Theory of Reasoned Action and the role of external factors in organic food purchase

Sammanfattning: This study examines a current phenomenon and behavioural shift amongst consumers’, namely the accelerating growth of organic food sales in Sweden. By combining the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA), with the logic of value co-creation, an appropriate research tool has been developed stemmed from two related sub-studies. Based on TRA’s argument that additional factors, referred to as external, only can influence behavioural intention indirectly, combined with the proposed impact of value co-creation on consumers’ purchase behaviour, these theoretical perspectives have been consolidated. This has been done with the purpose to validate whether external factors directly influence consumers’ behavioural intention. The findings suggest that (1) external factors directly influence behavioural intention to purchase organic food products as statistical significance is found for value, (2) as value is confirmed, one can validate that external factors directly influence consumers’ behavioural intention to purchase organic food products and (3) that no statistical significance is found for co and creation, even though a small and slight negative influence on behavioural intention is suggested. This study contributes with an understanding whether external factors directly influence consumers’ behavioural intention to purchase, having implication on both theory and practice.