Information and Knowledge as Antecedents of Consumer Attitudes and Intentions to Buy and Recommend Fair-Trade Products

ABSTRACT

The authors propose and empirically test a causal model to understand how the availability of fair-trade information and consumer knowledge about this issue affect consumers’ attitudes and intentions toward fair-trade products. The model is built upon the attitude-behavior paradigm and the premises of agency theory. It is tested through structural equation modeling with a sample of 292 Spanish consumers. The findings are that consumers do not have good knowledge about fair trade and that this is significantly determined by the lack of information about this in the market. It is also observed that consumers’ perceptions about the availability of fair-trade information have negative effects on their concern about this issue and that such information as is available is not effective in reducing consumer skepticism. The research represents an extension of previous fair-trade literature because the role of information and communication in improving consumer attitudes and buying intentions has rarely been explored in the case of ethical products.

KEYWORDS:

• attitudes
• buying intentions
• fair trade
• knowledge
• word of mouth

Acknowledgment

The authors thank the Área de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo (ACOIDE) of the University of xxx for its support in the development of this research.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Andrea Pérez

Andrea Pérez, PhD, is a lecturer in marketing at the University of Cantabria (Spain). Her current research interests include corporate social responsibility, business communications, and consumer behavior. Her works have been published in prestigious international journals such as Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, Journal of Business Ethics, European Journal of Marketing, Psychology & Marketing and Service Business.

María del Mar García de los Salmones

M.d.M. García de los Salmones, PhD, is associate professor in marketing at the University of Cantabria (Spain). Her current research interests include corporate social responsibility, brand management, and communication. Her works have been published in prestigious international journals such as International Journal of Advertising, European Journal of Marketing, Journal of Business Ethics, Journal of Risk Research, and International Journal of Bank Marketing.