Green consumers' behavioral intention and loyalty to use mobile organic food delivery applications: the role of social supports, sustainability perceptions, and religious consciousness

Md Mahedi Hasan; Md Al Amin; Md Shamsul Arefin; Tanjim Mostafa

doi:10.1007/s10668-023-03284-z

Green consumers' behavioral intention and loyalty to use mobile organic food delivery applications: the role of social supports, sustainability perceptions, and religious consciousness

Environ Dev Sustain. 2023 May 29:1-51. doi: 10.1007/s10668-023-03284-z. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Md Mahedi Hasan¹, Md Al Amin^{2

3}, Md Shamsul Arefin⁴, Tanjim Mostafa²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Accounting and Information Systems, Jashore University of Science and Technology, Jashore, 7408 Bangladesh.
² Department of Marketing, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University, Gopalganj, Bangladesh.
³ School of Business and Management, Queen Mary University of London, London, England UK.
⁴ Department of Management Studies, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University, Gopalganj, Bangladesh.

Abstract

Consumer behavior in the food industry has undergone significant changes in recent years, largely driven by growing consumer awareness of environmental, technological, religious, and social concerns. As a result, organic food has emerged as a popular alternative to conventionally produced food. Many emerging nations, including Bangladesh, promote its consumption due to its perceived health and safety benefits. Despite this growing trend, there remains a need for more understanding of consumer behavior, particularly concerning their motivations for continuous purchases toward mobile organic food delivery applications. In order to fill this knowledge gap, this study looks at how six indirect predictors (emotional support, informational support, environmental consciousness, religious consciousness, trust, and technological consciousness) affect customer loyalty through the intention to use organic food. This study employed a purposive sampling technique (i.e., judgmental sampling) and collected data from 386 respondents across three cities in Bangladesh. Data analysis was conducted using SmartPLS 3 software. The study found that all predictors, except for technological consciousness, significantly influenced behavioral intention, which, in turn, significantly influenced loyalty. Additionally, the study revealed that the five predictors, excluding technological consciousness, indirectly influenced loyalty through behavioral intention. The results of this study add to the existing literature on organic food by extending social support theory to include consumers' primary motivations, such as environmental, religious, technological, and social consciousness, as predictors of loyalty to use mobile organic food delivery applications. The study highlights the importance of sustainable food consumption in promoting environmental protection, ensuring social justice, creating economic success, and providing valuable insights for implementers looking to expand the organic food market.

Keywords: Emotional support; Environmental sustainability; Informational support; Religious values; Trust.