Consumer buying behaviour and social responsibility in respect of organic foods: cross-cultural evidence

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the present status of consumers' buying behaviour in respect of organic foods within two emerging markets. A comparative study was undertaken to understand consumers' buying behaviour relating to organic foods in the southern part of Thailand and north Malaysia. Based on an extensive literature review, the authors identified a number of factors that might influence consumers' intention to buy organic food including environmental knowledge and concerns, price, perceived beliefs and attitudes, and government support and policy. Moreover, the mediating influence of the two different countries on buying behaviour was also investigated. The drop-off and collect' survey administration technique was used to collect a total of 190 questionnaires from Thailand and Malaysia, partial least squares structural equation modelling using the resampling and bootstrapping techniques was used to examine five research hypotheses. The study found that environmental knowledge and concerns, government support and policy and price have a significant positive relationship with consumer buying behaviour in relation to organic foods. Furthermore, the domicile of the respondents in two different countries had a significant moderating effect on consumers' behaviour towards organic food.