Determinants of Muslim consumers’ halal cosmetics repurchase intention: an emerging market’s perspective

Purpose Due to a staggering growth rate in the recent past, halal products have attained a significant attention of marketers across countries. However, marketing practitioners seek to have detailed understanding of what drives consumers of different demographics towards this product category so as to better market and position themselves in the competitive landscape. Correspondingly, this study aims to provide insights into the Muslim women consumers’ halal cosmetics purchase behaviour and examines the variables (and their interplay) when purchasing such products. Design/methodology/approach The data for the study were collected through a self-administered questionnaire from 371 Muslim respondents from India. The data were analysed through structural equation modelling using AMOS 22.0 SEM software. Findings The findings of this study reveal that religious knowledge, religious commitment and halal certification(s) affect consumers’ actual purchase behaviour of halal cosmetics, which subsequently drives their repurchase intention. The findings further reveal a non-significant effect of religious orientation with both the actual purchase behaviour and repurchase intention towards halal cosmetics. Additionally, actual purchase behaviour of halal cosmetics is found to positively affect customers’ repurchase intentions. Originality/value Despite the recent growth of overall beauty industry, this particular segment of halal cosmetics has a huge potential given the phenomenal preference that Muslim consumers have shown in such niche. Therefore, this paper contributes towards examining the key factors influencing consumers purchase behaviour towards halal cosmetics in India that can be capitalized on.

Desain Pemberitaan Injil Berbasis Pengenalan Budaya Suku Jawa (Studi Kasus Keluarga Suk di Surakarta)

Pemberitaan Injil selalu berhadapan dengan budaya pendengar. Pengenalan budaya dan pemanfaatannya sebagai jembatan komunikasi akan mengefektifkan pemberitaan Injil. Sebaliknya, pengabaian budaya dapat mengakibatkan penolakan atau penerimaan dan penghayatan Injil yang sinkretis. Tujuan penelitian ini yaitu menemukan suatu desain pemberitaan Injil berbasis pengenalan budaya rumpun keluarga bersuku Jawa. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif dengan metode studi kasus. Pengumpulan data melalui wawancara mendalam dan pengataman kepada keluarga Suk yang bersuku Jawa di Surakarta dan studi pustaka. Peneliti menemukan worldview keluarga Suk sebagai inti budaya yaitu animisme. Untuk menjangkau keluarga suku Jawa berorientasi keagamaan animisme dengan Injil, peneliti mengusulkan suatu “Desain Pemberitaan Injil-6P”, terdiri dari enam komponen yaitu persiapan penginjil; ‘dambaan keselamatan, hidup bahagia dan tenteram’ sebagai point of contact Injil dan budaya, pentahapan isi berita Injil, pelaksanaan pemberitaan Injil, pentingnya motivasi kasih, doa dan pertolongan Roh Kudus, serta pemuridan korektif sebagai basis pelayanan lanjutan. Keenam komponen desain ini harus diintegrasikan dalam pelaksanaannya.The preaching of the gospel is always dealing with the culture of the listener. The introduction of culture and its use as a communication bridge will make the preaching of the gospel more effectively. On the other hand, cultural neglect can lead to rejection or acceptance and a syncretic living of the gospel. The purpose of this study is to find a design for preaching the gospel based on the introduction of Javanese family culture. This research uses a qualitative approach with a case study method. Collecting data through in-depth interviews and observations of the Javanese Suk family in Surakarta and literature study. The researcher found the worldview of the Suk family as the core of culture, namely animism. To reach Javanese families with animistic religious orientation with the Bible, the researcher proposes a “Gospel Preaching Design-6P”, consisting of six components, namely preparation of evangelists; 'desire for salvation, happy and peaceful life as a point of contact with the Gospel and culture, phasing out the contents of the gospel message, carrying out the preaching of the gospel, the importance of love motivation, prayer and the help of the Holy Spirit, as well as corrective discipleship as the basis for continued ministry. These six design components must be integrated into their implementation.

Religious Orientation and Development of Pro- Social Behavior in Young Female Students

Religious orientation is an attitude toward religion or religious practices or an integrated set of attitudes and beliefs. As religion emphasizes moral codes designed to instil values such as helping, caring, emotional support and empathy in humans so, the study was designed to investigate the relationship between religious orientation and pro-social behavior of young female students. The study also examines the predicting role of religious orientation in the development of prosocial behavior in young female students. The non-probability purposive sampling technique has been used with correlational research design in order to collect data. Analysis was conducted on SPSS by using sample of N=150 young female students with age ranged 20-26 years (M=23.50, SD=3.43). The results showed religious orientation had significant positive association with pro-social behavior (r=.40, p>.00) in young female students. Meanwhile, the findings revealed that religious orientation was a significant positive predictor of prosocial behavior in young female students. The study implies that such types of religious orientation will develop more awareness in youth of the present era about the development of prosocial behaviors like charity and help to the needy.

‘God helps those who help themselves’… religion and Assisted Reproductive Technology usage amongst urban Ghanaians

Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) is increasingly becoming a viable option for infertile couples in Ghana. There exists significant literature that explores the gender, legal, religious and socio-cultural implications of ART usage. In this paper, we expand the discourse on the nexus between religion and ART usage by looking at how the former is used as a frame of reference in the decision-making process, as well as how it is employed to explain treatment successes and failures. Irrespective of religious orientation, there was a general acceptance of ART by participants in the study-with exceptions only when it came to some aspects of the procedure. Even here, participants’ desperate desire to have children, tended to engender some accommodation of procedures they were uncomfortable with because of their religious beliefs. Thus, in contrast to some studies that suggest religion as interfering with ART use, we posit that religion is not an inhibiting factor to ART usage. On the contrary, it is an enabling factor, engendering the agentic attitude of participants to find a solution to their infertility in ART; as well as providing the strength to endure the physical and emotional discomfort associated with the biomedical process of conception and childbirth. In this context, religion thus provides participants with a frame of reference to navigate the spaces between decision-making, treatment processes and outcomes, and attributions of responsibility for the outcomes whatever they may be.

Do Customers Adopt Auto Ijarah Financing? The Case of Pakistan

The present study examines the factors affecting customer intention to use auto financing (ijarah) in Pakistan. The research framework is constructed based on the theory of reasoned action, which explains behavioural intention and its determinants. The study incorporates the participation of 350 potential customers of auto ijarah in Pakistan. Data analysis was conducted with structural equation modelling (SEM), assessing the measurement, and structural model. The outcome indicates that attitude, perceived cost benefits, Sharia compliance, religious orientation, and subjective norm are the significant predictors of customer intentions. We also found a statistically insignificant association between awareness and customer intentions. The results hold significance for the Islamic banking and financial service providers. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of the factors that contribute to the adoption of auto ijarah among potential Islamic bank customers.

Depression among diabetes mellitus patients: A study of the protective factors

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease with patients that continue to increase per year. This study aimed to understand the role of self-esteem and religious orientation on depression with resilience as a mediator among patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). A total of 100 patients were recruited from four public health centers. The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) was used to measure depression. In contrast, self-esteem was measured using two aspects of Rosenberg’s self-esteem scale, namely self-liking and self-competence. Religious orientation was measured using Allport and Ross’s religious orientation scale, while resilience was measured using Connor and Davidson’s resilience scale. The results were analyzed using path analyses. The study found that resilience mediated the relationship between self-esteem and depression among DM patients. Self-esteem was also shown to correlate with resilience, and resilience also showed a significant relationship with depression. In contrast to initial predictions, however, there was no significant effect of religious orientation on resilience. The research implications suggest that resilience serves as an important protective factor toward depression among patients suffering from DM.