As organic fresh produce consumption has stagnated in Sweden in recent years, this study sheds light on this issue by examining factors influencing the institutional image of organic fresh produce and the confusion surrounding different kinds of eco-friendly fresh produce (eco-confusion). The influence of false facts belonging to the hedonic and utilitarian dimensions on eco-confusion and the institutional image was examined, followed by the influence of eco-confusion on the institutional image. Using the image attribution model andcentral core theory as a baseline, an expanded conceptual model was created based on anexisting qualitative study to fulfil the purpose of the research. For data collection, an online self-administered survey was distributed to consumers permanently residing in Sweden, gathering 201 valid responses. This study’s findings reveal that there is a significant influence of some of the false fact subdimensions on eco-confusion and that all four false fact subdimensions (symbolic, social, rational, sensorial) and eco-confusion significantly influencethe institutional image of organic fresh produce. The findings provide value for researchers,businesses, and society alike while also highlighting ethical considerations. Researchers can use the conceptual model developed based on the findings to further investigate eco-confusion and the image problem of organic fresh produce, organic fresh produce retailers can learn from this study and target Swedish consumers more effectively, and governments can use this paper as a reference to better educate consumers regarding eco-friendly food.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:hj-64875 |
| Date | January 2024 |
| Creators | Peros, Angelos, Widuckel, Svea |
| Publisher | Jönköping University, IHH, Företagsekonomi |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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