Perceived value of a community supported agriculture (CSA) working share. The construct and its dimensions

This article presents two studies that investigate what specifically constitutes perceived value of a CSA working share (PVWS) and how they relate to the PVWS construct. The first study conducts in-depth interviews with 46 working share members to uncover the distinct dimensions of the PVWS. The second study uses exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and partial least squares (PLSs) on survey data from 129 working share members to empirically examine the dimensionality and the nature of the relationship between the dimensions and the PVWS construct. The findings indicate that the PVWS construct conforms to the structure of a formative second-order factor model consisting of five dimensions: functional value, emotional value, social value, epistemic value, and educational value for children. Managerial implications for CSA farmers and research implications of the findings are discussed.

Graphical abstractFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slideHighlights• Investigate the nature of the perceived value of a CSA working share (PVWS). • Dimensions of the PVWS: functional, emotional, social, epistemic, and children’s educational value. • The PVWS conforms to the structure of a formative, second-order factor model.