Online food delivery services and behavioural intention – a test of an integrated TAM and TPB framework

Abstract

Purpose: This research leverages an integrated framework that uses the technology acceptance model (TAM) and the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) to analyse the main drivers of users' intention to use food delivery apps. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the consumer's willingness to adopt online food delivery (OFD) using the models' constructs and extend them to consider food choices, convenience, trust and the effect of the perceived risks related to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic as contextual factors. Design/methodology/approach: The study adopts the partial least squares approach to structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to examine the data. The final sample consists of 425 people in Italy. Findings: The authors have found that combining the TAM and the TPB provides a valid and significant model that can be used to understand OFD users' behavioural intentions. Moreover, the results show that subjective norms have a stronger effect on behavioural intentions than the personal attitude and that trustworthiness and the perception of risks related to COVID-19 have different effects. Accordingly, the authors derive several theoretical and managerial implications from these results. Originality/value: This research contributes to the current debate on consumer behaviour in the OFD context. Only a few studies have integrated the TAM and TPB models in this context. This paper sheds light on the factors useful in predicting people's choice to buy food via OFD. Furthermore, it highlights the key role of some contextual factors and subjective norms over more technical ones.