Belief Systems, Religion, and Behavioral Economics: Marketing in Multicultural Environments

Elizabeth A. Minton · Lynn R. Kahle

Dec 2013 · Business Expert Press

About this ebook

Religion is a topic that businesses often ignore, in spite of 70% of the world being religious. Many do not realize (or resist) the idea that religion is a key contributor to a consumer’s core values, which then contributes to consumption decisions, voting practices, reaction to pro social messages and public policy, as well as donating behavior.

The field of behavioral economics discusses how various social and cognitive factors influence economic decisions, which encompass consumer decision making, but doesn’t incorporate religion as an influence on economic decision making.

This book provides one of the first comprehensive investigations into the relationship between religion and behavioral economics. The basic premises of the major religious affiliations are reviewed, and the authors bring to life prior research on religion and behavioral economics with an emphasis on how this research can help practitioners to improve business practices.

About the author

Elizabeth A. Minton is an associate professor of marketing at the University of Wyoming (UW) who conducts research on religion’s influence on consumer behavior and pro-social consumption. She has over 50 publications in outlets such as the Journal of Advertising, Journal of Business Research, Psychology & Marketing, and the Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, among others. She has also presented her research and numerous conferences across the world.

Lynn R. Kahle is Professor Emeritus and former Head of the Department of Marketing at the University of Oregon. He has been President of the Consumer Behavior SIG in the American Marketing Association and of the Society for Consumer Psychology. He is a distinguished Fellow in the American Psychological Association and Association of Psychological Science. He was Editor-in-Chief of the 2022 APA Handbook of Consumer Psychology.