Effect of utilitarian and hedonic values on consumer willingness to buy and to pay for organic olive oil in Tunisia

Purpose This paper aims to study the influence of organic food perceived values (utilitarian vs hedonic) on consumer willingness to buy and willingness to pay in a developing country. Design/methodology/approach This paper utilized a survey of 467 Tunisian consumers of organic olive oil. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the reliability and validities of constructs, as wells as model fit and the structural model. Findings The findings indicate that both utilitarian and hedonic values have significant influence on consumer willingness to buy and to pay for organic olive oil. The hedonic value has a stronger influence on willingness to buy while the utilitarian value has a stronger influence on willingness to pay. Research limitations/implications This study contributes to knowledge regarding the relationships between organic food perceived value and consumer willingness to buy and to pay. Findings provide clear ways for practitioners to communicate the perceived values of their organic foods in order to increase their consumption. Originality/value This paper is one of the rare studies that focuses on willingness to buy and to pay for organic food in a developing country. In addition, it is a first attempt to test the consumer perceived values of organic olive oil in the context of one of the biggest producer countries of this type of food.