Consumer boycotts have become a prominent form of civic activism, especially in the digital era, where social media enhances awareness, mobilization, and collective engagement. While previous studies recognize the role of psychological and social factors, little is known about how social media, voice of boycott, and boycott intention together influence actual boycott behavior among Malaysian students. Guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), this study examines the combined effects of these three factors on boycott behavior. A quantitative survey was conducted with 123 Malaysian students using a purposive sampling approach. The questionnaire included validated measures of social media use, boycott intention, voice of boycott, and boycott behavior. Correlation and regression analyses were employed to evaluate relationships and predictive capabilities. Results show that boycott intention is the most influential factor in driving boycott behavior, while the voice of boycott also plays a supporting role by reinforcing group norms and legitimizing collective action. In contrast, social media has an insignificant effect on boycott behavior. The findings highlight the importance of strengthening boycott intention and encouraging the voice of the boycott to promote active participation. Policy recommendations include integrating digital literacy and activism programs in universities and developing strategies to help students move from private intention to public advocacy in boycott movements.
Allam, K. R., Dichoso, K., Frago, K. C., Igcalinos, W. M., Idang, L. M., Oliquino, S. L., ... & Vallespin, M. R. (2024). Unmasking Consumer Behavior: A Deep Dive into Brand Boycotts in the Social Media Age–Exploring Filipino Demographic Variances, Perceptual Constructs, and Activist Actions. International Journal of Current Science Research and Review, 07 (05), 2559–2569. https://doi. org/10.47191/ijcsrr/V7-i5, 15.
Andrus, J., Chen, Y., Wang, X. J., & Reger, R. K. (2021). To tweet or not to tweet? the role of social media boycotts on stock market reactions. In Academy of Management Proceedings (Vol. 2021, No. 1, p. 16116). Briarcliff Manor, NY 10510: Academy of Management.
Adi, Y. A., Adi, A. F., & Bahri, M. T. (2025). # Boycott as a Social Movement: Evidence from the X Platform. Observatorio (OBS*), 19(1).
Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. *Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50*(2), 179–211. [https://doi.org/10.1016/0749-5978(91)90020-T](https://doi.org/10.1016/0749-5978%2891%2990020-T)
Chiang, L. F., & Arif, A. M. M. (2024). The intention to participate in the boycott movement among university students. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 14(10), 1932-1944.
Delistavrou, A. (2022). Theory of planned behaviour and boycotting: The moderating role of socio-political control and demographics. EuroMed Journal of Business, 17(2), 270-
Ginder, W., & Kwon, W. S. (2020). Hopping on the brand boycotting bandwagon on Facebook: Because of the issue, others, or self-enhancement?. Journal of Customer Behaviour, 19(4), 375-400.
Harun, N. F. A., Azami, N., Ab Rahim, R., & Ramli, F. (2024). Exploring Motivating and Demotivating Factors for Learning. International Journal of Academic Research in Business & Social Science, Vol 14, Issue 7, (2024) E-ISSN: 2222-6990 .
Jedicke, E. M., Arnold, C., & Lindenmeier, J. (2025). The dynamics of consumer boycott intention: Examining the roles of moral reasoning, cognitive dissonance, and self-congruence. Journal of Business Research, 189, 115127.
John, A., & Klein, J. G. (2003). The boycott puzzle: Consumer motivations for purchase sacrifice. Management Science, 49(9), 1196–1209.
Hosseini, S., Siyamiyan Gorji, A., Vo-Thanh, T., & Zaman, M. (2023). Behind the hashtags: Exploring tourists’ motivations in a social media-centred boycott campaign. Tourism Recreation Research, 1-13.
Klein, J. G., Smith, N. C., & John, A. (2004). Why we boycott: Consumer motivations for boycott participation. Journal of Marketing, 68(3), 92–109.
Lee, F. L. F., & Hsieh, Y. M. (2013). Traditional media use and online civic participation in Hong Kong: Complementary or displacement? Mass Communication and Society, 16(6), 876–896.
Misiewicz, C., Ma?agocka, K., & Du?-Prieto, E. (2024). Exploring boycott dynamics: The influence of consumer emotions and social media activism. Marketing i Rynek, (4), 43-57.
Nordin, F. S. S., Khalid, N. R., & Hassan, R. (2024). Beyond purchase decisions: Understanding the drivers of consumer boycott intentions in Malaysia. Advanced International Journal of Business, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, 6(22), 260-275.
Pan, L. Y., & Lee, C. T. (2025). Beyond the unfollow button: Navigating social media influencer boycotts in the digital marketplace. Technology in Society, 103017.
Ramazan Ahmad, A. (2021). Effects of the Facebook boycott campaign on Turkish products and its influence on demand of Kurdish consumers 2020. UKH Journal of social sciences, 5(1), 98-106.
Soule, S. A. (2009). Contention and corporate social responsibility. Cambridge University Press.
Stolle, D., & Micheletti, M. (2013). Political consumerism: Global responsibility in action. Cambridge University Press.
Syarif, M., & Herman, S. (2024). The influence of social media on the decision to boycott Israel-affiliated products among the Muslim community in Jabodetabek. Journal of Islamic Economics Lariba, 10(2).
Rahim, R. A., Harun, N. F. A., Ramli, F., & Azami, N. (2025). The Role of Social Media, Voice of Boycott, and Boycott Intention in Shaping Boycott Behavior among Malaysian Students. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 15(9), 522-535.
Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s)
Published by Knowledge Words Publications (www.kwpublications.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode
