Designing and explaining the process pattern of customers' buying behavior of organic products (Mixed approach)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Student of Business Management - Marketing, Faculty of Management and Economics, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

2 Associate Professor, Department of Business Management, Faculty of Management and Economics, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

3 Professor, Department of Business Management, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran,

Abstract

The aim of this study was to design and explain the process pattern of customers' buying behavior of organic products. This research is mixed (qualitative-quantitative) in terms of applied purpose, in terms of approach, exploratory, and in terms of data analysis. In the qualitative phase of the research, in order to design a model based on the data theory methodology of the foundation, a group of experts in the field of agricultural products marketing, including university professors and marketing consultants in the field of organic agricultural products, who were familiar with marketing and marketing of organic food products, were selected. In-depth interviews were conducted. In the quantitative phase, customers of organic agricultural products in Tehran were considered as a statistical population and among them, 500 people were selected from the cluster sampling method with equal volume as a statistical sample. In the qualitative phase of the research, because the foundation data theory method was used, the main tool for data collection was in-depth and unstructured interviews with experts. In the quantitative phase of the research, the main data collection tool was a closed and researcher-made questionnaire consisting of 51 items that was designed based on the initial conceptual model. In the quantitative phase of the research, SPSS and Lisrel software were used for descriptive and inferential analyzes. Finally, the results of the research led to the design of a process model of customer buying behavior of organic products.

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