The Mediating Effects of Mass Media and Perceived Knowledge in Shaping Consumer Trust in Organic Food Labels

Abstract

The lack of trust in organic food labels is one of the critical factors that has prevented the growth of the organic food industry in Malaysia. Therefore, this research examines factors contributing to trust in organic food labels. Based on previous findings, it identified four factors: revealed information, perceived knowledge, mass media and government on trust in organic food labels. These first two factors are from the Alphabet Theory, whereas the third and fourth variables are from the Agent-Network Theory and Alphabet Theory. This research developed a theoretical framework based on these four variables. Revealed information and government are exogenous variables, mass media and perceived knowledge are the mediators, and consumer trust in organic food labels is the endogenous variable. The study collected one hundred and fifty-nine questionnaires from Malaysian companies, with 155 used for data analysis using SPSS and PLS-SEM software. SPSS produced descriptive statistics, while the PLS-SEM measurement model confirms the validity and reliability of the framework. The structural model shows that all direct paths are significant. All except one of the mediated paths are significant, confirming the role of mass media and perceived knowledge as mediators. The mediated model with four variables, revealed information, perceived knowledge, mass media, and government, explained 65.4% of the variance in trust in organic food labels. However, apart from the direct effects of these four variables on consumer trust, the mass media had mediated effects on perceived knowledge and consumer trust, and perceived knowledge had mediated effects on government and consumer trust. The study implies that stakeholders, like government and mass media, must use information and knowledge to make organic farming successful in Malaysia.