The Effect of Individual Innovativeness on Gastronomic Experience and Purchase Intention in the Foods of the Future

Abstract

With the increase in the world population, there are difficulties in reaching healthy and alternative food products. Today, the production of new generation nutritious and technologically developed foods that will change people’s eating habits and that have been created in a laboratory environment has gained momentum. These foods, which are seen as the foods of the future, also express the technological development and complete change of the foods consumed today. These foods are designed considering the changes in human life as a result of technology, and environmental sustainability. In order to adapt to these changes, it is important for people to be open to innovations and to experience them. Innovativeness is expressed as the positive approach that people show towards new goods, services, ideas, etc. For this reason, the food that people experience has an important place in their purchase decision. This study was designed to reveal the impact of individual innovativeness on experience and purchasing in the foods of the future. For this purpose, the data were obtained from Gastronomy and Culinary Arts students, who are the chefs of the future, through purposeful sampling. The obtained data were collected through 284 surveys applied to the participants. Within the scope of the study, the data were analyzed with explanatory factor analysis and multiple regression analysis. In this study, all sub-dimensions of individual innovativeness were considered as independent variables, whereas all sub-dimensions of experience and purchase intention were considered as dependent variables. Based on the findings, it was concluded that individual innovativeness had a significant effect on experience and purchase intention.