Switching intention to vegetarian food among Generation Y in Klang Valley Malaysia

Ching, Wei Xin and Lin, Cai Ni (2025) Switching intention to vegetarian food among Generation Y in Klang Valley Malaysia. Final Year Project, UTAR.

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Abstract

In recent years, individuals are showing rising concern about dietary health which drives them toward selecting healthy food options including vegetarian diets. The awareness about healthy eating among Generation Y has become especially prominent in Malaysia. This study aims to investigate the switching intention to vegetarian food among Generation Y in Klang Valley, focusing on the influence of specific factors such as restaurant service failure of non-vegetarian food, health concern, and price. The role of social influence is also examined as a moderating variable to understand how peer or societal pressure may strengthen or weaken these relationships. This research is guided by the Keaveney (1995) model of service switching behavior, focusing on three independent variables: restaurant service failure of nonvegetarian food, health concern, and price. The research incorporates social influence as a moderating variable to study how peer pressure and peer support affect the strength of identified relationships between variables. The study investigates switching intention to vegetarian food as its dependent variable while examining both personal motivations and external factors within its analytical design. The research adopts a quantitative methodology to obtain information through structured questionnaires directed at selected respondents. The study applies judgmental sampling to intentionally select participants who are part of Generation Y, reside in Klang Valley, and show intention to switch to vegetarian food. SmartPLS 4 serves as the analytical software to process the data because of its capability to evaluate complex patterns and predictive models through structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Both the measurement model and structural model are assessed to evaluate the reliability, validity, and significance of the proposed hypotheses. Switching Intention to Vegetarian Food among Generation Y in Klang Valley Malaysia viii The research findings will enhance academic knowledge about motivational and social factors which impact dietary changes. Practical implications will assist vegetarian food suppliers and restaurants in developing effective strategies to attract and retain health-conscious and service-sensitive consumers. Keywords: Vegetarian Food, Switching Intention, Generation Y, Keaveney Theory, Consumer Behavior, Klang Valley HM1176-1281 Social influence. Social pressure

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