Concatenate Buying Behavior of Working Women: Empirical Evidence from Islamic Verses Non-Islamic Perspective

Abstract

Purpose of the study - One is to investigate and compare the buying behavior of Islamic countries i.e. Pakistani and Jordanian working women. Second is to ascertain which dimension of buying behavior is prominent in Pakistani working women vis-a-vis Jordanian working women. Third the study will explore the similarities and differences in buying behavior with-in both populations under study. Finally the study provides comparison of Islamic and Non-Islamic countries working women buying behaviors. Design methodology/approach - A model was developed on the basis of the review of existing literature and tested by collecting data from 310 working women employed in Islamabad and Amman. To establish the reliability, a pilot study was conducted with a sample size of 35 respondents. Correlation analysis and mean scores were used for predicting and explaining the working women buying behaviors in both the countries and were then compared with secondary data of non-Islamic country working women buying behavior, China. Findings - The results of the study reveal that both Pakistani and Jordanian working women are Price, Quality, Brand, Convenience and Time, Environmental and Health, and Personal style conscious. Similarly the working women were also highly Fashion enthusiastic and were receptive to shopping influence from others. However on brand and store loyalty dimensions working women of both Islamic countries differ. The only noticeable difference was that Non-Islamic country working women had variant behaviors on account of Brand, Environmental and Health Consciousness and Fashion Enthusiasm. Research limitation/implication - The results are not genralizable as the data has been collected cross sectionally with limited sample size. The responses were primarily not collected for specific products and the future research explorations must focus on specific products with more varied antecedents. This research employs questionnaire as a data collection tool that has a potential flaw in eliciting intrinsic responses in Islamic countries under study. Practical implications - As working women are more pro-quality and personal style conscious in both Islamic and non Islamic countries, therefore marketers need to devise such strategies that help them to make available such products that will ultimately improve their financial standings. Originality/value - This paper is the only one which is concerned with the shopping styles of both Islamic and Non-Islamic countries working women buying behaviors and their comparisons.