Research Proposal

Research Proposal Components

1) Research Topic/Title

2) Research Problem

3) Research Questions

4) Research Objectives/ Interim Hypotheses

5) Scope of the study

6) Interim Literature Review

7) Research Approach and Methodology

8) Time scale

9) References

10) Appendix

Research Topic

Factors affecting the purchasing behavior of customers in Thai Nguyen City

Research Problem

Consumer demand for organic food  has been influenced by population and economic

growth, particularly in developing markets such as Thai Nguyen, especially for

environmentally friendly foods. Recognizing the determinants of organic food consumption

helps organic food producers and marketers to better understand their customers' motivations

and build successful marketing strategies to boost sales and satisfy customers. Understanding

consumers behavior will help business, supermarkets, and small retailers at the market better

identify and meet the needs of local customers. Moreover, there is a few studies about

organic food in Thai Nguyen. Therefore, I have chosen the topic “Factors affecting the

purchasing behavior of customers in Thai Nguyen City.”

Research Questions
1. What are the factors that influence the decision making of customers?

2. Which is the most critical factors decision-making comes to purchasing organic food?

3. How to promote the organic food in Thai Nguyen City base on the?

Research Objectives

The general objective

This study aim at the factors influencing customers purchase decisions for organic food in

Thai Nguyen City.

The specific objective

1 To examine several factors influencing customers purchasing decisions for organic food in

Thai Nguyen city 

2. To explore the organic food consumption behavior of the customer in Thai Nguyen City.

3. To compare the purchase behavior of organic products in Thai Nguyen city according to

several dimentions.

4. To evaluate the buyer behavior to produce marketing campaign for producers and

distributors of organic products in the Thai Nguyen City

Hypotheses

Hypothesis 1 (H1): Health consciousness has a positive effect on the organic food

consumers’ buying behavior.

Hypothesis 2 (H2): Environment concern has a positive effect on the buyer behavior

Hypothesis 3 (H3): Consumer’s trust has a positive relationship with the customer behavior

Hypothesis 4 (H4): High price is negatively impact consumer behavior

Hypothesis 5 (H5): The personal attitude has a positive relationship with the customer

behavior

Significant of the study

This research identified the main factors that influence customers and provide insights for the

organic section. The result of this research will help businesses taking effective strategies in

the future. There have been several studies on the factors that impact how people decide on

purchases organic food in Vietnam. However, the studies have not yet 7 analyzed in detail the

internal structure of the influencing factors. As a result, proposals and solutions for

businesses are still quite general and ambiguous. Therefore, this study will develop previous

studies and build a theoretical framework to explain the factors affecting consumers'

decision to buy organic food in Thai Nguyen city. In addition, the research will be a reference

for researchers interested in implementing research on the organic food topic.

Scope of the Study

The study is going to conduct in Thai Nguyen City; it will take over the course of three

months, beginning from September, 2021 to December, 2021. Primary data will be collected

using five-point Likert Scale questionnaires about 200 respondents who frequently purchase

food for their families in Thai Nguyen city.

Interim Literature Review

Definition

Consumer behaviour is the study of how individuals, groups and organisations select, buy,

use and dispose of goods, services, ideas, or experiences to satisfy their needs and wants

(Kotler and Keller, 2006).

Organic food

According to WHO, “Organic foods (organic agroproducts) are products that are produced

based on the natural cultivation and husbandry system, do not use chemicals as fertilizers, do

not use pesticides, herbicide, antibiotics or preserves, etc., but use natural products as

fertilizers and use biological methods to prevent pestilent insects. Therefore, organic agro-

products are also called healthy foods or natural foods.”

Customer behavior

This research builds on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to explain customers’

behavior toward organic food. In the past, there are many studies used the theory of planned

behavior to explore the customer behaviors. According to the theory, there are three elements

that can be used to predict the purchase intention of consumers: the subjective norm, attitudes

of consumers, and perceived behavioral control (Ajzen, 1991). Several scholars who have

extended the TPB claim that attitude influences buyer behavior both directly and indirectly

through intention.

The most important determinants of organic food attitudes have been identified as

environmental concern, food safety concern, and health consciousness in the privious studies.

The most common reason for purchasing organic food is because customers believe

organic food is healthier for them. The most significant motivation for buying and eating

organic food tends to be health concerns (Samantha and Angela, 2009).

Environmental concern plays a key role in pro-environment behavior which include organic

food. Environmental concern is another motivating factor and the primary reason for the

formation of positive consumer attitude towards organic food (Yadav, R.; Pathak, G.S.2016)

According to Howlett, McCarthy, and O'Reilly (2002), organic food buyers are tend to

concerned about the environment. Nguyen (2011) concluded that there is a relationship

between environmental concern and the desire to purchase organic foods in Vietnam.

Consequently, people who are concerned about the environment will be more likely to buy

organic foods.

Trust plays an important role in consumers’ decision to buy organic food. Another

influential factor of intention to buy organic food is attitude, which has been shown to have a

strong positive relationship. It is widely believed that customer awareness and knowledge
about organic food play a significant effect in their organic purchase decisions (Yiridoe, et

al.,2005).

Previous research has suggested that price is a major barrier to customers buying green items

(Henryks, et al., 2014). In Vietnam, organic products are often sold at premium prices that are

two to three times higher than conventional foods. Thus, the price barier might impact on

customer behaviors.

According to previous study, good attitudes are linked to increased organic food purchase

intentions. A positive attitude toward organic food is closely associated to higher purchasing

intention and behavior (Yadav, R.; Pathak, G.S.2016; Carfora, et al., 2019)

Conceptual Framework

Research Approach and Methodology

 The quantitative data will be gathered by a questionnaire survey of consumers in Thai

Nguyen city via two channels: online survey at Google Forms and paper questionnares at

supermarket. A non-probability sampling approach and a convenient sampling method are

used. All variables have a 5-point Likert scale, with 1 being "strongly disagree" and 5 being

"strongly agree." Primary data plan questionnaires with around 200 respondents who

frequently purchase food for their families in Thai Nguyen city.

This study is categorized as a case study which take place in Thai Nguyen City. The

respondents are over 17 years old who are living in Thai Nguyen City.

Data analysis techniques: Quantitative method

Time scale

APPENDIX 2: Research Plan

PROGRAM OF RESEARCH ACTIVITY FOR THE STUDY

Time Period/ Wee Wee Wee Wee Wee Wee Wee Wee Wee Wee
11- 22- 1-7 8-14 15- 22- 29-5 6-12 13- 20-
Activity
Defend xxx
Literature xxx
Chapter 1 xxx
Chapter 2 xxx
Design xxx
Pilot-test x
Revise xx
Administer x xx
Collect x
Conduct xxx
Collect xx
Data x
Data analysis x x
Write final x x xx
Proof-read
Submit final x
References

1. Kotler, P. and Keller, K.L. Marketing Management. 12th Edition, Pearson Education.

2. Ajzen et al., “The theory of planned behavior”, Organizational Behavior and Human

Decision Processes 50 (1) (1991) 179-211.

3. Ajzen, I. (2002). Perceived behavioral control, self‐efficacy, locus of control, and the

theory of planned behavior 1. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 32(4), 665-683.

4. Sultan, P.; Tarafder, T.; Pearson, D.; Henryks, J. Intention-behaviour gap and

perceived behavioral control-behavior gap in theory of planned behavior: Moderating

roles of communication, satisfaction, and trust in organic food consumption. Food

Qual. Prefer. 2020, 81, 103838.

5. Yadav, R.; Pathak, G.S. Intention to purchase organic food among young consumers:

Evidence from a developing nation. Appetite 2016, 96, 122–124.

6. Samantha Smith, Angela Paladino, “Eating clean & green? Investigating consumer

motivations towards the purchase of organic food”, ANZMAC, 2009, pp. 1-8.

7. Dickieson, J., Arkus, V., & Wiertz, C. (2009). Factors that influence the purchase of

organic food: A study of consumer behaviour in the UK. Cass Business School, London.

8. Yiridoe, E.K.; Bonti-Ankomah, S.; Martin, R.C. Comparison of consumer perceptions

and preference toward organic versus conventionally produced foods: A review and

update of the literature. Renew. Agric. Food Syst. 2005, 20, 193–205.
9. Henryks, J.; Cooksey, R.; Wright, V.; Cooksey, R.A.Y.; Wright, V.I.C. Organic Food

at the Point of Purchase: Understanding Inconsistency in Consumer Choice. J. Food

Prod. Mark. 2014, 20, 452–475.

10. Carfora, V.; Cavallo, C.; Caso, D.; Del Giudice, T.; De Devitiis, B.; Viscecchia, R.;

Nardone, G.; Cicia, G. Explaining consumer purchase behavior for organic milk:

Including trust and green self-identity within the theory of planned behavior. Food Qual.

Prefer. 2019, 76, 1–9