chosen based on religious sects’ distribution in each of the five local conglomerates, with a fair representation of gender and age groups. The results indicated significant differences in perceptions between Muslim and Christian, and highly religious versus less religious respondents with regards to the offensiveness of the advertising of controversial products. Briefly, the more religious consumers were largely more offended by the advertisement of the 17 products studied than nonreligious consumers. Also, Muslim consumers from both sects, showed greater level of offense than their Christian counterparts. These results have significant implications on both advertisers and marketing managers aiming to expand their field of business in the Middle East, as well as in other international regions where religion plays an integral role in the society.

An adapted TPB approach to consumers’ acceptance of service-delivery drones

ABSTRACT Organisations and marketers have long debated the consumer–brand relationship. Theorising related to this debate led to self-service technologies, which were implemented to both reduce costs and increase productivity by turning customers into co-producers of services or merely to keep up with technological developments. With the emergence of disruptive technologies, it is imperative to discuss the potential shift from a customer co-created value to a customer–technology relationship that could disrupt the value-based relationship model. In line with advancements in service-delivery drones, and based on the theory of planned behaviour framework, this paper pioneers the discussion on consumers’ intention to accept their use based on their related perceived risks, potential functional benefits, and relational attributes, leading to a new type of relationship with the brand – namely, the customer–drone relationship. This discussion opens a new direction for retailers and academics alike to reflect on during the coming years.

Application of the theory of planned behavior to customer switching intentions in the context of bank consolidations

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors that affect customers’ switching intentions among banks in the context of mergers and acquisitions, using particularly the case of the merger between Lloyds TSB and Halifax Bank of Scotland, which took place in 2009. Design/methodology/approach On the basis of the theory of planned behavior, a quantitative survey was developed and administered to 515 account holders from both banks in branches located in Spain. Structural equation modeling was then utilized to evaluate the significance of direct and indirect relationships between the various factors under study. Findings Empirical findings indicate a significant direct relationship between switching intentions and each of: behavioral beliefs, normative beliefs, attitudes, and subjective norms. Results also reveal an inverse significant relationship between switching intentions and both control beliefs and perceived behavioral control. Research limitations/implications The absence of a longitudinal study measuring the actual impact of the merger on customer switching behavior is the main limitation of this study. Moreover, despite being insightful, the results of this study should be generalized with caution since the sample was based on a list purposely chosen by the banks’ management. Originality/value This paper discusses customer switching behavior in the context of a real-life case of banks’ consolidation.

Consumers’ switching motivations and intention in the case of bank mergers: a cross-cultural study

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze consumer switching behavior, which in the retail banking sector is of outmost importance, particularly during financial crises and in their ensuing consolidation pressures. Moreover, research indicates that cultural values play a critical role in determining a customer’s likelihood to switch the service provider. The theory of planned behavior offers a comprehensive theoretical framework for an understanding of this behavior. Its application implies that switching is influenced not only by one’s attitudes toward changing banking service providers, but also by the merger situation at hand, the influence of significant others, and whether the switching decision is under one’s behavioral control. Design/methodology/approach This paper scrutinizes the merger between Lloyds TSB and Halifax Bank of Scotland in the Spanish market, with a focus on the differences between British and Spanish consumers. In all, 30 face-to-face exploratory interviews were conducted with a sample of customers from both nationalities selected through a purposive sampling technique. Findings The results indicate that the switching behavior within the banking sector is largely determined by one’s cultural background. While individualistic consumers are more prone to switch banks, collectivist consumers are highly risk averse and are unwilling to lose the established relations with a bank’s personnel. These particular characteristics make them unlikely to switch banks irrespective of a merger and its related consequences. Originality/value This paper examines the impact of cross-cultural differences on consumer switching motivations and intentions in the particular case of a real-life banks’ merger.

Controversial product advertisements in Lebanon

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of religious sect on the Lebanese consumer’s perception of controversial product advertisements. Design/methodology/approach – The study used a quantitative survey that was administered to a purposive representative sample of respondents from the two main Muslim sects in the country, namely, Sunni and Shiite Muslims. Findings – The results indicated significant differences in perceptions between Sunni and Shiite Muslims with regards to the offensiveness of the advertising of controversial products. Briefly, Sunni Muslims found the advertising of social and political as well as health and care products more offensive, whereas Shiite Muslims found the advertising of gender and sex-related products more offensive, and no significant difference in offensiveness perception between the two sects was found with regards to the advertising of addictive products. Research limitations/implications – Two main limitations faced the researchers: the fact that...

16S–23S rRNA Gene Intergenic Spacer Region Variability Helps Resolve Closely Related Sphingomonads

Sphingomonads comprise a physiologically versatile group many of which appear to be adapted to oligotrophic environments, but several also had features in their genomes indicative of host associations. In this study, the extent variability of the 16S–23S rDNA intergenic spacer (ITS) sequences of 14 ATCC reference sphingomonad strains and 23 isolates recovered from drinking water was investigated through PCR amplification and sequencing. Sequencing analysis of the 16S–23S rRNA gene ITS region revealed that the ITS sizes for all studied isolates varied between 415 and 849 bp, while their G+C content was 42.2–57.9 mol%. Five distinct ITS types were identified: ITSnone (without tRNA genes), ITSAla(TGC), ITSAla(TGC)+Ile(GAT), ITSIle(GAT)+Ala(TGC), and ITS Ile(GAT)+Pseudo. All of the identified tRNAAla(TGC) molecules consisted of 73 bases, and all of the tRNAIle(GAT) molecules consisted of 74 bases. We also detected striking variability in the size of the ITS region among the various examined isolates. Highest variability was detected within the ITS-2. The importance of this study is that this is the first comparison of the 16S–23S rDNA ITS sequence similarities and tRNA genes from sphingomonads. Collectively the data obtained in this study revealed the heterogeneity and extent of variability within the ITS region compared to the 16S rRNA gene within closely related isolates. Sequence and length polymorphisms within the ITS region along with the ITS types (tRNA-containing or lacking and the type of tRNA) and ITS-2 size and sequence similarities allowed us to overcome the limitation we previously encountered in resolving closely related isolates based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence.

Religiously Motivated Consumer Boycott: The Impact on Brand Image, Product Judgment and Customer Loyalty

The purpose of this paper is to improve theoretical and empirical knowledge first of all, about the effect of consumer ethnocentrism and religious animosity towards a country on consumers’ boycott propensity; and second about the effect of boycotting on customer product judgment, brand image and loyalty.