Terminal or instrumental? The impact of values on consumers’ preference for organic food products

Abstract

The study analyzed the relationships between the terminal and instrumental values on attitude and behavioral intentions for organic food products in the context of Behavioral Reasoning Theory and Cognitive Hierarchical Model, i.e., Value-Attitude Behavior. The conceptual model is based on a comprehensive review of the past research. A two-step approach was employed to evaluate the measurement and structural models with Smart PLS software for partial least square structural equation modeling. The findings revealed that for organic food products, both terminal and instrumental values influence attitude and consecutively, attitude influences behavioral intentions. However, the instrumental value exhibited greater influence on both attitude and behavioral intentions in comparison to the terminal value. The research findings may help organic food marketers to develop strategies by promotions that are aligned to the terminal and instrumental values.