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The Role of Religiosity on the Relationship Between Materialism and Fashion Clothing Consumption Among Malaysian Generation Y Consumers

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Abstract

Religiosity is a significant cultural force influencing various dimensions of consumer behaviours; however, its role in the literature on fashion clothing remains unclear. To rectify this paucity of information, this study explores the relationship between religiosity, materialism and fashion clothing involvement (FCI); and religiosity, materialism and fashion clothing purchase involvement (FCPI). Using a sample of 282 Malaysian Generation Y consumers, it employs a positivist research approach, comprising of a quantitative basis of enquiry, and gathered data via survey questionnaires. The research findings show that religiosity moderates the relationship between materialism and FCI, as well as materialism and FCPI, where an individual’s religiosity is inversely associated with FCPI. Another finding is the importance of FCI in mediating the relationship between materialism and FCPI, plus the significance of mediated moderation and its effects on the relationship between materialism and FCPI. The findings reinforce the role of religiosity in consumer involvement in fashion clothing and fashion clothing purchase trends. Recognition of this significant construct and its importance may enable marketers to develop more sophisticated positioning strategies.

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Notes

  1. Overall effect refers to the direct plus the indirect effect of the independent variable on the dependent variable, while residual direct effect refers to the direct effect of the independent variable on the outcome controlling for the mediator.

  2. Post hoc test was carried out, but the output table is not included. It is available upon request from the authors.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the anonymous reviewers and Filomena Maggino, the editor-in-chief of Social Indicators Research for their indispensable suggestions and comments that improved the quality of this paper significantly.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Finance and Banking, Faculty of Business and Accountancy, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Mahfuzur Rahman

  2. Department of Finance and Economics, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE

    Mohamed Albaity

  3. Graduate School of International Development (GSID), Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan

    Billah Maruf

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  1. Mahfuzur Rahman
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  2. Mohamed Albaity
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  3. Billah Maruf
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Correspondence to Mahfuzur Rahman.

Appendices

Appendix 1

See Table 5.

Table 5 Factor loading, Cronbach’s alpha and variance explained
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Appendix 2

See Table 6.

Table 6 Demographic profile of the respondents and group difference tests
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Appendix 3

See Table 7.

Table 7 Descriptive statistics and correlations
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Appendix 4

See Table 8.

Table 8 Robustness checks
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Rahman, M., Albaity, M. & Maruf, B. The Role of Religiosity on the Relationship Between Materialism and Fashion Clothing Consumption Among Malaysian Generation Y Consumers. Soc Indic Res 132, 757–783 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-016-1310-9

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