Religion and Family Structure: Two Factors Affecting on Consumer Decision Making Styles in Iran

Purpose- The aim of this essay is to attempt to explain the impact of religion and family structure on consumer decision-making style within a Muslim country. This paper wants to demonstrate how and why husbands/wives with Eastern culture and Islamic norms use different decision-making styles. Design/methodology/approach- Literature reviews on consumer decision-making, religion and family structure served to develop conceptual arguments. Findings- Family structure (which is male-dominate or traditional, in-transition, modern or joint decision-making and/in post modern families) and religion, which are expressed as sources leading the behaviors of individuals in all their life periods and dimensions, should be included as determinant dimensions in consumer decision making styles. Research limitations/implications- This paper doesn’t include children as an effective family member and also considers one religion (Islam), therefore, arguments presented in this paper will be limited. Originality/value- Demonstration of CDMS and family structure could be useful for both researchers and marketing practitioners. Moreover, these items determine the decision-making process of the consumer.