Behavioral Coping Strategy for Organic Consumption Constraints and Product Recalls

Organic consumption is driven by an identity-based motivation to take care of personal well-being, local communities, and the environment. However, market constraints such as premium price or a lack of assortment restrict the purchase behavior of organic consumers, while little is known about how they cope with such market constraints and how they respond to occasional product recalls that threaten their belief in product quality and safety. Based on self-affirmation theory and the organic consumption literature, this study examines the topic using 9-year longitudinal consumer panel data across six different categories. The results suggest that organic consumers present behavioral dispositions against market constraints through more promotion usage and less variety-seeking. In addition, the results show that, when they experience product recalls, they tend to reinforce their identity-motivated organic purchase actions which result in an increase in the organic purchase share. The findings distinguish different reactions from organic consumers to product recalls depending on their behavioral dispositions. The theoretical and managerial implications are discussed