Marketing Factors Affecting Merit Making Decision among Buddhists in Lampang Province

Abstract

This research is to study behavior and marketing factors affecting making merit decisions of Buddhists in Lampang Province. Is an exploratory research and using a questionnaire. The sample group used in the study among 400 Buddhists in Lampang province. Using descriptive statistics, average, percentage. The findings on merit making behavior of Buddhists in Lampang region revealed that most respondents made merit less than 4 times a month, making merit for the purpose of offering to decease relatives to amend for the past offenses. Time to make merit was mostly found around convenient time and the causes for making merit was for having a peace of mind. The main objective and expectation for merit-making was for happiness and prosperity in present life, and the population was found to be influenced by the majority to make merit. Marketing factor analysis result showed that the overall effect on the decision to make merit was at a high level with mean rating of (4.08). When considered against each factor regarding the mean score in descending order it was found as follows, physical evidence with mean rating of (4.34), service process with mean rating of (4.29), place with mean rating of (4.28), service personnel with mean rating of (4.10), types of merit with mean rating of (3.76), and lastly promotion with mean rating of (3.73).