Neeraj Dangi, Sandeep Kumar Gupta and Sapna A. Narula
The paper aims to investigate existing research in factors impacting organic food purchase with special reference to eco-labels and identify the relative influence of various…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper aims to investigate existing research in factors impacting organic food purchase with special reference to eco-labels and identify the relative influence of various determinants.
Design/methodology/approach
A conceptual framework is proposed of organic food buying behaviour after analysing a sample of 154,072 consumers reported in 91 research studies from 2001–2020. The factors are categorised into four categories on the basis of relatedness. In addition, the factors were analysed based on time, region and national economic status.
Findings
The impact of consumer psychographics, socio-demographic and product-related factor categories were found to be more pronounced compared to supply-related factor category. The results show that among individual factors like health concern, environment concern, knowledge and awareness, eco-labels and price followed by trust in organic food are the most important factors in organic food purchase. The findings suggest that eco-labels increase trust in organic food by reducing information asymmetry in consumers. However, there were differences in perception and factors importance between high-income economies and emerging economies.
Originality/value
The study is unique, as it analyses secondary research based on criteria of high-income economies and emerging economies. The conceptual framework can also be incorporated further into different cognitive models like the theory of planned behaviour.
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Neeraj Dangi and Sapna A. Narula
This paper explores the contextual relevance of sharing economy for the organic food market in an emerging economy like India.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper explores the contextual relevance of sharing economy for the organic food market in an emerging economy like India.
Design/methodology/approach
Case study approach was used to collect empirical data from different types of organic food markets.
Findings
Organic food farmers markets compared to online and health food stores tends to facilitate sharing economy more since it helps them to build value, scale and trust. By sharing resources, skills and spaces, organic farmers markets have increased organic food availability, reduced its cost of certification and operation besides managing consumer trust. Subjective influence through social media and offline interaction reduces information asymmetry at zero marginal cost. Organic food producers/retailers can get a competitive advantage by tapping underutilized assets to create value and opportunities besides overcoming their demand and supply constraints.
Originality/value
The research offers a fresh perspective to the organic food sector, particularly in emerging economies like India. It could assist all stakeholders to overcome the current demand and supply challenges faced in organic food markets.
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Neeraj Dangi, Sapna A. Narula and Sandeep Kumar Gupta
This paper aims to investigate the determinants of organic food buying behaviour in an emerging economy like India, where organic food yet has low market share in spite of its…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the determinants of organic food buying behaviour in an emerging economy like India, where organic food yet has low market share in spite of its potential. Using the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) as the underlying basis, it attempts to explain the effect of attitude, subjective norms and the perceived behaviour control (PBC) on buying intention towards organic food among respondents in Delhi-National capital region, India. Additionally, it attempts to discriminate functional and constructive attitudes.
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative questionnaire survey approach was used on 306 respondents and multiple linear regression was used to validate the research model.
Findings
Attitudes and PBC have a significant positive impact on the intention to purchase organic food. This paper found subjective norms to be weak and barely significant to intention. The results conclude that health motives, past purchase behaviour, knowledge, affordability and trust in organic certification label are the main facilitators in organic food purchase. Primarily, the respondents see buying organic food regularly as being of value and enjoyable to them. A more favourable appearance vs conventional food was negatively related to behavioural intention.
Originality/value
This research could aid all stakeholders in the organic food sector, particularly emerging economies like India where the organic market is still nascent. It could be an essential driver to improve customer involvement and thus aid them in the decision-making process to choose organic food over conventional food. It also attempts to establish the usability of TPB in assessing functional attitudes based on constructive attitudes for organic food purchase.
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Sapna A. Narula and Sabhyata Arora
Information and communication technologies can work wonders for the social as well as economic empowerment of rural people, when implemented successfully. This paper aims to…
Abstract
Purpose
Information and communication technologies can work wonders for the social as well as economic empowerment of rural people, when implemented successfully. This paper aims to explore and compare the functioning of two ICT models, one each in the public as well as the private sector, in a rural area of MP state in India, identify the usage of various services by stakeholders, i.e. farmers, study the existing need‐service gap and highlight constraints and challenges in the implementation of these models at the field level.
Design/methodology/approach
The study is based on both secondary and primary data. The case study method has been used for describing the two models and has been supplemented with the primary data collected in the form of structured questionnaires and interviews from respondents comprising both users/non‐users and kiosk operators respectively.
Findings
The study finds that there exists a need‐service gap in service delivery. The information services related to agriculture, i.e. agri input prices, markets arrivals and prices, weather information are valued most by the farmers followed by e‐governance services, health and education. Barriers to adoption of these technologies have also been discussed.
Practical implications
The research is case study‐based and also gives the results of a survey of beneficiaries; therefore it is very useful for managers, policymakers, implementers as well as academicians. The research provides implications for managers as well as policy makers to successfully implement the ICT models in India. Implications for future research are also discussed.
Originality/value
The novelty of the research lies in the context that no effort has been made so far to effect a comparison of ICT models. There is also very little literature available to identify the need‐service gap in this area. The study adds value to the knowledge in the field of ICTs for development and also opens new vistas of research.
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Sapna A. Narula and K.M. Upadhyay
The purpose of this paper is to present strategic responses of leading Indian pesticide manufacturers to the voice of stakeholders and regulatory authorities regarding environment…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present strategic responses of leading Indian pesticide manufacturers to the voice of stakeholders and regulatory authorities regarding environment friendly products and processes. The study has made a unique attempt to analyze the product portfolio of selected Indian vs multinational companies with respect to market attractiveness as well as environmental attractiveness.
Design/methodology/approach
A comparison of corporate, business and operational level strategies of domestic vs multinational companies impacting environment has been made by selecting two companies of each type from the industry on the basis of their turnover. The product portfolios of selected companies have been analyzed on the basis of a matrix constructed for market attractiveness and environmental attractiveness.
Findings
The study finds that both domestic and multinational companies have been making efforts to reorient their product strategy towards a relatively greener portfolio. Also, multinationals are having more environmentally safer products than their domestic counterparts. Indian firms have been catching up by acquiring brands/companies to expand/reorient their product portfolios, whereas multinationals have been adopting merger and acquisition strategies as well as launching new products using indigenous research and development of their parent companies. Related diversification is the preferred strategic move by both the groups, though in different areas.
Practical implications
The study classifies the products of various companies on the basis of market as well as environmental attractiveness and also recommends the strategies to manage a product portfolio. Similar kind of portfolios could be constructed and used for analyzing the product mix of firms in other sectors.
Originality/value
The originality of the study lies in the fact that, although the pesticide industry is very important to study from both an environmental and a strategic perspective, no effort has ever been made to study the environmental strategies of firms and also the comparison of domestic as well as multinational firms. The product portfolio based on market as well as environmental attractiveness devised in the study is novel in nature.
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Sapna A. Narula and Anupriya Desore
This paper aims to investigate existing research in green marketing with special reference to consumer behaviour and identify challenges both in practice and research, offering…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate existing research in green marketing with special reference to consumer behaviour and identify challenges both in practice and research, offering valuable insights for both the communities. While reviewing the existing literature in the paper, the authors define the scope of green marketing as a standalone discipline and discuss all aspects of green consumer behaviour and present opportunities for researchers.
Design/methodology/approach
A thorough literature search in leading academic journals related to the scope of this paper was conducted through leading databases. An analysis of literature review comprising 140 relevant articles has been carried out and presented in the paper.
Findings
Green consumer behaviour research is one area which is very well researched but studies are found to be generic in nature. the authors stress that research needs to be advanced in relation to addressing gaps between consumer perceptions and designing green products, identification of green segments, positioning green products and also inclusion of stakeholders in green marketing process. More insights into consumers willingness to pay for green attributes Vis -a Vis conventional attributes need to be worked out.
Originality/value
In spite of plenty of reviews available in green marketing, there is no review which solely covers the consumer behaviour aspects of green marketing. Consumer being the most important stakeholder in green marketing domain deserves special attention from the researchers’ perspective. The review is unique in providing all aspects of green consumer behaviour research.