Understanding the eco-friendly decision-making process of meal kit consumers based on the value-belief-norm (VBN) model: The mediating role of anticipated guilt and pride

With the significant growth of the meal kit market, environmental pollution problems caused by meal kit packaging materials are also emerging. Meal kit companies are pressured by society to use more eco-friendly packaging materials. However, doing so would only increase the production costs and sales prices, if consumers turn a blind eye to it. Therefore, for meal kit companies, it is necessary to understand the antecedents to consumers' eco-friendly behavior intentions and react accordingly. For this reason, this study used the VBN model to examine the decision-making process of meal kit consumers that leads from value beliefs and personal norms to eco-friendly behavioral intentions. In addition, the mediating roles of emotional factors (predicted guilt and pride) in the process were considered. To address the research objectives, a survey was conducted amongst adult men and women who purchased meal kits and plan to purchase them in the future. A total of 300 responses were collected from July 11 to 13, 2023. Among them, 249 (83.0%) suitable responses were analyzed. Descriptive statistics analysis and structural equation modeling analysis were performed using SPSS and AMOS programs. The analysis results are as follows. First, the values of meal kit consumers had significant effects on outcome perception, responsibility attribution, individual norms, and purchase intentions. Second, there were significant mediating effects of anticipated guilt and pride in the relationship between personal norms and the intentions to purchase eco-friendly meal kits. The analysis results emphasized the importance of values, beliefs, personal norms, and anticipated emotions in strengthening the eco-friendly behavioral intentions of meal kit consumers. It is suggested that meal kit companies should invest in monitoring and managing consumers' ecological values, personal norms, and emotional factors at the marketing level.