Do young consumers care about ethical consumption? Modelling Gen Z's purchase intention towards fair trade coffee

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zachary Robichaud ◽  
Hong Yu
Keyword(s):  
Peer Influence ◽  
Significant Influence ◽  
Fair Trade ◽  
Purchase Intention ◽  
Sustainable Consumption ◽  
Subjective Norms ◽  
Ethical Consumption ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Fair Trade Coffee

PurposeA global shift in ethical/sustainable purchase drivers highlights Generation Z (persons aged 15–24) as an important market for producers and marketers. Although much research has touched on fair trade consumption, very little has focused on Gen Z's consumption patterns. This study provides insights into and implications of younger consumers' motivations in ethical/sustainable consumption.Design/methodology/approachThis research examines Gen Z's purchase intention towards fair trade coffee with the theory of reasoned action framework. Data were collected with a convenience sample, and analyses were conducted using structural equation modelling.FindingsThe research found a significant influence of knowledge of fair trade towards product interest. Furthermore, general attitudes towards fair trade had a significant influence on product interest, product likeability and convenience. Lastly, product interest and subjective norms significantly influenced Gen Z's purchase intentions towards fair trade coffee.Originality/valueFindings suggest that Gen Z's shift in ethical/sustainable consumption revolves around their subjective norms or peer influence circles and contributes to the notions of self-branding, identify claims and social currency. Younger generations are digital natives, and social media has created a looking glass into their actions. This digital expansion has created more opportunities for individuals to monitor the actions of others and release information in real-time. Therefore, ethical/sustainable consumption by Gen Z can be used as a communication tool among their peers to project personal values and ideological shifts and to influence others close to them.

How fair-trade claims and emotional empathy affect the consumer’s propensity to buy fair chocolate?

2019 ◽  
Vol 121 (7) ◽  
pp. 1605-1613 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Zerbini ◽  
Donata Tania Vergura ◽  
Beatrice Luceri
Keyword(s):  
Willingness To Pay ◽  
Social Marketing ◽  
Fair Trade ◽  
Purchase Intention ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Mail Survey ◽  
Ethical Consumption ◽  
Emotional Empathy ◽  
Content Type

Purpose Concerns related to the ethical issues are evident in the increasingly socially conscious marketplace. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the importance of fair-trade communication activities in the buying decision-making process of chocolate. The role of emotional empathy in influencing the willingness to pay and the purchase intention was also explored. Design/methodology/approach A mail survey with a sample of 199 Italian chocolate consumers was conducted. Respondents were equally and randomly distributed among the four print advertising stimuli: conventional brand with conventional campaign; conventional brand with pro-social campaign; pro-social brand with conventional campaign; and pro-social brand with pro-social campaign. A between-subjects factorial design was used to test the hypotheses. Findings Results showed the effectiveness of pro-social marketing campaigns in increasing consumers’ willingness to pay and purchase intention for fair-trade chocolate. Contextually, consumers with a high level of emotional empathy showed a greater purchase intention as opposed to those with a low level. Research limitations/implications As the ethical nature of the product should be communicated in several ways, the effect of different types of textual information on the dependent variables should be considered. Originality/value The study enriches the literature on ethical consumption and provides some guidance to manufacturers and product managers for understanding the role of pro-social marketing communication in influencing consumer behaviour.

Antecedents to internet use to collaboratively consume apparel

2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 370-382 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim K.P. Johnson ◽  
Jung Mee Mun ◽  
Yoori Chae
Keyword(s):  
Behavioral Intention ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Sustainable Consumption ◽  
Subjective Norms ◽  
Previous Experience ◽  
Collaborative Consumption ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate attitude, subjective norm, perceived integrity of participants, materialism, and previous experience with collaborative consumption (CC) offline as antecedents to the CC of apparel facilitated by the internet. Design/methodology/approach Survey research with convenience sample of consumers from within the USA. Findings Attitude toward CC of apparel was significantly related to intention to collaboratively consume apparel online as was subjective norms. Previous experience with CC of apparel offline was significantly related to both attitude and behavioral intention. Perceived integrity of CC participants was related to previous experience with CC of apparel offline and attitude. Materialism was significantly and negatively related to previous experience with CC of apparel. Research limitations/implications Research limitations include the use of a convenience sample of consumers and the research was limited to one form of CC. Practical implications As a means to foster sustainable consumption, for those interested in promoting CC, consideration should be given to having existing participants of CC invite other family members and friends to try it as this might be more effective than targeting random members of the consuming public. Originality/value An investigation of CC of a fashion item (apparel) that identifies predictors to participation.

Norms, consumer social responsibility and fair trade product purchase intention

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-39
Author(s):  
Edward Shih-Tse Wang ◽  
Chih-Feng Chou
Keyword(s):  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Fair Trade ◽  
Purchase Intention ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Subjective Norms ◽  
Consumer Attitude ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Personal Norms ◽  
Consumer Purchase Intention ◽  
Consumer Social Responsibility

PurposeAlthough the relationships between subjective norms, personal norms, consumer social responsibility and consumer attitude have been studied, the direct or indirect relationships that potentially exist between these factors influencing consumer purchase intention remain unclear. Because attracting consumers to purchase fair trade (FT) products is fundamental to the success of the FT movement, the study introduced a theoretical framework that emphasizes the mediating role of personal norms and consumer attitude towards FT product purchases in the effects of subjective norms and consumer social responsibility on consumer purchase intention towards FT products.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 398 university students; structural equation modelling was applied to analyse the data. Mediation analysis was also performed to determine potential direct or indirect relationships between factors.FindingsThe results revealed that subjective norms and responsibility to support FT products affect personal norms and attitude towards purchasing such products, which in turn influenced consumer purchase intention toward purchasing these products. Personal norms partially mediate the influence of subjective norms and consumer social responsibility on attitudes towards purchasing FT products. By contrast, the consumer attitude fully mediates the effects of subjective norms, consumer social responsibility and personal norms on purchase intentions towards FT products.Originality/valueBecause consumer purchasing is critical to the success of the FT movement and to achieving the UN's SDGs, this study helps FT marketers to better understand the effects of subjective norms and consumer social responsibility on consumer behavioural intentions and to develop effective marketing and promotion strategies for increasing consumer purchase intention.

Moral norm is the key

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (8) ◽  
pp. 1823-1841 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Tingchi Liu ◽  
Yongdan Liu ◽  
Ziying Mo
Keyword(s):  
Purchase Intention ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Underlying Mechanism ◽  
Subjective Norms ◽  
Purchase Intentions ◽  
Moral Norms ◽  
Green Products ◽  
Chinese Consumers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThis research extends the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and aims to study the underlying factors that influence Chinese consumers' purchase intentions towards green products. The conceptual model encompasses four elements (subjective norms, perceived behaviour control, moral norms and attitude) and one consumer response (purchase intention).Design/methodology/approachThe current research employs a questionnaire survey and two experiments. In Study 1, the hypotheses were tested using structural equation modelling with 485 consumers in China. Study 2 employed a single-factor, two-condition (morally engaged vs control), between-subject design.FindingsThe findings reveal that the morally extended TPB framework is more applicable in predicting Chinese consumers' green purchase intentions than the original TPB model. Attitude plays the most significant role in predicting purchase intentions, and moral norms prove to be a mediator of the relationship between the original construct of subjective norms and purchase intentions. The findings further revealed that moral norms comprise the underlying mechanism of the relationship between subjective norms and attitude.Originality/valueThis study therefore expands the TPB theory by including moral norms. Moreover, it contributes to the literature by clarifying the direct, indirect and total effects of each TPB element on the purchase intentions towards green products. Finally, managerial implications are given.

scholarly journals The importance of knowledge and trust for ethical fashion consumption

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yongdan Liu ◽  
Matthew Tingchi Liu ◽  
Andrea Pérez ◽  
Wilco Chan ◽  
Jesús Collado ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Purchase Intention ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Reference Group ◽  
Subjective Norm ◽  
Ethical Consumption ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Dominant Factor ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Tpb Model

PurposeThe clothing industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world, although manufacturers and retailers are trying to revert this tendency by applying ethical fashion principles. Drawing on the knowledge–attitude–behavior (KAB) model or practice, this study aims to predict Chinese consumers' purchase intention of ethical fashion by employing and extending the theory of planned behavior (TPB).Design/methodology/approachThe extended TPB model incorporates knowledge of ethical fashion and trust in the fashion industry and two critical variables in ethical fashion literature to explain the purchase intention of ethical fashion. Primary data from 245 Chinese respondents were collected in 2019. The model was tested and analyzed through structural equation modeling (SEM).FindingsResults show that the extended TPB model has higher predictability than the original TPB model. Attitude toward ethical fashion and subjective norm significantly predicts purchase intention while perceived behavioral control (PBC) does not. In addition, trust of ethical fashion is positively related to attitude toward ethical fashion and purchase intention, whereas knowledge of ethical fashion plays a significant role in predicting trust and the three TPB factors. The subjective norm was found to have the most significant impact on consumers' intention to purchase ethical fashion, which shows that social pressure from one individual's reference group is the most dominant factor in forming consumer's purchase intention on ethical fashion.Originality/valueThe findings enrich the past literature on ethical fashion that trusting belief is a salient determinant of consumers' attitude toward ethical fashion and purchase intention of ethical fashion products. The findings also supported the applicability of KAB and TPB in the domain of ethical consumption in the context of a developing country.

The impacts of comparative ads used by retailers to compare their store brands with national brands

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Jérôme Lacoeuilhe ◽  
Didier Louis ◽  
Cindy Lombart ◽  
Blandine Labbé-Pinlon
Keyword(s):  
Purchase Intention ◽  
Product Category ◽  
Food Products ◽  
Store Brand ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Comparative Advertising ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Price Consciousness ◽  
Comparative Ads ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe research aim is to investigate the impacts of comparative ads used by retailers to compare the prices of their store brand (SB) products with those of equivalent national brand (NB) products. More specifically, this research examines if consumers perceive retailers as legitimate when they use comparative ads to compare the prices of their SB products to those of equivalent NB products, and how effective are these comparative ads in terms of actual purchases. This research also explores for which SB type (economy, standard or premium) and consumers are comparative ads most effective.Design/methodology/approachThis research investigates consumers' reactions to comparative ads used by retailers to compare the prices of their SB products with those of similar NB products through an experiment within a store laboratory. A between-subject design has been used. The participants of the first/second/third group (n1 = 93/n2 = 92/n3 = 91) were exposed to ads comparing the prices of retailer's economy/standard/premium SB food products with their equivalent NB food products, in the same product category. The participants of each group carried out a shopping trip in the store laboratory.FindingsConsumers consider retailers legitimate when they use comparative ads. This favourable evaluation improves their attitude towards these ads. However, the impact of retailers' legitimacy of (1) means, (2) objectives and (3) historical legitimacy on consumers' attitude towards comparative ads depends on the SB type (economy, standard and premium). By contrast, comparative ads are effective in terms of consumers' attitude towards these ads and towards SBs, along with purchase intention and actual purchases of these brands, whatever the SB type. Lastly, this research highlights that comparative ads for SBs are mainly directed at consumers with high levels of price consciousness and resistance to NBs.Research limitations/implicationsThis research only tested the impact of direct comparative advertising and an extrinsic attribute (price). The research experiment was conducted on a convenience sample, which limits its external validity.Practical implicationsThis research encourages retailers to use comparative advertising for their SBs (economy, standard and premium) for several reasons. First, this study suggests that comparative advertising is an effective tool for retailers to shape or improve consumers' attitude towards SBs, via their attitude towards comparative ads. Second, this research proposes that comparative advertising contrasting the prices of SB products with those of NB products could increase retailers' in-store sales of their SBs. Lastly, this research underlines that comparative advertising is particularly effective for consumers with high levels of price consciousness and resistance to NBs.Originality/valueThis research supplements previous research in the field of SBs and comparative advertising. Previous research on comparative advertising has examined NBs exclusively (Dianoux et al., 2013; Beard, 2018). Comparisons between SBs and NBs are lacking. This research thus validates the use of this specific form of communication for SBs, given the paucity of studies of the effects of the use of mass media communication on SBs (Nenycz-Thiel and Romaniuk, 2014; Gendel-Guterman and Levy, 2017).

Exploring the role of corporate social responsibility skepticism in ethical purchase intention

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 291-307 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salmi Mohd Isa ◽  
Phaik Nie Chin ◽  
Irene Liew
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Peer Influence ◽  
Purchase Intention ◽  
Moderating Effect ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose Few studies exist which delve into the possible factors that prevent ethically minded consumers from translating their ethical perceptions into ethical purchase intention (EPI). Thus, this study aims to explore how consumers assess corporate social responsibility (CSR) based on several influencing factors toward EPI, with CSR skepticism (SKP) as a moderator. Design/methodology/approach This cross-sectional study is conducted through a self-administered questionnaire and uses a positive research approach with a quantitative basis of enquiry. The partial least squares–structural equation modeling- model is used to examine the causal relationship between seven independent variables of CSR assessment (i.e. CSR awareness, knowledge of CSR position of company, cause importance, price consciousness, CSR image of company, credibility of CSR efforts and peer influence) with EPI. In addition, this study also examines the moderating effect of SKP in the relationship. Findings The findings show that CSR assessment factors are important to convert mere purchase criteria into EPI and SKP does play a significant role in weakening the relationship. Originality/value This study examines the moderating effect of CSR skepticism, the exploration of which still remains very limited in current literature.

What motivates consumers to purchase organic food in an emerging market? An empirical study from Saudi Arabia

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdul Alem Mohammed
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Purchase Intention ◽  
Emerging Market ◽  
Organic Food ◽  
Subjective Norms ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Actual Behaviour ◽  
Perceived Values ◽  
Purchasing Behaviour ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the impact of perceived values (hedonic and utilitarian), trust and subjective norms on consumers' purchasing intentions of organic food in Saudi Arabia; it also explores the moderating influence of availability on the relationship between the intentions of consumers and their actual purchasing behaviour.Design/methodology/approachA survey with 236 consumers of organic food in Saudi Arabia was carried out. The convergent and discriminant validity of latent variables was confirmed. The relationships among them were tested using Partial Least Square Modelling (PLS).FindingsThe results indicate that utilitarian and hedonic values, trust and subjective norms positively affect consumer purchase intention. They also reveal the moderating effect of availability on the relationship between consumers' purchasing intention and their actual behaviour in the Saudi Arabian context.Research limitations/implicationsThe study contributes to knowledge about the relationships among perceived values, trust, subjective norms, availability and consumer purchasing intentions of organic food, and their actual behaviour in an emerging market. The results enlarge the understanding of consumers' purchasing behaviour in the Saudi Arabian organic food market and point out some opportunities for future research.Originality/valueThe study is original in investigating the factors that influence customers' intention and their actual purchasing behaviour toward organic food in Saudi Arabia. It is a first attempt to test the moderating influence of availability on the relationship between purchase intention and actual purchasing behaviour toward organic food products in an emerging market.

scholarly journals Perceived value dimension in repetitive fish consumption in Indonesia by using an extended theory of planned behavior

2019 ◽  
Vol 121 (6) ◽  
pp. 1220-1235 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yulist Rima Fiandari ◽  
Surachman Surachman ◽  
Fatchur Rohman ◽  
Ananda Sabil Hussein
Keyword(s):  
Fish Consumption ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Sustainable Consumption ◽  
Perceived Value ◽  
Subjective Norms ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Extended Theory ◽  
Perceived Values ◽  
One Year ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose This study aims to establish the findings by confirming the extent to which an extended version of the TPB estimation relates to repetitive fish consumption. This study is important for the sustainable consumption of fish in society. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship that explains perceived value, consisting of monetary and non-monetary values, in shaping attitudes on repetition of fish consumption. Design/methodology/approach The sampling of this study was conducted for eight months of 365 people who consumed fish for at least one year. This research was conducted in Malang City, Indonesia. Data analysis applied structural equation modelling by measuring perceived values, attitudes, social norms, behaviour control, intentions and frequency of fish consumption. Findings It mostly follows the extended theory of planned behaviour (TPB) sections, with exception on the relationship of subjective norms to intentions and attitudes, subjective norms and perceived value towards repetition of fish consumption. The results of the study indicate that attitudes are preceded by the formation of perceived values. The perceived value significantly affects attitude formation. The perceived value of fish consumption is explained by health and monetary values. A positive attitude does not always precede consumption. Subjective norms provide a weak role in the repetition of fish consumption, while behaviour control plays an important role in realising action on repetitive fish consumption. Originality/value This study helps explain the extended TPB, and intentions towards the behaviour of repetitive fish consumption. Attitudes are preceded by the formation of perceived values in the TPB in intention repetitive fish consumption.

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