Exploring the role of religion in consumer decision-making processes: Perspectives on developing nations

Abstract

ReligionReligion Religion Religion Marketing stimuli, Psychological influences Religion. & other sociological factors Developing countries Developing countries Developing countriesDeveloping countries purchase decision making. Consequently, scholars and marketers alike have tried to identify different types of needs and their unique impacts on consumer decision making process. Types of Needs (A Maslow's 1943 Hierarchy of Needs)Marketing is the understanding of different types of needs. The reactive marketing is meant to understand and satisfy customers' expressed needs, while Proactive marketing is aimed at understanding the customer's latent needs (Kotler, 1999). So many theories have been propounded to explain the different types of needs in the literature. However, this book adopts the very classic pyramid of needs conceived by Abraham Maslow, known as Maslow's Hierarchy of needs to explore the various types and the impacts of religiosity on needs. Maslow's (1943) assertion is that even though everyone is unique, all humans have certain common needs. The author arranges these needs in hierarchical order, according to the level of importance; and presents five basic level of human needs, ranking from lower-level biogenic to higher-level psychogenic needs.Although Maslow's theory has been widely accepted in the literature, but has also been criticised by scholars for its shortcomings. For example, Zikmund and d'Amico (1996) argue that consumers may not always follow the hierarchy in the quest to satisfy their various needs, instead; they may seek to satisfy both lower-level and higher-level needs simultaneously. Therefore, the hierarchy cannot be applied universally to every individual. In some environments like Anglo-Saxon culture, people in the setting value self-actualisation and individuality above all else, while the Japanese and the Germans are mostly motivated by a need for personal security and conformity. Whereas, people in countries like France, Portugal, Spain, and Latin America, including Asian countries, are highly motivated by the need for security and belongings (Kotler et al., 1999). Moreover, Maslow's theory has not been empirically tested extensively, so, it is difficult to measure individual's acceptable level of satisfaction of need before the next higher need is triggered (Schiffman, Kanuk, 2000). Despite these criticisms, Maslow's hierarchy seems to provide a useful insight into the different types of needs for this book. This is because, it represents the universality and comprehensiveness of almost all the human needs. Therefore, Maslow's theory provides a basis for exploring the impacts of religion on different levels of customer's needs and on the consumer behaviour in general. The Maslow's hierarchy of needs include psychological, safety, love and social, selfesteem and self-actualisation needs (Maslow, 1943).

Digital Inclusivity: Advancing Accessible Tourism via Sustainable E-Commerce and Marketing Strategies

“…In this evolving landscape of the digital economy, organisations are increasingly recognising the imperative of adopting customer-centric strategies, with a particular emphasis on understanding diverse consumer behaviours and preferences [8,9]. This is especially salient in the realm of tourism, where the digital experience often serves as the initial touchpoint for potential travellers.…”