An integrated framework to explain consumers' purchase intentions toward green food in the Chinese context. (September 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Qi, Xin; Ploeger, Angelika
• Is Part Of: Food quality and preference. Volume 92(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-09
• Subjects: Green food -- Integrated framework -- Amended theory of planned behavior -- Modified stimulus-organism-response -- Purchase intention; Food preferences -- Periodicals; Food -- Quality -- Periodicals; Food industry and trade -- Quality control -- Periodicals; Préférences alimentaires -- Périodiques; Aliments -- Qualité -- Périodiques; Aliments -- Industrie et commerce -- Qualité -- Contrôle -- Périodiques; Food industry and trade -- Quality control; Food preferences; Food -- Quality; Periodicals; 664
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodqual.2021.104229
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0950-3293

Abstract

Highlights: An integrated model is proposed by extracting variables from A-TPB and M-SOR models. Five important factors significantly influence intentions to purchase green food. Key green food attributes influence consumers' utilitarian and hedonic attitudes. The integrated model has higher explanatory power than two independent models. The integrated model is more appropriate to explain green food purchase intentions. Abstract: The present study aims to explore an appropriate framework for explaining consumers' purchase intentions toward green food in the Chinese context. An integrated green food purchase intention (IGFPI) model was designed based on various cognitive and affective variables extracted from the amended theory of planned behavior (A-TPB) and modified stimulus-organism-response (M-SOR) models. An online survey was conducted among Chinese consumers with 1, 412 usable responses. Research data were analyzed using structural equation modeling to evaluate the strength of the relationship between constructs and compare the model fit among three models (i.e., A-TPB, M-SOR, and IGFPI). The findings reveal that three models present reasonable fit and the IGFPI model provides a better explanatory power than the other two independent models. In summarizing the results of hypotheses tests among the three models, the variables of perceived behavioral control, face consciousness, group conformity, utilitarian and hedonic attitudes have significant effects on purchase intentions toward green food. Consumers' perceptions of nutritional content and price attributes of green food have strong effects on utilitarian attitudes, while the sensory appeal and price attributes strongly influence hedonic attitudes. Interestingly, the strength of the association between confidence, personal characteristics and purchase intention, as well as between ecological welfare and utilitarian attitudes vary within the independent and integrated models respectively. This study provides insight for stakeholders and future research in better understanding the framework and factors that influence purchase intentions of consumers toward green food products in the Chinese context.