Gioele Zamparo, Paolo Cunico, Donata Vianelli and Andrea Moretti
This paper aims to extend the current knowledge about how food neophobia and food technology neophobia can influence whether consumers choose fish farmed with insect-based flours…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to extend the current knowledge about how food neophobia and food technology neophobia can influence whether consumers choose fish farmed with insect-based flours (FFIF).
Design/methodology/approach
The authors used an online survey questionnaire and a sample of 567 young Italian adults. The answers were analysed using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis and structural equation modelling.
Findings
Both methodologies highlighted the relevance of food technology neophobia in influencing consumers' attitudes and intentions, even when foodstuffs were not produced through technology-intensive processes.
Research limitations/implications
Despite being focussed on a sample containing people of similar ages and food cultures, this study offers evidence that it is not necessarily the technological level of a food production process that sparks feelings of technology-related neophobia. Thus, this study highlights the importance of consumers' perceptions of foodstuff choices.
Practical implications
The findings provide valuable insights into how informative campaigns should address the problem of increasing the acceptance of novel foods, such as FFIF.
Originality/value
The present study provides empirical evidence that food technology neophobia can influence whether consumers choose FFIF. Furthermore, using a mixed-method approach is novel in the field of new foods.
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James Reardon, Donata Vianelli and Chip Miller
The purpose of this paper is to theorize country-of-origin (COO) to be important to retail buyers in making purchase decisions. However, this question has not been addressed in…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to theorize country-of-origin (COO) to be important to retail buyers in making purchase decisions. However, this question has not been addressed in the literature and leaves a critical gap in determining how COO ultimately affects consumer purchase options.
Design/methodology/approach
Retail buyer behavior is empirically tested with both premium and value brands from Italy. A sample retail buyers was taken from a LexisNexis database and provided 205 completed surveys. Construct scales were taken from existing literature and tested using composite reliability. SEM was used to analyze the data.
Findings
Results showed that retail buyers are affected by COO; that low involvement purchases are not differentially affected compared to high involvement; product typicality enhances likelihood of purchase and this typicality is more important for high involvement goods.
Practical implications
Retail buyers are affected by COO and will make product choices for their stores accordingly. Companies should be aware of this and take it into consideration to strengthen their acceptance by retail buyers. Trade organizations within countries may consider advertising approaches to distinguish themselves and stimulate positive COO among retail buyers.
Originality/value
This is the first time that retail buyer behavior has been studied with regard to COO effects using consumer models. Results showed that use of these models is more appropriate than only using industrial buying models. Retail buyers are found to indeed be affected by COO, which in turn influence buying choices for consumers and offerings from retailers.
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Giovanna Pegan, James Reardon and Donata Vianelli
The purpose of this study is to seek to investigate whether and how country of origin (COO) cues – category-country image (CCI) and typicality – and importers’ domain-specific…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to seek to investigate whether and how country of origin (COO) cues – category-country image (CCI) and typicality – and importers’ domain-specific innovativeness (DSI) influence importers’ propensity to the trial new value and premium products. Moreover, it aims to understand whether and how the relationship between the COO effect and industrial purchase intentions is moderated by importers’ propensity to innovate (DSI).
Design/methodology/approach
International importers completed a quantitative online survey. Factor analysis was used to summarize the latent constructs into orthogonal scores. General linear modeling was applied to the scores to test the hypotheses.
Findings
The results indicate that importers’ propensity to trial value products is directly influenced by CCI and importers’ DSI. For premium products, typicality has a positive effect on their propensity to trial. Also, CCI and DSI have positive effects on the trial of value products, and the effect is more pronounced than for premium products. Importers’ DSI positively moderates CCI in premium product trials, while it negatively moderates typicality in value products.
Practical implications
This research provides important managerial implications for practitioners seeking to increase foreign sales, strengthening importers’ product perceived value through COO cues. Exporters should distinguish between value and premium products and, in the selection of international channel partners, they must be attentive to importers’ personal characteristics, such as their propensity to innovate. Exporters selling value products should communicate CCI more clearly and, when targeting innovative importers, opt for atypical products instead of traditional ones. For premium products, which require more complex decisions, exporters should especially underscore product typicality and, with innovative importers, emphasize positive CCI.
Originality/value
By focusing on the two critical issues of product selection and price levels, this study’s original contribution is to emphasize that, for the same product category, in industrial purchasing decisions of value versus premium products, the COO effect can be different. It also highlights the importance of investigating the COO effect by concentrating on industrial buyers’ personal characteristics, here the DSI of importers, as moderating variables.
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Marco Balzano and Donata Vianelli
In this study the authors aim to explore the factors that contribute to the formation of locavorism as a form of consumer ideology.
Abstract
Purpose
In this study the authors aim to explore the factors that contribute to the formation of locavorism as a form of consumer ideology.
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, the authors adopt an inductive approach by preselecting locavore consumers and conducting 43 semi-structured interviews, following the prescriptions of narrative-enquiry research.
Findings
The authors reveal that individual-level (i.e. values, beliefs and experiences) and social-level (i.e. groups, local communities and society) influences and exogenous factors can affect the formation of locavorism. Furthermore, the authors’ findings corroborate the concept advanced by prior studies that reinforcing loops exist among the three belief dimensions of locavorism.
Practical implications
Food producers can use these findings to shape their marketing strategies more effectively to target locavore consumers and/or stimulate the consumption of local food.
Social implications
Identifying the influences of social- and individual-level factors on the formation of locavorism can contribute to the understanding of demand shifts towards local food consumption. Additionally, by revealing the modes of thought that formulate the ideologies of locavore consumers, the authors offer guidance in the development of policies that can safeguard local economies and traditions and reduce transport pollution and food waste in favour of sustainable local consumption.
Originality/value
In the present article the authors explore the psychological and contextual mechanisms that contribute to the formation of locavorism.
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The purpose of this paper is to analyze the distribution strategies implemented by foreign firms in emerging markets, and to investigate whether they represent an opportunity for…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the distribution strategies implemented by foreign firms in emerging markets, and to investigate whether they represent an opportunity for firms to innovate their practice. China is selected as the setting of the investigation as distribution is a critical determinant of business success for international firms operating there.
Design/methodology/approach
A multiple-case study approach is adopted by investigating the distribution strategies of four Italian firms in China. The collected data consist of interviews with firm managers and their distributors. To ensure triangulation and cross-verify the findings from the primary data, secondary data consisting of sector reports and newspaper articles were analyzed.
Findings
Results discuss how foreign firms develop their distribution system in China and suggest that emerging markets can enable reverse innovation in their distribution strategies.
Research limitations/implications
The research suffers from the limitations of the generalizability of the findings as the study was carried out on a restricted number of firms, and it considered their strategies in one single market.
Practical implications
Managerial implications are discussed on the extent to which the Chinese distribution system still represents a key issue for foreign firms, but it also provides with opportunity for innovation.
Originality/value
While previous research on innovation in emerging markets has mainly focused on product innovation, this study suggests some areas for distribution innovation.