Snackification
: study of consumer behaviour, motivations and cultural differences among students in the UK towards the ongoing trend in the food industry

  • Robert Kriegl (Student)

Student thesis: Master's Thesis

Abstract

Nowadays, people’s traditional consumer behaviour is changing. The trend of snacking, as well as an emerging interest in healthy food alternatives, are just a few examples. However, little is known about snacking motivations and cultural differences of students in the UK in general and with respect to a stressful exam period. Hence, this dissertation aims to explore motivational snacking drivers for students, examine cultural differences and elaborate the effect of the exam period on consumption behaviour. Additionally, the study focused on investigating potential snacking groups for future research. The dissertation adopted a pragmatist stance and a mixed-method research approach. Ten semistructured in-depth interviews, with a separation between Asian and UK/European nationalities, were conducted prior to the test period. After the exams, a quantitative survey was carried out to investigate the effect of a stressful period on snacking. Results showed that UK/European students consumed more snacks and less meals, while the opposite is true of Asian participants. Hunger, stress and fun/pleasure/enjoyment were identified as the main motivational drivers. Three consumption groups were explored in the study: Snack Enthusiasts, Market Exper ts and Product Adventurers. In the exam period, both groups showed an increase in snacking with personal feelings being their main motivational driver. Both show the licencing effect by indulging more snacks after a successful exam period.
Date of Award19 Oct 2016
Original languageEnglish
Awarding Institution
  • Universidade Católica Portuguesa
SupervisorDaniel Fernandes (Supervisor)

Keywords

  • Snacking
  • Food culture
  • Consumption behaviour
  • Motivation
  • Stress

Designation

  • Mestrado em Gestão: Programa Internacional

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