DEVELOPMENT TRENDS OF CONSUMERISM AND ATTITUDES OF MANAGERS IN CROATIAN FOOD INDUSTRY

Konzumerizam se javio kao odgovor na neravnotežu snaga između proizvođača i potrošača te lošu praksu marketinga od strane pojedinih poduzeća. Konzumerizam ima svoj tijek razvoja i pod utjecajem je promjena kod potrošača kao i u cjelokupnom okruženju. Proizvod od životnog značaja za svakog potrošača je hrana, koja razvojem znanosti i tehnologije postaje sve privlačnija, ali ne i nužno zdravija, što se posebno donosi na GM-hranu. Za pozitivnu promjenu nužan je odgovarajući stav proizvođača prema pitanjima prava i interesa potrošača. Istraživanje stavova menadžera prehrambene industrije Hrvatske ukazuje na veoma pozitivan odnos menadžera o pitanjima konzumerizma kao jednog od uvjeta uzajamno zadovoljavajućih i korisnih odnosa razmjene.Consumerism appeared as a response to the imbalance of powers between the manufacturers and the consumers and bad marketing practices of some companies. Consumerism has its own course of development and is influenced by the changes in both the consumers and the whole environment. Food is the product that is of vital importance for every consumer. It keeps becoming more attractive with the development of science and technology but it does not necessarily become healthier, and this especially refers to GM-food. In order to trigger significant change, an appropriate attitude of the manufacturers towards consumers’ rights and interests shall be required. The research of the attitudes in the Croatian food industry indicates a very positive perception by its managers on the issues of consumerism as one of the conditions for mutually satisfactory and useful relationships of exchange