Religiosity and consumer decision making styles of young Indian Muslim consumers

Religion as a sub-culture is an important part of the socio-cultural environment of consumers and marketers. Notwithstanding the age of reason and rationality, religion has sustained its presence in contemporary societies and there are little prospects of it being completely expunged in the foreseeable future. The effects of religious affiliation and religious commitment (religiosity) on various aspects of consumer behavior have been reported. We attempt to contribute to the limited academic literature in the field of religion and consumer research, more so in the Indian Muslim context. Specifically, the applicability of Sproles & Kendall's Consumer Style Inventory (CSI) is examined in the context of young Muslim consumers in India. In addition to that, the study also explores the influence of religiosity on consumer decision-making styles of young Indian Muslim consumers measured using the Consumer Style Inventory. Data has been collected from 487 respondents drawn from three states of India. Exploratory factor analysis followed by confirmatory factor analysis revealed six major decision-making styles. The findings also reveal that religiosity has a significant influence on four of the six identified decision-making styles. The study limitations and implications are discussed.