Research On Ethnic Food Consumption Behavioral Intentions Of International Students In China

The globalization and latest immigration patterns have resulted in the creation of large ethnic sub-cultural groups and have given rise to the increased mobility of human beings.Not only tourist,but international students studying abroad in recent years has emerged as new ethnic sub-cultural groups.However,the key challenges these international students face in the host cultures are the communication barrier,culture shock,social adjustment,personal depression,homesickness and loneliness,frustration,fear and pessimism,alienation and racial discrimination,and adjustment issues.However,little empirical research exists on the role ethnic food plays in the academic journey of international students.The People’s Republic of China（PRC）,now,is the third most attractive country for foreigners with a number of 720,307 foreigners in 2018.Moreover,with the world’s second-largest economy,Chinese Higher Education Institutions have recruited a larger number of international students through scholarship and non-scholarship programs which created a reputation for a regional center for education.Representing 186nationalities,the number of foreign students studying in Chinese institutions increased steadily and reached 492,185 in 2018.Once international students arrive in the host Chinese culture,they are typically exposed to different dietary food habits and lifestyle modifications.They experience a difficult time keeping up with their traditional eating habits due to a lack of access to or availability of their traditional foods,in addition to the fact that they lack basic food preparation and cooking skills.Despite the importance of international students to Chinese educational institutions（and to the knowledge of this researcher）,no previous study has addressed the importance of ethnic food to accommodate international students in China.Despite food consumption from a nutrition,health,and safety perspective,how these international students perceive their ethnic food themselves,and what tends to attract and motivate them to eat their food when living in China,remained largely unanswered.Based on literary gaps on the mentioned subject matter,this research provides a foundation for investigating the food consumption behavioral intentions of international students studying in China based on a widely accepted approach adopted for understanding and predicting human behavior,known as the Theory of Planned Behavior.Since the food consumption decisions could significantly differ among consumers,therefore,and as suggested by academic literature some additional determinants like ethnic self-identity,food safety,and health consciousness have been incorporated into the original TPB framework to investigate the consumption behavioral intentions of international students studying in China.In pursuance of study objectives,we conducted three interrelated empirical studies that investigated the consumption behavioral intentions of international students.Study 1proposed and validated an extended framework of the theory of planned behavior to investigate the consumption behavioral intentions of international students who originated from different parts of the world and currently studying in China.In particular,this study aimed to scrutinize the mediating role of ethnic self-identity to investigate the behavior of interest.The results show that TPB along with ethnic self-identity is a valuable framework for understanding the desired investigated behavior and particularly the intentions that drive this behavior.Whereas,study 2 was conducted particularly in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.In study 2,we argued that the emergence of COVID-19 has placed a revolutionary strain on the global food system,which has caused changes in the ways food is prepared,sold,obtained,and consumed.Therefore,study 2 contributed to an appreciation of the reasons why international students living in China are resistant to consuming unfamiliar local food products available in the Chinese food market while preferring to retain the consumption of their ethnic cuisines during the period of the COVID-19 outbreak.In particular and similar to study 1,the second study also adopted the highly significant socio-psychological theoretical frameworks,the theory of planned behavior,along with background factors of food safety and health consciousness.The findings of study 2highlighted that the TPB along with the background factors of food safety and health consciousness is a valuable framework for understanding the consumption behavioral intentions of international students to avoid unfamiliar local food and retain the consumption of their ethnic cuisines during their sojourning in China,particularly in the period of COVID-19.Study 3 argued that,regardless of being more contented with their traditional food choices,most of the consumers these days are eager to taste different flavored and diversified cultural cuisines to meet their changing demands/preferences.Similarly,most of the international students today are more interested in trying new foods but remaining sensitive to their faith values and identity at the same time.Therefore,the aim of study 3was to investigate the consumption behavioral intentions of international students in China that are pertinent to the new conditions.For this reason,the role of dietary acculturation,i.e.,adopting the consumption patterns or food choices of the host country is considered important.Based on the prime reason for acculturation in a migrated context,study 3 particularly investigated how dietary acculturation moderates the structural relationships between the extended framework of the TPB and the consumption behavioral intentions of international students.The data were collected both online and offline through questionnaires from international students studying in Chinese institutions across China.A sample of 1158,462,and 615 international students were used for data analysis in study 1,study 2,and study 3 respectively.Partial least square structural equation modeling（PLS-SEM）is used in conjunction with Smart PLS 3.2.9 to assess the proposed research models in both studies.PLS-SEM was used in two stages,with the measurement model assessment and the structural model assessment.The empirical analysis based on the observations made throughout the current research provides certain conclusions described below:1)From the findings of the current study,we conclude that the TPB is a useful framework to predict the consumption behavioral intentions of international students.The findings of all three studies also confirmed that a positive personal attitude and perceived social pressure positively affect the consumption behavioral intentions of international students to avoid unfamiliar local food and retain the consumption of their ethnic food when studying in China.However,in study 1 and study 2,the perceived behavioral control did not show any effect on the behavioral intentions of the international students to retain the consumption of their ethnic food.2)The results of study 1 identified that ethnic self-identity significantly mediates the structural relationships between the TPB components and consumption behavioral intentions of international students living in China.During the direct links,the relationship between perceived behavioral control and consumption behavioral intentions was non-significant,however,this result was modified when ethnic self-identity was taken into consideration.3)With regards to the background variables,the results of study 2 highlighted that due to the increasing health and safety concerns in the local food market,food safety has a positive association with attitudes,subjective norms,and perceived behavioral control of international students to choose their ethnic cuisines over unfamiliar local food during their sojourning in China,particularly during the period of COVID-19.Similarly,the results also identified that health consciousness has a significant positive effect on the attitudes,subjective norms,and perceived behavioral control of international students to avoid unfamiliar local food and consume home food during their academic journey in China.4)The results of study 2 further revealed that food safety and health consciousness were indirectly associated only with behavioral intentions through their substantial effects on attitude and subjective norms only.The results did not provide support for the indirect association between food safety,health consciousness,and behavioral intention via perceived behavioral control.5)Finally,the results of study 3 identified that dietary acculturation moderates the structural relationships between the perceived behavioral control and behavioral intentions of international students.The results did not provide support for the idea that the relationships between attitude,subjective norms,and behavioral intentions are moderated by dietary acculturation.The primary innovation points of the current research are as follows:1)A new research perspective:A new research perspective:In the literature of marketing and consumer behavior,considerable^[1–5]researches have been conducted to examine various aspects of ethnic food consumption in a migrated context.However,still,a gap in the research exists;there has been little research on the importance ethnic food plays in the academic journey of international students.Despite a large number of studies^[6–11]conducted,the majority of those that focused on the food consumption patterns of international students were in developed economies.While most of the studies^[7,12–14]emphasized on Halal food consumption among international students.In China,few studies^[7,15]investigated the food consumption behavior of international students.In addition,the emergence of COVID-19 has considerably changed theconsumption patterns of consumers,particularly in a migrated context^[16].None of the studies in the context of China have empirically investigated the food consumption patterns of international students in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic^[17].Therefore,based on the theory of planned behavior（TPB）,this research empirically investigates how international students in China themselves perceive their ethnic food and what attracts and motivate them to avoid unfamiliar local food and retain the consumption of their ethnic food.Lorrain et al.explored that the food preferences and consumption patterns of international students entirely differ from other sojourners^[6].Therefore,this study has also looked into how ethnic self-identity,food safety,and health consciousness affect the consumption behavioral intentions of international students in a migrated context.Furthermore,this study also investigates whether local Chinese cuisines are the sources of attraction for dietary acculturated international students studying in China.2)A new empirical study:This study contributes a new empirical model based on the theory of planned behavior（TPB）to investigate the consumption behavioral intentions of international students in China.With the inclusion of identity theory,the new empirical model provides insights into how ethnic self-identity mediates the structural relationships between TPB components.The proposed new model also incorporated food safety and health consciousness as background variables of the TPB to provide better insights into the behavioral intentions of international students in a migrated context.Moreover,the novel model also contributes to an understanding of how dietary acculturation moderates the relationships between TPB components and consumption behavioral intentions of international students in China.To the best of our knowledge,this is an utmost and pioneering study examining the overlooked phenomenon in the context of China.3)A theoretical contribution:The current study contributes to the existing body of knowledge in many ways.Firstly,based on a widely accepted and adopted socio-psychological framework of the theory of planned behavior,this study advances the understanding of consumption patterns and food preferences of international students studying in China.Secondly,with the inclusion of identity theory,this study explains how ethnic self-identity mediates the structural relationships between classical TPB components and consumption behavioral intentions of international students.Thirdly,the study also contributes to an understanding of how food safety and health consciousness predict attitudes,subjective norms,and perceived behavioral control of international students.Finally,the study also enhances the understanding of the moderating role of dietary acculturation among the classical TPB components and consumption behavioral intentions of international students.