A study on the boycott motivations of Malaysian non-Muslims

Purpose This paper aims to examine non-Muslim consumers’ willingness and motivation to boycott American-based companies operating in Malaysia, where Islam is prominent. The underlying base used in this study is an on-going boycott spurred by the Palestinian/Israel conflict in the Middle East. Design/methodology/approach Two products were selected based on their market presence: consumer familiarity and product affordability. A total of 340 completed questionnaires were obtained from non-Muslim university students and validated by partial least squares approach. Findings Three factors were found to be significant in predicting willingness to boycott, which were self-enhancement, perceived egregious behavior and country image. Originality/value This paper addresses boycott motivations from the context of Malaysian non-Muslims quantitatively, based on an issue strongly related to Muslims. The results may have some implications on multinational firms, non-government organizations, policymakers as well as consumers.