Why do they boycott? Withholding consumption among London's Muslim Arabs

Abstract

Many studies discussed consumers boycott in various contexts but they all agreed that it constitutes an undesirable behaviour from business firms' perspective. Consumer's buying and boycotting behaviour is influenced by various factors. Limited studies focused on consumer boycott from transnational consumers prospective. The current study examines the boycotting behaviour of London Arabs and the factors that influence it. An online survey was used for data collection. Four key measures adapted from the literature were used in this research and multiple regressions were applied to examine the factors influencing boycotting behaviour. The study found that London Arabs boycotting behaviour is characterised by their demographics, religion, transnationality and social capital. This paper offers an empirically tested foundation for understanding the boycotting behaviours of this largely uncharted segment of consumers. It is the first study that examines this transnational segment's boycotting behaviour where transnationality and connectedness are proven to be powerful factors in influencing boycotting behaviour.