Consumer sophistication as an enhancer of innovation in the food industry: measurement development and validation

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dongmin Lee ◽  
Junghoon Moon ◽  
Jaeseok Jeong

PurposeRecently, the role of consumers in firms' innovation processes has increased. Prior literature asserts that qualitative aspects of consumers serve as crucial factors shaping the even competitiveness of a specific industry. This study focuses on measuring home demand conditions that enhance local firms' innovation.Design/methodology/approachThe present study describes the development of a 12-item measure to assess consumer sophistication in the food industry. The items assess the general knowledge, experience, skills and abilities needed to purchase a specific food category. A second-order construct with three distinct first-order constructs emerged, which were termed opinion formulation, sensitivity and exposure with variety. The reliability and validity of the scale were assessed with pilot survey data using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. The developed measure was tested to investigate its effect on individuals' grocery buying behaviors using grocery receipt panel data from 723 consumers.FindingsThe results indicate that consumer sophistication has a positive effect on new and the variety of grocery purchases. The more sophisticated a consumer is, the more they buy new and a variety of products. The newly developed consumer sophistication measure has a variety of potential applications to predict consumers' variety-seeking and new product purchase behavior.Originality/valueThis study is the first to develop a measure for assessing demand quality, namely, consumer sophistication of a specific food product. This approach may offer insights to practitioners regarding the relevant consumer sophistication levels to target when launching a new product or service in the food industry.

2019 ◽  
Vol 121 (11) ◽  
pp. 2835-2848 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandeep Jagtap ◽  
Linh Nguyen Khanh Duong

Purpose Recently, the concept of big data (BD) has evolved and started to play an essential role in the advancement of new product development (NPD) in various sectors contributing to value creation, idea generation and competitive advantage. However, limited research has been done on how the food industry can exploit BD to improve the processes involved in NPD. The purpose of this paper is to understand the use of BD in new food product development. It helps to find relevant information and integrate sustainability to the early stages of the NPD process in the food industry. Design/methodology/approach This research illustrates a case study of a beverage company wherein they used BD analytics to support their NPD team to launch a two-litre lemonade drink in the market for their retailer with less than 5 g sugar per 100 ml in the shortest possible time. Findings The use of BD helps to reduce NPD costs and time without affecting the taste and on par with competitor’s products. Originality/value The research can support NPD professionals through the application of BD analytics to bring products at lower costs to the market as quickly as possible.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahmut Selami Akın ◽  
Abdullah Okumuş

Purpose The study aims to examine the consumers’ attitudes toward halal food products based on tripartite model. Regarding this, the effect of halal food awareness, perceived risk and behavioral tendency on attitudes toward halal food products are investigated. Design/methodology/approach 343 valid questionnaires were obtained. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed to ensure content validity, and structural equation modeling was progressed to test the relationships among variables through IBM SPSS Statistics 22.0 and AMOS 23.0 software. Findings Research validates the tripartite model of attitude and suggests attitude toward halal food is formed by predominantly behavioral tendency and partially psychological drivers, rather than cognitive elements. Research limitations/implications The characteristics of participants should be different and larger sample may provide some other results. The product or service context should be different, for example, halal cosmetic, halal hygienic, halal tourism. Practical implications Trigger messages may put forward in marketing communications activity for halal food products marketing and halal certificated food brands need to establish their distribution networks effectively to get closer with consumers. Originality/value Attitudes towards halal products represent the key driver of consumer behavior for the development of marketing strategies in certified halal firms addressing both domestic and foreign markets. It is the first study examining Turkish consumer attitudes toward halal food product using tripartite model in the field of halal consumption behavior. The paper offers a different methodological framework and it could be potentially of interest for scholars, marketers and policy makers.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Jilke

Purpose Technological uncertainty and technological complexity are the two dominant characteristics of new product development (NPD) projects that have a negative influence on NPD performance, relying on a strong theoretical argumentation based on organizational information processing theory. The purpose of this study is the development of reliable and valid scales for the measurement of technological uncertainty and technological complexity, especially in the context of the discontinuous technological change of digitization. Design/methodology/approach This study uses material from 44 in-depth interviews, which has been transferred into a questionnaire, and survey data from 166 respondents from the German automotive industry in charge of the development and production of electric and electronic technologies (including software). In this context, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses are used to test the developed scales for reliability and validity. Findings In this context, it can be stated that the developed scales affirm reliability and validity sufficiently. Interestingly, novelty, regarded as key item for measuring technological uncertainty, has to be dropped, as the factor loadings are under the cut-off of 0.40. Moreover, resulting items for measuring technological uncertainty and technological complexity do not deviate significantly from those discussed in previous study before the discontinuous technological change of digitization occurred. Originality/value This paper provides value for the discussion on how to measure technological uncertainty and technological complexity, especially in times of radical technological changes.


2015 ◽  
Vol 81 (19) ◽  
pp. 6800-6811 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Finn ◽  
Lisa Rogers ◽  
Kristian Händler ◽  
Peter McClure ◽  
Alejandro Amézquita ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTCommon salt (NaCl) is frequently used by the food industry to add flavor and to act as a humectant in order to reduce the water content of a food product. The improved health awareness of consumers is leading to a demand for food products with reduced salt content; thus, manufacturers require alternative water activity-reducing agents which elicit the same general effects as NaCl. Two examples include KCl and glycerol. These agents lower the water activity of a food matrix and also contribute to limit the growth of the microbiota, including foodborne pathogens. Little is currently known about how foodborne pathogens respond to these water activity-lowering agents. Here we examined the response ofSalmonella entericaserovar Typhimurium 4/74 to NaCl, KCl, and glycerol at three time points, using a constant water activity level, compared with the response of a control inoculum. All conditions induced the upregulation of gluconate metabolic genes after 6 h of exposure. Bacteria exposed to NaCl and KCl demonstrated the upregulation of the osmoprotective transporter mechanisms encoded by theproP,proU, andosmU(STM1491 to STM1494) genes. Glycerol exposure elicited the downregulation of these osmoadaptive mechanisms but stimulated an increase in lipopolysaccharide and membrane protein-associated genes after 1 h. The most extensive changes in gene expression occurred following exposure to KCl. Because many of these genes were of unknown function, further characterization may identify KCl-specific adaptive processes that are not stimulated by NaCl. This study shows that the response ofS. Typhimurium to different humectants does not simply reflect reduced water activity and likely involves systems that are linked to specific humectants.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Syed Faheem Hasan Bukhari ◽  
Frances M. Woodside ◽  
Rumman Hassan ◽  
Omar Massoud Salim Hassan Ali ◽  
Saima Hussain ◽  
...  

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the key attributes that drive Muslim consumer purchase behavior in the context of imported Western food in Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach In-depth, semi-structured interviews were used as a data collection tool. In this research, the in-depth interview data were analysed by using the manual content analysis (MCA) technique. Moreover, Leximancer software was used to reanalyse the data to enhance the trustworthiness of the MCA results. A total sample of 43 Muslim consumers from three metropolitan cities in Pakistan participated in the research. The sample comprises professionals, housewives and both college and university students. Findings Muslim consumers in Pakistan look at both the intrinsic and extrinsic attributes when purchasing imported Western food. The ruling factors explored were product taste, ingredients, freshness, hygiene, brand name and overall product quality. However, product packaging and labeling also play a significant role. Participants were of the view that imported Western food provides a better, unique consumption experience and an opportunity to choose from a wide variety of food options. Interestingly, interview findings reveal that Western food product attributes surpass the Islamic concept of moderate spending, thus convincing Muslim consumers to engage in the consumption of imported Western food. Social implications The presence of imported Western food may improve quality of life by having more opportunities and healthier options for the nation. If the Western food products are stamped Halal or made with Halal ingredients the product has a fair chance of adoption and penetration in the society. Further, it may result in overall health improvements within the society, which is already a major concern in the Pakistani consumer market. Also, food products coming from the Western world induces mindfulness; people are more aware about innovative and useful ingredients that can satisfy their taste buds. Originality/value This paper found that Pakistani Muslim consumers are not really concerned about the Islamic concept of moderate spending, and thus, established that Pakistani Muslim consumers are more concerned about product value rather than their Islamic teaching of moderate spending. From a population, with 97 per cent Muslim majority, product packaging and labeling were found to be a dominant and deciding factor, which, in itself, is an interesting finding. Further, established Western brand names help Muslim consumers to recognize products and plays a vital role in their purchase decisions. However, within product labeling, the element of halal ingredients was found to be a deciding factor, but not a leading factor, in purchase decisions.


2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 396-416 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonal Agarwal ◽  
Ginni Chawla ◽  
Rupali Singh

Purpose The purpose of this study is to develop innovations in human resource (InHR) framework in the context of Indian banking industry and further develop a scale for its measurement. Design/methodology/approach A non-response bias test is conducted on a sample of 300 employees, and the assumptions of constant variance, outliers and normality are tested. Further, the InHR scale is validated through exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) tests. Findings EFA confirms the existence of five empirically distinct constructs at banking industry in India, and CFA affirms the dependability of the arrived constructs. It is concluded that the InHR framework constructs possess high reliability and validity. Research limitations/implications The authors duly recognize the limitations of survey-based research, the exploratory research design and the use of single method. Practical implications The proposed InHR scale and its constructs are an important input to guide managers and human resources (HR) policymakers to devise strategies for the Indian banking industry. Banks can also benchmark existing HR policies by applying the proposed InHR framework constructs. Social implications The InHR constructs provide academicians and practitioners with a better approach of understanding the InHR practices. Originality/value Despite the significance of Indian banking industry for the socio-economic capital, academic research focusing on this industry’s innovative practices has been limited. This study reveals originality and value by proposing an InHR framework in the context of Indian banking industry which integrates all the major innovative practices. Further a scale has been developed for its measurement.


Foods ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 1317 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raquel P. F. Guiné ◽  
Sofia G. Florença ◽  
Maria João Barroca ◽  
Ofélia Anjos

New lifestyles, higher incomes and better consumer awareness are increasing the demand for a year-round supply of innovative food products. In past decades, important developments have been achieved in areas related to food and the food industry. This review shows that factors influencing performance in new product development (NPD) are dynamic and continuously guiding project development. The data obtained by direct involvement of consumers can impact positively successful product development and enhance the company’s financial performance. The study of consumer behaviour and attitudes towards new foods encompasses multiple aspects, such as preference, choice, desire to eat certain foods, buying intentions and frequency of consumption. Additionally, both the consumers’ willingness to purchase and the willingness to pay a premium are important in NPD, launching and success.


2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 82-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kalluri Vinayak ◽  
Rambabu Kodali

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to conduct an empirical investigation on the new product development (NPD) practices in Indian manufacturing industries. The NPD best practices constructs are identified from the literature and then an effort have been made to statistically establish the underlying principal components of NPD practices by checking their reliability and validity for the case of Indian manufacturing industry. Design/methodology/approach – In all, 96 NPD best practices constructs are identified from literature articles published between 1998 and 2009. Principal component analysis (PCA) is conducted to establish the seven components of NPD practices. Cronbach's α values are computed to measure internal consistency or reliability of the established components of NPD practices. Further, confirmatory factor analysis is conducted on the established measurement model to test a hypothesized factor structure through construct validity, convergent validity and divergent validity. Findings – The PCA of NPD best practices identified the seven underlying components (latent variables) namely “NPD strategy,” “NPD support system,” “product portfolio management,” “NPD team,” “NPD tools,” “product launch” and “concept generation.” In NPD strategy, Indian manufacturing companies are highly inclined toward cost reduction, cycle time reduction, competitive advantage and fast follower strategies. All NPD support system constructs are information technology dependent tools which require hardware, software and databases to support it. Indian manufacturing organizations are fundamentally concentrating on right balance of portfolio through improvements in the current products, cost reduction and additions to existing lines by using modular architectures and the reliable and valid NPD tools are FMEA, six sigma/quality management, DFMA/DF’X and QFD. Originality/value – To the best of the author's knowledge, this research represents the first attempt to investigate empirically the NPD practices in Indian manufacturing industry.


2017 ◽  
Vol 119 (4) ◽  
pp. 710-728 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanna Trafialek ◽  
Wojciech Kolanowski

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the effectiveness of the functioning of HACCP principles in certified and non-certified food businesses. Design/methodology/approach The data were collected by audits made in 40 food businesses of various food industry sectors. All food businesses were located in Poland where the HACCP system is obligatory. Half of the evaluated businesses implemented one or more private voluntary certified standards. The audit form contained 134 detailed questions covering 12 steps and seven principles of HACCP implementation and functioning. The obtained results were analyzed using a t-test, Spearman’s test, and cluster analysis. Findings The overall assessment of the HACCP principles in certified food businesses was higher than in non-certified ones. However, the functioning of HACCP principles in practice was assessed much lower than the system implementation in all business groups, despite certification and the type of food industry. In each of the food industry sectors both implementation and functioning of HACCP principles were evaluated higher in certified than in non-certified food businesses. Further research is needed to explain why, despite certification, the functioning of the mandatory HACCP principles is often incomplete and what factors affect the correct operation, as well as if these are sufficient to ensure food safety. Research limitations/implications The main limitation of this research is a small sample of only 40 food businesses of various food industry sectors located in Poland. Due to the small sample, the research should be considered as the preliminary or scoping study. Although the method applied in the study allowed rapid evaluation of implementation and functioning of HACCP principles in food businesses, more work and analyses should be done for its reliability and validity. Practical implications The obtained results gave a lot of practical information, e.g.: first, the overall assessment of the HACCP principles in the certified food businesses is higher than that in the non-certified ones; second, the functioning of the HACCP principles in practice is weaker than the system implementation despite certification; third, in some cases the passing certification schemes do not result in a company having excellent food safety practices; and fourth, the applied method allows rapid evaluation of implementation and functioning of HACCP principles. However, more work and analyses should be done for its reliability and validity. Social implications It is believed that certification strengthens HACCP functioning in food businesses. However, the study has shown that functioning of HACCP principles in practice was assessed much lower than the system implementation in all business groups, despite certification and the type of food industry. This indicate that even in certified food businesses HACCP functioning is often incomplete, which may have an impact on food safety. Originality/value The paper presents additional and detailed data on the functioning of HACCP principles in certified and non-certified food business. Despite certification and the type of food industry sector, the functioning of HACCP principles in practice was assessed much lower than the system implementation in all business groups. The method applied in this study allowed rapid evaluation of implementation and functioning of HACCP principles in food businesses. However, more work and analyses should be done for its reliability and validity.


2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 533-557 ◽  
Author(s):  
Burcu Ilter ◽  
Gul Bayraktaroglu ◽  
Ilayda Ipek

Purpose The purpose of this study is to test Islamic religiosity scale’s reliability and validity and to evaluate the impact of Islamic religiosity on materialism in Turkey. Design/methodology/approach Using a quantitative research method, a self-administered survey was distributed to the students of two faculties – Faculty of Theology and Faculty of Business – of the same university in Izmir, Turkey. In total, 400 questionnaires for each faculty were distributed and a total of 529 completed questionnaires – 326 from the Faculty of Theology and 203 from the Faculty of Business – were returned. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted via SPSS and AMOS. Findings Islamic religiosity and materialism have been found to be negatively correlated, supporting the existing literature. However, not all the dimensions of Islamic religiosity (behavioral religiosity, spiritual religiosity and necessity of religion) had this negative effect on materialism (possession-defined success, acquisition centrality and acquisition as the pursuit of happiness). Negative influence of “behavioral religiosity” on all three dimensions of materialism was observed. However, the “spirituality” dimension of religiosity was found to have a positive impact, while the “necessity of religion” had no significant impact on the dimensions of materialism. Research limitations/implications A sample consisting of undergraduate students might limit the generalizability of the findings to Turkish Islamic population in general. This study is one of the first attempts to test the Islamic religiosity scale which needs to be further analyzed and developed. Originality/value The present study will contribute to the literature by testing an Islamic religiosity scale developed by a Turkish researcher. Besides, this is the only study undertaken on the impact of Islamic religiosity on materialism using an Islamic religiosity scale.


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