Do food planner apps enhance responsible food consumption? The impact of perceptual antecedents and moderating effects on usage intention

Purpose A food planner app helps users to create meal plans and recipes to their preferences, dietary requirements and lifestyle needs. Many food planner apps also could assist with grocery lists, calorie tracking, food waste management and reminders to users. But there is less adoption of such apps. Limited studies examine reasons for non-adaptability, emphasizing the need for more research. This research addresses this gap by observing the effect of pertinent factors such as expectant outcome and openness to change on the extended technology acceptance model. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on theories and extant literature, a theoretical model was developed. The model was then validated by the factor-based partial least squares structural equation modeling technique after quantifying the responses of 363 respondents with a five-point Likert scale. The respondents were tourists visiting Malaysia. This study also analyzed the effects of openness to change as a moderator to the relationship between perceived usefulness and attitude toward the app. Findings After a thorough analysis by using partial least square structural equation modeling technique, it was found that there is a strong moderating effect of openness to change on the relationship between perceived usefulness to attitude and attitude to usage intention. This research study also determined the key perceptual factors that attract the target consumers to use the food planner app, especially for the tourism sector. Research limitations/implications Food management is one of the main challenges in the hospitality and tourism industry due to lack of attention. Despite advancements in food planner apps to control food wastage, widespread adoption remains a challenge. This study helps to bridge this gap and will provide the policymakers food for thought to control food wastage as well as improve adoption of such a food planner app. The sample is limited and not representative of world views. Originality/value This study provides significant knowledge in both theoretical and practical terms. It augments the implementation of the technology acceptance model through moderator effects and measures the antecedent variable effect in the context of responsible consumption. This study also provides key industry input on consumer psychology and the perceived effectiveness of such AI-based food applications.