TO BUY OR BOYCOTT: KEY DRIVERS OF CONSUMER ACTIVISM IN MALAYSIA’S FOOD AND BEVERAGE (F&B) SECTOR

Abstract

Recently, consumer boycotts have attracted considerable attention within the Malaysian food and beverage (F&B) sector, particularly due to their responses to international moral and political issues. Although there appears to be substantial consumer awareness in relation to such phenomena, participation rates are quite inconsistent. This study aims to identify the main determinants of consumer boycott participation involving F&B brands in Malaysia, with an emphasis on religiosity, exposure to social media, consumer product judgement, perceived efficacy of the boycott participation, and peer and group influence. Using a quantitative research design, the data were collected from a sample of 401 adult Malaysian consumers using an online survey questionnaire. The results indicated that the regression model was highly significant (F (5, 395) = 204.12, p < 0.001, R2 = 0.721). Perceived efficacy emerged as the strongest positive predictor (β = .672), followed by social media exposure (β = .121), peer and group influence (β = .116), and religiosity (β = .084), while consumer product judgement demonstrated a significant negative relationship with boycott participation (β = -.111, p < 0.001). These findings highlight the critical social, moral, and psychological drivers of consumer activism, providing valuable insights into the dynamics underlying consumer boycotts in Malaysia.