Beyond Linear Models: A Hybrid SEM-fsQCA Approach to Understanding Consumer Intentions for Organic Rice

Interest in organic food has grown steadily, driven by its health and environmental benefits and concerns about conventional production. Yet organic rice remains largely overlooked, while imported, low-cost inorganic rice dominates the market. This study addresses that gap by extending the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to include environmental concern and knowledge, alongside health consciousness and status, as predictors of purchase intention, and the TPB constructs as mediators. Using survey data from 401 Haitian consumers, we applied structural equation modeling and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis. Results show health consciousness as the strongest and most consistent driver, shaping attitudes, norms, and perceived control, while environmental concern also plays a significant role. Environmental knowledge proved context-dependent, and health status and perceived control were not significant. The mediation analysis revealed several significant indirect effects. Environmental concern influenced behavioral intention through both attitudes and subjective norms, while environmental knowledge showed a significant indirect effect via subjective norms. Health concern demonstrated the strongest mediation effects, with significant pathways through attitudes and subjective norms. In contrast, mediations through perceived behavioral control were consistently non-significant across all tested relationships. The fsQCA analysis identified environmental concern, environmental knowledge, health consciousness, attitudes, and subjective norms as necessary conditions for consumers’ intention to purchase organic rice to occur. This analysis also revealed 22 pathways to high purchase intention, with most pathways including two or three of the identified necessary conditions. These findings advance TPB and offer practical insights for promoting sustainable consumption.