Shaping the consumers' attitudes towards Halal food products in Turkey

Abstract

Purpose The study aims to examine the consumers' attitudes toward halal food products based on tripartite model. Regarding this, the effect of halal food awareness, perceived risk and behavioral tendency on attitudes toward halal food products are investigated. Design/methodology/approach 343 valid questionnaires were obtained. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed to ensure content validity, and structural equation modeling was progressed to test the relationships among variables through IBM SPSS Statistics 22.0 and AMOS 23.0 software. Findings Research validates the tripartite model of attitude and suggests attitude toward halal food is formed by predominantly behavioral tendency and partially psychological drivers, rather than cognitive elements. Research limitations/implications The characteristics of participants should be different and larger sample may provide some other results. The product or service context should be different, for example, halal cosmetic, halal hygienic, halal tourism. Practical implications Trigger messages may put forward in marketing communications activity for halal food products marketing and halal certificated food brands need to establish their distribution networks effectively to get closer with consumers. Originality/value Attitudes towards halal products represent the key driver of consumer behavior for the development of marketing strategies in certified halal firms addressing both domestic and foreign markets. It is the first study examining Turkish consumer attitudes toward halal food product using tripartite model in the field of halal consumption behavior. The paper offers a different methodological framework and it could be potentially of interest for scholars, marketers and policy makers.