Lim Chui Seong, Wong Siew Chin, Yeo Chu May
Faculty of Accountancy, Finance And Business, Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology, Malaysia.
Appetite. 2025 Aug 1;212:108015. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2025.108015. Epub 2025 Apr 25.
While the theory of consumption values (TCV) has explained various aspects of consumer choice, its application to plant-based meat is limited. This study addresses this gap by using TCV to understand plant-based meat purchase intentions, comparing and contrasting vegetarians and non-vegetarians.
DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: Using mixed methods, the authors developed a questionnaire from focus groups (n = 16) and surveyed 402 participants (200 non-vegetarians, 202 vegetarians). Structural equation modelling and multigroup analysis explored group differences. Importance-Performance Matrix Analysis (IPMA) augmented the analysis by evaluating latent variable scores.
Functional values (health, utilitarian and guilt avoidance), social value, emotional value (overall emotional feeling) and conditional value impact the purchase intention of plant-based meat for both vegetarian and non-vegetarian groups. MGA analysis revealed that the relationship between conditional value and purchase intention was significantly stronger in the non-vegetarian group compared to the vegetarian group; and the relationship between functional value and purchase intention was stronger in the vegetarian group than in the non-vegetarian group.
ORIGINALITY/VALUE: It extends the relatively scant literature on plant-based meat and TCV by addressing consumption values from both vegetarian and non-vegetarian perspectives. The study utilizes data from Malaysia, a growing but under-researched market for plant-based meat. Finally, this work models a conceptual framework of plant-based meat and TCV for both vegetarian and non-vegetarian consumers.
The findings of this research provide a framework explaining plant-based meat consumption by both vegetarians and non-vegetarians. Because vegetarians and non-vegetarians have different consumption values, marketers can leverage these differences to promote plant-based meat. For vegetarians preparing food for non-vegetarians, marketing should emphasize guilt avoidance associated with meat consumption. For broader adoption, promoting the availability of plant-based meat in food and beverage sectors, highlighting its convenience (easy recipes and preparation), and emphasizing its role in a transition towards reduced meat consumption can be effective. This transition, in turn, can contribute to reducing the harmful impact on the environment and ecosystem.
虽然消费价值观理论（TCV）解释了消费者选择的各个方面，但其在植物性肉类方面的应用有限。本研究通过运用TCV来理解植物性肉类的购买意愿，对素食者和非素食者进行比较和对比，填补了这一空白。
设计/方法/途径：作者采用混合方法，根据焦点小组（n = 16）制定了一份问卷，并对402名参与者（200名非素食者、202名素食者）进行了调查。结构方程建模和多组分析探索了组间差异。重要性-绩效矩阵分析（IPMA）通过评估潜在变量得分增强了分析。
功能价值（健康、功利和避免内疚）、社会价值、情感价值（总体情感感受）和条件价值影响素食者和非素食者群体对植物性肉类的购买意愿。多组分析表明，与素食者群体相比，非素食者群体中条件价值与购买意愿之间的关系显著更强；而功能价值与购买意愿之间的关系在素食者群体中比在非素食者群体中更强。
原创性/价值：它从素食者和非素食者两个角度探讨消费价值观，扩展了关于植物性肉类和TCV相对较少的文献。该研究利用了来自马来西亚的数据，马来西亚是一个对植物性肉类需求不断增长但研究不足的市场。最后，这项工作为素食者和非素食者消费者构建了一个植物性肉类和TCV的概念框架。
本研究结果提供了一个解释素食者和非素食者对植物性肉类消费的框架。由于素食者和非素食者有不同的消费价值观，营销人员可以利用这些差异来推广植物性肉类。对于为非素食者准备食物的素食者，营销应强调与肉类消费相关的内疚感。为了更广泛地采用，在食品和饮料行业推广植物性肉类的供应，强调其便利性（简单食谱和准备），并强调其在向减少肉类消费过渡中的作用可能是有效的。反过来，这种过渡有助于减少对环境和生态系统的有害影响。
