The organic market is characterized by remarkable disparities, and confusion persists about which motives drive organic consumption. To understand them, this research introduces the idea that the same consumer motives can exert different and potentially opposite impacts when organic consumption patterns unfold. The proposed multistage theory of differential effects distinguishes a participation stage, when consumers decide whether to purchase organic at all, and an expenditure stage, when consumers decide about how much of their budget to spend on organic products across purchases. An analysis of shopping patterns of approximately 14,000 households confirms the proposed differential influences: Other-oriented motives (care for others and the environment) support participation but impede sustained expenditures. Only self-oriented motives (hedonism) foster both participation and expenditures. The results pinpoint the need to rethink organic consumption as a stage-specific problem, which opens up new perspectives for managers about an old but persistent problem.

有机市场的特点是存在显着差异，对于推动有机消费的动机一直存在困惑。为了理解它们，本研究引入了这样一种观点，即当有机消费模式展开时，相同的消费者动机可以产生不同且可能相反的影响。提议的差异效应多阶段理论区分了参与阶段，即消费者决定是否购买有机产品，以及支出阶段，即消费者决定在整个购买过程中将多少预算花在有机产品上。对大约 14,000 户家庭的购物模式的分析证实了提议的差异影响：其他导向的动机（关心他人和环境）支持参与但阻碍持续支出。只有自我导向的动机（享乐主义）才能促进参与和支出。结果表明需要将有机消费重新考虑为一个特定阶段的问题，这为管理人员打开了关于一个古老但持续存在的问题的新视角。