Antecedents of willingness to pay for organic food - The role of individual personality traits

Abstract

Health concerns and environmental problems are becoming topics always more important in our society and are pushing people to pay more attention to what they eat and the consequences on their body and also on the environment. Conventional food production is one the most important players in the creation of pollution because of the use of various chemical agents for mass production. The main disadvantage of organic products is that they cost on average 20-60% more than conventional food but, despite this, the rise in worry for health and environmental problems is making the organic food consumption grow exponentially all over the world.

The aim of this study is to prove the relationship between the individual personality traits and the willingness to pay for organic food.

To analyze the consumers’ WTP of organic food I took inspiration from the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Big Five Theory. I built a questionnaire on traits anxiety, impulsivity, health consciousness, tolerance for ambiguity, warm glow and empathy where impulsivity acts as the moderating variable. I distributed my questionnaire to my relatives, friends and acquaintances and I collected 230 answers. After a deep analysis through the software SmartPLS 3, I discovered that the hypothesis of tolerance for ambiguity, anxiety and the direct effect of impulsivity are confirmed.

This study is one of a kind with unique outcomes that contribute to the latest marketing literature on the WTP for organic food.