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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to assess the effect of attitudes towards functional foods (AFF) on university students’ satisfaction with food-related life (SWFL) and to distinguish student typologies, considering that the AFF are not homogeneous among consumers.Design/methodology/approach A survey was applied to 372 university students (mean age=20.4 years, SD=2.4) in Southern Chile. The questionnaire included the AFF questionnaire and the SWFL scale, questions about consumption and knowledge about functional food (FF) and socio-demographic characteristics.Findings Using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modelling, it was found that AFF directly and significantly influence students’ SWFL. A cluster analysis applied to the Z-scores from the factors obtained by the CFA classified three typologies: positive towards FF (36.3 per cent), moderately positive towards FF (43.0 per cent) and negative towards FF (20.7 per cent). The positive towards FF type had a significantly greater SWFL score than the negative towards FF type. The types differ according to consumption and knowledge about FF.Research limitations/implications This study was conducted in the context of only one country in South America.Originality/value This study is the first that assesses the effect of AFF on SWFL in a sample of university students. Fostering positive attitudes towards FF will allow for a growth in the degree of SWFL of university students with features similar to those of the study sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – Values-attitudes hierarchical models are quite frequent in the consumer behaviour literature. In attitudinal models specific to food produced in an environmentally friendly way (i.e. “green” food), past research evidence mainly originating in Western cultures posits that the strongest path of the model can be found among collectivistic consumer values, general environmental attitudes, and attitudes specific to green food. On the other hand, in non-Western cultures (i.e. China), green food (e.g. organic) is perceived by consumers as safer to consume. With this as point of departure, the present paper aims to examine whether attitudes towards green food in a values-attitudes model in China are determined as postulated in past Western research. Design/methodology/approach – A “typical” (i.e. Western research evidence-based) values-attitudes hierarchical model was developed and a questionnaire comprising 34 items reflecting the conceptual model was designed. Data collection was focused on six major Chinese cities, as this is where the current changes in eating habits are predominantly taking place. Data were collected by personal interviews conducted by local researchers between January and March 2009 through a mall-intercept method. A total number of 479 respondents were recruited, equally distributed among the six cities. Findings – Collectivistic values and environmental attitudes were still found to be strong determinants of Chinese consumers' attitudes towards green foods; contrary to relevant Western findings, however, collectivism also influenced technological attitudes; which, in turn, influenced attitudes towards green food jointly with environmental attitudes. These findings point to the conclusion that Chinese consumers, possibly guided by altruistic predispositions, see technology as a positive determinant of both food safety and environmental friendliness in food production. Empirical findings like these highlight the need for adaptation of well-substantiated models to completely customised research approaches within new globally rising environments. Originality/value – It is still not quite clear how green food products are perceived in South-East Asian consumer cultures, as well as in other non-Western contexts. This scarcity makes the empirical examination of well-established values-attitudes hierarchies in such contexts valuable from an academic and practitioner's point of view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This paper aims to explore consumers' perception of quality of new processed beef products and the role of expected and experienced quality in the formation of consumer's purchase intentions. Based on the Total Food Quality Model, a conceptual framework is developed that relates cue evaluation, expected quality, experienced quality, purchase motive fulfilment and purchase intention. Design/methodology/approach – Structural equation modeling is used to test the framework with data from a sample of 201 respondents, involving three steps. First, principal component analyses were applied to explore underlying factor structures within each construct. Based on the exploratory factor analyses, measurement models were estimated, with the measured variables as indicators of latent constructs for all the four products. Finally, structural models were estimated for the relationships among the latent constructs. Findings – Results show that cue evaluations, expected/experienced quality and purchase motive fulfilment are all predictors of purchase intention, but that their weight and causal structure differ between purchase intentions before and after trial. Practical implications – Implications for the introduction of new beef products are discussed. Originality/value – This paper is an attempt to quantitatively estimate the relationships between quality cues, expected and experienced quality, and purchase motives as determinants of purchase intention for new products using structural equation modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The purpose of this paper is to explore peer influence and the social and symbolic meaning that adolescents (10 to 16 years) attach to snacks; to investigate the relative influence of peer influence compared to personal factors in explaining perceived importance of snack attributes; and to investigate age and gender differences in the peer influence process. Design/methodology/approach -- A web-based survey distributed via e-mail was combined with follow-up focus groups including adolescents aged 10 to 16 years in Denmark. Findings -- The survey results show that the youngest adolescents and the girls perceived the highest influence from peers, and that peer social influence has more effect on what adolescents perceive as important snack attributes as compared to more personal factors. The focus group results show that adolescents purchase and consume snacks that support their self-image when socializing with other peers. Research limitations/implications -- Future research should measure other aspects of peer influence and related social aspects regarding consumption settings. Practical implications -- The results in this paper may be useful to marketers developing social marketing campaigns aiming at reducing bullying among adolescents or promoting healthy snacking. Social implications -- Moreover, the results may help generate societal emphasis on the importance of social and self-image aspects in consumption settings when it comes to adolescent snacking behaviour, healthy food choices and social development. Originality/value -- The originality lies in the emphasis on social and self-image aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine consumer attitudes towards apple juice produced by means of two new processing technologies, high-pressure processing (HPP) and pulsed electric field processing (PEF). Design/methodology/approach – Means-end chain approach is used. Laddering interviews are conducted with consumers in Norway, Denmark, Hungary and Slovakia. Findings – Consumers in this study did recognize and appreciate the benefits that HPP and PEF apple juice have to offer over a juice produced by pasteurization. The respondents in all four countries associated positive consequences with product attributes related to the nutritional value and the taste of the products produced by means of these novel technologies. Also the environmental benefits from processing foods by applying these technologies were seen as highly positive characteristics of the technologies. However, many respondents also expressed some scepticism, especially towards the PEF treated juice and were unsure about if there were risks associated with consuming products processed by this technology. Practical implications – When new processing technologies are introduced, consumer acceptance is one of the key issues for their future success. It is up to food producers and food scientists to provide the evidence that will convince consumers that these new technologies are safe to use. Originality/value – This research contributes to the limited knowledge on consumer attitudes towards food products produced by HPP and PEF. From a general perspective, the research expands the body of knowledge on consumer perception of food technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to analyse the relationship between satisfaction and consumer behaviour by proposing and testing a model of how moral and social influences interact with individual satisfaction and conflict to explain and understand consumer behaviour in a family context, using consumption of fish for the family as an example. Design/methodology/approach - Survey data from a sample of 452 Norwegian respondents are used. The target behaviour was eating fish as a family meal. The constructs of behaviour, satisfaction, social norm, preference conflict and personal norm were measured by multiple-item measures. After checking for reliability and validity of the data by confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modelling in Lisrel was used to estimate relationships between the constructs and their measures. Findings - While satisfaction, social norm and preference conflict had an influence on behaviour, the impact of satisfaction was least among the three constructs. In turn, these three constructs were influenced by personal norm. Also, social norm and preference conflict were mutually related. Research limitations/implications - The study is based on self-reported data and does not include observational data. It is also based on cross-sectional data. The results underline the importance of social factors when dealing with the relationship between satisfaction and behaviour in a family context. Practical implications - The role of satisfaction as a strategic variable in establishing customer loyalty should be put in context whenever consumption decisions are made in a social situation, since social variables may be more important for establishing loyalty than individual satisfaction of one person whenever decisions are made jointly in a family household. Originality/value - The results highlighted here have important managerial implications for the use of satisfaction data in marketing and will be of use to those working in that field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to determine whether predictions about different degrees of market orientation in two cross-border value chains also appear in the mental models of decision makers at two levels of these value chains. Design/methodology/approach - The laddering method elicits mental models of actors in two value chains: Norwegian salmon exported to Japan and Danish pork exported to Japan. The analysis of the mental models centers on potential overlap and linkages between actors in the value chain, including elements in the mental models that may relate to the actors' market orientation. Findings - In both value chains, decision makers exhibit overlap in their views of what drives their business. The pork chain appears dominated by a focus on efficiency, technology, and quality control, though it also acknowledges communication as important. The salmon chain places more emphasis on new product development and good relations between chain partners. Research limitations/implications - While confirming prior results regarding the role of competitive pressure, end-user heterogeneity/dynamism, regulations, and trade associations, the results also generate new insights into the possible role of relational governance in promoting the market orientation of value chains. Originality/value - This paper offers three novel ideas: using the concept of mental models as a possible mediator between factors that influence the degree of market orientation and market-oriented activity; using a laddering method to elicit mental models; and considering concepts shared among actors in a value chain as possible indicators of the degree of market orientation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The objective of this article is to conduct a case study of the Supermalt brand of malt beer, which has become the preferred beverage of Afro-Caribbean consumers in Brixton on a very limited marketing budget. Design/methodology/approach - The article uses the concepts of personal identity and brand identity in a qualitative study to explore how Brixton-based Afro-Caribbean consumers construct their self-identities and the brand identity of Supermalt. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 Afro-Caribbean consumers. Each interview was divided into three parts. The first part focused on consumers' self-identities. The second part explored the role of food and beverage products in the construction of self-identities. The final part focused on the construction of brand identity for Supermalt. Findings - The article provides information on the self-identities constructed by Afro-Caribbean informants. The food and beverage consumption of informants reflects their mixed cultural identity. The brand identity Supermalt appears to be malleable, with ample room for consumer co-construction. Perceptions of brand identity differ markedly among informants, who are all able to construct Supermalt as one of their own. Research limitations/implications - The findings are based solely on semi-structured interviews with a small sample of Afro-Caribbean consumers. The findings are therefore not generalizable. Practical implications - The Supermalt brand represents an interesting case for companies aiming to develop strong brands with a limited marketing budget. Based on the Supermalt case, suggestions are made regarding branding in relation to ethnic minorities. Originality/value - This article provides a study of a brand that has become strong within a narrowly defined group of consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to investigate how three dimensions of retailer brand architecture - share or retailer brands, quality of retailer brands and visibility of retailer brands - affect consumer intention to shop at stores Design/methodology/approach - A conjoint analysis is conducted with a sample of 599 Danish consumers, which rated intention to shop at hypothetical new shops based on profiles derived from an orthogonal design Findings - Two segments of consumers emerge, one price conscious and one more differentiated. Consumers prefer shops with lower price levels, with dominantly manufacturer brands, with quality of retailer brands at the same level as manufacturer brands, and with good visibility of retailer brands. Research limitations/implications - The results are based on the evaluation of hypothetical stores, and many additional factors affect store choice in the real world. Practical implications - Results suggest that we may be heading towards a polarized retail market, mainly divided between discount concepts and high quality retailer brand concepts. Originality/value - The paper is innovative in isolating the effect of dimensions of retailer brand architecture on consumer store preference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This paper extends the concept of market orientation from the firm to the value chain level and seeks to develop empirically founded propositions on determinants of different levels of market orientation of value chains. Design/methodology/approach – Four case studies on value chains within the areas of agribusiness and fisheries are conducted. For each value chain, desk research is combined with interviews with decision-makers of all types of value chain members. Interview guidelines were derived from a conceptual model of potential determinants of value chain market orientation. Findings – Degree of market orientation of value chains is found to be related to degree of heterogeneity and dynamism of end-users served, nature of chain relationships, regulations and prevailing mental models of decision-makers. Short and balanced chains are believed to further upstream market orientation. Research limitations/implications – The results point at two areas, where additional research on market orientation is called for: a better conceptualization of market intelligence and theorizing on most cost effective ways of being market oriented, including implications for the distribution of market oriented activities among value chain members. Practical implications – The paper underlines the importance of managing channel relationships, up to and including vertical integration, when serving markets with high degrees of end-user volatility. Originality/value – This paper is the first empirical contribution to the market orientation literature employing a perspective encompassing the whole value chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]