The impact of consumer skepticism on perceived value and purchase intention of organic food

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5902/1983465985505

Keywords:

Consumer skepticism, Perceived value, Purchase intention, Organic and alternative food, Sustainable consumption

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the impact of consumer skepticism on the perceived value and purchase intention of organic food.
Design/methodology/approach: Quantitative research was carried out through a survey applied to a sample of 404 Brazilian respondents. Data analysis included descriptive statistics and partial least squares structural equation modeling.
Findings: The study confirmed the negative relationship between skepticism and the perceived value of organic food and the positive relationship between the perceived value and purchase intention. In contrast, the negative relationship between skepticism and purchase intention was not confirmed by data analysis.
Practical implications: By understanding skepticism, brands can educate consumers, build trust, refine their value propositions, and differentiate their products. Effective communication strategies can showcase quality and authenticity while justifying premium prices. It is suggested to public policymakers that information campaigns be promoted to improve knowledge about health, the environment, and organic production and consumption.
Social implications: Results can improve the quality of life of people through the consumption of healthy and environmentally sound food.
Originality: This study can be considered one of the first to address the relationship between consumer skepticism, perceived value, and purchase intention of organic food, pointing to the influence of contextual factors, such as consumer skepticism, on consumer behavior.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Bruno Cicciù, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco

Doctoral candidate in Production Engineering at the Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil. Research interests include corporate sustainability, sustainable decision support systems, market analysis, and consumer behavior.

Linda Jessica De Montreuil Carmona, Universidade Regional de Blumenau

Professor in the Department of Management at the Regional University of Blumenau, Brazil, teaching undergraduate and graduate courses. Post-doctoral research fellow in Innovation Management and Ph.D. in Accounting and Administration from the same institution. Research interests encompass social innovation, innovation technology, CSR, sustainability-driven marketing, and corporate governance.

References

ABRAS. (2022). Organic food sales grow above expectations. Retrieved from Clipping website: https://www.abras.com.br/clipping/geral/110539/venda-de-alimentos-organicos-cresce-acima-do-esperado

Albayrak, T., Aksoy, Ş., & Caber, M. (2013). The effect of environmental concern and scepticism on green purchase behaviour. Marketing Intelligence and Planning, 31(1), 27–39. https://doi.org/10.1108/02634501311292902

Amawate, V., & Deb, M. (2019). Cause Related Marketing and Customer Skepticism : A Study of Situational and Psychological Skepticism. Theoretical Economics Letters, 9, 834–851. https://doi.org/10.4236/tel.2019.94055

Andreoli, Tais Pasquotto, & Cardoso, P. (2024). Orgânico ou Organicwashing ? Influência de Selos Verdes no Comportamento do Consumidor / Organic or Organicwashing ? Influence of Green Seals on Consumer Behavior. Sociedade, Contabilidade e Gestão, 18(2). https://doi.org/10.21446/scg_ufrj.v18i2.57183

Akdoğan, L., & Durmaz, Y. (2023). Exploring the impact of consumers’ attitudes towards green advertisements on the intention to purchase green products: The mediating role of environmental responsibility. Electronic Green Journal, 1(48). https://doi.org/10.5070/G314857903

Braga Jr., S. S., Merlo, E. M., & Da Silva, D. (2016). Não acredito em consumo verde. O reflexo do ceticicsmo no comportamento de compra do consumidor. Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental, 10(3), 2.

Brislin, R. W. (1970). Back-translation for cross-cultural research. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 1(3), 185–216.

Bursan, R., Wiryawan, D., Jimad, H., Listiana, I., Riantini, M., Yanfika, H., Widyastuti, R. A. D., Mutolib, A., & Adipathy, D. A. (2022). Effect of Consumer Skepticism on Consumer Intention in Purchasing Green Product. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 1027(1). https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1027/1/012037

Carrión Bósquez, N. G., Arias-Bolzmann, L. G., & Martínez Quiroz, A. K. (2023). The influence of price and availability on university millennials’ organic food product purchase intention. British Food Journal, 125(2), 536–550. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-12-2021-1340

Chang, C.-T., & Cheng, Z.-H. (2015). Tugging on heartstrings: shopping orientation, mindset, and consumer responses to cause-related marketing. Journal of Business Ethics, 127(2), 337–350.

Chang, C., & Dibb, S. (2012). Reviewing and conceptualising customer-perceived value. The Marketing Review, 12(3), 253–274.

Chin, W. W. (2010). How to write up and report PLS analyses. In W. H. Esposito Vinzi V., Chin W., Henseler J. (Ed.), Handbook of partial least squares (pp. 655–690). Berlin: Springer.

Cinjarevic, M., Agic, E., & Pestek, A. (2018). When consumers are in doubt, you better watch out! the moderating role of consumer skepticism and subjective knowledge in the context of organic food consumption. Zagreb International Review of Economics & Business, 21(SCI), 1–14.

Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Hilsdale: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Cronin, J. J., Brady, M. K., & Hult, G. T. M. (2000). Assessing the effects of quality, value, and customer satisfaction on consumer behavioral intentions in service environments. Journal of Retailing, 76(2), 193–218.

Curvelo, I. C. G., Watanabe, E., Alfinito, S., Souza, V. C. de S., & Schneider, Y. (2017). A influência dos atributos, da confiança e do valor percebido na intenção de compra de alimentos orgânicos. In USP (Ed.), XX SEMEAD - Seminários em Administração. São Paulo: USP. Retrieved from https://login.semead.com.br/20semead/anais/arquivos/1627.pdf

Da Silva, D., Urdan, A. T., Merlo, E. M., & Dias, K. T. S. (2015). Influências da preocupação ambiental e do ceticismo frente à propaganda no consumo de produtos verdes. Revista Brasileira de Marketing, 14(4), 529–544.

Diallo, M. F. (2012). Effects of store image and store brand price-image on store brand purchase intention: Application to an emerging market. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 19(3), 360–367.

Diógenes, A. P., Da Silva, M. E., & Costa, J. S. (2017). O Efeito do Ceticismo na Atitude e Intenção de Compra de Produtos Verdes. Revista Brasileira de Marketing, 16(4), 520–534.

Ekins, P., & Zenghelis, D. (2021). The costs and benefits of environmental sustainability. Sustainability Science, 16(3), 949–965. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-021-00910-5

Feil, A. A., Cyrne, C. C. da S., Sindelar, F. C. W., Barden, J. E., & Dalmoro, M. (2020). Profiles of sustainable food consumption: Consumer behavior toward organic food in southern region of Brazil. Journal of Cleaner Production, 258. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.120690

Fornell, C., & Larcker, D. F. (1981). Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. Journal of Marketing Research, 39–50. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/002224378101800104

Gineikiene, J., Kiudyte, J., & Degutis, M. (2017). Functional, organic or conventional? Food choices of health conscious and skeptical consumers. Baltic Journal of Management, 12(2), 139–152. https://doi.org/10.1108/BJM-01-2016-0016

Goh, S. K., & Balaji, M. S. (2016). Linking green skepticism to green purchase behavior. Journal of Cleaner Production, 131, 629–638.

Golob, U., Kos Koklic, M., Podnar, K., & Zabkar, V. (2018). The role of environmentally conscious purchase behaviour and green scepticism in organic food consumption. British Food Journal, 120(10), 2411–2424. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-08-2017-0457

Grunert, K. G., Hieke, S., & Wills, J. (2014). Sustainability labels on food products: Consumer motivation, understanding and use. Food Policy, 44, 177–189.

Hair, J. F., Anderson, R. E., Tatham, R. L., and William, C. (2010). Multivariate Data Analysis. New Jersey: Pearson.

Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C., & Sarstedt, M. (2021). A primer on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) (3rd. Ed.). New York: Sage Publications.

Hoyos-Vallejo, C. A., Carrión-Bósquez, N. G., & Ortiz-Regalado, O. (2023). The influence of skepticism on the university Millennials’ organic food product purchase intention. British Food Journal, 125(10), 3800–3816. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-02-2023-0093

Hou, C., & Sarigöllü, E. (2022). Is bigger better? How the scale effect influences green purchase intention: The case of washing machine. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 65(March). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2021.102894

Hughner, R. S., McDonagh, P., Prothero, A., Shultz, C. J., & Stanton, J. (2007). Who are organic food consumers? A compilation and review of why people purchase organic food. Journal of Consumer Behaviour: An International Research Review, 6(2‐3), 94–110.

Husic-Mehmedovic, M., Arslanagic-Kalajdzic, M., Kadic-Maglajlic, S., & Vajnberger, Z. (2017). Live, Eat, Love: life equilibrium as a driver of organic food purchase. British Food Journal.

Jäger, A. K., & Weber, A. (2020). Can you believe it? The effects of benefit type versus construal level on advertisement credibility and purchase intention for organic food. Journal of Cleaner Production, 257. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.120543

Katt, F., & Meixner, O. (2020). A systematic review of drivers influencing consumer willingness to pay for organic food. Trends in Food Science and Technology, 100(July 2019), 374–388. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2020.04.029

Kottila, M. R., & Rönni, P. (2008). Collaboration and trust in two organic food chains. British Food Journal, 110(4/5), 376-394.

Krischke, P. J., & Tomiello, N. (2009). O comportamento de compra dos consumidores de alimentos orgânicos: um estudo exploratório. Cadernos de Pesquisa Interdisciplinar Em Ciências Humanas, 10(96), 27–43.

Kwon, J., & Ahn, J. (2020). The effect of green CSR skepticism on positive attitude, reactance, and behavioral intention. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights, 4(1), 59–76. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTI-05-2020-0074

Lin, J., Li, T., & Guo, J. (2021). Factors influencing consumers’ continuous purchase intention on fresh food e-commerce platforms: An organic foods-centric empirical investigation. Electronic Commerce Research and Applications, 50(October), 101103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.elerap.2021.101103

Lins, S., Greulich, M., Löbbers, J., Benlian, A., & Sunyaev, A. (2024). Why so skeptical? Investigating the emergence and consequences of consumer skepticism toward web seals. Information and Management, 61(2). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.im.2024.103920

Loebnitz, N., & Grunert, K. G. (2018). The impact of abnormally shaped vegetables on consumers’ risk perception. Food Quality and Preference, 63, 80–87.

MacKenzie, S. B., & Podsakoff, P. M. (2012). Common method bias in marketing: causes, mechanisms, and procedural remedies. Journal of Retailing, 88(4), 542–555. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretai.2012.08.001

Marinao-Artigas, E., Valenzuela-Fernández, L., & Barajas-Portas, K. (2019). Understanding affective evaluation in retail: consumers perspective. Academia Revista Latinoamericana de Administracion, 32(4), 541–565. https://doi.org/10.1108/ARLA-02-2019-0050

Molinillo, S., Vidal-Branco, M., & Japutra, A. (2020). Understanding the drivers of organic foods purchasing of millennials: Evidence from Brazil and Spain. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 52, 101926.

Morel, K. P. N., & Pruyn, A. T. H. (2003). Consumer skepticism toward new products. In T. Darach & S. Brown (Eds.), European Advances in Consumer Research (6th ed., pp. 351–358). Provo, UT: Association for Consumer Research.

Nathan, R. J., Soekmawati, Victor, V., Popp, J., Fekete-Farkas, M., & Oláh, J. (2021). Food innovation adoption and organic food consumerism-a cross national study between Malaysia and Hungary. Foods, 10(2), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10020363

Nguyen, T. N., Vu, P. A., Phan, T. T. H., & Cao, T. K. (2015). An exploratory investigation into customer perceived value of food products in Vietnam. International Business Research, 8(12), 1. https://doi.org/10.5539/ibr.v8n12p1

Nguyen, T. T. H., Yang, Z., Nguyen, N., Johnson, L. W., & Cao, T. K. (2019). Greenwash and green purchase intention: The mediating role of green skepticism. Sustainability (Switzerland), 11(9), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11092653

Nunes, E. L. (2021). Os Consumidores Confiam No Produto Orgânico Ou Acham Que É Organicwashing? Revista Ibero-Americana de Humanidades, Ciências e Educação, 7(12), 322–345. https://doi.org/10.51891/rease.v7i12.3467

Obermiller, C., & Spangenberg, E. R. (1998). Development of a scale to measure consumer skepticism toward advertising. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 7(2), 159–186.

Patel, J. D., Gadhavi, D. D., & Shukla, Y. S. (2017). Consumers’ responses to cause related marketing: moderating influence of cause involvement and skepticism on attitude and purchase intention. International Review on Public and Nonprofit Marketing, 14(1), 1–18.

Peng, M. (2019). The growing market of organic foods: Impact on the us and global economy. In Safety and Practice for Organic Food. Elsevier Inc. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-812060-6.00001-5

Persaud, A., & Schillo, S. R. (2017). Purchasing organic products: role of social context and consumer innovativeness. Marketing Intelligence & Planning.

Porto, B. R., & Nordi, W. M. (2019). Caracterização de consumidores de alimentos orgânicos: uma pesquisa quantitativa realizada em rede social. Caderno de Ciências Agrárias, 11, 1–9.

Pratono, A. H., Darmasetiawan, N. K., Yudiarso, A., & Jeong, B. G. (2019). Achieving sustainable competitive advantage through green entrepreneurial orientation and market orientation: The role of inter-organizational learning. Bottom Line, 32(1), 2–15. https://doi.org/10.1108/BL-10-2018-0045

Rana, J., & Paul, J. (2017). Consumer behavior and purchase intention for organic food: A review and research agenda. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 38, 157–165.

Ringle, C. M., Da Silva, D., & Bido, D. de S. (2014). Modelagem de equações estruturais com utilização do SmartPLS. REMark, 13(2), 54. https://doi.org/10.5585/remark.v13i2.2717

Ringle, C. M., Wende, S., & Becker, J.-M. (2015). SmartPLS 3. Boenningstedt: SmartPLS GmbH.

Rosli, N., Che Ha, N., & Ghazali, E. M. (2019). Bridging the gap between branding and sustainability by fostering brand credibility and brand attachment in travellers’ hotel choice. Bottom Line, 32(4), 308–339. https://doi.org/10.1108/BL-03-2019-0078

Sánchez-Fernández, R., & Iniesta-Bonillo, M. Á. (2007). The concept of perceived value: a systematic review of the research. Marketing Theory, 7(4), 427–451. https://doi.org/10.1177/1470593107083165

Schneider, S. (2009). A diversidade da agricultura familiar (2nd ed.). Porto Alegre: Editora da UFRGS.

Shrum, L., McCarty, J., & Lowrey, T. (1995). Buyer characteristics of the green consumer and their implications for advertising strategy. Journal of Advertising, 24(2), 71–82.

Sica, P., & Franco, D. H. (2024). Drivers and barriers of organic food consumption: a comparative analysis in Brazil, the U. S., and Europe. Journal Fur Verbraucherschutz Und Lebensmittelsicherheit, 19(1), 113–118. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00003-023-01469-2

Skarmeas, D., & Leonidou, C. N. (2013). When consumers doubt, Watch out! The role of CSR skepticism. Journal of Business Research, 66(10), 1831–1838. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2013.02.004

Sweeney, J. C., & Soutar, G. N. (2001). Consumer perceived value: The development of a multiple item scale. Journal of Retailing, 77(2), 203–220.

Tandon, A., Dhir, A., Kaur, P., Kushwah, S., & Salo, J. (2020). Behavioral reasoning perspectives on organic food purchase. Appetite, 154(June), 104786. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2020.104786

Teddlie, C., & Yu, F. (2007). Mixed methods sampling: A typology with examples. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 1(1), 77–100. https://doi.org/10.1177/2345678906292430

Teng, C.-C., & Wang, Y.-M. (2015). Decisional factors driving organic food consumption: Generation of consumer purchase intentions. British Food Journal.

Torres-Moraga, E., & Vidal-Buitano, A. (2022). The role of motivations in the construction of patronage intention of innovative green products. Academia Revista Latinoamericana de Administración, 35(2), 183–203. https://doi.org/https://doi-org.ez292.periodicos.capes.gov.br/10.1108/ARLA-07-2021-0140

Tracy, S. J. (2010). Qualitative quality: Eight a”big-tent” criteria for excellent qualitative research. Qualitative Inquiry, 16(10), 837–851. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077800410383121

Vanhamme, J., & Grobben, B. (2009). “Too good to be true!”. The effectiveness of CSR history in countering negative publicity. Journal of Business Ethics, 85(2), 273–283.

Watanabe, E. A. de M., Alfinito, S., Curvelo, I. C. G., & Hamza, K. M. (2020). Perceived value, trust and purchase intention of organic food: a study with Brazilian consumers. British Food Journal, 122(4), 1070–1184. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-05-2019-0363

Xing, Y., Li, M., & Liao, Y. (2022). Trust, price sensitivity and consumers’ organic food purchasing behaviour in China. Food Science and Technology (Brazil), 42. https://doi.org/10.1590/fst.42422

Yiridoe, E. K., Bonti-Ankomah, S., & Martin, R. C. (2005). Comparison of consumer perceptions and preference toward organic versus conventionally produced foods: A review and update of the literature. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems, 20(4), 193–205. https://doi.org/10.1079/raf2005113

Yu, W., Han, X., & Cui, F. (2022). Increase consumers’ willingness to pay a premium for organic food in restaurants: Explore the role of comparative advertising. Frontiers in Psychology, 13(August), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.982311

Zeithaml, V. A. (1988). Consumer perceptions of price, quality, and value: a means-end model and synthesis of evidence. Journal of Marketing, 52(3), 2–22.

Zhang, Y., Liu, J., & Li, X. (2024). Value delivery in green consumption: the effect of advertisement value proposition on consumer perception and purchase intention. Frontiers in Psychology, 15. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1339197

Zhao, R., Geng, Y., Liu, Y., Tao, X., & Xue, B. (2018). Consumers’ perception, purchase intention, and willingness to pay for carbon-labeled products: A case study of Chengdu in China. Journal of Cleaner Production, 171, 1664–1671.

Downloads

Published

2024-06-28

How to Cite

Cicciù, B. ., & Carmona, L. J. D. M. (2024). The impact of consumer skepticism on perceived value and purchase intention of organic food. Revista De Administração Da UFSM, 17(2), e8. https://doi.org/10.5902/1983465985505

Issue

Section

Articles