1

EUROPEAN MASTER IN BUSINES STUDIES

EXPOSÉ

2

The Role of Spirituality on Consumer

Purchasing Behavior: An Empirical Study

with Mexican Consumers

“Just as a candle cannot burn without fire, men cannot live without

a spiritual life”

-Buddha-

3

1. Abstract

Purpose: This work aims at examining if and how the elements of an individual’s personal

being, as represented by spirituality, affect people’s behavior that result in consumption.

Consumer characteristics vary with age, income, experience and life cycle position. Generally,

marketers build consumers profiles and strategies based on these characteristics. However, one

important element of consumers has been neglected, and I am referring to spirituality.

The purpose of this study is to discover the role and the impact that spirituality has on the

purchasing behavior of consumers, at two different stages of lifecycle, meaning with this,

assessing two different generations of consumers. For the purpose of this study, each of the

elements of spirituality is going to be analyzed at each step of the decision-making process of

the consumers when purchasing.

Methodology: This thesis is going to be conducted by applying the method of open-ended-in-

depth interviews, consisting of a structured questionnaire previously designed. The interviews

are going to take place in Mexico. The participants will be made up of 10 males and 10 females

divided into two groups. The first group will consist of 5 males and 5 females aged between 18

and 35, range commonly named as Generation Y or Millennials. The second group will be

integrated of 5 males and 5 females aged between 55 and 70, range broadly known as Baby

Boomer Generation. Each group is going to be asked the same questions and a comparison of

their answers is going to be analyzed afterwards.

Value: This work contributes to the academic discourse by providing deeper insights on how

spirituality impacts consumer behavior when purchasing. This study will focus on stressing

how important spirituality is for Mexican consumers at two contrasting stages in lifecycle.

Marketers already have investigated political, economic, technological and societal variables

on the marketing field, however there is need for further exploration on social and psychological

factors, such as those related to spirituality, and how it can influence the individual’s behavior.

This study contributes to a more exhaustive understanding of the elements of spirituality, and

how it could impact on consumer behavior.

Keywords: Spirituality, consumer purchasing behavior, decision-making process, millennials,

baby boomers.

4

2. Table of Contents

EXPOSÉ ..................................................................................................................................... 1

1. Abstract .................................................................................................................................. 3

2. Table of Contents ................................................................................................................... 4

3. List of Illustrations ................................................................................................................. 5

4. Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 6

5. Problem Statement ................................................................................................................. 7

6. Purpose ................................................................................................................................... 8

7. Literature Review ................................................................................................................... 9

8. Theoretical Framework ........................................................................................................ 15

8.1 Definitions and Terminology.......................................................................................... 15

8.1.1 Religion as Part of Spirituality ................................................................................. 17

8.1.2 Self-awareness ......................................................................................................... 19

8.1.3 Relation with Others ................................................................................................ 20

7.1.4 Eco-awareness .......................................................................................................... 20

8.1.4 Consumer Behavior ................................................................................................. 21

8.1.5 Consumer Decision-making Process ....................................................................... 21

9. Research Question and Hypothesis ...................................................................................... 23

10. Methodology ...................................................................................................................... 25

10.1 Place of Study ............................................................................................................... 26

10.2 Defining Groups of Study ............................................................................................. 27

10.2.1 Millennials in Mexico. ........................................................................................... 28

10.2.2 Baby Boomers in Mexico. ..................................................................................... 29

11. Plan of Work ...................................................................................................................... 29

12. List of References ............................................................................................................... 30

13. Appendix ............................................................................................................................ 32

5

3. List of Illustrations

Figure 1. Self-Illustration of the Components of Spirituality (Karakas, 2010) ........................ 19

Figure 2. Self-Illustration of the Consumer Decision Making Process .................................... 22

Figure 3. Global Spirituality Index. ......................................................................................... 27

Figure 4. Mexican Population Pyramid. ................................................................................... 28

6

4. Introduction

Human beings are generally curious by nature, they feel a deep desire to discover new things,

notice their effects, and ascribe meaning to them. The term spirituality has different meanings

and ways of expression. It refers to a particular way of responding to experience, especially

when it stirs strong emotions such as awe and wonder. Some authors define spirituality as a

deeply personal experience of self-discovery, connection to a higher power and other living

things, and an awareness of one’s presence in the living universe as they search for meaning

and purpose in life (Karakas, 2010; Liu and Robertson, 2011; Mitroff and Denton, 1999).

Nowadays spirituality plays an important role in a majority of people’s lives around the world.

We live in a world where technology and unrestrained consumption have led us to reconsider

our behavior patterns and have made us question our actions and attitudes towards ourselves,

towards our fellow human beings and towards the environment. Today we question ourselves

about the impact that we are leaving on the world and on the people around us.

The concept of spirituality represents a more holistic and personal view of one’s self and their

connection to the environment. Alternatively, religion represents institutionalized beliefs which

are bounded by doctrine, tenets, dogma, scripture, structure, authority, and group-level worship

(Zinnbauer etal., 1999). Both concepts are interconnected, present in our life, and as part of our

culture and society. Spirituality has the advantage of being able to encompass and have

applicability to individuals from various distinct religious beliefs.

In most of the countries such as in Mexico, spirituality affects what people trade, how they

trade, and when and where trade occurs (Mittelstaedt, 2002). It is in the origin and shape of

markets that spirituality plays a very important role. Most spiritual and religious traditions

prohibit, discourage, encourage, or obligate the trade of certain products in the marketplace.

For this reason, companies and researchers have to pay more attention on the impact that

spirituality could have on consumers decisions and behavior.

In King’s study (1992) which found society and culture as important determining variables for

spiritual orientation of a person, deduced that continuous interaction with different elements of

society had a subtle and profound impact on an individual’s psyche and spiritual making up.

Other factors in making spiritual orientation of a person were found to be family and

inheritance. The role of family seen in the form of impact of interaction with parents,

grandparents, and the values transferred through them have been found as building blocks of

7

spirituality. As it can be shown in the tables of the appendix, religion, family, friends, and

happiness in life are very important factors of spirituality that are strongly present in Mexico

(World Values Survey, 2012). For this reason, it is important to analyze the background of

culture and society in Mexico, so that the study of spirituality could be carried out. In this study

I will analyze the spiritual orientation of a person and how this influence their purchasing

behavior that directly impact the market. Some of these beliefs related to spirituality could

provoke people acting in more ethical and socially desirable way, or at least it is what I want to

prove.

During this research the three different domains of spirituality proposed by Fisher (1999) and

Gomez and Fisher (2003) are going to be evaluated and compared within two different stages

of the life cycle, so that I can also verify that there is a continuous role change in an individual's

life (Blau, 1973). There are some age-specific characteristics to consider in the spirituality of a

person, that could impact in a stronger way on consumer purchasing behavior.

5. Problem Statement

Nowadays, companies and researchers need to understand consumers’ values and beliefs in

order to address the market orientation. Understanding consumer behavior is of vital importance

to researchers as well as to companies across almost all types of industries. Thus, they can

develop and improve their offerings across the market, especially now that we live in a

globalized world in which consumers are offered a whole range of choices. Marketers need to

understand what consumers are looking for, the kind of needs they have, how they think when

evaluating alternatives and how these patterns are constantly changing through time.

This study aims to examine the effects of spirituality on consumer purchasing behavior. Despite

the growing interest in the consequences of spirituality, it is still unclear how consumer’s

perceptions and behavior are impacted by spirituality, so further qualitative research should be

carried out (Singh & Hira, 2017). Understanding the role spirituality and the impact in

consumers purchasing behavior will be helpful for the individual, organization, and society.

Currently, there is need to discover the impact of spirituality not only on emotional well-being,

but also on people’s behavior. The self is conceived almost exclusively as a psychological

device while its spiritual dimension is overlooked, especially in the business environment. For

this reason, and as previously mentioned, the three components of spirituality will be analyzed.

8

The first aspect discusses factors having an impact (both direct and indirect) on formation of

spiritual decision orientation of a person. Second aspect includes the relationship of one’s

spiritual beliefs with others and with the existence of God. The third aspect discusses the impact

of spirituality in the environment and nature. Though distinct, yet all these aspects highly

correlate and overlap with each other, in order to identify the respective positive and negative

impacts that the three components of spirituality may have in the purchasing process.

Finally, despite its great popularity, the use of chronological age is problematic for researchers

interested in age-related research, particularly research that examines the attitudinal or

behavioral patterns of the elderly. Hence, this study will examine two different stages in life

cycle and the results of both groups will be compared to have a better understanding of this

complex variable.

6. Purpose

This Master thesis aim is to find the relationship between elements of an individual’s personal

being, as represented by spirituality, and an individual’s actions or behavior that result in

consumption. The purpose is to understand what underlies a consumer's spiritual belief in order

to help firms direct their products to those self-same values.

Understanding the macro-level guidance of spirituality can help develop and embrace the

impact of it on consumers’ perceptions and during their decision-making process while

purchasing. This research could be seen as valuable for assessing the practical applications of

spirituality for the individual, organization, and society.

The main purpose of this study is to explore conceptually the role of spirituality in a particular

stage of consumer’s lifecycle and to spot how this role impacts in their purchasing behavior, so

that marketers can identify and understand the values and characteristics that consumers

consider during their decision-making process.

It is interesting to note that spiritual orientation has been viewed by researchers in relation to

demographics including age. Some of the researchers like Singleton (2004), Mooney and

Timmins (2007), and King (2014) have studied spirituality as comprehended by young adults

in a given context. However, there is no research among older generations, which is going to

be the focus of this research, a comparison between two different generations (millennials and

baby boomers) at a different point in the life cycle.

9

7. Literature Review

N° NAME AUTHOR/YEAR SOURCE SUMMARY

1

Cooptation

Through

Conflation:

Spiritual

Materialism is Not

the Same as

Spirituality

Stephen J. Gould,

2006

Consumption Markets & Culture,

Vol.9, pp.63–78.

Doi:10.1080/10253860500481262

This paper explores on the

topic of New Age spirituality.

The transpersonal paradigm

in which the self is subsumed

in terms of something greater,

something spiritual or

interconnected with some

other vital and divine forces

beyond oneself that one

recognizes, and how spiritual

seeking connects through

giving up as much as one can

in the material world so that

one is closer to spirit or God.

2

A Framework for

Understanding

the Relationships

between Religions

and Markets.

John D.

Mittelstaedt,

2002

Journal of Macromarketing

vol. 22, pp. 6–18.

Doi:10.1177/027467022001002

This study discusses how

religions and religious

institutions affect markets in

a variety of ways. The article

explores the variety of effects

of religions on markets and

markets on religions. It

investigates the relationships

of religion and marketing

systems and the importance

of understanding the impact

of culture on marketing

systems and vice versa.

10

3

Does Religion

Affect the

Materialism of

Consumers? An

Empirical

Investigation of

Buddhist Ethics

and the Resistance

of the Self

Stefano Pace,

2013

Journal of Business Ethics, 112,

25–46.

Doi:10.1007/s10551-012-1228-3

This paper studies the

propensity to attach a

fundamental role to

possessions and how religion

and religiosity influence

various attitudes and

behaviors of consumers,

including their ethical beliefs

and how this influences

ethical judgments and

decision making of

consumers. This work

provides some contributions

by examining the ways in

which religious ethical tenet,

specifically Buddhism, can

affect the materialism of

consumers.

4

The Effects of

Materialism,

Religiosity and

Economic

Development on

Satisfaction with

Life in Global

Consumer

Environments

Kevin Lehnert, J.

Alexander Smith,

Jonathan

Wiseman,

2016

Review of Business

St. John's University

This paper investigates one

aspect of culture: religion,

and the role it plays in

consumer decision making. It

also studies how religiosity

relates to economic

development and to

materialistic desires, as they

affect one's satisfaction with

life. Special attention is given

to external and internal

religiosity and the positive

and negative impact on life

satisfaction.

11

5

Exploring notion

of Spirituality

using Grounded

Theory: Young

adult’s

perspective

Reetesh K. Singh,

Hira Rajni,

2017

Research article: Indian Institute

of Management Calcutta

Doi:10.1007/s40622-017-0151-y

This research studies young

adults (postgraduate

management students) using

Grounded Theory approach, a

qualitative analysis technique.

Data is coded and categorized

for meaningful analysis to

understand the notion of

‘Spirituality’ from the

perspective of young adults.

The paper also discusses the

different shades of spirituality

with an emphasis on its

perceived factors of

formation and the

corresponding perceived

impact.

6

Spirituality, Moral

Identity, and

Consumer Ethics:

A Multi-cultural

Study

Scott J. Vitell,

Lumina Albert,

Robert Allen

King, Katharine

Howie,

Encarnación

Ramos Hidalgo,

Jean-Francois

Toti, Omneya

Yacout,

2016

Journal of Business Ethics 139,

147–160.

Doi:10.1007/s10551-015-2626-0

This article presents the

results of a cross-cultural

study that examines the

relationship between

spirituality and a consumer’s

ethical predisposition and

examines the relationship

between the internalization of

one’s moral identity and a

consumer’s ethical

predisposition. Finally, the

moderating impact of cultural

factors on the above

relationships is tested using

Hofstede’s five dimensions.

7

Spirituality,

Psychological

Capital and

Employee

Performance: An

Empirical

Examination

Corey Fox, Brian

D. Webster,

Wm. Camron

Casper,

2018

Journal of Managerial Issues Vol.

XXX Number 2

The aim of this research is to

know how spirituality of an

organization might affect

organizational outcomes, and

more specifically, aspects of

organizational and employee

performance. This study tries

to prove that Spirituality is

related to Psychological

Capital (self-efficacy, hope,

optimism, and resilience) and

how both impact on the

organization.

12

8

Spirituality and

Strategic

Leadership: The

Influence of

Spiritual Beliefs

on Strategic

Decision Making

Kelly A. Phipps,

2012

Journal of Business Ethics, Vol.

106, No. 2

pp. 177-189

The study describes how the

personal spiritual beliefs of a

top-level leader operate in

strategic decision making.

The paper explains why

integrating strategic

leadership and spirituality is

significant for top leaders.

Also, relevant literature on

spirituality is provided.

9

From Thought to

Behavior:

"Having" and

"Doing" in the

Study of

Personality and

Cognition

Nancy Cantor,

1990

American Psychologist,

45, 735–750.

Doi:10.1037/0003-066X.45.6.735

This paper stress how

adaptiveness of personality is

raised. To what extent, under

what circumstances, and

through what channels do

individuals work to modify

their schemas, tasks, and

strategies in relation to

behavior. This study tries to

explain the "behavioral

environment" and the

adjustment to the physical

world.

10

Domains of

spiritual well-

being and

development and

validation of the

Spiritual Well-

Being

Questionnaire

Rapson Gomeza,

John W. Fisherb,

2003

Personality and Individual

Differences, 35, 1975–1991.

Doi:10.1016/S0191-

8869(03)00045-X

The spiritual well-being

model comprise the domains

of personal, communal,

environmental and

transcendental well-being,

and a single global spiritual

well-being dimension. This

paper aimed at testing

Fisher’s theoretical model

and establishing the validity

and reliability of a new self-

rating questionnaire (Spiritual

Well-Being Questionnaire;

SWBQ), developed to reflect

this model.

11

The mediating

role of spirituality

on professional

values and self-

efficacy: a study

of senior nursing

students

Won Hee Jun,

Gyungjoo Lee,

2016

Journal of Advanced Nursing, 72,

3060–3067.

Doi:10.1111/jan.13069

This paper study the

significance of spirituality in

enhancing self-efficacy

related to professional values.

An exploratory, cross-

sectional design was used in

this study.

13

12

Spirituality:

Description,

Measurement, and

Relation to the

Five Factor Model

of Personality

Douglas A.

MacDonald,

2000

Journal of Personality,

68, 153–197. Doi:10.1111/1467-

6494.t01-1-00094

This article focused on the

development and

measurement of a factor

model of the expressions of

spirituality. Furthermore, it

consists of literature that

conceptualizes and measures

spirituality.

13

Does Spirituality

Represent the

Sixth Factor of

Personality?

Spiritual

Transcendence

and the Five-

Factor Model

Rahlp L.

Piedmont,

1999

Journal of Personality,

67, 985–1013.

doi:10.1111/1467-6494.00080

This study reports on the

development of the Spiritual

Transcendence Scale, a

measure designed to capture

aspects of the individual that

are independent of the

qualities contained in the

Five-Factor Model of

Personality (FFM)

14

On Consumer

Purchasing

Behavior in

Electronic

Markets

Dennis Kundisch

Philipp Herrmann,

Mohammad S.

Rahman,

2015

Management Science,

61, 831–850.

Doi:10.1287/mnsc.2014.1955

The aim of this paper is to

understand consumer

behavior and to stress the

importance to researchers as

well as companies across

almost all types of industries

to analyze different types of

purchase decisions. This

study analyzes different

aspects of purchasing

behavior associated with

extensive decision making.

15

Responsible

Citizens and

Sustainable

Consumer

Behavior: New

Interpretive

Frameworks

Pietro Lanzini,

2017 ProQuest Book

This book covers several

topics of interest to students

and scholars of consumer

behavior, sustainable

consumption, environmental

psychology and

environmental studies in

general.

14

16

The Spirituality

Index of Well-

Being: A new

instrument for

health-related

quality of life

research

T. P. Daaleman,

B. B. Frey,

2004

American Psychologist,

58, 64-7

This paper defines spirituality

as a sense of meaning or

purpose from a transcendent

source. It provides a 12-item

instrument that measures

one’s perceptions of their

spiritual quality of life. The

authors review the construct

and validity evidence for the

Spirituality Index of Well-

Being (SIWB).

17

Predictors of

Preventive Health

Care Use Among

Middle-aged and

Older Adults in

Mexico: The Role

of Religion

Maureen R.

Benjamins,

2017

Journal of Cross-Cultural

Gerontology, 22, 221–234.

Doi:10.1007/s10823-007-9036-4

This research studies the

relation between religion and

a wide range of health

behaviors among adults of all

ages. The study was designed

to explore how social and

psychological factors, such as

those related to religion, may

influence an individual’s use

of preventive services. The

study focuses on religion

because it is one of the most

important institutions within

the Hispanic culture.

18

Grounded theory

research:

Procedures,

canons, and

evaluative criteria.

Corbin, J. M., &

Strauss, A.,

1990

Qualitative Sociology, 13, 3–21.

Doi:10.1007/BF00988593

This paper examines three

methodological questions

that are generally applicable

to all qualitative methods. It

explains how researchers

should report the

procedures and canons used

in their research.

15

8. Theoretical Framework

This section of the thesis is targeted at gathering, condensing, contrasting and presenting the

most relevant existing research on the topic of Spirituality, and on consumer purchasing

behavior. It therefore aims at:

- Defining the most relevant conceptualization and theories in this matter,

- Analyzing the interconnection of the elements of spirituality along with the purchase

process, and

- Providing and overview of the impacts on consumer behavior.

This literature review should support the reader in grasping the underlying conceptual

framework, understanding the particular context of the topic and comprehending the

methodology of this study more easily.

8.1 Definitions and Terminology

To begin with, the concept of spirituality must be defined and explained. Due to the subjectivity

people could ascribe to the concept, definitions of different authors are going to be mentioned

in order to clarify its conceptualization. The word spirituality has deep-rooted historical

foundations since the dates of Plato (Hope and Speck, 2007). Since then, although numerous

attempts have been made to define and streamline the notion of spirituality, at both personal

and professional fronts. Scholars have not reached to any standardized, universal or conclusive

agreement. Yet, this has not stopped the scholar to venture in attempting to build an

understanding of the term. Interestingly, examination of the attributes of spirituality reveals its

paradoxes (Fry, 2003; Mitroff & Denton, 1999; Gull & Doh, 2004; English & Gillen, 2000).

To mention some, Fry (2003) conceptualizes spirituality as a fundamental force (incorporating

body, mind, heart and spirit) leading to human existence,’ while Mitroff and Denton (1999)

propound it as ‘the desire to find one’s ultimate purpose in life, and to live accordingly.’ Gull

and Doh (2004) move one step ahead and describe it as ‘an essence of life,’ while on similar

lines English and Gillen (2000) explain it as a phenomenon dealing with ‘beyond an

individual’s self’. Diversity in the meaning of spirituality could be measured by the fact that

literature defines spirituality in as many as seventy different ways (Karakas, 2010).

16

Spirituality plays an important part in a majority of people’s lives around the world. As

important as spirituality is to a vast amount of the earth’s population, no consensus on what is

meant by spirituality exists (Dent et al., 2005). Most definitions however, include three

interrelated ideas (Karakas, 2010; Liu and Robertson, 2011; Mitroff and Denton, 1999). First,

spirituality is about self-awareness and the search for meaning and purpose in life. This aspect,

widely referred to in the existing literature as transcendence (Giacalone and Jurkiewicz, 2003),

has also been called self-discovery (Delaney, 2005). Spirituality’s second component is

relationships. These relationships occur between humans and a higher power; humans and other

humans; and humans and other living things. Finally, spirituality is an awareness of a higher

power, as well as the general feeling of holism. This includes recognition that each person is

part of a larger ecosystem which includes nature, the earth and the entire universe. This

dimension has been called many things including eco-spirituality (Rican and Jansova, 2005),

environmental well-being (Gomez and Fisher, 2003), and eco-awareness (Delaney, 2005).

Taking these three general dimensions into account, the authors define spirituality as a deeply

personal experience of self-discovery, connection to a higher power and other living things, and

an awareness of one’s presence in the living universe as they search for meaning and purpose

in life.

While spirituality has been used synonymously with religiosity, the authors along with existing

research in the spirituality domain consider them separate concepts (e.g., Garcia-Zamor, 2003;

Mitroff and Denton, 1999). The concept of spirituality represents a more holistic and personal

view of one’s self and their connection to the environment. Alternatively, religion represents

institutionalized beliefs which are bounded by doctrine, tenets, dogma, scripture, structure,

authority, and group-level worship (Zinnbauer etal., 1999).

Another useful distinction could be made between two fundamental constructs: "pure

spirituality" and "applied spirituality" (Schmidt-Wilk et al., 2000). The term "pure spirituality"

refers to a silent, unbounded, inner experience of pure self-awareness, devoid of customary

content of perception, thoughts, and feelings. The term "applied spirituality" refers to the

domain of practical applications and measurable outcomes that automatically arise from the

inner experience of "pure spirituality". The use of the term "spiritual development" refers to a

holistic process of positive transformation through experience of pure spirituality. This reveals

a contention between inner self and outside world in ascertaining the meaning of spirituality.

This supports Shelly and Fish (1988) who view spirituality in relation to ‘self,’ ‘others’ and

17

‘God. It is implied that spirituality is not a linear construct based on some factors; rather, it is a

combination of a variety of factors amalgamated with each other.

8.1.1 Religion as Part of Spirituality

Arriving at this point, there is a very important aspect of spirituality that must be explained and

differentiated. I am referring to the concept of religion.

Religion can be defined, at least in part, as a system for organizing spirituality so that people

can experience it together in a defined setting, and that is with authorized leadership, formal

rituals, and codified teachings (e.g., on free will, reward and punishment, the origin and order

of the world). These elements vary from one denomination (or religion) to another, not only in

their details and sacred texts but also in the rules of participation (e.g., tithing, permitted and

forbidden relationships) and the extent to which participation envelops the individual in a

community of shared ideals and practices (such as periodic gatherings for public prayer and

communal celebration). Many people express yearnings that can be characterized as spiritual,

including yearnings for meaning, purpose, and coherence. Yet both religion and spirituality can

be viewed as parts of a whole (Koenig, 2009; Rasic et al., 2009). Features often seen in both

religion and spirituality are beliefs about the meaning of life, uplifting personal experience,

identification with a group or community, and principles for living well.

Religiosity highlights unique, personal aspects of consumers (Engelland, 2014). This is shown

by religious doctrines, which prescribe behaviors (such as fasting, mode of dress, or limitations

on consumption), with religious experiences and beliefs influencing purchasing decisions

(Kalamas, Cleveland, Laroche, 2014; McDaniel and Burnett, 1990). Understanding what

underlies a consumer's religious belief helps firms direct their products to those self-same

values (Jarafr., et al, 2014). For example, family values are important to born-again Christians.

Further, understanding the macro-level guidance of religion can help develop and embrace the

impact of religion on consumer behavior. Thus, for businesses engaging in a marketplace

understanding the role of religion is imperative.

Religion is also perceived as a more formal, rational, and dogmatic form of institutionalized

spiritual expression (Forman, 2004; Collins & Kakabadse, 2005). Additionally, Pruzan (2004)

holds that spirituality focuses on ‘basic, deep-rooted human values, and a relationship with a

18

universal source, power, or divinity’ and that religion is an institutionalized form of this

relationship. Guillory (2001) defines spirituality as ‘our inner consciousness, the source of

inspiration, creativity, and wisdom’. He distinguishes religion from spirituality on the basis of

their nature: ‘Spirituality is a way of being that predetermines how we respond to life

experiences; whereas, religion deals with the incorporation and implementation of organized

belief systems. Religion is actually a form that spirituality takes in practice’ (Guillory, 2001).

Meanwhile, Schley (2008) argues that it is less important to distinguish religion from

spirituality than to identify the respective positive and negative impacts both may have.

Spirituality seems to offer a more open, more inclusive and less divisive framework for people’s

beliefs. We all possess the ability to develop spiritually, but we also live and work in a

materialistic, fast-paced world where conformity, competitiveness and forward-thinking

significantly restrain our aptitude for self-reflection. To be spiritual one should do good things

in all possible ways: spreading awareness and happiness; serving society and its people

unconditionally and selflessly. Spirituality is to create a spiral of good deeds and virtuous acts.

Here, spirituality is not viewed as some separate act; rather, it is found to be an integral part of

life.

Spirituality is not a revolutionary or imposed construct, rather it has a deep-rooted evolutionary

process embedded in family and social setup. In broader sense of the term, an environment

needs to be created to help individuals to ‘be spiritual.’ If spirituality is fundamental for human

existence (Fry, 2003), social context, family and education are fundamental requisites to ‘be

spiritual.’ Existence of spirituality is so subtle and tacit that even though one may not choose

to have it voluntarily, it still gets imbibed and deeply embedded in one’s personality. This

further leads to existence of peace, harmony and happiness among individuals at both personal

and professional levels. It forms an anchor for a person’s individualistic and collectivist

harmony. Spirituality is found acting as a positive force. It has been helpful in changing one’s

outlook toward life by making people happier and positive in their viewpoint and giving them

an inherent joy (Holder et al., 2010) in all that they do.

To sum up, spirituality plays an important part in a majority of people’s lives around the world.

Most definitions however, include three interrelated components and are divided as follows:

19

Figure 1. Self-Illustration of the Components of Spirituality (Karakas, 2010)

8.1.2 Self-awareness

First, spirituality is about self-awareness and the search for meaning and purpose in life. This

aspect, widely referred to in the existing literature as self-discovery (Delaney, 2005). This

demonstrates the role that spirituality has in forming an integrated personality, and ultimately

how these factors interact to impact on the well-being of a person.

Business researchers have paid little attention to the importance of the self in moral decision-

making and enactment of a moral decision. However, recent research has begun to consider the

mechanisms between self and moral decision and action (Gozdz & Frager, 2003; Sekerka &

Bagozzi, 2007). Psychology-based studies have integrated the concept of self-more

consistently, and yet the self is conceived almost exclusively as a psychological device while

its spiritual dimension is overlooked.

The self is understood as the unifying element of our identity as individuals, and the founding

resource of morality. The individual self is both the subject and the object of the moral reflection

Components ofSpirituality

Personal

(self-awareness)

Communal(relationship)

Environment/God(eco-awareness)

20

that informs our moral decisions, and more generally how we should live (Vice, 2003). The self

commonly represents our personality or the sense of being a person different from other people.

However, many spiritual traditions speak of a higher Self, a part of our being that stands outside

the personality, outside the conscious self, and outside the categories of conscious experience,

including time. There are countless names attributed to this form of self. The ancient Greeks

called it daimon, the ancient Romans, the genius; to the esoteric Kabbalist, it is tzelem, while

to Christians, it is the Christ within. Our sense of being develops along our consciousness of

self.

Layder (2004) contends that the self is ‘how a person regards themselves and how they, and

others, relate to or behave towards themselves’. For Layder (2004), the self is both sociological

and psychological. The self is also essentially, although not exclusively, emotional as well as

flexible and capable of evolution over a life span. Furthermore, Layder (2004) depicts the self

as the center of awareness but also a bearer of something of a spiritual nature, the higher Self.

The self is therefore a complex entity, both stable and dynamic. Human beings are most

essentially spiritual, whether they are conscious of their spirituality or not, and their spirituality

lies in the self.

8.1.3 Relation with Others

Spirituality’s second component is relationships. These relationships occur between humans

and a higher power; humans and other humans; and humans and other living things.

We have some ethics which shape our behavior, our attitude, and that is call spirituality. This

ethics actually comes from family, from your elders. Kim (2016) and others mention that

spirituality depends on three factors like family togetherness, family interdependence and

family coping.

7.1.4 Eco-awareness

Finally, spirituality is an awareness of a higher power, as well as the general feeling of holism.

This includes recognition that each person is part of a larger ecosystem which includes, nature,

the earth and the entire universe. This dimension has been called many things including eco-

21

spirituality (Rican and Jansova, 2005), environmental well-being (Gomez and Fisher, 2003),

and eco-awareness (Delaney, 2005).

Taking these three general dimensions into account, the authors define spirituality as a deeply

personal experience of self-discovery, connection to a higher power and other living things, and

an awareness of one’s presence in the living universe as they search for meaning and purpose

in life.

8.1.4 Consumer Behavior

The field of consumer behavior covers a lot of ground: It is the study of the processes involved

when individuals or groups select, purchase, use, or dispose of products, services, ideas, or

experiences to satisfy needs and desires. The needs and desires we satisfy range from hunger

and thirst to love, status, and even spiritual fulfillment.

In its early stages of development, researchers referred to the field as buyer behavior; this

reflected the emphasis at that time (back in the 1960s and 1970s) on the interaction between

consumers and producers at the time of purchase. Most marketers now recognize that consumer

behavior is in fact an ongoing process, not merely what happens at the moment a consumer

hands over money or a credit card and in turn receives some good or service. The exchange, a

transaction in which two or more organizations or people give and receive something of value,

is an integral part of marketing. Although exchange theory remains an important part of

consumer behavior, the expanded view emphasizes the entire consumption process, which

includes the issues that influence the consumer before, during, and after a purchase.

Our society is evolving from a mass culture in which many consumers share the same

preferences to a diverse one in which we each have almost an infinite number of choices. This

change makes it more important than ever to identify distinct market segments and to develop

specialized messages and products for those groups.

8.1.5 Consumer Decision-making Process

Traditionally, consumer researchers approached decision making from an information-

processing perspective. According to this view, people calmly and carefully integrate as much

22

information as possible with what they already know about a product, painstakingly weigh the

pluses and minuses of each alternative, and arrive at a satisfactory decision.

When marketing managers believe that their customers in fact do undergo this kind of planning,

they should carefully study steps in decision making to understand just how consumers weigh

information, form beliefs about options, and choose criteria they use to select one option over

others. With these insights in hand, they can develop products and promotional strategies that

supply the specific information people look for in the most effective formats.

Customers go through several steps between the time they feel the need for a new product and

when they actually buy one. These steps are described as: problem recognition, information

search, evaluation of alternatives, and product choice. Of course, after the decision is taken, its

outcome affects the final step in the process, in which learning occurs based on how well the

choice worked out. This learning process, of course, influences the likelihood that customers

make the same choice the next time the need for a similar decision occurs.

Figure 2. Self-Illustration of the Consumer Decision Making Process

NEED RECOGNITION

INFORMATION SEARCH

EVALUATION OF

ALTERNATIVES

PURCHASE DECISION

POST PURCHASE

EVALUATION

23

9. Research Question and Hypothesis

Bearing the abovementioned research gap and the supporting literature in mind, the main

research question I would like to answer in this study is:

How relevant is the impact of Spirituality on the consumer purchasing behavior in Mexico?

My main research question triggers to analyze more detailed information, for this reason the

analysis of the following sub-questions should be explored:

a) Is the impact of spirituality stronger with age?

b) How much influence spirituality has upon consumer needs and desire of goods? (positive or

negative impact)

c) What is the role that spirituality plays in shaping consumer attitudes and opinions when

searching for product alternatives?

d) Do people who claim to be spiritual, tend to make informed purchases with extensive

decision making rather than just impulse purchases?

After assessing the main criteria on which I will base my study, there are several hypotheses

that would need either rejection or support. Also, the hypotheses are going to be the base of the

questionnaire and the data analysis of the interviews.

First of all, the objective of the study is to gather information regarding the feelings and

emotions of respondents towards the three facets of spirituality: self-discovery, relationships,

and eco-awareness. The self-discovery dimension will cover questions regarding the meaning

they give to life. The relationship dimension will explore how they value maintaining and

nurturing the relationships with others. Finally, the eco-awareness dimension will examine if

they live in harmony with nature and if they believe there is a connection with the universe. By

covering the three dimensions of spirituality in the questionnaire, one can conclude whether the

respondents are highly spirituals or not. Moreover, by comparing the results of both generations,

millennials and baby boomers, one can answer the following hypothesis:

H1. Baby boomers present higher level of spirituality than millennials, hence spirituality is

stronger with age.

24

After assessing the degree of spirituality in both groups, one can detect to which extent

respondents feel the desire to buy new and better products and the reasons behind the feeling

of this necessity. The questionnaire will include inquiries such as “what motivates you to buy

a new product?”. Related questions will allow to understand if there is a positive correlation

between spirituality and the desire to buy something new. Therefore, the following hypotheses

could be proven:

H2a. Spirituality has a positive impact on consumer needs and desire of goods.

On the other hand, respondents may have the feeling of scarcity or incompleteness and for that

reason, one assumes that there is a negative correlation between spirituality and the desire to

buy something new. This leads to the following hypothesis:

H2b. Spirituality has a negative impact on consumer needs and desire of goods.

After identifying their needs, people look for information and tend to compare between all the

options that are available (stage two and three of the purchasing process). They evaluate the

entire positive and negatives aspects before actually purchasing a new product. During this part

of the interview, one can notice the difference in preferences between the two interviewed

groups regarding the opinions and thoughts of their options. During this stage of the purchasing

process, the facet of relationship of spirituality will influence in a stronger and more direct way

because personal contacts such as family and friends, account as a source of information; thus,

the influence of spirituality over the mind of the consumer is greater. Respondents could feel

under pressure of their community for instance and try to adapt their elections to fit in the

relationship facet of spirituality. Hence, the following hypothesis is proposed:

H3. The more spiritual consumers are, the more likely they are to engage in responsible and

sustainable consumption

In the stage in which customers decide what to buy and where, they usually make a logical

decision, however many times the final decision does not fulfill the expectations that consumers

were looking for because they made an impulsive decision. As spirituality serves as a

foundation for enhancing self-efficacy because it acts as a reflective tool which helps people

transform their prior experiences and knowledge into competence, then one can conclude that

spirituality should be a positive influence and consumers should make more informed and

conscious decisions. Thus, I decided to address two hypotheses:

25

H4a: If spirituality has a positive influence in decision making process while shopping, then

consumers make more informed purchases.

H4b: If spirituality has a negative impact on consumer decision making process, then

consumers make impulsive purchases.

10. Methodology

The study would be directed by open-ended-in-depth interviews in which there is going to be a

physical interaction with people, so this leads to capture people’s reactions and behavior during

the conversation and I could follow-up with some other questions that can give better

understanding of the situation.

The Interviews will be conducted to collect qualitative data about the level of impact spirituality

could have on consumer purchasing behavior. The interviews are going to be guided by a

structured questionnaire previously designed, this questionnaire will include aspects regarding

the role of spirituality in different stages of people’s life, the level in which people perceives

spirituality, their needs and desires of products, what they consider when comparing options,

and what they think during the purchasing process. The study is going to follow- up with the

questions in order to find out the insights related to the selection of choices at each stage of the

decision-making process.

For the interview, participants will be made up of 10 males and 10 females divided into two

different groups. The first group will consist of 5 males and 5 females aged between 18 and 35,

range commonly known as Generation Y or Millennials. The second group will be integrated

of 5 males and 5 females aged between 55 and 70, range broadly known as Baby Boomer

Generation. Each group is going to be asked the same questions and a comparison of their

answers is going to be analyzed afterwards.

26

10.1 Place of Study

This study will take place in Mexico, for that reason the importance to understand the context

and background of the county. It is relevant to mention that many beliefs and traditions of the

Mexican population have roots on religion and spiritual rituals coming from the Hispanic

culture. People in the country manifest a lot of respect to religious and spiritual institutions. For

example, nearly fifty percent of Mexicans report attending church services weekly, which

places Mexico in the top ten countries in the world for this measure of religious involvement

(University of Michigan News and Information Services, 1997). Furthermore, nearly all

Mexicans report a religious preference, with an estimated 82.7% identifying themselves as

Catholic (Central Intelligence Agency, 2010). Levels of religious salience, or the importance

of religion within a person’s life, are also high. Specifically, 84% of Mexicans reported that

religion was very important or important, while only 2.7% claimed that religion had no meaning

in their lives (Central Intelligence Agency, 2010). Other measures of religion and spirituality

in Mexico, such as believing in a higher power, feeling connected to others and to the

environment, belief in God, respect for priests, trust in the institution, and religious education

in the home, also support the high level of significance given to religion and spirituality within

Mexican culture (Camp, 2000).

Second reason to focus the research in Mexico is based on a global index that unveils the most

spiritual countries around the world. The study looked at a number of different factors,

including quality of life in each country, wellness, mindfulness and spiritual sites. The Global

Spirituality Index analyzed data sets on every country across the globe in order to outline which

destinations offered attractive spiritual experiences. Each country was given a score between 1

to 7 in each category, leaving them with a final ranking number. The ranking considers major

elements such as: quality of life, wellness opportunities, religious diversity, religious freedom,

religious tolerance, spiritual sights and wellness. In this ranking, Mexico was given number 7

worldwide. This been said, we can conclude that spirituality is highly present within Mexican

population, thus is a good opportunity to test the impact it has on the market.

27

Figure 3. Global Spirituality Index. Source: Waifairer Travel. Available at: http://dailyhive.com/montreal/canada-most-spiritual-country-world-ranking-2018

Lastly, the research in Mexico could serve as a guidance in emerging economies in Latin

America, due to similar patterns in their societies. So that further studies could be carried out

to understand better the role that Spirituality plays not only in Mexico but also covering other

countries in Latin America.

10.2 Defining Groups of Study

Mexico is a multifaceted country. According to the last official estimate, the country has a

population of 124,574,795 million (American Central Intelligence Agency, 2017). Mexico

belongs geographically to North America but ethnologically it belongs to Latin America.

Mexico is the most populous Spanish-speaking country in the world. About 78% of the

population live in urban areas. The following chart show the population pyramid in Mexico in

the last update of the American Central Intelligence Agency:

28

Figure 4. Mexican Population Pyramid. Source: The world factbook. Available at: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mx.html

10.2.1 Millennials in Mexico.

This generation, also known as Generation Y, starts from the early 1980 and ends at the

beginning of 2000. This generation is Mexico’s largest demographic group and they want and

expect what their more developed neighboring countries have, particularly in border cities.

Millennials in Mexico are progressive, have different ideas and desires than their parents, are

willing to take risks, and have a different vision of the future. Motivation comes from more

than compensation, they expect their life to be something bigger than a paycheck. It's about

enrichment, fulfillment, and the flexibility to achieve their personal and professional goals on

their own terms. Generation Y consumers have benefited from the increased availability of

customized products and personalized services (Ansari and Mela, 2003; Berry et al., 2010;

Bitner et al., 2000; Peterson et al., 1997). They “want it all” and “want it now,” particularly in

relation to work pay and benefits, career advancement, work/life balance, interesting hobbies

and being able to make a contribution to society. Even though they are the first generation to

have spent their entire lives with technology, they are also involved in the trend of

environmentally friendly consumption.

29

10.2.2 Baby Boomers in Mexico.

This generation starts from the mid-1940s and ends around 1960 and 1964. Baby Boomers are

contemplating their situation and looking for ways to exercise their living inheritance. Baby

Boomers are seeking a place to live where essential outgoings are lower and their incomes

stretch further. Mexico offers attractive options in these respects as property taxes are low,

house maintenance costs are a fraction of those in the U.S., Canada and Europe, and overall

household and living costs can be lower. Many of the Baby boomers in Mexico are retired now

and are financially stable. This generation is looking for leisure experiences and tourism. They

are highly active seekers of religiosity and spirituality.

11. Plan of Work

START DATE DUE DATE TASK STATUS

15/09/2018 05/10/2018 Literature review – reading Done

05/10/2018 10/10/2018 Literature review – writing Done

10/10/2018 18/10/2018 Content writing Done

18/10/2018 21/10/2018 Literature review – buffer Done

- 22/10/2018 Master thesis exposé – hand-over Done

- 31/10/2018 Master thesis exposé – hand-over Done

- 06/11/2018

Exposé Feedback- integration of

improvements Done

01/11/2018 12/11/2018 Interviews codification and pre-test In process

12/11/2018 26/11/2018 Interviews execution -

26/11/2018 03/12/2018 Interviews transcription

04/12/2018 17/12/2018 Interviews analysis elaboration -

17/12/2018 31/12/2018 Interviews analysis writing -

01/01/2019 14/01/2019 Content writing

15/01/2019 18/01/2019 Finalization – proof-reading, printing, buffer -

08/01/2019 18/01/2019 Power point elaboration -

15/01/2019 21/01/2019

Master thesis defense – preparation

presentation -

- 21/01/2019 Master thesis – hand-over -

- 22/01/2019 Master thesis – defense -

30

12. List of References

Amato, J. J., Kayman, D. J., Lombardo, M., & Goldstein, M. F. (2017). Spirituality and Religion:

Neglected Factors in Preventing Veteran Suicide? Pastoral Psychology, 66, 191–199.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-016-0747-8

Corbin, J. M., & Strauss, A. (1990). Grounded theory research: Procedures, Canons, and

Evaluative Criteria. Qualitative Sociology, 13, 3–21. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00988593

Daaleman, T. P., & Frey, B. B. (2004). The Spirituality Index of Well-Being: a New Instrument

for Health-related Quality-of-life Research. The Annals of Family Medicine, 2(5), 499-503.

Emmons, R. A. 1999. The Psychology of Ultimate Concerns: Motivation and Spirituality in

Personality. Guilford Press.

Gould, S. J. (2006). Cooptation Through Conflation: Spiritual Materialism is Not the Same as

Spirituality. Consumption Markets & Culture, 9, 63–78.

https://doi.org/10.1080/10253860500481262

Gupta, R. K., & Awasthy, R. (Eds.). (2015). Qualitative research in management: methods and

experiences. Retrieved from https://ebookcentral.proquest.com

Herrmann, P. N., Kundisch, D. O., & Rahman, M. S. (2015). Beating Irrationality: Does

Delegating to IT Alleviate the Sunk Cost Effect? Management Science, 61, 831–850.

https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2014.1955

INEGI (2015). Religions classification. National Institute of Geography and Statistics [online]

Available at: http://www.beta.inegi.org.mx/app/biblioteca/ficha.html?upc=702825064983

[Accessed 20 Oct. 2018]

Jun, W. H., & Lee, G. (2016). The Mediating Role of Spirituality on Professional Values and Self-

Efficacy: a Study of Senior Nursing Students. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 72, 3060–3067.

https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.13069

MacDonald, D. A. (2000). Spirituality: Description, Measurement, and Relation to the Five Factor

Model of Personality. Journal of Personality, 68, 153–197. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-

6494.t01-1-00094

Minkov, M., & Hofstede, G. (2012). Hofstede’s Fifth Dimension: New Evidence from the World

Values Survey. Journal of Cross-cultural Psychology, 43(1), 3-14.

Mittelstaedt, J. D. (2002). A Framework for Understanding the Relationships between Religions

and Markets. Journal of Macromarketing, 22, 6–18. https://doi.org/10.1177/027467022001002

31

Lanzini, P. (2017). Responsible citizens and sustainable consumer behavior: new interpretive

frameworks. Retrieved from https://ebookcentral.proquest.com

Pace, S. (2013). Does Religion Affect the Materialism of Consumers? An Empirical Investigation

of Buddhist Ethics and the Resistance of the Self. Journal of Business Ethics, 112, 25–46.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-012-1228-3

Piedmont, R. L. (1999). Does Spirituality Represent the Sixth Factor of Personality? Spiritual

Transcendence and the Five-Factor Model. Journal of Personality, 67, 985–1013.

https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-6494.00080

Rinallo, D., Scott, L. M., & Maclaran, P. 2013. Consumption and Spirituality (Vol. 16). Routledge.

Singh, R. K., & Hira, R. (2017). Exploring Notion of Spirituality Using Grounded Theory: Young

Adult’s Perspective. DECISION, 44, 171–178. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40622-017-0151-y

Solomon Michael R. (2014). Consumer behavior, Global edition. Pearson Education Limited

2014. ProQuest Ebook Central,

http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/unikassel/detail.action?docID=5174936.

The world factbook (2016). People and Society: Mexico. [online] Available at:

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mx.html [Accessed 18 Oct.

2018]

Vitell, S. J., King, R. A., Howie, K., Toti, J.-F., Albert, L., Hidalgo, E. R., & Yacout, O. (2016).

Spirituality, Moral Identity, and Consumer Ethics: A Multi-cultural Study. Journal of Business

Ethics, 139, 147–160. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-015-2626-0

32

13. Appendix

33

34

35