gender differential paper IJCRB

ijcrb.webs.com
INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH IN BUSINESS
JUNE 2011
VOL 3, NO 2
An exploratory study for measuring consumers awareness and perceptions
towards halal food in Pakistan
Abstract
MRS. FARYAL SALMAN
MBA(IBA) MS (SZABIST)
Member Doctoral Programme , SZABIST 90 Clifton, Karachi, Pakistan
DR KAMRAN SIDDIQUI
MBA(IBA, Karachi)
MA Marketing (University of Bradford, UK)
PhD Marketing (Manchester Business School, Manchester, UK)
Assistant Professor, Institute of Business Administration
University Road, 75270, Karachi, Pakistan
Purpose – The purpose of this study is to measure the awareness and perception of halal food in
Pakistan which is predominantly a Muslim country. Design/methodology/approach – The study
is exploratory in nature and cross sectional data has been obtained from 528 respondents
belonging to two major clusters-university students and corporate sector. Empirical data was
collected through survey methodology. Three statistical tools have been used for data analysis ;
(a) Cronbach’s alpha; (b) Confirmatory Factor Analysis and ; (c) Pearson product correlation
matrix. Findings – The author purports that; (a) religion is the omnipotent source of religious
beliefs for Muslims Consumers; (b) Beliefs are closely knitted with religious commitment; (c)
People who are highly religious may not necessarily have high level of awareness about halal
food; (d) Attitude towards halal food is closely akin to the notion of beliefs;(e) The dogma of
identity is more linked with intrinsic rather than extrinsic forces. Research
limitations/implications – The study focuses on two major clusters and the data is obtained
through cluster sampling. The researcher measures general awareness and perceptions of
consumers regarding halal food. However further research is suggested to nudge deeply in the
concept of halal logo and dimension of halal brand amongst the Muslim consumers. Practical
implications- Although Pakistani is a by and large a Muslim country but there is very little
awareness regarding Halal food unlike other Muslim states such as Indonesia and Malaysia. The
country has no formal Halal certification issuing body. The findings of this research will be of
great significance to the marketers and food manufactures in Pakistan who will find new avenues
to delve into halal food certification business, and endeavor into Muslim markets as the
producers of certified halal food. Originality/value – Although Islamic marketing is the new
buzz word but religion and consumer behavior largely remains untapped by academic
researchers. There is lack of empirically tested knowledge about the awareness and perceptions
towards Halal foods among Pakistani consumers. The research will be a valuable addition in
propagation of knowledge on the subject area.
Keywords: Consumer behavior, perceptions, awareness, halal, religion, Muslim consumer,
Islamic Market
COPY RIGHT © 2011 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research 639