Application of Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) on fast-food consumption preferences among generation Z in Dhaka City, Bangladesh: an empirical study

ABSTRACT

This study aims to investigate the effect of attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, availability, stress, and food choices on the actual behavior of Generation Z consumers. Besides, the mediator role of the behavioral intention is considered. The researcher applied a cross-sectional research design to collect the primary data using a self-administered questionnaire. The population consisted of Generation Z consumers who are now university-going students in Dhaka city, Bangladesh. The study followed a systematic random sampling technique to select Generation Z consumers. A total of 891 samples were collected through a structured questionnaire survey. The study findings found significant relationships among attitudes, perceived behavioral control, stress and food choices, behavioral intention, and actual behavior in a direct and indirect analysis. Besides, subjective norms and availability of fast food items found insignificant relationships with indirect and direct path analysis, respectively. In Bangladesh, the theory of planned behavior and the incorporated variables have hardly been found in the existing literature investigating Generation Z consumers’ fast food consumption preferences. The outcome results showed how behavioral intention was associated with other constructs as a mediator.

KEYWORDS:

• Fast-food consumption
• generation Z
• TPB
• availability
• stress and food choices
• Dhaka city

Acknowledgments

The researcher sincerely acknowledges the research assistant MD. Al-Amin and Sadia Islam Promi, are graduate students from the Department of Business Administration in Marketing, Faculty of Business Studies, Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP). They assisted in data collection and data entry procedures. The researcher also wants to convey sincere gratitude to Assistant Professor Md. Kaysher Hamid, Department of Business Administration in BBA-General, Faculty of Business Studies, Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP) for the assistance in the SmartPLS3.0 license purchasing procedure. The researcher acknowledges the anonymous reviewers for the insightful comments and direction.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability

The researcher will provide the data file if necessary.

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Funding

The researcher served the Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP) from October 4, 2018- to December 2021. During her serving period, she got the research funding in the financial year of 2020-2021. The Centre for Higher Studies and Research (CHSR), Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP), Mirpur Cantonment, Dhaka, Bangladesh, funded the research project under UGC grants in the financial year 2020-2021.