5.3 Development of Research Framework and Hypotheses
5.3.2 Hypotheses
There are fourteen hypotheses in this study, and each of them will be discussed in the following section.
5.3.2.1 Attitude
The effect of attitude on the intention to purchase and consume halal product has been theorized and validated by numerous studies (e.g. Lada et al.2009; Rahman et al. 2015). For example, a study by Rahman et al. (2015) on the effect of knowledge and religiosity on customers’attitude towards halal cosmetic and halal food revealed that there was a significant positive relationship between attitude and behavioural intention. Meanwhile, using TRA, Lada et al. (2009) found that attitude towards halal products positively affected a customer’s intention to purchase them.
Hence, thefirst hypothesis is proposed as follows:
Hypothesis 1: There is a positive relationship between attitude and intention to purchase halal personal care products.
5.3.2.2 Subjective Norm
Numerous studies have documented the significant relationship between subjective norm and behavioural intention towards halal products (e.g. Haque et al. 2015;
Hashim and Musa2014). Explained in more details, based on theory of planned behaviour (TPB), Hashim and Musa (2014) revealed that subjective norm has a positive effect on young adult urban Muslim women towards halal cosmetics.
Consistent with the above studies, Haque et al. (2015) also revealed the significant effect of subjective norm on the non-Muslim customers’intention to purchase halal food products in Malaysia. Therefore, the subsequent hypothesis is proposed as follows:
Hypothesis 2: There is a positive relationship between subjective norm and intention to purchase halal personal care products.
5.3.2.3 Perceived Behavioural Control
The relationship between perceived behavioural control and behavioural intention has received supports from several empirical studies related to halal products (e.g.
Alam and Sayuti2011; Khan and Azam2016). For example, in a study applying
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theory of reasoned actions (TRA) to predict halal food purchasing behaviour in Malaysia, Alam and Sayuti (2011) found that perceived behavioural control was a significant determinant of behavioural intention. Meanwhile, Khan and Azam (2016) also found that there was a significant positive relationship between per- ceived behavioural control and customers’ purchase intention towards halal-certified products in India. These lead the authors to the next hypothesis:
Hypothesis 3: There is a positive relationship between perceived behavioural control and intention to purchase halal personal care products.
5.3.2.4 Knowledge
The link between knowledge and attitude has been supported by numerous studies related to halal products (e.g. Abdul Aziz and Chok 2013; Ayyub 2015). To elaborate, Abdul Aziz and Chok’s (2013) study on halal purchase intention among non-Muslims in Malaysia revealed that knowledge has a significant positive impact on attitude towards halal products. Similarly, Ayyub (2015) also revealed that knowledge was one of the determinants of the non-Muslim’s attitude towards halal food in the UK. Hence, adopting the knowledge construct in this study seems justified and the following hypothesis is proposed as follows:
Hypothesis 4: Knowledge influences the customers’ attitude towards halal personal care products.
5.3.2.5 Safety and Health Concern
Several studies have suggested the link between safety and health concern and attitude towards halal products (e.g. Ambali and Bakar2014; Hussain et al.2016).
Explained in more details, Ambali and Bakar’s (2014) study on people attitude and awareness on halal products in Malaysia revealed that the attitude towards halal products was positively influenced by their level of safety and health concern.
Meanwhile, a survey by Hussain et al. (2016) who were investigating the inte- grating factors influencing consumers’ halal product purchase in Pakistan also found safety and health concern has a significant positive impact on attitude towards halal products. This leads the authors to thefifth hypothesis:
Hypothesis 5: Safety and health concern affects the customers’attitude towards halal personal care products.
5.3.2.6 Media Exposure
The impacts of media exposure on attitude have been supported by numerous studies related to halal products (e.g. Kamarulzaman et al.2015; Rahim et al.2013).
To elaborate, in a study exploring the effect of electronic media on Muslim minority in Britain, Kamarulzaman et al. (2015) found that electronic media exposure played a significant role in influencing British Muslim’s attitude towards halal food products. On the same notes, in a research investigating the awareness and per- ception of Muslim consumers on halal non-food products in Malaysia, Rahim et al.
(2013) also discovered that individuals who were more exposed to media would show a positive attitude towards halal non-food products. Therefore, adopting the media exposure construct in this study seems justified, and the next hypothesis is proposed as follows:
Hypothesis 6: Media exposure influences the customers’ attitude towards halal personal care products.
5.3.2.7 Friends’, Family Members’, and Colleagues’Influences
Several studies related to Islamic financial services and information technology have recognized the significant relationship between interpersonal referents (i.e.
friends, family members, and colleagues) and subjective norm (Husin and Rahman 2013; Husin et al. 2016). Explained in more details, in a conceptual paper to investigate the factors influencing the customers’intention to participate in family takaful scheme, Husin and Rahman (2013) postulated that interpersonal referents such as friends, family members, and colleagues were significant antecedents who may exert social pressure on individuals’intention to participate in family takaful scheme. Similarly, applying DTPB in a study to investigate the roles of mass media, word-of-mouth, and subjective norm in family takaful purchase intention, Husin et al. (2016) found that subjective norm was significantly influenced by word-of-mouth referents. Although the influence of interpersonal referents has yet to be empirically tested in the studies related to halal consumer products, the relevancy of these three determinants should not be overlooked. Therefore, the authors strongly believe that these three determinants of subjective norm should be included in the framework, thus, the subsequent hypotheses are proposed as follows:
Hypothesis 7: Friends’influence affects subjective norm
Hypothesis 8: Family members’influence affects subjective norm Hypothesis 9: Colleagues’influence affects subjective norm
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5.3.2.8 Resource-Facilitating Conditions
The effect of self-efficacy and resource-facilitating conditions on perceived beha- vioural control has been supported by a number of studies related to Islamic financial services and information technology (e.g. Bhattacherjee2000; Husin and Rahman 2013). For example, in a conceptual paper to investigate the factors influencing the customers’intention to participate in family takaful scheme, Husin and Rahman (2013) postulated that self-efficacy (i.e. self-confidence) and resource-facilitating conditions were significant antecedents of perceived beha- vioural control. Similarly, Bhattacherjee’s (2000) study on individuals’underlying motivation to accept electronic brokerage technology among e-brokerage users showed that perceived behavioural control was significantly affected by one’s self-confidence in skills to perform the intended behaviour (i.e. self-efficacy) and beliefs about availability of resources to facilitate the behaviour (i.e.
resource-facilitating conditions). Again, even though the effect of self-efficacy (i.e.
self-confidence) and resource-facilitating conditions have yet to be empirically tested in the studies related to halal consumer products, the relevancy of these two determinants cannot be ignored. Therefore, the authors are of the opinion that these two determinants of perceived behavioural control should be included in the framework; thus, the subsequent hypotheses are proposed as follows:
Hypothesis 10: Self-efficacy (i.e. self-confidence) influences perceived beha- vioural control
Hypothesis 11: Resource-facilitating conditions influence perceived behavioural control
5.3.2.9 Religiosity
Religion refers to one’s beliefs about the complete authoritativeness and integral truth of a religious teachings and scriptures (Moschis and Ong2011). It acts as a foundation on which human beings shape their attitudes and behaviour (Essoo and Dibb2004).
Meanwhile, religiosity can be defined as the intensity of being religious and pious (De Run et al.2010; O’Connell1978). More specifically, it is the extent to which a person is devoted to his religion which is mirrored through his attitudes and behaviour (Johnson2001). The strength of consumers’religiosity affects certain aspects of the person’s psychological and physical wellbeing (Mukhtar and Butt2012). In addition, although customers’choices are usually influenced by their religious environments, the strength of influence may vary according to their level of religiosity (Ibrahim and Ismail2015). Therefore, the authors believe that a more religious Muslim would try to lead their daily life in line with their religious teachings. Furthermore, it seems rationale to assume that those with higher level of religiosity would prefer to sacrifice their worldly pleasures when it clashes with the teachings of their religion. In line with the above justifications, the authors are of the opinion that when compared to Muslims
with lower level of religiosity, Muslims with higher level of religiosity are usually having stronger intention to purchase halal personal care products, thus resulting in their positive response to consume them. Therefore, the authors propose that one’s level of religiosity strengthens or alters the relationships between the TPB constructs and the dependent variable.
Several halal-related studies have investigated the moderating effect of reli- giosity on the relationship between the TPB constructs and the dependent variable (e.g. Al-Nahdi 2008; Bonne et al.2007; Husin and Rahman 2013). Selectively, Al-Nahdi’s (2008) study on the customers’intention to patronage halal restaurants in Malaysia revealed that religiosity moderates the relationship between the two main constructs of the framework (i.e. subjective norm and perceived behavioural control) and intention to patronage halal restaurants such that the relationship between subjective norm and perceived behavioural control and patronage intention is stronger for those customers with high levels of religiosity than for those cus- tomers with low levels of religiosity. However, religiosity did not seem to moderate the relationships between attitude and intention to patronage halal restaurant.
Meanwhile, a survey by Bonne et al. (2007) who were investigating the determi- nants of halal meat consumption in France found that religiosity moderated the relationship between the TPB constructs (i.e. attitude, subjective norm, and per- ceived behavioural control) and the dependent variable (i.e. intention to consume halal meat). Following the footsteps of the above studies, examining the moderating effect of religiosity on the relationship between the TPB constructs and the dependent variable seems justified. This leads the authors to the subsequent hypotheses:
Hypothesis 12: Religiosity moderates the relationship between attitude and intention to purchase halal personal care products such that the relationship between attitude and purchase intention is stronger for those customers with high levels of religiosity than for those customers with low levels of religiosity
Hypothesis 13: Religiosity moderates the relationship between subjective norm and intention to purchase halal personal care products such that the relationship between subjective norm and purchase intention is stronger for those customers with high levels of religiosity than for those customers with low levels of religiosity
Hypothesis 14: Religiosity moderates the relationship between perceived beha- vioural control and intention to purchase halal personal care products such that the relationship between perceived behavioural control and purchase intention is stronger for those customers with high levels of religiosity than for those customers with low levels of religiosity
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