Title: The effect of religiosity and demographic variables on Arab women consumers' self-expression through luxury brands: a mixed methods study

Authors: Baker Ahmad Alserhan; Daphne Halkias; Aisha Wood Boulanouar; Marcos Komodromos; Tahar Lazhar Ayed; Othman Althawadi

Addresses: School of Business, Princess Sumaya University, P.O. Box 1438, Aljubaiha, Amman, Jordan; International Islamic Marketing Association, İstanbul, Turkey ' International School of Management Paris, 17, Boulevard Raspail, 75007, Paris, France; Institute of Coaching, Harvard Medical School, USA ' Department of Management and Marketing, College of Business and Economics, United Arab Emirates University, P.O. Box 15551, Al Ain, UAE ' Department of Communications School of Humanities, Social Sciences and Law, University of Nicosia, 46 Makedonitissis Str., 1700, P.O. Box 24005, 1700 Nicosia, Cyprus ' Department of Marketing, College of Business, Umm Al-Qura University, KSA; Department of Management, School of Commerce, Sfax University, Tunisia ' Department of Marketing, College of Business and Economics, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar

Abstract: This mixed methods study focuses on one category of luxury female consumer products and investigates its relationship with Muslim consumer religiosity and other demographic variables to provide greater understanding of the consumer behaviour of this largely unknown consumer segment. Building on the recommendations of two related earlier studies, this paper tests the four key propositions of complexity theory. Symmetrical testing was done using correlation, cross-tabulation and contrarian case analysis to examine the association among the constructs of religiosity, demographics and self-expression. Then, asymmetrical fsQCA data analyses were done to test major tenets of the theory of complexity. Findings provide further support that utilising a combination of complexity theory, fsQCA and pattern research in service dominant logic is a proper fit for advancing theory, method and practice in service research. The results show that relationships in the emotions-brand domain are not as straightforward as previously thought.

Keywords: complexity theory; nuanced theory; self-expression; religiosity; luxury brands; Arab women consumers.

DOI: 10.1504/GBER.2022.122384

Global Business and Economics Review, 2022 Vol.26 No.3, pp.252 - 284

Received: 10 Nov 2020
Accepted: 11 May 2021
Published online: 22 Apr 2022 *

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