Explaining Chinese Consumers’ Continuous Consumption Intention toward Prepared Dishes: The Role of Perceived Risk and Trust

With the rapid development and the increasing importance of the consumer market of prepared dishes in China, it is imperative to study the formation mechanism of Chinese consumers’ continuous consumption intention (CCI) toward prepared dishes for promoting the sustainable development of Chinese prepared dishes industry. The aim of this study is to study the formation mechanism and the role of perceived risk and trust in it. Based on the Expectation Confirmation Model, this study constructed a model of continuous consumption intention of prepared dishes by introducing perceived risk and trust. 381 adult consumers were surveyed and the data was analyzed by an Exploratory Factor Analysis and the Partial Least Squares Structure Equation Model. The results showed that: (1) The confirmation of expectation had a significant positive impact on trust and satisfaction, a significant negative impact on the perceived risk (PR). Trust and satisfaction had a significant positive, while PR had a significant negative, impact on CCI. (2) The dimensions of PR included social, health, quality, psychological and purchasing risk, among which quality risk had a significant negative impact on CCI. (3) All dimensions of trust (ability, integrity, benevolence and government trust) had a significant positive impact on CCI, among which integrity trust played the most important role. (4) Overall, trust had a significant negative impact on PR. Benevolence trust could mitigate all dimensions of PR, integrity trust could mitigate all dimensions of PR except health risk, and ability trust, government trust could only mitigate quality risk. Therefore, the enterprises should pay high attention to the quality of their products and the establishment and maintenance of consumer trust, and the government should establish an authoritative image.