The Determinants of Trust in Food Safety from the Perspective of Generation Z Students

Eugenia Czernyszewicz, Małgorzata Zdzisława Wiśniewska

Abstract


Theoretical background: Trust plays an important role in market relations and is a valuable bridge between the consumer and the producer. Given the importance of food, trust in its safety certainly plays a key role. There are many determinants affecting food safety trust. Due to its growing role in society, Generation Z (Gen Z) and its views on the subject should be taken into account. All the more so because this generation is skeptical, cautious, and sensitive in economic, environmental, cognitive, and social terms.

Purpose of the article: The objective of the study is to identify the determinants of trust in food safety among Polish students representing Gen Z consumers. A subsidiary objective is to identify whether trust in food safety is influenced by their socio-demographic and cognitive characteristics.

Research methods: A face-to-face survey method was used and 374 respondents were participating in the study. The influence of twelve determinants on trust in food safety was assessed. Cronbach’s alpha statistics were used to assess the questionnaire scale’s reliability. The KMO index (Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin) and Bartlett’s test of sphericity were applied to know the appropriateness of performing factor analysis. To simplify and reduce the number of sources of confidence in food safety identified in the study, a factor analysis was conducted using the principal components method and Varimax rotation with Kaiser normalization. To find the relationship between sociodemographic variables and the studied variables multiple regression was applied. Statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics 29.

Main findings: The reliability of the questionnaire used in the study has been confirmed. We distinguished three groups of determinants influencing food safety trust, and these are: “Place of food production and sale”, “The way of food production and supervision”, and “External socio-economic environment”. This type of classification can be considered our original contribution to the study, as well as the fact that among the individual determinants analyzed, we identified those with the highest importance in building food safety trust. These are the country of origin, the requirements of the country’s legal and market system as well as the activities of consumer and producer organizations. It was shown that socio-demographic and cognitive characteristics play a role in perceptions of product safety and in inducing trust in food safety.


Keywords


trust; Gen Z; students; consumer behavior; food safety

Full Text:

PDF

References


Annual Report. Alert and Cooperation Network. (2022). Publications Office of the European Union.

Abdullah, A., & Khadaroo, I. (2020). The trust-control nexus in public-private partnership (PPP) contracts. Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, 39(6), 106768. doi:10.1016/j.jaccpubpol.2020.106768

Ameen, N., Cheah, J. H., & Kumar, S. (2022). It’s all part of the customer journey: The impact of augmented reality, chatbots, and social media on the body image and self-esteem of Generation Z female consumers. Psychology & Marketing, 39(11), 2110–2129. doi:10.1002/mar.21715

Amit-Talai, V. (2022). Conclusion: The ‘multi’ cultural of youth. In V. Amit & H. Wulff (Eds.), Youth Cultures (pp. 223–233). New York: Routledge.

Aung, M.M., & Chang, Y.S. (2022). Food Traceability. In M.M. Aung & Y.S. Chang, Cold Chain Management (pp. 119–135). Springer International Publishing.

Babbie, E. (2004). Badania społeczne w praktyce. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN.

Bauer, P.C. (2021). Clearing the Jungle: Conceptualizing Trust and Trustworthiness. In B. de Freitas, R. Lo Iacono, & S. Lo Iacono (Eds.), Trust Matters: Cross-Disciplinary Essays (pp. 17–34). London: Hart Publishing.

Benson, T., Lavelle, F., Spence, S., Elliott, C.T., & Dean, M. (2020). The development and validation of a toolkit to measure consumer trust in food. Food Control, 110, 106988. doi:10.1016/j.foodcont.2019.106988

Berg, L., Kjaernes, U., Ganskau, E., Minina, V., Voltchkova, L., Halkier, B., & Holm, L. (2005). Trust in food safety in Russia, Denmark and Norway. European Societies, 7(1), 103–129. doi:10.1080/1461669042000327045

Bishop C. (2023). Customer trust: Definition, importance, and 6 ways to gain it. Retrieved from https://www.zendesk.com/blog/customer-trust/

Casidy, R., & Yan, L. (2022). The effects of supplier B2B sustainability positioning on buyer performance: The role of trust. Industrial Marketing Management, 102, 311–323. doi:10.1016/j.indmarman.2022.02.005

Cui, Z., Tu, N., & Itoh, M. (2023). Effects of brand and brand trust on initial trust in fully automated driving system. PLoS One, 18(5), e0284654. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0284654

Dabija, D.C., & Bejan, B. (2017). Behavioral antecedents for enhancing green customer loyalty in retail. BASIQ International Conference Proceedings: New trends in sustainable business and consumption, 1, 183–191.

Erkutlu, H., & Chafra, J. (2023). Leader moral disengagement and follower knowledge hiding. A moderated mediation model of follower Machiavellianism and trust in the leader. Journal of Economic and Administrative Sciences, 39(2), 452–469. doi:10.1108/JEAS-05-2020-0060

Fałkowski, J., & Ciaian, P. (2016). Factors Supporting the Development of Producer Organizations and Their Impacts in the Light of Ongoing Changes in Food Supply Chains. A Literature Review. European Union. doi:10.2791/21346

FAO. (2021). Consumer Organizations and the Right to Adequate Food –Making the Connections. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. doi:10.4060/cb3685en

Franc-Dąbrowska, J., Ozimek, I., Pomianek, I., & Rakowska, J. (2021). Young consumers’ perception of food safety and their trust in official food control agencies. British Food Journal, 123(8), 2693–2704. doi:10.1108/BFJ-11-2020-0992

Francis, T., & Hoefel, F. (2018). True Gen: Generation Z and its implications for companies. November. Retrieved from https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/mckinsey/industries/consumer%20packaged%20goods/our%20insights/true%20gen%20generation%20z%20and%20its%20implications%20for%20companies/generation-z-and-its-implication-for-companies.pdf

Francuz, P., & Mackiewicz, R. (2007). Liczby nie wiedzą, skąd pochodzą. Przewodnik po metodologii i statystyce nie tylko dla psychologów. Lublin: Wyd. KUL.

Fukuyama, F. (1997). Zaufanie. Kapitał społeczny a droga do dobrobytu. Warszawa: PWN.

Gambetta, D. (Ed.) (1988). Trust: Making and Breaking Cooperative Relations. Oxford: Blackwell.

Garnier, M., van Wessel, M., Tamás, P., & van Bommel, S. (2023). Chickens, Inc.: Was UK newspapers’ framing of the chicken meat production industry compatible with holding corporate power to account? Journalism Studies, 24(1), 66–87. doi:10.1080/1461670X.2022.2143865

Grabiwoda, B. (2019). E-konsumenci jutra. Pokolenie Z i technologie mobilne. Warszawa: Wyd. Nieoczywiste.

Grandison, T., & Sloman, M. (2003). Trust management tools for Internet applications. In P. Nixon & S. Terzis (Eds.), Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Trust Management (pp. 91–107). Springer-Verlag.

Guo, W., & Luo, Q. (2023). Investigating the impact of intelligent personal assistants on the purchase intentions of Generation Z consumers: The moderating role of brand credibility. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 73, 103353. doi:10.1016/j.jretconser.2023.103353

GUS. (2022). Szkolnictwo wyższe w roku akademickim 2021/2022 (wyniki wstępne). Retrieved from https://stat.gov.pl/obszary-tematyczne/edukacja/edukacja/szkolnictwo-wyzsze-w-roku-akademickim-20212022-wyniki-wstepne,8,8.html

Hair, J.F., Black, W.C., Babin, B.J., & Anderson, R.E. (2010). Multivariate Data Analysis (7th ed.). Hoboken: Prentice Hall. doi:10.1016/j.jmva.2009.12.014

Hasley, J.P., Hester, A.J., & Gregg, D.G. (2020). Measuring consumer trust and perceived risk in e-commerce. Journal of Technology Research, 9, 1–28.

Jager, J., Putnick, D.L., & Bornstein, M.H. (2017). II. More than just convenient: The scientific merits of homogeneous convenience samples. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 82(2), 13–30. doi:10.1111/mono.12296

Kamenidou, I.E.C., Mamalis, S.A., & Dimitriadis, E. (2018). Generation Z perceptions of quality certification: A cross-national study. International Journal of Food and Beverage Manufacturing and Business Models (IJFBMBM), 3(1), 23–41.

Khalid, B. (2021). Entrepreneurial insight of purchase intention and co-developing behavior of organic food consumption. Polish Journal of Management Studies, 24(1), 142–163. doi:10.17512/pjms.2021.24.1.09

Kjærnes, U., Harvey, M., & Warde. A. (2007). Trust in Food: A Comparative and Institutional Analysis. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

Klimczuk-Kochańska, M. (2017). Determinanty zaufania konsumentów do firm z sektora rolno-spożywczego. Marketing i Rynek, 11, 232–245.

Konuk, F.A. (2018). The role of store image, perceived quality, trust and perceived value in predicting consumers’ purchase intentions towards organic private label food. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 43, 304–310. doi:10.1016/j.jretconser.2018.04.011

Kubatko, O., Merritt, R., Duane, S., & Piven, V. (2023). The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global food system resilience. Mechanism of an Economic Regulation, 1(99), 144–148. doi:10.32782/mer.2023.99.22

Kydd A. (2000). Trust, reassurance, and cooperation. International Organization, 54(2), 325–357.

Lang, B., & Conroy, D.M. (2022). When food governance matters to consumer food choice: Consumer perception of and preference for food quality certifications. Appetite, 168, 105688. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2021.105688

Latip, M.S.A., Newaz, F.T., Ramasamy, R., Tumin, S.A., & Noh, I. (2020). How do food safety knowledge and trust affect individual’s green considerations during the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia? Malaysian Journal of Consumer and Family Economics, 24, 261–285.

Leisen Pollack, B. (2023). Green inspired service consumption: The Gen Z consumer’s perspective. Services Marketing Quarterly, 44(2/3), 206–226. doi:10.1080/15332969.2023.2213547

Lewicka, D., Karp-Zawlik, P., & Pec, M. (2017). Organizational trust and normative commitment. Annales Universitatis Mariae Curie-Skłodowska, sectio H – Oeconomia, 51(3), 71–83. doi:10.17951/h.2017.51.3.71

Lewicki, R., & Bunker, B. (1996). Developing and maintaining trust in work relations. In R. Kramer, & T. Tyler (Eds.), Trust in Organizations (pp. 114–139). New York: Sage Publications.

Li, Y., Wang, Z., Sun, L., Liu, L., Xu, C., & Kuang, H. (2019). Nanoparticle-based sensors for food contaminants. TrAC Trends in Analytical Chemistry, 113, 74–83. doi:10.1016/j.trac.2019.01.012

Luhmann, N. (2000). Familiarity, confidence, trust: Problems and alternatives. In N. Luhmann & D. Gambetta (Eds.), Trust: Making and Breaking Cooperative Relations (pp. 94–107). Oxford: Basil Blackwell.

Maciejewski, G. (2020). Zaufanie konsumentów do nowych rodzajów żywności. In A. Dąbrowska (Ed.), Bezpieczeństwo konsumentów na rynku żywności (pp. 143–155). Warszawa: Oficyna Wydawnicza SGH.

Macready, A.L., Hieke, S., Klimczuk-Kochańska, M., Szumiał, S., Vranken, L., & Grunert, K.G. (2020). Consumer trust in the food value chain and its impact on consumer confidence: A model for assessing consumer trust and evidence from a 5-country study in Europe. Food Policy, 92, 101880. doi:10.1016/j.foodpol.2020.101880

Maharani, N.D., & Puspaningrum, A. (2023). The effect of perceived product quality and brand image on purchase decision with trust as mediation. Journal of Business and Management Review, 4(4), 254–269. doi:10.47153/jbmr44.6672023

Mayer, R.C., Davis, J.H., & Schoorman, F.D. (1995) An integrative model of organizational trust. Academic Management Review, 20(3), 709–734.

Mazurek-Łopacińska, K. (2018). Generacja Z – cele, wartości życiowe i wyzwania dla współczesnych przedsiębiorstw. Konsumpcja i Rozwój, 4(25), 62–75.

Mróz, B. (2013). Konsument w globalnej gospodarce. Trzy perspektywy. Warszawa: Oficyna Wydawnicza SGH.

Munikrishnan, U.T., Huang, K., Mamun, A.A., & Hayat, N. (2023). Perceived risk, trust, and online food purchase intention among Malaysians. Business Perspectives and Research, 11(1), 28–43. doi:10.1177/22785337211043968

Ngo, H.M., Liu, R., Moritaka, M., & Fukuda, S. (2023). Determinants of consumer intention to purchase food with safety certifications in emerging markets: Evidence from Vietnam. Journal of Agribusiness in Developing and Emerging Economies, 13(2), 243–259. doi:10.1108/JADEE-06-2021-0138

Nguyen, N., Leclerc, A., & LeBlanc, G. (2013). The mediating role of customer trust on customer loyalty. Journal of Service Science and Management, 6, 96–109. doi:10.4236/jssm.2013.61010

Noor, M.N.M., Jumain, R.S.A., Yusof, A., Ahmat, M.A.H., & Kamaruzaman, I.F. (2017). Determinants of Generation Z green purchase decision: A SEM-PLS approach. International Journal of Advanced and Applied Sciences, 4(11), 143–147.

Ozdemir-Guzel, S., & Bas, Y.N. (2021). Gen Z tourists and smart devices. In N. Stylos, R. Rahimi, B. Okumus, & S. Williams (Eds.), Generation Z Marketing and Management in Tourism and Hospitality. The Future of the Industry (pp. 141–166). London: Palgrave Macmillan.

Paczka, E. (2020). Zmiana zachowań rynkowych pokolenia Z. Ekonomia – Wroclaw Economic Review. Acta Universitatis Wratislaviensis, 26(1), 21–34.

Paliszkiewicz, J., & Klepacki, B. (2013). Tools of building customer trust. In Proceedings of International Conference, Active Citizenship by Knowledge Management & Innovation (pp. 1287–1294). 19–21 June, Zadar, Croatia.

Pichler, S., Kohli, C., & Granitz, N. (2021). DITTO for Gen Z: A framework for leveraging the uniqueness of the new generation. Business Horizons, 64(5), 599–610. doi:10.1016/j.bushor.2021.02.021

Pillutla, M.M. (2005). Trust. In M.M. Pillutla (Ed.), Blackwell Encyclopedic Dictionary of Organizational Behavior (p. 1). Oxford: Blackwell.

Pizzutti dos Santos, C., & Von der Heyde Fernandes, D. (2008). Antecedents and consequences of consumer trust in the context of service recovery context of service recovery. Brasilian Administration Review, 5(3), 225–244. doi:10.1590/S1807-76922008000300005

PN-EN ISO 22000. (2018). Systemy zarządzania bezpieczeństwem żywności. Wymagania dla każdej organizacji należącej do łańcucha żywnościowego. Warszawa: Polski Komitet Normalizacyjny.

Pocol, C.B., Marinescu, V., Dabija, D.-C., & Amuza, A. (2021). Clustering Generation Z university students based on daily fruit and vegetable consumption: Empirical research in an emerging market. British Food Journal, 123(8), 2705–2727. doi:10.1108/BFJ-10-2020-0900

Pradhan, D., Kuanr, A., Anupurba Pahi, S., & Akram, M.S. (2023). Influencer marketing: When and why Gen Z consumers avoid influencers and endorsed brands. Psychology & Marketing, 40, 27–47. doi:10.1002/mar.21749

Prusak, L., & Cohen, D. (2001). How to invest in social capital. Harvard Business Review, 79(6), 86–93.

Qi, X., Chan, J.H., Hu, J., & Li, Y. (2020). Motivations for selecting cross-border e-commerce as a foreign market entry mode. Industrial Marketing Management, 89, 50–60. doi:10.1016/j.indmarman.2020.01.009

Quoquab, F., Mohammad, J., & Sukari, N.N. (2019). A multiple-item scale for measuring “sustainable consumption behaviour” construct. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 31(4), 791–816. doi:10.1108/APJML-02-2018-0047

Rajkumar, S., Nayar, R., Rajagopal, K., Chakurkar, E.B., Venkatesh, V.S., Nambiar, P., & Paramesh, V. (2021). Socio-demographic influences on various consumer food safety indices: an empirical study of ethnic Goan pork sausage consumers. British Food Journal, 123(8), 2670–2692. doi:10.1108/BFJ-10-2020-0986

Rapp, C.E., & Wilson, R.B. (2022). Factors that contribute to trustworthiness across levels of authority in wildland fire incident management teams. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 73, 102877. doi:10.1016/j.ijdrr.2022.102877

Ratasuk, A., & Gajesanand, S., (2023). Does food safety build customer trust? The mediating role of perceived risk in food delivery service in Bangkok during the COVID-19 pandemic. Asia Social Issues, 16(2), e253719. Retrieved from https://so06.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/asi

Rees, W., Tremma, O., & Manning, L. (2019). Sustainability cues on packaging: The influence of recognition on purchasing behaviour. Journal of Cleaner Production, 235, 841–853. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.06.217

Regulation (EC) No. 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 January 2002 laying down the general principles and requirements of food law, establishing the European Food Safety Authority and laying down procedures in matters of food safety (OJ L 31, 1.2.2002).

Rupprecht, C.D.D., Fujiyoshi, L., McGreevy, S.R., & Tayasu, I. (2020). Trust me? Consumer trust in expert information on food product labels. Food and Chemical Toxicology, 137, 111170. doi:10.1016/j.fct.2020.111170

Sahin, A.G., & Gul, F.H. (2023). Effects of COVID-19 pandemic on consumers’ food label reading behaviours and trust in food label information. British Food Journal, 125(3), 1054–1066. doi:10.1108/BFJ-01-2022-0092

Simonson, I., Carmon, Z., Dhar, R., & Drolet, A. (2001). Consumer research: In search of identity. Annual Review of Psychology, 52, 249–276. doi:10.1146/annurev.psych.52.1.249

Sirdeshmukh, D., Singh, J., & Sabol, B. (2002). Consumer trust, value, and loyalty in relational exchanges. Journal of Marketing, 66(1), 15–37. doi:10.1509/jmkg.66.1.15.18449

Squires, S., & Ho, H.W.L. (2023). Generation Z’s perceptions and attitudes toward debt: A case study of young consumers in rural Michigan, USA. Young Consumers, 24(2), 133–148. doi:10.1108/YC-07-2022-1567

Sfodera, F., Cain, L.N., & Di Leo, A. (2022). Is technology everywhere? Exploring Generation Z’s perceptions of sustainable tourism in developing countries. International Hospitality Review, (ahead-of-print). doi:10.1108/IHR-05-2022-0025

Šramková, M., & Sirotiaková, M. (2021). Consumer behaviour of Generation Z in the context of dual quality of daily consumption products on EU market. SHS Web of Conferences 92. Globalization and its Socio-Economic Consequences 2020, 1–10. doi:10.1051/shsconf/20219206038

Szakály, Z., Kontor, E., Kovács, S., Popp, J., Pető, K., & Polereczki, Z. (2018). Adaptation of the Food Choice Questionnaire: The case of Hungary. British Food Journal, 120(7), 1474–1488. doi:10.1108/BFJ-07-2017-0404

Sztabiński, F. (2011). Ocena jakości danych w badaniach surveyowych. Wydawnictwo IFiS PAN.

The EIT Food Trust Report. (2021). Sustainable food choices and the role of trust in the food chain. Retrieved from https://www.eitfood.eu/media/news-pdf/EIT_Food_Trust_Report_2021.pdf

Truong, V.A., Lang, B., & Conroy, D.M. (2022). When food governance matters to consumer food choice: Consumer perception of and preference for food quality certifications. Appetite, 168, 105688. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2021.105688

Uță, I.C. (2022). Gen Z: 30 consumer behaviour insights. Retrieved from https://brandminds.com/gen-z-30-consumer-behaviour-insights/

Wang, H., Ma, B., Bai, R., & Zhang, L. (2021). The unexpected effect of frugality on green purchase intention. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 59, 102385. doi:10.1016/j.jretconser.2020.102385

Wardani, P.E., & Nugraha, A.K.N.A. (2022). The influence of brand ambassador, country of origin, and brand image on purchase decisions of skincare products. Asian Journal of Entrepreneurship, 3(3), 88–98.

Watanabe, E.A.D.M., Alfinito, S., Curvelo, I.C.G., & Hamza, K.M. (2020). Perceived value, trust and purchase intention of organic food: A study with Brazilian consumers. British Food Journal, 122(4), 1070–1184. doi:10.1108/BFJ-05-2019-0363

Weber, M.J., Deepa, M., & Murnighan, K.J. (2005). Normal acts of irrational trust: motivated attributions and the trust development process. Research in Organizational Behavior, 2(26), 75–101. doi:10.1016/S0191-3085(04)26003-8

Whitworth, J. (2021). FSA survey finds high confidence in food safety. Retrieved from https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2021/04/fsa-survey-finds-high-confidence-in-food-safety/

WHO. (2022). Food Safety. Key Facts. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/food-safety

Wiśniewska, M.Z., Kowalska, A., Manning, L., Malinowska, E., & Kowalski, P. (2022). Consumption and home preparation of fermented vegetable products in Poland. Zeszyty Naukowe Politechniki Śląskiej. Organizacja i Zarządzanie, 55, 557–578. doi:10.29119/1641-3466.2022.155.36

Wu, W., Zhang, A., van Klinken, R.D., Schrobback, P., & Muller, J.M. (2021). Consumer trust in food and the food system: A critical review. Foods, 10(10), 2490. doi:10.3390/foods10102490

Yi, S., Zhao, J., & Joung, H.W. (2018). Influence of price and brand image on restaurant customers’ restaurant selection attribute. Journal of Foodservice Business Research, 21(2), 200–217. doi:10.1080/15378020.2017.1368808

Yu, W., Han, X., Ding, L., & He, M. (2021). Organic food corporate image and customer co-developing behavior: The mediating role of consumer trust and purchase intention. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 59, 102377. doi:10.1016/j.jretconser.2020.102377

Żakowska-Biemans, S. (2011). Bariery zakupu żywności ekologicznej w kontekście rozwoju rynku żywności ekologicznej. Journal of Research and Applications in Agricultural Engineering, 56(4), 216–220.

Żakowska-Biemans, S., & Gutkowska, K. (2018). Atrybuty zaufania dotyczące jakości jako czynnik wpływający na decyzje nabywcze konsumentów żywności. Zeszyty Naukowe Szkoły Głównej Gospodarstwa Wiejskiego. Ekonomika i Organizacja Gospodarki Żywnościowej, 121, 115–130. doi:10.22630/EIOGZ.2018.121.9

Zanetta, L.D.A., Mucinhato, R.M.D., Hakim, M.P., Stedefeldt, E., & da Cunha, D.T. (2022). What motivates consumer food safety perceptions and beliefs? A scoping review in BRICS countries. Foods, 11(3), 432. doi:10.3390/foods11030432




DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17951/h.2023.57.3.57-79
Date of publication: 2023-12-11 07:08:16
Date of submission: 2023-07-07 12:06:40


Statistics


Total abstract view - 704
Downloads (from 2020-06-17) - PDF - 0

Indicators



Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2023 Eugenia Czernyszewicz, Małgorzata Zdzisława Wiśniewska

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.