Unpacking Organic Food Purchase Intentions in an S-O-R Framework: The Multidimensional Moderating Roles of Consumer Knowledge and Trust

Abstract

This study applies the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) model to examine consumers' purchase intentions for organic food. The model incorporates three stimulus (S) variables—price perceptions, health consciousness, and environmental concerns—along with the organism (O) variable of attitudes, culminating in the response (R) of purchase intention. Using structural equation modeling (SEM) on data from 474 organic consumers in Turkey, the study also investigates four moderating variables: subjective and objective knowledge and trust in organic food and labeling processes. These moderators address the commonly observed attitude-behavioral intention gap. The results reveal that health consciousness, price perception, and environmental concerns positively influence attitudes, enhancing purchase intentions. Moreover, three out of the four moderators were found to enhance the relationship between attitudes and purchase intentions significantly. However, no evidence supported the moderating role of subjective knowledge. These findings offer valuable insights for researchers exploring consumer behavior and practitioners designing marketing strategies, emphasizing the critical role of knowledge and trust in fostering organic food adoption in emerging markets.