Is TPB Still Relevant for Generation Y’s Organic Food Behavior? A Comparative SEM and fsQCA Study in South Africa

Organic food consumption exemplifies the broader shift toward sustainable lifestyles and environmentally responsible choices in the current market generation. Despite the extensive use of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to explain consumer purchase intentions, its predictive power for decision making has come into question. This paper aims to enhance the relevance of using TPB in an emerging country to forecast consumer behavior in contemporary conditions. This study set out to investigate the determinants of organic food purchase intention and behavior among South African Generation Y consumers by applying the TPB model. By combining structural equation modeling (SEM) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), the research could capture both the symmetrical (linear) and asymmetrical (configurational) causal mechanisms underlying purchase intention. While symmetrical results highlight that attitude, subjective norms, and purchase intention predict purchase behavior, asymmetrical findings indicate that no single antecedent is necessary for high purchase intention; rather, two sufficient causal configurations emerge, in which either attitude or perceived behavioral control acts as a core condition, depending on its combination with other antecedents. Attitude and perceived behavioral control thus serve as core conditions leading to high purchase intention among South African Generation Y consumers. In sum, the findings suggest that strengthening pro-environmental attitudes through targeted communication strategies and improving the accessibility and perceived ease of purchasing organic food can serve as practical and implementable pathways to foster more sustainable consumption in emerging markets.