Antecedents Affecting Intention to Consume Plant-Based Meat among Malaysians

Lam, Kar Kay (2024) Antecedents Affecting Intention to Consume Plant-Based Meat among Malaysians. Masters thesis, Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology.

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Abstract

The term "plant-based meat" pertains to food items that are specifically formulated to imitate the sensory characteristics, including flavour, texture, and visual appearance, of conventional animal-derived meat, while being exclusively composed of materials obtained from plants. These products are designed to offer a substitute protein option for persons who opt out of consuming meat or wish to decrease their meat intake due to factors including environmental consciousness, ethical considerations, or health issues. Given the increasing world population and the growing concern about the environmental consequences of conventional meat production, there is a need to investigate and promote the advancement and acceptance of plant-based alternatives. With the increasing awareness of environmental issues among Malaysians, there is a growing interest in exploring sustainable alternatives to meat consumption. Plant-based choices have emerged as a promising answer in addressing this concern. Previous studies indicate a significant lack of empirical research examining attitudes as a mediating factor in the relationship between health consciousness, environmental concern, animal welfare, and the intention to consume plant-based meat. This research aims to address this gap by employing the Theory of Planned Behaviour to elucidate the interconnections among these variables. This research explores the direct and indirect relationships between health consciousness, environmental concern, animal welfare, attitudes, and the intention to consume plant-based meat. A quantitative cross-sectional research design was employed, and data were collected via an online self-administered questionnaire using Google Forms. A total of 388 respondents from Malaysia, all of whom had relevant awareness of plant-based meat, participated in the survey. The data were then analysed using both the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 26 and SmartPLS version 4.0. The statistical results reveal that the direct relationships between health consciousness, animal welfare, and attitude are significantly supported, whereas environmental concern is not. Furthermore, the direct relationships between attitude, health consciousness, environmental concern, and the intention to consume plant-based meat are significantly supported, except for animal welfare. In terms of indirect relationships, all mediation effects are significantly supported except for the relationship between environmental concern and the intention to consume plant-based meat through attitude. Based on the findings of this research, significant theoretical and managerial implications are presented, demonstrating the strong impact of health consciousness on the intention to consume plant-based meat. Finally, this study addresses several limitations and offers recommendations for future research to further enhance the understanding of factors influencing the intention to consume plant-based meat