Influence of health consciousness and food safety concerns on consumer attitudes towards organic food

Evidence from German and United Kingdom Generation Y

Tesis de Máster , 2015 , 103 Páginas

Economía de las empresas - Marketing en línea y fuera de línea

This dissertation analyses the specific role of the two factors health consciousness and food safety on consumer attitudes and their purchase intentions in relation to organic food. The investigation will deliver evidence from the Generation Y from two of the major countries consuming organic products: Germany and United Kingdom. Until now there have not been sufficient studies about organic foods in relation to health consciousness and food safety, so the aim of this study is to fill this gap. The purpose of the study is to demonstrate how health consciousness and food safety affects consumer attitudes and purchase intentions towards organic products. This will be done through a review of previous secondary literature as well as a questionnaire distributed online via e-mail and Facebook. The total number of respondents was 203. Researchers suggested several new approaches on how to deliver a more precise outcome on organic consumption. These recommendations were taken into consideration and a new
methodology was developed.

An online questionnaire was distributed in order to answer the hypotheses and find out what drives the Millenials to buy organic, as they seem to have different consumption patterns than previous generations. To observe the desired results, the Theory of Planned Behaviour by Icek Ajzen (1985) was extended with self-identity concepts and moral norms, items that were found by previous researchers to have a significant influence on intentions to purchase organic foods (Aertsens et al., 2009; Arvola et al., 2008; Dean & Shepherd, 2012; Hagger & Chatzisarantis, 2006; Sparks & Shepherd, 1992; Zanoli & Naspetti, 2002).

The results support the assumption, that Germans prefer organic produce over the British participants. In the UK, there is a gap between the non-consumers and the consumers of organic foods. As previous studies stated, they question organic
regulation standards and production methods more than the Germans, who mostly trust in their organic production chain (Gerrard et al., 2013; Zander, 2014). Moreover, both parties believe in health supporting attributes of this style of farming, which can be named as a reason for the steady growth of organic demand.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION
• 1.1 Chapter Introduction
• 1.2 Background of organic produce
• 1.3 Purpose and objectives
• 1.4 Research questions
• 1.5 Structure of the dissertation
• CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW
• 2.1 Chapter Introduction
• 2.2 Organic food
• 2.2.1 Organic food in Germany
• 2.2.2 Organic food in the United Kingdom
• 2.3 Generation Y
• 2.4 Health consciousness
• 2.5 Food safety
• 2.6 Overview of present secondary literature
• 2.7 The Theory of Planned Behaviour
• 2.8 Research hypotheses relationships
• 2.9 Chapter Summary
• CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY
• 3.1 Chapter Introduction
• 3.2 Practical and ethical issues
• 3.3 Type of research
• 3.4 Research design
• 3.5 Structure of the questionnaire and data collection
• 3.6 Data measurements
• 3.7 Chapter Summary
• CHAPTER IV: RESULTS
• 4.1 Chapter Introduction
• 4.2 Sample description
• 4.3 Differences between Germany and the United Kingdom
• 4.3.1 Health consciousness
• 4.3.2 Food safety
• 4.4 Chapter Summary
• CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION AND OUTLOOK
• 5.1 Chapter Introduction
• 5.2 Limitations
• 5.3 Conclusion
• 5.4 Further recommendations and outlook

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This dissertation analyzes the role of health consciousness and food safety on consumer attitudes and their purchase intentions in relation to organic food. The study focuses on Generation Y consumers from Germany and the United Kingdom. The research aims to fill the gap in existing research and understand the impact of these two factors on consumer behavior.

• The role of health consciousness and food safety in consumer attitudes towards organic food
• The influence of health consciousness and food safety on purchase intentions for organic food
• Differences in consumer attitudes and purchase intentions towards organic food between German and British Generation Y consumers
• The application and extension of the Theory of Planned Behavior to analyze organic food consumption
• Cross-cultural comparisons of consumer behavior towards organic food

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

Chapter 1 introduces the study's purpose, objectives, and research problem. It discusses the background of organic produce, highlighting the increasing importance of health consciousness and food safety concerns. Chapter 2 reviews existing literature on organic food, Generation Y, health consciousness, and food safety. It also examines the Theory of Planned Behavior and develops research hypotheses based on this framework. Chapter 3 outlines the methodology used for the study, including the questionnaire design, data collection process, and statistical analysis techniques. Chapter 4 presents the results of the study, focusing on the sample description, differences between German and British respondents, and the relationship between health consciousness, food safety, and consumer attitudes and intentions towards organic food. Finally, Chapter 5 concludes the study by discussing limitations, summarizing key findings, and offering recommendations for future research.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The study examines the role of health consciousness, food safety, consumer attitudes, and purchase intentions towards organic food. It focuses on Generation Y consumers from Germany and the United Kingdom, utilizing the Theory of Planned Behavior as a framework for analysis. The research utilizes a cross-cultural approach to understand the impact of these factors on consumer behavior.

• Universidad: ( Middlesex University in London )
• Autor: Pia Weiler (Autor)
• Año de publicación: 2015
• Páginas: 103
• No. de catálogo: V309699
• ISBN (Ebook): 9783668080461
• ISBN (Libro): 9783668080478
• Idioma: Inglés
• Etiqueta: Organic, health consciousness, food safety, consumption, Germany, United Kingdom, Generation Y, consumer attitudes, intention, Theory of Planned Behaviour