The Impact of Trust in Green Certification and Word of Mouth on Green Food Purchase Intention: The Sequential Mediating Roles of Perceived Value and Attitude = 친환경 인증에 대한 신뢰와 구전효과가 친환경 식품 구매의도에 미치는 영향: 지각된 가치와 태도의 순차적 매개효과

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

As concerns regarding food safety, environmental sustainability, and greenwashing continue to increase, consumers have become more dependent on external informational cues when evaluating green food products. In the context of rapidly expanding green food market in China, understanding the mechanism behind consumers' green food consumption has become increasingly important. Therefore, this study investigates how extrinsic informational cues, including trust in green certification and word of mouth, influence consumers’ repurchase intentions toward green food products.
By integrating Cue Utilization Theory with the Value–Attitude–Behavior framework, this study proposes a sequential mediation model involving green perceived value and attitude. Green perceived value was conceptualized as a multidimensional construct consisting of functional, emotional, and social value. To test the proposed research model, data were collected from 359 Chinese consumers who had prior purchasing experience with green food products, and the hypotheses were examined using confirmatory factor analysis and PROCESS Macro analysis.
The findings indicate that trust in green certification and WOM positively influence consumers’ perceived value, which subsequently enhances attitude and repurchase intention toward green food products. In addition, the results confirm the sequential mediating effects of perceived value and attitude in the relationship between extrinsic informational cues and purchase intention.
This study extends the VAB framework by integrating it with extrinsic informational cues in the context of green food consumption, thereby providing a deeper understanding of the psychological process underlying green food purchase behavior. Furthermore, the findings offer practical implications for policymakers in strengthening certification credibility and marketers in encouraging positive WOM communication to promote sustainable consumption.

Keywords: Green Food; Trust in Green Certification; Word of Mouth; Perceived value; Attitude; Purchase Intention;

국문 초록 (Abstract)

식품 안전, 환경 지속가능성, 그리고 그린워싱에 대한 우려가 증가함에 따라 소비자들은 녹색식품을 평가할 때 외재적 단서에 더욱 의존하게 되었다. 특히 중국 녹색식품 시장이 빠르게 성장하는 상황에서 소비자의 녹색식품 소비 메커니즘을 이해하는 것은 중요한 과제가 되고 있다. 이에 본 연구는 녹색인증 신뢰와 구전효과（WOM）와 같은 외재적 단서가 소비자의 녹색식품 구매의도에 미치는 영향을 분석하였다.
본 연구는 단서활용이론과 가치-태도-행동（VAB） 프레임워크를 통합하여, 지각된 가치와 태도의 순차적 매개효과를 포함한 연구모형을 제안하였다. 지각된 가치는 기능적 가치, 감정적 가치, 사회적 가치의 다차원 개념으로 구성하였다. 연구모형 검증을 위해 녹색식품 구매 경험이 있는 중국 소비자 359명을 대상으로 설문조사를 실시하였으며, 확인적 요인분석（CFA）과 PROCESS Macro 분석을 활용하여 가설을 검증하였다.
연구 결과, 녹색인증 신뢰와 WOM은 소비자의 지각된 가치에 긍정적인 영향을 미쳤으며, 이는 다시 태도와 구매의도를 향상시키는 것으로 나타났다. 또한 지각된 가치와 태도는 외재적 단서와 구매의도 간의 관계에서 순차적 매개효과를 가지는 것으로 확인되었다.
본 연구는 녹색식품 소비 맥락에서 외재적 단서를 VAB 프레임워크와 통합함으로써 녹색식품 구매행동의 심리적 과정을 보다 심층적으로 설명하였다는 점에서 학문적 의의를 가진다. 또한 인증 신뢰성 강화와 긍정적 구전 활성화를 통해 지속가능한 소비를 촉진할 수 있다는 실무적 시사점을 제공한다.

목차 (Table of Contents)

• 1. Introduction 1
• 1.1. Research Background 1
• 1.2. Research Purpose 8
• 1.3. Significance of the Study 9
• 1.4. Research Structure 11
• 2. Literature Review 13
• 2.1 Cue Utilization 13
• 2.1.1 Theoretical Foundations of Cue Utilization 13
• 2.1.2 Cue Utilization across Product Types 16
• 2.1.3. Cue Utilization in Green Consumption Context 17
• 2.2. Trust in Green Certification 19
• 2.3. Word of Mouth 20
• 2.4. VAB Model 22
• 2.5. Perceived Value 25
• 2.6. Attitude 30
• 2.7. Purchase Intention 31
• 3. Research Model & Hypotheses 32
• 3.1. Research Model 32
• 3.2. Hypothesis Development 34
• 3.2.1. Trust in Green Certification & Perceived Value 34
• 3.2.2. Word of Mouth & Perceived Value 38
• 3.2.3. Perceived Value & Attitude 42
• 3.2.4. Attitude & Purchase Intention 44
• 3.2.5. The Sequential Mediating Effect of Perceived Value and Attitude on Purchase Intention 45
• 4.Methodology 48
• 4.1. Participants and Procedures 48
• 4.2. Measurements 50
• 4.3. Data Analysis Methods 53
• 5. Results 55
• 5.1. Demographic Analysis 55
• 5.2. Reliability and Validity Analysis 57
• 5.2.1. Reliability Analysis 57
• 5.2.2. Validity Analysis 58
• 5.3. Hypothesis Testing 61
• 5.3.1. Path Analysis 61
• 5.3.2. Sequential Mediation Analysis 64
• 6. Conclusion 66
• 6.1. Summary of the Research Findings 66
• 6.2. Theoretical & Practical Implications 69
• 6.3. Limitations & Future Research Directions 72
• 7. REFERENCES 75
• 8. Appendix 91
• A. Survey Questions (Chinese Translations). 91
• 논문개요(초록) 98