If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. AbstractPurpose -The purpose of this paper is to study the usage of ethical business strategies, in particular those using the corporate social responsibility (CSR) approach, of Egyptian businesses. The authors primarily focus on one facet of CSR strategy -cause-related marketing (CRM) -which has been increasingly used by marketing practitioners in recent times. Design/methodology/approach -In the context of Egyptian household goods business, the authors investigate the factors that motivate/hinder consumer participation in their CRM campaigns using a sample of 261 respondents in a mixed research design. Findings -Results show that motivational attribution significantly predicts consumers' responses toward CRM, with moral judgment playing a partial mediating role in such relationship. In addition, several variables such as altruism and religiosity among personality characteristics are found to arouse consumers' positive motivational attribution, whereas skepticism was negatively associated with CRM responses. Practical implications -The findings of this research have both practical and social implications for academics and practitioners alike. Successful campaigns should include the factors inducing motivational attribution, which, in turn, enhances consumers' attitude toward a company and their purchase intentions. Personal characteristics also impact consumer responses and should be paid attention to. Originality/value -In a world characterized by fast-changing pace of globalization, it has become critical to study an important phenomenon like CRM in the Middle East, and this original research provides insights into how effective CRM campaigns can be developed there. This will strengthen our cross-cultural understanding of the similarities and differences in consumer viewpoints between developed and developing countries.

Purpose Conspicuous consumption and sustainable consumption are commonly understood as being in contradiction with each other. Yet, scholars have recently become increasingly interested in examining positive relationships between these forms of consumption. The purpose of this paper is to conceptualize the synergies and contradictions between sustainable and luxury consumption and proposing whether and how conspicuous motives can foster a shift towards sustainable consumption in newly industrialized countries in general and Egypt in particular. Design/methodology/approach This paper is a conceptual note, intended as a starting point and acting as an eye-opener regarding the values inherent in both conspicuous and sustainable consumption and the potential influence that conspicuous motivations could have on the latter. Findings The paper discusses the possibilities for and limitations of conspicuous motives to foster sustainable consumption in newly industrialized countries in the Middle East. The adoption of westernized lifestyles, spreading in Middle Eastern countries, can represent a venue for motivating sustainable consumption behaviours as a means of status distinction. On the other hand, the trickle-down effect and the preconditions of visibility and exclusiveness pose risks on promoting sustainable consumption by addressing conspicuous motives. Practical implications The paper suggests that the synergistic interplay between conspicuous and sustainable consumption, as well as barriers and motivations underpinning both constructs, needs to be empirically researched, while factoring in the cultural specifics of the countries under study, as cultural nuances can influence the dynamics of interaction between conspicuous and sustainable behaviours. Originality/value Given the salience of the relationship between luxury and sustainable consumption and the focus of most studies on early-industrialized countries, insights regarding the possible influences of conspicuous motives on sustainable consumption in newly industrialized countries are warranted. With the scarcity of research examining the ambiguous relationship between conspicuous and sustainable consumption in newly industrialized countries, this paper contributes by providing insights about the conditions that can help conspicuous motives promote sustainable consumption in newly industrialized countries.

No abstract

PurposeIn light of the role of religious coping as an alleviation mechanism, the COVID-19 pandemic presents a potential opportunity to build on the literature related to religious coping in a new context. Hence, the study aims to examine the potential role of religious coping in enhancing consumer well-being (CWB) during the pandemic.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative approach has been employed, with the use of web surveys, to investigate the relationship between CWB and religiosity among a global sample.FindingsResults showed that religiosity has a significant positive impact on satisfaction with life among females only. On comparing between Arabs and non-Arabs, there was a significant positive relationship between religiosity and satisfaction with life among Arabs.Originality/valueThe main contribution of this paper is extending the religiosity and spirituality literature by studying the potential role of religiosity in improving individual well-being during a novel contextual pandemic situation, an area that is still underresearched in the literature.

No abstract