An integrated attitude-intention model describing the essence of South African consumer attitudes toward UHT milk alternative products

Abstract

While various factors such as health conditions, lifestyle trends and special nutritional requirements create increased consumer interest in the UHT milk alternative category, little is known about the South African market and the meaning consumers ascribe to these products. This remains a hindrance to marketing strategies and the development of products which meet consumer requirements. The industry needs to understand what influences consumer decisions to purchase products in this unique category. The purpose of the study was to gather deeper insights into the essence of South African consumer attitudes toward UHT milk alternatives and their related purchase intentions. The research utilised a postpositivist, qualitative approach to shape the perspective of the exploratory-descriptive phenomenological study. The geographical location of the study was within the borders of South Africa, to gather insight from South African consumers shopping in the South African retail market. The original research plan was to gather data through in-person mini-focus groups. Due to the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic restrictions on in-person meetings implemented during the data-gathering phase of the research, data-gathering methods were continued online rather than in person. The study used two in-person mini-focus groups, eight online mini-focus groups and eleven semi-structured online interviews, collecting data from 35 participants. Participants for the in-person mini-focus groups were initially recruited from the UNISA Main and Florida campuses via the university’s internal email communication network. However, due to limitations placed on in-person meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic and a change to online mini-focus groups and semi-structured interviews, the recruitment strategy was expanded to requests for participation posted on social media (Facebook) for individuals with a potential interest in milk alternatives. Participants in both recruitment strategies were self-selected by choosing to participate or not in the online mini-focus groups and booking a timeslot using the online SignUp Genius platform. Individuals who could not join the timeslots of online mini-focus groups were accommodated with semi-structured online interviews. The number of participants was not pre-determined, instead, participant recruitment and data-gathering concluded once a point of saturation was established from the new insights gathered from the thematic data analysis. A discussion guide was used to initiate discussions during data-gathering activities. The discussion was guided by the research questions and objectives. The same discussion guide was used for the mini-focus groups and semi-structured interviews. The questions were used as a guideline only to initiate discussions to maintain the emergent design of the study and enough flexibility to explore new concepts which arose during the discussions.

Questions from the discussion guide were occasionally rephrased and follow-up questions were formulated during the discussions to adapt to and expand on new insights as provided by participants, allowing the research to continue in its emergent design. The research proposal, including the research methodology, was approved by the Ethics Committee of the College of Agriculture and Environmental Science at the University of South Africa for approval before the study commenced and adhered to during the entire research process. The trustworthiness of the findings was supported by credibility, transferability, dependability, confirmability and reflexivity. Data was analysed using an inductive-deductive thematical analysis approach. During the inductive thematic analysis phase, data was analysed to find the emerging codes, subthemes and themes. A deductive thematic analysis phase followed the inductive phase to verify that the data supported the subthemes and themes found during the first phase and that any gaps or duplications of themes were addressed. Once a point of saturation was reached, as determined by the number, or lack of, new insights gained with each participant response, data-gathering activities were concluded. Findings were described, visualising the links between themes and subthemes which collectively shape consumer attitudes and purchase intentions toward UHT milk alternative products within the South African market. Meaningful links were discovered from the multiple participant perspectives, developing a complex representation of the factors involved in their purchase intentions. Consumer product-related attitudes specifically focused on the participant’s meaning ascribed to the product category, were comprised of the consumer product beliefs and their evaluation of the product, with all its supporting sub-themes. Non-product-related attitudes, such as attitudes toward expected outcomes, the social norm and control, were also found to impact consumers’ purchase intentions. The research found that none of the factors could be used in isolation to describe participant attitudes and purchase intentions. These attitudes and intentions must be considered holistically for the essence of South African consumer attitudes toward UHT milk alternative products and purchase intentions to be understood, leading to the development of the Integrated Attitude-Intention Model. The proposed Integrated Attitude-Intention Model was developed to visually depict the impact of consumer product beliefs (cognitive attitude component) and evaluation of product (affective attitude component), collectively suggested to be product-related attitudes, as well as expected outcomes, the social norm and control (cognitive attitude component), collectively suggested shaping non-product-related attitudes, on consumer purchase intentions.

The research contributions include practical recommendations to industry to provide insight for product development and marketing strategies, as well as contributions to theory through the proposed model, addressing gaps in the body of literature and contributing to research methodology. Limitations of the study were indicated as applicable to theory, the research design and methodology and in context of the interpretation and application of the research findings. Finally, recommendations for future research were presented to expand on the depth of understanding through further qualitative research, as well as testing and confirming research findings further through quantitative research.

Le hoja dintlha tse fapaneng tse kang maemo a bophelo bo botle, mekgwa ya bophelo le ditlhoko tse kgethehileng tsa phepo di baka thahasello e eketsehileng ya bareki sehlopheng sa mefuta e meng ya lebese la UHT, ha ho tsejwe hakaalo ka mmaraka wa Afrika Borwa le moelelo wa bareki ba dihlahiswa tsena. Sena e ntse e le tshitiso ho maano a papatso le ntshetsopele ya dihlahiswa tse fihlelang ditlhoko tsa bareki. Indasteri e hloka ho utlwisisa hore na ke eng e susumetsang diqeto tsa bareki ho reka dihlahiswa tsa mofuta ona o ikgethang.Sepheo sa thuto e ne e le ho bokella dintlha tse tebileng mabapi le moelelo wa maikutlo a bareki ba Afrika Borwa mabapi le mefuta e meng ya lebese la UHT le merero ya bona ya ho reka. Diphuphutso di sebedisitse mokgwa wa ho totobatsa dintlha tse hlokomelehang tsa boleng ho bopa pono ya thuto e hlalosang seo batho ba fetileng ho sona. Thuto ena e sebedisitse dihlopha tse pedi tsa batho, dihlopha tse robedi tsa inthaneteng tse tsepamisitseng maikutlo ho inthanete le dipuisano tse tebileng tsa inthanete tse leshome le motso o le mong, ho bokelletswe dintlha ho tswa ho bankakarolo ba 35. Tataiso ya dipuisano e ile ya sebediswa ho qala dipuisano mme ya fetolwa ho latela moralo o hlahang wa dipatlisiso. Botshepehi ba diphumano bo ne bo tshehetswa ke ho tshepahala, ho fetiswa, ho tsitsa ha dintho tse fumanweng, ho tiisa, le ho ananela karolo e nkilweng dipatlisisong. Dintlha di ile tsa manollwa ho sebediswa mokgwa wa ho tlisa-ho beha diqeto ka mabaka ho hlalosa mekgwa ya moelelo ka hara dintlha tsa boleng. Diphumano di ile tsa hlaloswa, ho bontsha dikamano dipakeng tsa dihlooho le dihloohwana tse amang maikutlo a bareki ka kopanelo le merero ya ho reka mabapi le dihlahiswa tse ding tsa lebese la UHT ka hara mmaraka wa Afrika Borwa. Dihokelo tse nang le morero di ile tsa sibollwa ho tswa mekgweng e mengata ya ditjhebo tsa bankakarolo, ho ntshetsapele boemedi bo rarahaneng ba dintlha tse amehang mererong ya bona ya ho reka. Maikutlo a bareki a ne a tsepamisitse maikutlo haholo moelelong wa bankakarolo o tsamaellanang le sehlopha sa sehlahiswa, a ne a entswe ka ditumelo tsa sehlahiswa sa bareki le tlhahlobo ya bona ya sehlahiswa, le dihloohwana tsohle tse tshehetsang.Maikemisetso a theko ya bareki hangata a ne a tsepamisitswe dinthong tse sa amaneng le sehlahiswa, jwalo ka diphetho tse lebelletsweng, tlwaelo ya setjhaba le taolo, tse ileng tsa ama merero ya ho reka ya bareki. Leha ho le jwalo, merero ya ho reka e ile ya angwa haholo ke maikutlo a bareki mabapi le sehlahiswa ka bosona.Diphuphutso di fumane hore ha ho le ha e le nngwe ya dintlha tse ka sebediswang ka thoko ho hlalosa maikutlo a bankakarolo le merero ya ho reka. Maikutlo le maikemisetso ana a tlameha ho nahanwa ka botlalo molemong wa maikutlo a bareki ba Afrika Borwa mabapi le dihlahiswa tse ding tsa lebese la UHT le maikemisetso a ho reka hore a utlwisiswe, e leng se lebisang ho ntshetsopele ya Mokgwa o Kopanetsweng wa Boikutlo ba Bareki.

Nakuba izici ezihlukahlukene njengezimo zempilo, izitayela zokuphila kanye nezidingo ezikhethekile zokudla okunomsoco kudala intshisekelo ekhulayo yomthengi esigabeni esihlukile sobisi lwe-UHT, kuncane okwaziwayo ngemakethe yaseNingizimu Afrika kanye nencazelo abathengi abayibeka ngale mikhiqizo. Lokhu kusalokhu kuyisithiyo kumasu okumaketha kanye nokuthuthukiswa kwemikhiqizo ehlangabezana nezidingo zabathengi. Imboni idinga ukuqonda ukuthi yini enomthelela ezinqumeni zabathengi zokuthenga imikhiqizo kulesi sigaba esiyingqayizivele. Inhloso yocwaningo bekuwukuqoqa imininingwane ejulile mayelana nengqikithi yesimo sengqondo sabathengi baseNingizimu Afrika maqondana nezinye izindlela zobisi lwe-UHT kanye nezinhloso zalo zokuthenga ezihlobene. Ucwaningo lusebenzise indlela yokuhumusha iqiniso ngokwezibalo, echazayo ukuze ilolonge umbono wocwaningo lokuqala emcabangweni wombono. Lolu cwaningo lusebenzise amaqembu amabili okugxilwa kuwo kumuntu, amaqembu ayisishiyagalombili agxile ku-inthanethi anabahlanganyeli abambalwa kanye nezingxoxo ezijulile eziyishumi nanye eziku-inthanethi, ukuqoqa imininingwane kubahlanganyeli abangama-35. Umhlahlandlela wokuxoxisana wasetshenziswa ukuqalisa izingxoxo futhi washintshwa ngokuvumelana nomklamo wocwaningo oluvelayo. Ukwethembeka kokutholakele kusekelwe ngukukholeka, ukudluliswa, ukwethembeka, ukuqinisekiswa, kanye nokuvumelana nezimo. Imininingwane yahlaziywa kusetshenziswa indlela yokuhlaziya evumela imininingwane inqume indikimba kanye nesekelwe olwazini olukhona. Okutholakele kwachazwa, kubukwa ngeso lengqondo lokuxhumana phakathi kwezindikimba nezindikimba zesibili ezakha ngokuhlangene izimo zengqondo zabathengi kanye nezinhloso zokuthenga mayelana nemikhiqizo yobisi lwe-UHT ehlukile phakathi kwemakethe yaseNingizimu Afrika. Izixhumanisi ezibalulekile zitholwe emibonweni yabahlanganyeli abaningi, ukuthuthukisa ukumelwa okuyinkimbinkimbi kwezinto ezibandakanyekayo ezinhlosweni zabo zokuthenga. Izimo zengqondo zabathengi ezigxile ngokukhethekile encazelweni yomhlanganyeli eshiwo esigabeni somkhiqizo, bekuhlanganiswa izinkolelo zomkhiqizo wabathengi kanye nokuhlola kwabo umkhiqizo, nazo zonke izingqikithi zesibili ezisekelayo. Izinhloso zokuthenga kwabathengi zazivame ukugxila ezintweni ezingahlobene nomkhiqizo, njengemiphumela elindelekile, inkambiso yomphakathi nokulawula, okube nomthelela ezinhlosweni zokuthenga zabathengi. Kodwa-ke, izinhloso zokuthenga nazo zathintwa kakhulu yisimo sengqondo somthengi ngomkhiqizo ngokwawo. Ucwaningo luthole ukuthi azikho izici ezingasetshenziswa zodwa ukuchaza izimo zengqondo ix zabahlanganyeli kanye nezinhloso zokuthenga. Lezi zimo zengqondo nezinhloso kufanele zibhekwe ngokuphelele ukuze kubhekwe ingqikithi yesimo sengqondo sabathengi baseNingizimu Afrika mayelana nemikhiqizo ehlukile yobisi lwe-UHT kanye nezinhloso zokuthenga ukuze ziqondwe, okuholela ekuthuthukisweni Kwesifanekiso Sesimo Sengqondo Somthengi Esididiyelwe.