Factors affecting the food firm’s intention to control quality safety in China

Purpose This study aims to examine the factors shaping food firms’ intentions to control quality safety in the context of government regulation in China. Design/methodology/approach Based on 180 usable data samples collected via a survey, structural equation modeling and moderated multiple regression analysis were used to examine the research model. Findings It was found that quality safety capability, corporate social responsibility, collaboration between parties along supply chains and information-sharing among supply chain members have had different impacts on the intentions of food firms to control quality safety. It was also found that government regulation has a positive moderating effect on corporate social responsibility and on collaboration between organizations in a supply chain. Research limitations/implications This research is limited to a particular sample: i.e. the managers of food firms from Guangdong Province in China. Thus, the results need to be generalized to encompass wider samples. Originality/value Previous studies have not explained well the mechanisms by which quality safety control has been established among China’s food firms. This study builds a theoretical framework for the factors affecting intentions to control quality safety by examining issues from the perspectives of food firms and by taking into account the characteristics of food supply chains. This approach addresses the gaps in current understanding and provides practical support to promote quality safety among food firms in China.