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Background Consumers are increasingly mindful of the influence of their consumption choices on the environment and society, leading to a significant increase in demand for fair trade products. However, while this trend has been rapidly growing in recent years, the market for fair trade products is still in its early stage in the Middle East, despite the region's high per capita income. Focus of the Article This study investigates the motivations behind fair trade product consumption in the Middle East. By doing this, it aims to provide valuable insights and practical implications for developing effective and tailored marketing strategies to promote fair trade products in the region. Research Question This study addresses two main questions: (1) To what extent do environmental consciousness, social norms, moral obligation, and attitude influence Middle Eastern consumers' intention to purchase fair trade products? (2) Does gender moderate the relationships between these variables and fair trade purchase intention? Importance to the Social Marketing Field By shedding light on the drivers of fair trade consumption in the Middle East, a largely under-researched region, this study expands the social marketing literature and informs advancements in the field. The findings equip marketers and policymakers with valuable insights for devising effective and tailored marketing strategies to promote fair trade products in the Middle East market. Method The data were collected through an online survey administered to 252 consumers in the United Arab Emirates using Qualtrics. Established scales were adopted from prior research to measure the constructs. The hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling analysis and multi-group analysis. Results The results showed that attitude towards fair trade products had the highest impact on purchase intention, followed by environmental consciousness, social norms, and moral obligation. Notably, the moderating analysis revealed that while attitude and environmental consciousness had comparable effects across genders, the impact of social norms on the intention to purchase fair trade products was significantly higher for females than males. Moral obligation, on the other hand, only significantly affected males' intention to buy fair trade products. Recommendations for Research or Practice The study offers valuable insights for marketers and policymakers seeking to promote fair trade products in the Middle East market and highlights the need for tailored marketing strategies that consider gender differences in fair trade consumption. Limitations The data were collected through a cross-sectional survey of the general public in the UAE based on voluntary participation. While this approach is commonly used in ethical consumption research, the potential for selection bias may limit the generalizability of the results.

Purpose
This study aims to investigate whether perceptions about female workplace participation in a number of Arab countries has changed during or after the Arab Spring.


Design/methodology/approach
Data are from the representative harmonized cross-sectional World Values Survey. Descriptive measures and regression approaches are applied. Different dimensions of perceptions about female emancipation are presented, while also a composite index derived from these dimensions is analysed.


Findings
There was some change for the better (job and education gender equality), but not uniformly across countries, e.g. generally good development in Egypt and Iraq, but a standstill in Jordan, and backsliding was seen in Morocco. Applying the composite index of female emancipation using regressions confirm these results – even when male and female respondents are analysed separately.


Research limitations/implications
More Arab nations in the study would have been good such that the extent and consequences for an even larger part of the Arab world could be presented. Unfortunately, these data are not available. This implies that the representativeness of the results for the whole of the Arab world is perhaps reduced.


Practical implications
The results can inform policymakers and non-governmental organizations, etc., regarding areas where more focus is needed such that women's rights will not merely be statements on paper but also mean that females are also emancipated in practice.


Originality/value
New evidence is presented based on comparable data for Arab nations analysing the possible effects of the Arab Spring on perceptions about female emancipation.

AbstractThe purpose of this research is twofold: (1) to examine the impact of gamification on user experiences, customer engagement, and purchase intentions in the financial industry and (2) to examine how immediate rewards vs. delayed rewards prompt different consumer behaviors in Pakistan's mobile banking (m‐banking) industry. The data for study 1 was collected from 340 m‐banking customers using a structured, survey‐based questionnaire, while study 2 collected data from 161 customers using an experimental‐based study. The structural equation modeling results show that gamification elements are positively related to user experiences and customer engagement, and customer engagement mediates the relationship between gamification and purchase intentions. Moreover, the results of the experimental‐based study show that immediate rewards more strongly influence user experiences, customer engagement, and purchase intentions. For theoretical implications, this study extends the scant literature on gamification in the m‐banking industry. For managerial implications, this research highlights the essential elements of gamification to increase customer engagement and purchase intentions in the m‐banking sector.