Unleashing the Missing Links of Religiosity and Food Consumption Management Behavior

Abstract

Globally, food waste reduction has become an interminable challenge, especially in the Muslim developing countries. Therefore, employing the theory of planned behavior (TPB), this research examined how religiosity influences consumers’ food consumption management behavior by testing a serial mediation moderation model. We propose consumer attitude towards food waste and intention to reduce food waste as explanatory mechanisms in the religiosity–food consumption management behavior relationship, and personality trait–conscientiousness as a moderator between consumers’ intention to reduce waste and food consumption management behavior. To test our proposed hypotheses, the data was collected from 304 Pakistani consumers. Results elaborate that religiosity is directly related to consumers’ food consumption management behavior and indirectly related through consumer attitude towards food waste and consumer intention to reduce food. In addition, we found that consumers who have high conscientiousness are more engaged in food waste reduction than those who have low conscientiousness thus resulting in better consumption management behavior. The study has both theoretical and practical implications for policymakers.