Social Acceptability’s Role in an Expanded Rational Expectations Model of Intention to Consume an Innovative Meat Product in a Restaurant Setting

Abstract

American consumers expect variety in their food choices and dining experiences. Marketers and producers are using innovation to keep pace with consumers’ desires for new and unusual food items. Exotic game such as emu offers consumers new experiences and variety in their meat choices. Past research has indicated social acceptability may be an important component in marketing these new innovative meat products. This investigation used Sapp’s expanded rational expectations intention model, a depiction of Ajzen and Fishbein’s theory of reasoned action, to investigate consumers’ intentions to try an innovative meat product in a restaurant setting. The expanded model added social acceptability and knowledge as additional constructs to Ajzen and Fishbein’s rational expectations model. Social acceptability had significant causal path estimates for attitude, subjective norm, and intention. This study is further confirmation of social acceptability as a possible new addition to Ajzen and Fishbein’s theory.