Do personal concerns or social influences matter? An integrated framework in studying organic food purchase
摘要
The study aims to explain and bridge the attitude-intention gap in organic food purchase by using an integrated framework. Reasons (for/against), originating from the behavioural reasoning theory and implying personal concerns, are employed to explain the disparity between attitude and intention. Subjective norm (injunctive norm and descriptive norm), which refers to social influences, is considered as an equal important element compared to reasons in the proposed model, to bridge the attitude-intention gap. A cross-sectional study was designed to investigate relationships in the model. Data from 453 valid questionnaires were recruited in Hanoi city (Vietnam) and were analyzed by Smart-PLS 4. Reasons for organic food purchase exert indirect effects through attitudes, whereas reasons against make direct influence on intention, indicating the attitude-intention gap in organic food purchase. Subjective norm has no direct relation to intention, whereas descriptive norm positively relates to attitude and moderates the attitude-intention relationship. Marketers should implement product communication about the favourable attributes of organic food, whereas persuade consumers that a small extra price is worth a great deal to their health and identify more distribution channels for organic food. Moreover, promotional campaigns that feature celebrities who can act as role models may be effective. The novel of the study is constituting an integrated model, which provides a complete understanding of consumer’s psychological processes in organic food purchases, in which the attitude-intention gap is developed and is narrowed.