Premium
Can information and trust about organic food improve consumer's attitude toward buying in Thailand?
Author(s) -
Sriyakul Thanaporn,
Sutduean Chutipan,
Sirivanh Thongvanh
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
world food policy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2372-8639
DOI - 10.1002/wfp2.12008
Subject(s) - moderation , marketing , business , confirmatory factor analysis , structural equation modeling , food products , psychology , food market , organic product , advertising , social psychology , food science , geography , mathematics , service (business) , agriculture , statistics , chemistry , archaeology
Thailand is gradually becoming an attractive market for organic food as tourists from different parts of the world try to experience unique food items. However, the attitude of local consumers toward buying organic food is not encouraging. Lack of information and trust on organic food procedures are probably the main factors influencing the local consumers. In this article, the role of information need, information seeking, and consumer’s trust on attitude toward buying organic food were studied. Moreover, this study also checked the moderating role of price barrier in given relationships which was not previously discussed in literature. Data, collected from 292 tourists and residents in Thailand through questionnaire and responses, were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. Results highlighted that all the three independent variables, information need, information seeking, and consumer’s trust, have significant impact on attitude toward buying organic food. Price barrier only proved as a significant moderator in the relationship between information need and consumer’s attitude toward buying organic food while it proved insignificant in other two relationships. This study also includes implications in industry, consumers, academia, and future research indications.