Influences on the intention to buy organic food in an emerging market
Marketing Intelligence & Planning
ISSN: 0263-4503
Article publication date: 8 September 2017
Issue publication date: 25 September 2017
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between personal values and attitudes in an emerging market. And the authors verified whether the attitude plays a mediating role between personal values and the intention to purchase these products in the same market.
Design/methodology/approach
Two surveys were conducted with consumers of organic food in Brazil. The first study was conducted at two organic products fairs and obtained 385 responses. The second study was conducted on the internet and obtained 270 responses. The Portrait Values Questionnaire 21, plus attitude scales and purchase intent regarding organic food, was used. Data were analysed using structural equation modelling.
Findings
Significant relationships were found between personal values, such as openness to change (positive influence), conservation (positive), self-promotion (positive) and self-transcendence (negative). Significant relationships were also found between three personal values and the purchase intention of organic food (conservation – positive, self-promotion – positive and self-transcendence – negative), with all of them being mediated by attitude. The effect of openness to change on purchase intention was indirect, being mediated by attitude.
Originality/value
The authors noticed two theoretical gaps. The first involves the need to explore the attitude as a mediator in the relationship between the human values proposed by Schwartz (1992, 1994) and the intention to purchase organic food. Another perceived gap was pointed out by Steenkamp et al. (1999), Burgess and Steenkamp (2006) and Sheth (2011). These authors argue that consumption is different in emerging markets to that in more mature markets. This limits the ability to generalise consumer studies conducted in developed countries. This reasoning also applies to organic food.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This research was supported by Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq/Brazil – code 303669/2015-2) and the Portuguese Science Foundation through NECE – Núcleo de Investigação em Ciências Empresariais (Programa de Financiamento Plurianual das Unidades de I&D da FCT — Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior/Portugal). Este trabalho é financiado por Fundos Nacionais através da FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia no âmbito do projeto UID/GES/04630/2013.
Citation
Mainardes, E.W., Araujo, D.V.B.d., Lasso, S. and Andrade, D.M. (2017), "Influences on the intention to buy organic food in an emerging market", Marketing Intelligence & Planning, Vol. 35 No. 7, pp. 858-876. https://doi.org/10.1108/MIP-04-2017-0067
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited