Purchasing organic products: role of social context and consumer innovativeness

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate how individual innovativeness and social factors shape consumers’ purchase decisions of organic products. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on an online survey of 988 Canadian participants. Structural equation modelling was used to test the relationships between social identity, social influence, perceived value and purchase intention within a multi-group framework to show the moderating effect of consumer innovativeness. Findings The results show that the two social dimensions – social identity and social influence – influence purchase intention and the perceived value of organic products partially mediates these relationships. Further, the personal characteristic, “consumer innovativeness”, moderates these relationships. Research limitations/implications Although the sample consists of a higher proportion of younger participants, the results are consistent with theoretical arguments and empirical evidence, which underscores the importance of generational differences in organic product purchases. Practical implications Managers need to develop a more nuanced understanding of how social influence and social identity play different roles in the purchase intentions of consumer innovators vs later adopters. This knowledge can guide practical segmentation, targeting, positioning and promotion strategies. Originality/value This study complements the individual innovativeness predispositions literature by showing that the consideration of social factors leads to a more nuanced understanding of consumers’ purchase intention than either set of factors separately. It also contributes to the literature on adoption of organic products by introducing consumer innovativeness dimension as a key factor.

Diagnose barriers to sustainable development: A study on “desensitization” in urban residents' green purchasing behavior

“…In addition to concerns of the survival environment , concerns of the seriousness of environmental problems can help construct the self‐concept to realize green social identity and group categorization (Andorfer & Liebe, ). The “pro‐environmental self” is easily stimulated by the specific consumption situation with low SC, thereby highlighting the identity of the “environmental ethical consumer” group (Persaud & Schillo, ). Social identity will consistently influence consumers' environmental and ethical appeals, so that they become more sensitive to environmental crisis exposed by media (Trivedi et al, ) and are willing to adopt GPBs in practice to perform their social identity as ethical consumers (Lin et al, ).…”

“…In addition to concerns of the survival environment, concerns of the seriousness of environmental problems can help construct the self-concept to realize green social identity and group categorization (Andorfer & Liebe, 2013). The "pro-environmental self" is easily stimulated by the specific consumption situation with low SC, thereby highlighting the identity of the "environmental ethical consumer" group (Persaud & Schillo, 2017).…”

“…However, it is difficult to alter consumers' attitudes and behaviors (Nguyen et al, ), so that strategies are required to intervene and guide people to accept and adopt green consumption concept. Social media has been regarded as one of the strategies to persuade residents to go green and promote sustainable development (He, Zhao, Zhu, Darko, & Gou, ; Kronrod, Grinstein, & Wathieu, ; Persaud & Schillo, ; Trivedi, Patel, & Nidhi, ).…”

The Effect Ethnocentrism, Product Knowledge, Social Influence on Purchase Intention Through Attitude in Samarinda, Indonesia

“…Then [13] research proves that past experience and social influence are the factors that influence purchase intention. And finally the research conducted by [16] proves that social identity and perceived value are the two factors that influence purchase intention.…”

“…This is supported by previous research proving the relationship between social influence on purchase intention. Research conducted by [13] and research by [16] show that there is a significant effect of social influence on purchase intention.…”