Research Papers
Table of Contents
Abstract: The relationship between empowerment and entrepreneurship in collective societies is, in
our view, insufficiently examined. Accepted definitions of empowerment and the
assumptions underlying programs and research designs based on them result in outcomes
that self-fulfil and, as a result, disappoint. Several issues are prevalent: the empowerment
potential of programs is overestimated and the dominant view of what constitutes an
’empowered self’ does not go deep enough to explore, and reframe, the self and its …
Citation: (APA) Wood, B. P., Ng, P. Y., & Bastian, B. L. (2021). Hegemonic Conceptualizations of Empowerment in Entrepreneurship and Their Suitability for Collective Contexts. Administrative Sciences, 11(1), 28.
The Effect Of Religiosity And Demographic Variables On Arab Women Consumers Self-Expression Through Luxury Brands: A Mixed Methods Study
Abstract: The present study develops a multilevel model that examines the effects of supervisory ethical leadership behavior at the team level on employees green behaviour mediated by CSR at the organisational level, employees well-being, and taking responsivity at the individual level. Data were collected from a sample of 936 supervisors and 2284 employees from 184 hotels in United Arab Emirates. Utilizing multisource data and multilevel path analysis, the results indicated that supervisory ethical leadership behavior has indirect effect on green behavior through CSR, employees-wellbeing and taking responsibility behavior. These findings provide important implications for ethical leadership-green behavior link by developing and validating a multilevel model empirically in the hospitality industry.
Citation: (APA) Wood, B. P., Eid, R., & Agag, G. (2021). A multilevel investigation of the link between ethical leadership behaviour and employees green behaviour in the hospitality industry. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 97, 102993.
Abstract: El modelo de la jerarquía de las necesidades se ha extendido a muchas disciplinas académicas. El presente artículo presenta una breve descripción del modelo, seguida de una síntesis de sus principales críticas. En la literatura se cuestiona con frecuencia la validez empírica del modelo, y además el etnocentrismo que implica. No obstante, los autores del presente artículo otorgan especial atención la ausencia en el modelo de Maslow de los aspectos espirituales de la existencia humana. Luego, se exploran las razones de la comodificación del modelo (esto es, su ruptura con el contenido teórico original y su uso como una mercancía), así por qué su reformulación posterior por parte del mismo Maslow no ha sida ampliamente popularizada. Se otorga especial atención a la aplicación del modelo dentro del márketing, el cual como campo profesional ejemplifica de forma muy abarcativa la visión del mundo capitalista (sobre todo en la publicidad, aunque también en la concepción del individuo que supone). Asimismo, el presente artículo describe la recepción que el modelo de Maslow ha tenido en los círculos académicos musulmanes. Se presenta una crítica desde el Islam tanto a la fundamentación del modelo como a los usos que ha recibido. Se concluye en afirmar que los intentos con miras a la armonización del modelo con los objetivos superiores (maqāsid) de la ley islámica Shari’ah, no hacen justicia a ninguno de las dos perspectivas.
Abstrak: Model hierarki keperluan Abraham Maslow sangat meluas capaiannya dalam pelbagai pengkhususan akademik. Selepas menerangkan model tersebut secara ringkas, makalah ini merumuskan kritikan terhadapnya yang telah sedia ada. Walaupun kritikan terhadap kesahihan empirik dan etnosentrisme sering dibincangkan dalam literatur, pengarang makalah ini memberi tumpuan khusus pada kekurangan pertimbangan aspek kerohanian insan dalam model Maslow. Makalah ini meneroka sebab-sebab model tersebut dijadikan satu komoditi (iaitu perceraian model daripada intipati utamanya dan penggunaannya semata-mata sebagai satu komoditi) dan kekurangan pertimbangan terhadap perubahan yang dilakukan oleh Maslow kemudiannya. Perhatian khusus diberikan pada penggunaan model ini dalam bidang pemasaran, berdasarkan kedudukannya sebagai bidang yang merangkumi perspektif kapitalis sepenuhnya, bukan sahaja melalui pengiklanan tetapi juga melalui pembangunan konsep insaniah. Makalah ini turut menerangkan kepelbagaian penerimaan model tersebut di kalangan ahli akademik Muslim. Ia juga mengkritik secara Islamik terhadap asas dan penggunaan model tersebut. Pengarang menyimpulkan bahawa usaha untuk memurnikan model tersebut dengan objektif (maqāṣid) Sharī‘ah yang lebih tinggi tidak dapat berlaku adil terhadap kedua-dua model tersebut.
Abstract: Abraham Maslow’s model of the hierarchy of needs is pervasive in many academic specialisations. After a short description of the model, this article summarises the existing criticisms. While criticism on the empirical validity of the model and its ethno-centricity are frequently mentioned in the literature, the authors of this article give special focus on the * Anke Iman Bouzenita, Sultan Qaboos Üniversitesi (Umman), Eğitim Fakültesi, İslami Bilimler Bölümü’nde Doçenttir. E-posta: bouzenita@squ.edu.om ** Aisha Wood Boulanouar, Sultan Qaboos Üniversitesi (Umman), Ekonomi ve Siyaset Bilimi Fakültesi, Pazarlama Bölümü’nde Yardımcı Doçenttir. E-posta: aboulanouar@squ.edu.om missing consideration of the spiritual aspect of human existence in Maslow’s model. The study explores reasons for the commodification of the model (i.e. the divorcing of the model from its substance and using it simply as a commodity) and the non-consideration of Maslow’s later changes. Special focus is laid on the usage of this model in marketing, given its position as a field which embodies the capitalist perspective so completely through, particularly, advertising but also through the conceptualisation of people. The article describes the model’s diverse reception in Muslim academic circles. It offers an Islamic critique of both its foundations and its usage. The study concludes that attempts at harmonising the model with the higher objectives (maqāṣid) of the Sharī‘ah do not do justice to either model.
Abstract: Influencer marketing has emerged as an effective approach for brands to connect with customers through social media influencers. Although influencer marketing has attracted increased interest from marketing researchers in recent years, relatively little is known about influencers’ content and engagement strategy and its links to followers’ engagement behavior. The present study addresses this gap by examining how measures of influencers’ content and engagement strategy (i.e., follower count, followee count, content volume, and domains of interest) are associated with followers’ engagement behavior on Instagram both independently and interactively. The study leverages a unique dataset of Instagram influencers compiled by scraping an online influencer database to test its hypotheses. The findings indicate that follower count and content volume are negatively associated with follower engagement, while followee count is positively associated with follower engagement. However, these main effects are modified by influencers’ domains of interest. The findings contribute to the literature by illuminating how elements of influencers’ content and engagement strategy contribute to followers’ engagement behavior on Instagram.
Citation: (APA) Tafesse, W., & Wood, B. P. (2021). Followers’ engagement with instagram influencers: The role of influencers’ content and engagement strategy. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 58, 102303.
Abstract: Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the impact of political advertising on voter attitude and the processes of decision-making in the specific context of the inaugural democratic experience of postrevolutionary Tunisia.
Citation: (APA) Abdennadher, R., Ayed, L., & Wood, B. P. (2019). Political advertising and voting behaviour in a nascent democracy. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 10, 3, 827-847.
Halal Service Provision - Understated, But Not Undervalued: A View From Oman
Abstract: In contrast to other of our papers on Muslims and their consumption, this study looks at Muslims not as much by how they can be grouped by practice regardless of geography (Boulanouar et al., 2017), but more how they can be grouped by practice and geography. It does this by considering the interest in halal service provision by Omani outbound travelers, particularly in their longer summer holiday travels. Omanis share general characteristics with their geographical neighbours – Yemen, and the GCC countries of United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar – but also present some distinctions that make their experiences of particular interest. It is hoped that this study, as an exploration of Omanis travel preferences, will allow the development of a framework which has generalisable characteristics to the wider Gulf, and possibly Muslim, travel market. Insights into how to best meet the needs of Muslim tourists in general, and the higher spending GCC travelers, in particular, could interest both academics and hospitality providers, in designing projects, commissioning market research and developing offerings.
Citation: (APA) Wood, B. P., & Al-Azri, H. (2019). Halal Service Provision—Understated, But Not Undervalued: A View From Oman. In The Routledge Handbook of Halal Hospitality and Islamic Tourism (pp. 117-129). Routledge.
Abstract: The paper outlines halal certification reliability and consumer attitude towards it generally. It reveals some of the issues the halal industry faces in terms of its credibility. As difficulties to develop halal certification standards persist even with conventional food stuffs, the paper goes on to question the possible integration of genetically modified food (GMF) into the halal market. It investigates different Islamic legal mechanisms and their suitability to evaluate GMF and its halal status. The paper then sheds some light on the GMF marketplace and the need for labelling from a consumer rights perspective. It concludes that the Muslims’ global purchasing power should translate into more influence taking with regard to more Islamically compliant production, processing and labelling on a wider scale.
Citation: (APA) Bouzenita, A. I., Kirsten, H., & Wood, B. P. (2019). Pandora’s Box on the Shelf? Halal Certification, the GMF Marketplace and the Muslim Consumer. Journal of Islamic Studies, Prince of Songkla University, 10(1), 62-72.
Commercial life: The private sector’s contribution to wellbeing
Citation: (APA) Mulay-Shah, A., Lambert, L., Younis, Y., & Wood, B. P. (2019). Commercial life: The private sector’s contribution to wellbeing. In Positive Psychology in the Middle East/North Africa (pp. 37-70). Springer, Cham.
Abstract: Islamic education, from a holistic point of view, is more than just the direct transmission of the pure Islamic sciences. It encompasses other branches of specialisation and ideally accompanies Muslims, through reflections of the Islamic worldview, during their formal and informal formation. This paper reflects how, in the contemporary tertiary education in the Islamic world, commodified concepts stemming from a non-Islamic worldview are being proliferated, and what the expected results are for Muslim students. The paper expounds on differences in worldview and educational systems and the commodification of ideas. It gives examples from business school curricula, psychology and the impact of teaching in a foreign language, to summarise (un)intended consequences on the students’ educational developments. It also shows how the agency of the theory of Maqāṣid, the higher objectives of Islamic law, has immersed Islamic thought in reaction to the bias in the educational system.
Citation: (APA) Bouzenita, A. I., & Wood, B. (2018). Unintended Consequences? The Commodification of Ideas in Tertiary Education and their Effects on Muslim Students. Intellectual Discourse, 26(2), 883-902.
Abstract: Islamic education, from a holistic point of view, is more than just the direct transmission of the pure Islamic science. It encompasses other branches of specialisation and ideally accompanies Muslims, through reflections of the Islamic worldview during their formal and informal education. This paper reflects how, in the contemporary tertiary education in the Islamic world, commodified concepts stemming from a non-Islamic worldview are being proliferated, and what the expectable results are for Muslim students.
Citation: (APA) Bouzenita, A. I., & Boulanouar, A. W. (2018). Tertiary Education in Muslim Countries–The Commodification of Ideas and their Unintended Consequences. Journal of Islamic Studies, Prince of Songkla University, 9(2), 29-41.
Abstract: This paper seeks to advance marketing theory by introducing two consumption models, developed from the Islamic teaching, to contribute to the theory base of the new field of Islamic marketing. The paper uses the universally accepted Islamic book of guidance, The Qur’an, to construct and explain the role goods and services can occupy in the lives of all consumers. It uses translations of accepted Islamic scholars to illustrate the theory in English. Given the increasing interest in the field of Islamic marketing, and in Muslims as a consuming segment, this paper also outlines implications for consumers and for businesses, most especially in terms of promotional appeals and positioning in communication offerings.
Citation: (APA) Boulanouar, Z., & Wood, B. P. (2018). Towards a theory on the place of goods and services in Islamic marketing. International Journal of Islamic Marketing and Branding, 3(3), 175-182.
Abstract: The Crescent Ranking (CR) is a service benefiting both the supply‐side (“halal‐friendly” hotels) and the demand‐side (Muslims wanting to have a guest experience consistent with their way of living) within the tourism market. “Halal” is a technical term in the Arabic language usually translated as “permissible from the perspective of Islamic law (sharia’ah).” This study examines the transparency of the top and bottom 10 hotels listed on the CR site. First, we compared the hotel profile as per the CR listing with the hotel’s own website. Next, we examined guest reviews on a word‐ of‐mouth proxy site (booking.com), paying particular attention to the feedback of non‐Muslim guests. Following this analysis, self‐styled “Islamic” hotel managers were interviewed to triangulate the data. We found “Islamic” hotels to be intransparent to their guests seeking an Islamically compliant holiday and also to those seeking a conventional hotel experience. We suggest several reasons hotels misrepresent themselves—“self‐orientalization”, a necessity to present “nice Islam”, an “ethics gap”, and/or a poor understanding of marketing and market positioning. We consider regulation of the “Islamic” hotel industry to be a mechanism policy makers, and managers could, adopt to become transparent and to protect demand‐side (guests) rights. Regulation would also differentiate hotels operating an Islamic business model and those merely offering a few simple services appreciated by Muslim travellers.
Citation: (APA) Alserhan, B. A., Wood, B. P., Rutter, R., Halkias, D., Terzi, H., & Al Serhan, O. (2018). The transparency of Islamic hotels:“Nice Islam” and the “self‐orientalizing” of Muslims?. International Journal of Tourism Research, 20(4), 475-487.
Driving Multinational Enterprises Through Effective Global Talent Management
Citation: (APA) Tamzini, K., Ayed, T. L., Boulanouar, A. W., & Boulanouar, Z. (Eds.). (2017). Driving Multinational Enterprises Through Effective Global Talent Management. IGI Global.
Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to improve the quality and efficacy of data collected from Muslim respondents, particularly women, through an examination of Islamic teachings and illustrated using a “conservative” paradigm of practice. The paper is designed to be helpful to researchers in designing both their projects and their data collection methods
Citation: (APA) Boulanouar, A. W., Aitken, R., Boulanouar, Z., & Todd, S. J. (2017). Imperatives for research designs with Muslim women. Marketing Intelligence & Planning.
The absorptive capacity as a key success factor in international strategic alliances: a study of Tunisian firms
Abstract: International strategic alliances (ISAs) are an engine of corporate business development in Tunisia. This research – in accordance with the knowledge-based view – seeks to identify the role of absorptive capacity as a key success factor. In a two-step process, qualitative research was first conducted to centre the research on the characteristics of the Tunisian context. This was followed by quantitative research using a SEM method with data collected from 119 Tunisian firms allied with foreign firms. Results show that alliance experience, and access to the knowledge of the ally, are the most important factors denoting absorptive capacity in this context. Companies engaged in ISAs, with much technological diversity, need to stimulate interest in research and development (R&D) to improve the abilities of their employees and keep them motivated. This leads to an internalisation of knowledge transfer which stimulates business development and leads to successful alliances in terms of effectivness and innovation.
Citation: (APA) Hamdani, F., Ayed, L., & Boulanouar, B. W. A. (2017). The absorptive capacity as a key success factor in international strategic alliances: a study of Tunisian firms. Journal for International Business and Entrepreneurship Development, 10(2), 138-155.
How to measure tacit knowledge?: The VRIN model’s method
Abstract: This paper aims to provide researchers with an original quantitative method to measure tacit knowledge. The authors have called this quantitative method: “The V.R.I.N model’s method” which is built upon Barney’s (1991) resource-based view. The methodology of “The V.R.I.N model’s method” is based on the operationalization of the four dimensions which were advanced and considered by Barney (1991) as attributes of a resource: value; rarity; inimitability and non-substitutability. The main finding of this study is to confirm Tamzini’s (2015) previous findings, mainly the fact that tacit knowledge is quadridimensional and its dimensions are unidimensional and to confirm the V.R.I.N model of Barney (1991). This paper contributes to cope with: (1) the empirical research scarcity, (2) the dominance of the qualitative methods, and (3) the risks to abuse in using proxies to measure tacit knowledge by providing researchers with an original quantitative method in the field of the resource-based view of the firm.
Citation: (APA) Tamzini, K., Ayed, T. L., & Boulanouar, A. (2016). How to measure tacit knowledge?: The VRIN model’s method. Knowledge Management, 16(3).
Abstract: Abraham Maslow’s model of the hierarchy of needs is pervasive in many academic specialisations. After a short description of the model, this article summarises the existing criticisms. While criticism on the empirical validity of the model and its ethno-centricity are frequently mentioned in the literature, the authors of this article give special focus on the missing consideration of the spiritual aspect of human existence in Maslow’s model. The study explores reasons for the commodification of the model (i.e. the divorcing of the model from its substance and using it simply as a commodity) and the non-consideration of Maslow’s later changes. Special focus is laid on the usage of this model in marketing, given its position as a field which embodies the capitalist perspective so completely through, particularly, advertising but also through the conceptualisation of people. The article describes the model’s diverse reception in Muslim academic circles. It offers an Islamic critique of both its foundations and its usage. The study concludes that attempts at harmonising the model with the higher objectives (maqāṣid) of the Sharī‘ah do not do justice to either model.
Citation: (APA) Bouzenita, A. I., & Boulanouar, A. W. (2016). Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: An Islamic critique. Intellectual Discourse, 24(1).
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to bridge the gap between previous examinations of advertising standardisation and consideration of Islamic ethics to develop a better understanding of how Islamic values influence global advertising strategy.
Citation: (APA) Turnbull, S., Howe-Walsh, L., & Boulanouar, A. (2016). The advertising standardisation debate revisited. Journal of Islamic Marketing
Abstract: In this paper the authors attempt to present a list of theories from the discipline of Islamic marketing. The list is neither complete nor a detailed description of all the attempts toward a theory of Islamic marketing. Indeed, it is not the intention of this work to provide such detail. Rather, this commentary is designed to motivate researchers to begin to address the subject of Islamic marketing in a manner that will pave the way for a more defined theory of Islamic marketing to be constructed, a subject that so far remains clearly under researched.
Citation: (APA) Theories of Islamic marketing. BA Alserhan, OM Althawadi, AW Boulanouar – International Journal of Islamic Marketing and Branding 1 (4), 297-304
Abstract: There is a dearth of research on the role of fitrah, the innate receptiveness to goodness, uprightness, and justice as Muslims understand it, and how it is expressed in and through consumption experiences, practices, and choices. The objective of this research is to study Muslim Māori women, the indigenous people of New Zealand, who have faced significant historical and personal fracturing of their identity narrative, and the reformulation and continuity of the narrative upon reversion to Islam (Islamic fitrah). Through participant observation, personal interviews, and immersion in the field, this study takes an ethnographic approach to uncovering the consumption habits and meanings of these new Muslims. We find that our informants are extraordinarily successful in “rewriting” the format of their lives and of securing for themselves ontological security and active, even vibrant, presentation and performance of themselves as Muslim women.
Citation: (APA) Kadirov, D., Allayarova, N., & Boulanouar, A. W. (2016). Transformation as reversion to fitrah: Muslim Māori women’s self-transformation through reflexive consumption. Journal of Business Research, 69(1), 33-44.
Expressing herself through brands: the Arab woman’s perspective
Abstract: This paper aims to extend Wallström et al.’s (2010) six-nation study on brand use and notions of self-expression to Arab women in the UAE. Additionally, it extends the scope of investigation to include an extensive qualitative data corpus to inform and explain the consumption practices of this large, very wealthy and under-researched sector of the global marketplace.
Citation: (APA) Alserhan, B. A., Halkias, D., Boulanouar, A. W., Dayan, M., & Alserhan, O. A. (2015). Expressing herself through brands: the Arab woman’s perspective. Journal of Research in Marketing and Entrepreneurship, 17(1), 36-53.
Abstract: Islamic marketing is a field which represents an opportunity to expand and improve the marketing specialisation and to reformulate and restructure business paradigms overall. Taking another look at the organic formulation of views and viewpoints in business means that research areas and alternative frameworks can be explored for the benefit of all market stakeholders. Looking at the market from an Islamic perspective offers a chance to think differently about markets and market frameworks, and allows improvements and corrections to be made to current market imperfections and inequities. This short piece discusses a few points important in conducting business from an Islamic perspective, and highlights some opportunities for future studies.
Citation: (APA) Boulanouar, A. W. (2015). Islamic marketing and branding: thinking outside the box. International Journal of Islamic Marketing and Branding, 1(2), 123-130.
Abstract: This paper explores the implications for Human Resources development (HRD) and practice for firms operating in the Arab Middle East. The paper makes two key contributions. Firstly, we expand the current understanding of Islamic axiology and the implications of Islamic ethics in a business context. Second we explore successful expatriation within multinationals within the Arab Middle East. We argue that in addition to the global competencies required by expatriates when undertaking an overseas appointment, firms should also provide training and development opportunities in Islamic ethics in order to facilitate effective business-to-business relationships to aid effective and efficient social networks. The article outlines a conceptual model of the factors influencing the success of expatriate assignments in the Arab Middle East during each stage of an expatriation.
Citation: (APA) El-Bassiouny, N., El-Bassiouny, D., Mohamed, E. K., & Basuony, M. A. (Eds.). (2020). Ethics, CSR and Sustainability (ECSRS) Education in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region: Conceptualization, Contextualization, and Empirical Evidence. Routledge.
Abstract: All research comes from a particular perspective, and therefore has inherent bias. In applying paradigms developed within, or for, one culture or group, the question must be raised as to how applicable the paradigm is when applied to other groups or cultures. This paper considers symbolic interaction theory when applied to Muslim women and what they wear. The paper concludes that the theory is not a very good fit for Muslim women’s clothing, but with adaptations could still be used. It also proposes that other theories could also suffer from the same, or similar, problems of fit, but may be satisfactorily adjusted to be useful in different contexts.
Citation: (APA) Boulanouar, A. W., & Boulanouar, Z. (2013). Islamic marketing and conventional marketing theory: A brief case study of marketing what Muslim women wear. International Journal of Teaching and Case Studies 4, 4(4), 287-295.
Abstract: This study examines the Meaning of Moroccan Muslim Women’s Dress. It reviews the English language literature on symbolic consumption, sign, self, identity and clothing and informs it with an overview of an Islamic worldview relevant to the sample (Moroccan women). Clothing is a highly visible, publicly consumed cultural artefact and, as such, provides an excellent illustrative example with which a study of contextual, situated meaning can be properly considered. In so saying, the Islamic World View and the culture which springs from it is essentially included and, consistent with the critical case methodology employed, a historic, social and legal background of the Moroccan empirical context is provided. Given that the thesis itself is situated within the marketing, consumer behaviour, consumption, consumer culture theory, and symbolic consumption literatures implications for using particularly symbolic consumption theory for non-western samples is considered as are the implications for theories applied to Muslim samples across the social science disciplines, most especially the consideration of the impact and importance of Islam for Muslims and of transcendence as a motivator for behaviour and presentation. The study format was in-depth interviews with nine young Moroccan women and their mothers, in Morocco. Data included background interviews, the focal interviews, questionnaire results and field notes allowing a comprehensive corpus to be complied and, so, a detailed contextual picture to be developed. Methodological contributions are made with regard to accessing such a sample and considerations necessary to design a successful research project with a Muslim sample. 3/284 A further outcome was a highlight of differences in ethical considerations when studying particularly women from a Muslim culture with regard to definitions of privacy, public domains and propriety. The overall implications from the study point to a considerable gap in the extant literature and theory when considering such samples, making research projects utilising these respondents of negligible value in terms of a contribution to knowledge.
Citation: (APA) Boulanouar, A. W. (2011). Myths and Reality: Meaning In Moroccan Muslim Women’s Dress (Doctoral dissertation, University of Otago).
Abstract: This essay looks at the religious reasons for the wearing of clothing that conforms to the guidelines provided in the Islamic teachings. It discusses the inner character of Islam and explains how all permissible Muslim behaviour flows from the basic concept hay’a, or modesty. The explanation of these ideas in English-language writing is discussed; and also how some misunderstandings and misrepresentations result. The purpose of this work is to make clear the religious reasons Muslims, especially women, choose the form of dress they do, wherever they reside—even in New Zealand.
Citation: (APA) The notion of modesty in Muslim women’s clothing: An Islamic point of view
Abstract: This paper considers the Islamic concept of haya’ from the prespective of physical modesty, using the example of Muslim women’s clothing. It looks at the clothing requirements, considers how they “communicate” in a wester context and the implications for consumption.
Citation: (APA) Boulanouar, A. W., & Boulanouar, Z. (2013). Islamic marketing and conventional marketing theory: A brief case study of marketing what Muslim women wear. International Journal of Teaching and Case Studies 4, 4(4), 287-295.
Citation: (APA) Bastian, B. L., Metcalfe, B. D., Ng, P. Y., & Wood, B. P. Search for Articles.