The moderating role of human values in planned behavior: the case of Chinese consumers' intention to buy organic food

Abstract

Purpose: This article aims to study the role of personal values as moderators of the antecedents of consumers' “green” buying intentions in the context of Chinese consumers' inclination to buy organic food. Design/methodology/approach: Ordinary Chinese consumers (n=479) were intercepted and filled out a questionnaire outside upscale supermarkets in Guangzhou. Multigroup structural equation modeling was used to test hypotheses about personal values' moderating effect in the theory of planned behavior. Findings: Self‐transcendence values moderate the relationship between two antecedents and behavioral intentions: the attitude towards buying organic food and perceived behavioral control. Both of these antecedents have a stronger impact on intentions among consumers with strong self‐transcendence values than among consumers with weak ones. Research limitations/implications: The study is based on a single consumer survey collected from a convenience sample of consumers from one Chinese city. Hence, care needs to be exercised when making inferences about causality and representativeness. Practical implications: Study results have direct implications for the marketing of organic food. As the food safety problem in China is getting more severe and environmental issues are increasing on the political and public agendas, the consumption of organic food is being increasingly advocated by both the government and food producers, as a healthy and environment‐friendly alternative, which also may contribute positively to the development of the economy. Originality/value: This article extends the rare literature analyzing Chinese consumers' inclination to buy organic food. It also extends the understanding of the role of personal values as moderators of antecedents of consumers' buying intentions for “green” products.