Self-Protective Dining Behavior: An Investigation on Consumer’s Use of Online Food Delivery Service

ABSTRACT

This study aims to investigate how consumer’s use of online food delivery (OFD) services is driven by its self-protective nature. Drawing on protection motivation theory, the unified theory of use and acceptance of technology, and diffusion of innovation theory, an integrated model was tested with 1,000 empirical data points to explain consumers’ OFD use during the pandemic. Results confirmed the self-protective nature of OFD use by uncovering a significant positive effect of fear of COVID-19 on consumers’ OFD ordering frequency. Perceived vulnerability contributed more strongly to an individual’s fear of COVID-19 than perceived severity in dining activities. These findings theoretically expand the current understanding of OFD services and provide practical implications for OFD platforms, restaurateurs, and governments.

自我保护性用餐行为: 消费者使用在线食品外卖服务的调查摘要

该研究旨在探究消费者使用在线食品外卖服务的自我保护性质，并基于保护动机理论、技术使用和接受的统一理论以及创新扩散理论，测试了一个整合模型，使用1,000 个实证数据点解释了在疫情期间消费者使用在线食品外卖服务的情况。结果证实了OFD 使用的自我保护性质，揭示了COVID-19 恐惧对消费者OFD订购频率的显著正面影响。相对于就餐活动的知觉严重性，知觉脆弱性更强烈地促使了个体对 COVID-19 的恐惧感。这些研究结果从理论上扩展了当前对OFD服务的理解，并为 OFD 平台、餐厅经营者和政府提供了实用的启示。

KEYWORDS:

• COVID-19
• online food delivery
• Fear of COVID-19
• self-protective behavior
• protection motivation theory

关键词:

• 在线食品外卖
• 恐惧
• 自我保护行为
• 保护动机理论

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China [15503322].

Notes on contributors

Pearl M. C. Lin

Pearl M. C. Lin is an associate professor in the School of Hotel and Tourism Management at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, China. Her research interest includes sharing economy in accommodation, dining, delivery sectors, and hospitality marketing and restaurant management (E-mail: [email protected]).

Chih-Hung Wu

Chih-Hung Wu is a professor in the Department of Digital Content and Technology at National Taichung University of Education, Taiwan. Currently he is working on technologies of data mining techniques and computational intelligence (CI) such as Support Vector Machines (SVMs) on financial, affective computing in education/learning, and management information topics (E-mail: [email protected]).

Chin-Yi Fang

Chin-Yi Fang is a distinguished professor at the Graduate Institute of Sport, Leisure, and Hospitality Management at National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan. His research interests include statistical analysis, financial management in the tourism and hospitality industries, among others (E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]).

Wai Ching Wilson Au

Wai Ching Wilson Au is a Ph.D. candidate in the School of Hotel and Tourism Management at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, China. His research interests include smart tourism, gig economy, sharing economy, and complexity in tourism (E-mail: [email protected]).