Organic consumption behavior: A social identification perspective

Consumer demand for organic food and non-food products has been growing dramatically. This study examines organic consumption behavior from a social identification perspective. Focusing on the central role of organic consumer identification (OCI), or the extent to which individuals categorize themselves as organic consumers, this study theorizes and empirically establishes environmental consumer identification, organic product-related cognitions (i.e., organic product familiarity and trustworthiness), and their interactions as key antecedents of OCI. As importantly, we show that the positive effect of OCI on consumer loyalty to organic products is contingent upon both prevailing social norms of organic consumption and the perceived price of organic products. In establishing these relationships, this study paints a more nuanced, comprehensive and generalizable picture of what drives consumer social identification and what are its consequences in the domain of organic consumption. It offers several important implications for theory and practice.