Religious consumerism: conceptualisation, scale development and validation

Purpose Although the intersection between religion and consumerism is multifaceted, complex and dynamic, this study aims to offer a new insight into the amalgamation of religion and consumerism through conceptualising religious consumerism. It also develops and validates a scale to measure religious consumerism. Design/methodology/approach A mixed-method approach is used to conceptualise religious consumerism, which includes an extensive literature review, focus group discussions and content validity testing. The scale is developed and validated through three independent studies. In the first study, the factor structural validity of the scale is assessed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. In the second study, the reliability and validity of the factorial structure elicited from the first study were ensured using Cronbach’s alpha, McDonald’s Omega, Average Variance Explained and Fornell and Larcker’s (1981) criteria. The third study evaluated the test-retest reliability of the scale. Findings The study revealed a seven-factor 21-item reliable and valid religious consumerism scale. The seven constructs of the scale are custom and ritual adherence/identity expression, karma management, commodification, status symbol, entertainment and fun, meaningfulness and spiritual values and therapeutic and psychological comfort. Originality/value The findings are based on qualitative and quantitative data collected specifically for the present study.