Influência das certificações na mudança de comportamento e na decisão de compra do consumidor de produtos agroindustrializados

Abstract

The present study tested, through an almost experiment, the influence of certification on consumer behavior and shopping decision, in order to answer the research question, does certification influence the change in consumer behavior interfering with their purchasing decision? The theoretical review showed the importance of certification as a strategic tool, showing the consumer relevant information regarding the safety of products in their industrialization process, this study differs from the others because the object of study is industrialized products by the cooperative itself, in this way this study is opportune, both for the organization, as for the associates and the academic community. The intervention activities of which were carried out between the months of July and August 2020, in a supermarket linked to an agro-industrial cooperative. A total of 10 products that comprised the experimental sample were identified, of which 07 products were certified. After the preparation of all intervention activities, the observation of the sales volume began on July 1, and the intervention activities on August 1, whose trial period ended on August 31, with the generation of sales reports, and the start of descriptive and statistical analysis of the data. For the statistical analysis, the parametric “t-test” and the non-parametric “friedman test” test were applied. These tests showed that the interventions positively influenced the behavior and decision of consumers' purchases, with significance at the level of 10% and reliability 95%. Such influence, proved to be more significant for the consumer not associated with the cooperative. The present study contributed to highlight the importance of certification, the importance of which can be presented to consumers and associates through the use of labels, packaging, leafleting, or even through the personal approach, among other means of communication and marketing. Theoretically, this study evidenced part of the pre-existing literature, and may awaken the interest for new studies with the academic environment, may contribute to society and the organization through the achievement of better financial results, as well as, the reduction of anthropic actions in the industrialization or production of raw materials, thus ensuring the organization's sustainability, and the quality of life of associates, employees, suppliers, customers and consumers.