Article

Eco Labels and Eco Conscious Consumer Behavior: The Mediating Effect of Green Trust and Environmental Concern

October 2018
Journal of Management Sciences 5(2):86-105

DOI:10.20547/jms.2014.1805205

Authors:

University of Turbat

This study explores the relationship between eco labels and eco conscious consumer behavior for green products. Mediation effect of consumer trust regarding green products and their concern for the sustainability of environment have also been analyzed. There are many researches regarding consumers’ evaluation of green products and consumer behavior, but no substantial research has been done on the effects of understanding eco labels on eco-conscious consumer behavior. Eco labels are the essential sources of information regarding products’ features and focus on providing information about less detrimental effects of green products on environment. Data of respondents have been collected through convenience sampling from the most populous city of Pakistan, i.e., Karachi. This research is an empirical study, structural equation modelling technique has been used to explore the relationship among the variables in the study. Furthermore, the mediation effects of green trust and environmental concern on consumer’ behavior have also been analyzed.The ﬁndings of research highlight the positive impact of eco labels on consumers’ eco conscious behavior. The results show full mediation effect of green trust on the relationship between eco labels and eco conscious consumer behavior. However, there was no mediation effect of environmental concern between eco labels and eco conscious consumer behavior. Hence, investing resources on eco labels design and providing awareness about the sustainability of environment are helpful in producing eco conscious consumer behavior.

Green Advertising, Eco Labels, Environmental Responsibility and Green Purchase Behavior: Environmental Attitude as mediation

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Research aims: This study uses environmental attitude as a mediating factor to investigate how green advertising, eco labels, and environmental responsibility affect green purchase behavior. Design/Methodology/Approach: Data collection using the purposive sampling method, using 138 NPURE cosmetic consumers, with SmartPLS 4.0 statistics tool.Research findings: Green purchase behavior is not positively impacted by green advertising. Green purchase behavior is not positively impacted by eco labels. Green purchase behavior is positively impacted by environmental responsibility. Environmental attitudes are positively impacted by green advertising. Environmental attitudes are positively impacted by eco labels. Environmental attitude is positively impacted by environmental responsibility. Green purchase behavior is not positively impacted by environmental attitude. Additionally, it was discovered that the impact of green advertising on green purchase behavior was not mediated by environmental attitude. Green purchase behavior and eco labeling was not mediated by environmental attitude. Environmental responsibility and green purchase behavior was not mediated by environmental attitude.Theoretical Contribution/Originality: This study demonstrates a negative influence, underscoring the persistently high level of consumer skepticism, in contrast to other research that typically finds a positive association green advertising and green purchase behavior. The insignificant mediation role of environmental attitude provides a new perspective on how psychological factors and consumer behavior interact in the context of sustainability.Practitioners/Policy Implications: Companies need to adopt more transparent and credible communication strategies in implementing green advertising in order to overcome consumer skepticism.Research Limitations/Implications: This study used quantitative methods that may not capture the deeper psychological and emotional aspects related to green purchasing decisions. Therefore, future research should explore qualitative approaches to understand consumer motivations more deeply and integrate external factors that may influence green purchase behavior.

Decoding the Role of Environmental Knowledge on Green Purchase Behavior: Investigating the Mediating Role of Green Brand Attachment and the Moderating Role of Green Trust

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What triggers people to buy green products?: Empirical evidence from an emerging market

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Escalating awareness of consumers on environmental issues have not translated into demand for green products in emerging economies, resulting in a rising need for further research on green purchasing behaviour. Considering this gap, the current study investigates the association of eco‐label and environmental knowledge with green purchase behaviour, and explores the mediating impact of environmental attitude and green trust. In addition, this study examines the moderating role of perceived price in influencing such behaviour. The proposed research model is empirically tested with data collected from 600 customers in India. The results indicate that eco‐label, environmental knowledge, green trust, and environmental attitude are significantly associated with green purchase behaviour. Further, environmental attitude does not mediate the association between eco‐label and green purchasing behaviour, while this link is partially mediated by green trust. In comparison, environmental attitude plays a partial mediating role between green trust and green purchasing behaviour. Moreover, perceived price moderates the relationship between environmental attitude and green purchase behaviour positively, while negatively moderates the relationship of green purchase behaviour with green trust. The findings help to draw significant implications for environmental and green marketers, along with a better knowledge of the complicated consumer behaviour associated with the purchase of green products, which will ultimately help them to develop more viable green marketing strategies in India. Overall, this research will enhance the green marketing literature by providing insights into how marketers and businesses can trigger the green purchasing by consumers in emerging market.

Examining the Attitude–Behavior Gap in EU Ecolabel Adoption: A Mediation Path Analysis

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The EU Ecolabel, established in 1992, aims to promote sustainable consumption, yet a significant gap persists between consumers’ positive environmental attitudes and their actual purchasing behavior of ecolabeled products. This study examines the attitude–behavior gap in EU Ecolabel adoption across Europe, leveraging data from the 2023 Eurobarometer survey with 26,630 valid responses from all EU member states. Using mediation path analysis, the research investigates the factors mediating the relationship between environmental knowledge and purchasing behavior, including environmental attitude, ecolabel trust, and environmental concern. The study applies an integrated theoretical framework combining the Knowledge–Attitude–Behavior model and Attitude–Behavior–Context theory to explain the complexities of consumer behavior towards ecolabeled products. The findings reveal the interplay of direct and indirect effects among ecolabel knowledge, trust, environmental concern, attitude, and buying behavior, while also considering demographic factors’ influence such as age, gender, education level, and residential setting. The research provides a comprehensive cross-country analysis within the EU, offering insights into bridging the attitude–behavior gap and enhancing the adoption of eco-friendly products. The results have significant implications for policymakers, marketers, and researchers in promoting sustainable consumer behavior, improving environmental label effectiveness, and developing targeted interventions to increase ecolabel adoption rates.

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Advertising and Eco-Labels as Influencers of Eco-Consumer Attitudes and Awareness—Case Study of Ecuador

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This study examined the impact of green advertising and eco-labels on the attitudes and environmental awareness of millennials purchasing eco-friendly products in shopping centers across Ecuador. The research utilized a quantitative, correlational, cross-sectional methodology with 430 millennials participating. A 20-item survey was administered face-to-face at shopping centers in Quito and Guayaquil, Ecuador. The validity of the research model was established through Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), employing SPSS 20 and AMOS 24 for statistical evaluations. Findings reveal that green advertising significantly shapes environmental attitudes (β: 0.245) and awareness (β: 0.110), as well as directly influences the purchasing behavior (β: 0.154) towards green products. While eco-labels do not exert a direct effect on purchasing behavior (β: 0.128), they significantly inform attitudes (β: 0.406) and ecological awareness (β: 0.277) of millennials who purchase organic products. This paper is among the pioneering research to delineate the correlation between green advertising elements and the purchasing patterns of green products among millennials in a developing nation. It concludes that marketing strategies centered on green advertising and eco-labels do affect millennials’ attitudes and environmental consciousness, but only advertising has a direct impact on purchasing behaviors, contrary to eco-labels. The research bears social significance as it affirms that millennials are attentive to environmental issues and are actively engaged in promoting sustainability.

Reflective-Impulsive Green Buying: Psychological Mechanism and Role of Product Information

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Sustainable consumption became an inalienable part of our life. Building on it, a large share of consumer behavior research is focused on green buying as a part of sustainable consumption. Most existing literature considers sustainable actions and green buying as conscious and planned processes. However, there is recent evidence that green buying may be at the same time impulsive. Although the interest of researchers in impulsive buying in sustainable settings grows dramatically nowadays, prior studies evaluate factors affecting impulsive buying of green products (i.e., buyer-seller personality similarity or corporate social responsibility practices) rather than the psychological mechanism behind it. Drawing on the Reflective-Impulsive Model, we address this gap and, using an experimental approach, investigate how the amount of product information shapes the impulsive and reflective decision-making process of green buying. The current paper is a research-in-progress, and it presents preliminary results of data collection and hypotheses testing.

Advertising and Eco-Labels as Influencers of Eco-Consumer Attitudes and Awareness. Case Study of Ecuador

Preprint

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Dec 2023

The present study identified the influence of green advertising and eco-labels on the attitude and environmental awareness of millennials who purchase ecological products in shopping centers in Ecuador. The research was quantitative, correlational and with a cross-sectional design. A total of 430 millennials participated in the study. A 20-question survey was applied in person outside the shopping centers of Quito and Guayaquil - Ecuador. The convergent and discriminant validity of the research model was verified using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Models (SEM). SPSS 20 and AMOS 24 programs were used for statistical analysis. The results show that green advertising influences environmental attitudes (β: 0,245) and awareness (β: 0,110) and specifically influences purchasing behaviour (β: 0,154) for green products. Although eco-labels do not directly influence purchasing behaviour (β: 0,128), they influence the attitudes (β: 0,406) and ecological awareness (β: 0,277) of millennials who buy organic products. This article is one of the first studies to identify the relationship between green advertising elements and green product purchasing behaviors among millennials in a developing country, concluding that marketing strategies based on green advertising and eco-labels have an impact on the attitude and environmental awareness of millennials, but only advertising directly affects purchasing behaviour while eco-labels do not. This research has social implications since it corroborates that millennials are concerned about environmental problems and are willing to contribute to sustainability.

Impact of Environmental Concern, Emotional Appeals, and Attitude toward the Advertisement on the Intention to Buy Green Products: The Case of Younger Consumer Audiences

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The protection of our natural environment and the rational use of our natural resources are topics that have gained enormous attention the last years, with thousands of people changing their buying behaviors and making more environmentally conscious purchase decisions. Green consumer behavior is concerned with environmental issues or societal considerations that are reflected in purchase decisions. In this article, we study the factors influencing the intention of consumers to buy green products by proposing and validating a research model depicting the dependencies of green purchase intention from the selected factors. More specifically, the aim of the exploratory study is to investigate the impact of positive and negative emotions on individuals’ perceptions of environmentally friendly products and services, as well as the influence of attitudes toward green ads and of consumers’ environmental concerns on green purchasing behavior. The study was conducted with 75 participants who were shown six ads promoting a specific ecofriendly product, with each ad featuring a different emotional appeal both through its visual imagery and its textual information; three of the ads elicited negative emotions (fear, guilt, and disgust) and three positive emotions (joy, interest/curiosity, and inspiration). Findings indicate that ads that elicit negative emotions demonstrate a significant positive effect on consumers’ attitudes toward the green ad and on their intention to buy the promoted green product, but this does not apply to ads that elicit positive emotions. The statistical analysis also revealed that the attitudes toward the green ad are not a significant predictor of consumers’ buying intention. Moreover, as expected, consumers with high environmental concern demonstrate stronger intention to buy the promoted green product compared to consumers with low environmental concern.

Purchase intention for energy-efficient equipment appliances: extending TPB with eco-labels, green trust, and environmental concern

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Energy-efficient equipment appliances (EEEAs) offer great potential for domestic energy saving. This study aims to explore the direct influence of TPB constructs (i.e., attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control), eco labels, and green trust on the intention to buy EEEAs with green environmental concern as moderator. We employed quantitative methodology to test the relationship in the proposed model with an Indian sample of 321 respondents. Both Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Structural Equation Modeling were used for data analysis with AMOS 22.0. The findings reveal that eco-labels and green trust fully mediate the relationship between attitude and PBC to intention to buy EEEAs. The results also suggest that eco-labels and green trust play a positive and vital role in leading to purchase sustainable appliances. Through this study, we contribute to literature encompassing energy-efficient product consumption, achieved through heightened eco-labels perceptions and green trust. The EEEAs purchases can be stimulated among the consumers with higher green environmental concern.

The mediating role of attitude and environmental awareness in the influence of green advertising and eco-labels on green purchasing behaviors

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Unveiling Millennials’ Perceptions of Organic Products: A Grounded Theory Analysis in Ecuador and Peru

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Citation: Ortiz-Regalado, O.; Llamo-Burga, M.; Carrión-Bósquez, N.; Chávez-Gutiérrez, H.; Guerra-Regalado, W.; Veas-González, I.; Ruiz-García, W.; Vidal-Silva, C.

Unveiling Millennials’ Perceptions of Organic Products: A Grounded Theory Analysis in Ecuador and Peru

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In today’s society, the consumption of organic products presents both significant benefits and potential barriers, as evidenced by the intrinsic and extrinsic factors shaping consumer behavior among university-aged millennials. This study explores the motivators influencing consumer behavior toward organic product purchases and identifies barriers that may inhibit university-aged millennials from engaging in such consumption practices. Utilizing a qualitative research approach, data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with thirty-eight university students in Ecuador and Peru. The analysis employed Grounded Theory methods. The findings of this research indicate that intrinsic factors, including environmental awareness, eco-consciousness, habitual tendencies, health considerations, and personal values, in conjunction with extrinsic factors, such as familial and social influences and concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, are significant drivers of the adoption of organic goods. Conversely, challenges related to product availability, cost implications, and prevalent skepticism occasionally hinder the acquisition of these products. An innovative aspect of this study lies in its pioneering use of Grounded Theory in Ecuador and Peru. It sheds light on millennials’ perceptions of organic products and elucidates the factors influencing their purchasing decisions in the organic market.

Mediating factors influencing the relationship between environmental knowledge and intention to purchase eco- friendly products in Tunisia

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In an era where environmental concerns are on the rise, and societal awareness of humanity's impact on the Earth and its ecosystems is growing, this study aims to address a pivotal question: what are the mediating factors that play a significant role in the relationship between environmental knowledge and intention to purchase eco-friendly products in the Tunisian context? Employing a quantitative approach by surveying 218 respondents, the research utilizes SPSS for scale purification and AMOS for structural equation modeling (SEM). Findings underscore the significant influence of environmental knowledge, attitude towards green products, social impact, and green trust on consumers' intentions to purchase green products in Tunisia. Consequently, these insights guide marketers, policymakers, and businesses seeking to promote sustainable consumption practices in Tunisia.

How to Regain Green Consumer Trust after Greenwashing: Experimental Evidence from China

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Greenwashing leads to consumer skepticism of all green products as well as doubts about company claims regarding sustainability. However, the understanding of how to regain green consumer trust after greenwashing is rather limited. The authors fill this gap by exploring the psychological process of green consumers following intervention strategies designed to reduce greenwashing. We collect and interpret quantitative data from two psychological experiments, the first experiment identified two types of intervention strategies that serve to counter the negative impact of greenwashing and based on our findings from the first studies, we proposed and tested the moderating effect of two factors—implicit beliefs of consumers and companies who implement intervention strategies after greenwashing. The results indicate that distrust regulation (quantifying a product’s green attributes) and trustworthiness demonstration (visualizing environmental behaviors) are effective intervention strategies that can enable consumers to re-evaluate the cost-benefit of green products, and which may serve as critical psychological factors for green consumers and contribute to the degree of trust. Validation and comparative study of the derived results show that distrust regulation, followed by trustworthiness demonstration, has the best effect on increasing green trust after intervention. If the sequence is reversed, the effect of the intervention strategy is worse than if only one strategy had been applied. The implicit beliefs of green consumers play a moderating role between intervention strategies and reconsideration of the cost-benefit of green products. The behavior of genuinely green companies and the incremental beliefs of consumers can promote the intervention effect after greenwashing. Alternatively, the behavior of greenwashing companies can easily counter these effects. These findings contribute to knowledge about which psychological factors can promote or hinder the effectiveness of an intervention.

Predictors and Outcomes of Brand Love: An Evaluation of Customers’ Love For Neo-Luxury Brands

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Brand love is the ultimate commitment level of customers for a brand. The love for a brand developed through concerted efforts by the marketers. Attaining customer brand love increases market share and ensures business sustainability. This study assesses the antecedents and consequences of brand love in developing markets. Neo-luxury brands are highly purchased brands in Pakistan. Therefore, the study evaluated customers’behavioral loyalties toward Neo-luxury brands. A total of 315 valid questionnaires on neo-luxury brands were collected from a representative sample of Millennials. . The data were analyzed through structural equation modeling (SEM) using SmartPLS software. The study results revealed that brand love could regulate the relationship of neo-luxury brands between the dimensions of brand image, purchase intention, word-of-mouth, brand loyalty, and brand commitment. The study also found that Mystery, Sensuality, and Intimacy impact brand love. The study contributes to neo luxury brands in relationship with brand love. This research results give valuable information for brand managers to consider when building brand love strategies and applying them in marketing activities. It provides marketers insights into building brand love and increasing market share.

Impact of firms’ Greenwashing practices on customer green trust and green brand attachment: Pakistan`s home appliances consumers’ perspective

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The usage of green products has increased dramatically in the recent decade. The compelling reason behind this behavioral change is the consumer understanding of climate change and its negative impact on the planet. However, firms’ engagement in greenwashing is causing a detrimental impact on this green cause, and it is leading customers to disbelieve the environmental claims of the firms. This study investigates the impact of firms’ greenwashing practices on consumer green trust and green brand attachment. Moreover, it examines the intermediation factors of green perceived risk, green perceived value, green confusion, and green brand image. This study follows a quantitative research design and deductive approach. Data was collected from the home appliances consumers through an online and in-person survey questionnaire. Respondents were contacted by using the non-probability sampling technique and a sample of 330 valid responses was used to analyze the data. Confirmatory Factor Analysis was used to test the reliability of the variables and Structural Equation Modeling to test the nine hypotheses that were proposed in this study. The findings suggest that Greenwashing negatively affects Green Perceived Value (GPV) and GPV positively affects Green Trust (GT). GT showed a positive impact on Green Brand Attachment (GBA). Hence, it is proved that greenwashing may reduce the trust and Brand Attachment of the consumers with the green product. Greenwashing has a positive impact on Green Confusion and a negative impact on Green Brand Image. These findings augment the existing knowledge on the relationship between greenwashing and green brand attachment. It is suggested that if organizations want to increase consumers` green trust and green brand attachment, they must refrain from greenwashing. Green brand trust is a significant driver of the relationship-building process and organizations should strive to build it by furnishing real green values to the consumers, thus it will result in increasing the market share of the companies.

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Analysis of the relationship between Green Packaging, Consumer Attitude and Consumer Buying Behaviour

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Influential factors in the consumption of organic products: The case of Ecuadorian and Peruvian millennials Factores influyentes en el consumo de productos ecológicos: el caso de los millennials ecuatorianos y peruanos Iván Veas-González d

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This paper identifies the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that influence consumers to purchase organic products, and also determines the barriers that sometimes prevent university student millennials from purchasing this type of product. The research had a qualitative approach and the information was collected through semi-structured interviews, thirty two university student millennials from Ecua-dor and Peru participated in the study and the data was coded using the Grounded Theory. The findings determined that intrinsic factors (environmen-tal knowledge, environmental awareness, habits, health and values) and extrinsic factors (family influence , social influence, fear of COVID-19 infection), are the main factors that motivate the consumption of organic products. The study also determined that factors such as availability, price, and skepticism are occasional barriers to the purchase of this type of product. Regarding the originality value, the main contributions of this study are to be one of the first studies in Ecuador and Peru using the Grounded Theory to determine the conceptualisation that millennials have about organic products, as well as learning the influential factors and the existing bar-Resumen Este artículo identifica los factores intrínsecos y extrínsecos que influyen en los consumidores para adquirir productos orgánicos, además determina las barreras que en ocasiones impiden que los millen-nials universitarios adquieran este tipo de produc-tos. La investigación tuvo un enfoque cualitativo y la información fue recolectada por medio de entre-vistas semiestructuradas; treinta y dos millennials universitarios de Ecuador y Perú participaron en el estudio y los datos fueron codificados utilizando la teoría fundamentada. Los hallazgos determinaron que los factores intrínsecos (conocimiento ambien-tal, conciencia ambiental, hábitos, salud y valores) y extrínsecos (influencia familiar, influencia social, miedo al contagio de COVID-19), son los principa-les factores que motivan el consumo de productos orgánicos. El estudio también determinó que fac-tores como la disponibilidad, el precio y el escep-ticismo son barreras ocasionales para la compra de este tipo de productos. En cuanto al valor de origi-nalidad, los principales aportes de este estudio son convertirse en una de las primeras investigaciones en Ecuador y Perú que utilizó la teoría fundamen-tada para determinar la conceptualización que tie

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In recent years, the hotel industry had faced increasing scrutiny over its environmental impact, prompting customers to seek eco-friendly accommodation options. This research aimed to assess the influence of green marketing and hotel environmental performance within Equatorial Guinea capital of Malabo. Guided by the natural resource base view theory, this study employed a quantitative approach and an explanatory design. The target population included all 197 hotels in Equatorial Guinea capital of Malabo, with a sample size of 132 hotels selected through simple random sampling. Data collected was analyzed using SPSS version 26.0 to conduct descriptive, correlational, and multiple regression. This research was significant as it contributed to understanding the link between green marketing orientation and sustainable performance in the hospitality industry. It provided insights for academics and industry stakeholders and informed policymakers about the need for environmentally focused policies. Given the rising importance of green marketing, the findings could guide decision-makers in promoting sustainability within the hotel sector.

Taking a Consumer-Led Approach to Identify Key Characteristics of an Effective Ecolabelling Scheme

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A gap exists between consumer adoption of sustainable purchasing habits and the behavioural changes required to significantly decrease planetary environmental impact. Current ecolabels do not enable purchasing based on environmental impact, and an effective labelling scheme is required to change purchasing priorities. Using focus groups, ecolabels with components varying in the depth of environmental information conveyed, visual features employed, as well as product comparability and scalability of design, were evaluated by consumers with differing levels of environmental awareness. Independent, credible information accessible to consumers of varying environmental awareness was a participant priority. In-depth data communicated through a bar or pie chart with an interpretable holistic message across all environmental factors was preferred. Colour-coded components offering product comparisons and scalable to the size of the packaging, product value, and lifetime were most likely to empower environmentally motivated purchasing. Insights can inform the development of an effective ecolabelling scheme that equips consumers to adopt more sustainable purchasing habits.

Influential factors in the consumption of organic products: The case of Ecuadorian and Peruvian millennials

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This paper identiﬁes the intrinsic and extrinsic fac-tors that inﬂuence consumers to purchase organic products, and also determines the barriers that sometimes prevent university student millennials from purchasing this type of product. The research had a qualitative approach and the information was collected through semi-structured interviews, thir-ty-two university student millennials from Ecua-dor and Peru participated in the study and the data was coded using the Grounded Theory. The ﬁnd-ings determined that intrinsic factors (environmen-tal knowledge, environmental awareness, habits, health and values) and extrinsic factors (family inﬂu-ence, social inﬂuence, fear of COVID-19 infection), are the main factors that motivate the consumption of organic products. The study also determined that factors such as availability, price, and skepticism are occasional barriers to the purchase of this type of product. Regarding the originality value, the main contributions of this study are to be one of the ﬁrst studies in Ecuador and Peru using the Grounded Theory to determine the conceptualisation that millennials have about organic products, as well as learning the inﬂuential factors and the existing barriers in the purchase behaviour of organic products in Ecuador and Peru.

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The growth of the cosmetics industry in the world has increased rapidly in recent decades. Cosmetics manufacturers face intense competitive pressure, both from halal cosmetics products and regular cosmetics products. The existence of this intense competition requires companies to be responsive to consumer needs, so companies must ensure that their product offerings are aligned with consumer demand, to encourage consumer adoption. As explanatory quantitative research, the purpose of this research is to figure out the characteristics of muslim women Generasion Z and determine the effect of Religiosity, Halal Label, Eco Label and Halal Green Perception on Customer Loyalty, both directly and indirectly. The object of this research is a Muslim women Generation Z who uses halal green cosmetics in Malang City with a total sampel of 200 respondents.The technique of collecting data using a closed questionnaire and analyzed with SmartPLS 3.0. As a result, religiosity has no significantly influence on customer loyalty, but Halal Label and Eco Label significantly affect customer loyalty. Furthermore, religiosity, halal label and eco label have a directly positive impact on halal green perceptions. It is worth noting that Halal Green Perception also indirectly plays a role by mediating between religiosity, halal label and eco label on customer loyalty. Although religiosity does not play a direct role in influencing Customer Loyalty, it does not mean that these products cannot attract Generation Z's interest. It should be noted that although the level of Religiosity of Generation Z varies, this generation can still choose halal green cosmetics based on considerations of product quality assurance such as halal label and eco label.

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Social media influencers have become increasingly important in persuading people to become environmentally sensitive. As “greenfluencers” have been studied primarily in the context of advertising, it is crucial to investigate the mechanisms and effects of their non-product–related environmental messages. In two studies, we tested different message frames, a well-known persuasion strategy, in the context of Instagram reels (short audiovisual videos), where user-added background music is a prominent feature. In a 2 × 2 between-subjects online experiment ( N = 240), we manipulated the message frame (gain vs. loss) and the background music (positive vs. negative emotional valence) and found that loss frames reduced behavioral intention via negative emotions. A second 2 × 2 between-subjects online experiment ( N = 207) replicated these findings with an older sample and provided additional evidence that gain frames should be used in environmental communication. Contrary to our assumptions, we found no effect of the emotional valence of music in either study.

Predicting Eco-labeled Product Buying Behavior in an Emerging Economy through an Extension of Theory of Planned Behavior

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Full-text available

Apr 2024

Purpose: This research attempts to explore the determinants of eco-labeled product buying behavior by extending the theory of planned behavior (TPB). Theoretical framework: To build a comprehensive predicting model, environmental knowledge, perceived value, environmental concern, product knowledge, self-efficacy, consumer guilt, and eco-labeling are added to the traditional TPB. Method: The proposed conceptual model was tested by conducting a questionnaire survey on consumers in an emerging economy. The partial least square-based structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. Results and conclusion: The results showed that product knowledge moderates the relationship between subjective norms and eco-labeled product buying intention. The results also reveal that attitude, perceived behavioral control, and subjective norm mediate the association between environmental concern and eco-labeled product buying intention. In addition to TPB constructs, consumer guilt, eco-labeling, perceived value, self-efficacy, and environmental knowledge significantly affect buying intention. Originality/value: The current research addresses the research gap by empirically examining the in-depth effects, and the underlying mechanism of eco-label informed green purchase and its acceptance in Malaysian perspectives.

Internet users' purchasing decisions regarding organic products during the Covid-19 pandemic

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2023

Objectives The research is intended to determine the preferences of Internet users regarding the purchase of different groups of organic products in traditional shops and online. The research also aims to verify whether consumers' demographic and social characteristics influence their decision to purchase these products. Material and methods To obtain research data, an online survey (diagnostic survey method) was conducted among 1,000 Polish Internet users over the age of 18. Statistical methods - Pearson's Chi square and M L test - were used to analyse the relationship between the respondent groups. Results The research showed that Internet users are more likely to purchase organic products in physical stores than online. Statistical analysis revealed relationships between consumer behaviour and their gender, age, education and income. Conclusions The research results in recommendations for business enterprises for preparing organic product offerings that consider the characteristics of the target group. For businesses, their importance is practical. It is advisable to continue research to verify the stability of Internet users' attitudes even after the Covid 19 pandemic is over and possibly to identify trends in purchasing decisions for different groups of organic products.

Consumers' perception of green advertising and eco-labels: The effect on purchasing intentions

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2023

Due to increasing degradation of natural environment, the importance of environmentally responsible production and consumption, as well as green marketing and sustainable labeling has been growing. The aim of this research is to examine the influence of consumers' perception of green advertising and eco-labels on their intentions to purchase eco-labeled products. A research was carried out by using an online survey method on a convenient sample of 172 consumers in the Republic of Serbia. The results showed that, in spite of respondents reporting their environmental awareness and concern, respondents mostly did not consider the impact of their own purchasing habits on the environment. Obtained results showed the existence of a strong relationship between the respondents' pro-environmental behavior and their current purchase, green advertising receptivity, attitude towards green advertising, perception of eco-labels and purchasing intentions. Also, it was found that respondents who were more responsive to green advertising and had better attitudes towards green advertising were more likely to purchase products which are eco-labeled. On the other hand, respondents' perception of eco-labels did not strongly influence purchasing intentions towards eco-labeled products, which is a consequence of insufficient familiarity of respondents with environmental product labeling. These research findings have valuable implications for companies defining strategies to include environmental appeals in their marketing communication, as well as for public institutions in Serbia for the further planning of activities related to encouragement of environmentally friendly production and consumption.

Exploring the Virtue Framework: Environmental Labels, Clean Clothes, and Green Energy Capitalism

Chapter

Full-text available

Jun 2023

This chapter is the most extensive chapter in the book. It uses the presented framework of virtue critique to examine the role of environmental labels in green marketing and explore how green rhetoric is used in the marketing of clothes, as well as within the Energy Sector. Themes developed include standardized forms for sustainability communication, communicative efficacy, moral legitimacy, temporality, transparency, and the value of rhetorical spaces for prudent corporate communication on complex matters.

The Role of Pro-Environmental Behavior, Environmental Knowledge, and Eco-Labeling Perception in Relation to Travel Intention in the Hotel Industry

Article

Full-text available

Jun 2023

Due to increasing concern about climate change and its impact on the tourism sector, it is vital to understand tourists’ decision-making process in relation to staying in green accommodations. Many factors influence tourists’ decision-making process; however, little research has been conducted on examining the antecedents of travel intention in relation to the hotel industry. Accordingly, the aim of the paper was to test the relationship among three antecedents of travel intention and tourists’ intention to stay in hotels with eco-labels. This was performed on a sample of tourists staying in hotels in Adriatic Croatia from July through August 2021. A self-complete questionnaire was used for data collection. Data processing included univariate statistics, multivariate analysis, and structural equation modeling. This research provided evidence that tourists’ eco-labeling perception and pro-environmental behavior influence their travel intention, that general environmental knowledge was positively related to tourists’ pro-environmental behavior and tourists’ eco-labeling perception, and that eco-labeling influences pro-environmental behavior. By examining indirect effects, it was determined that pro-environmental behavior mediates the relationship between environmental knowledge and travel intention and that eco-labeling perception mediates the relationship between environmental knowledge and travel intention and the relationship between environmental knowledge and pro-environmental behavior. The findings suggest that tourists’ pro-environmental behavior includes different consumer cost-effective behavior-related aspects.

Hamburg Climate Futures Outlook: The plausibility of a 1.5°C limit to global warming - social drivers and physical processes

Book

Full-text available

Feb 2023

The purpose of this second Hamburg Climate Futures Outlook is to systematically analyze and assess the plausibility of certain well-defined climate futures based on present knowledge of social drivers and physical processes. In particular, we assess the plausibility of those climate futures that are envisioned by the 2015 Paris Agreement, namely holding global warming to well below 2°C and, if possible, to 1.5°C, relative to pre-industrial levels (UNFCCC 2015, Article 2 paragraph 1a). The world will have to reach a state of deep decarbonization by 2050 to be compliant with the 1.5°C goal. We therefore work with a climate future scenario that combines emissions and temperature goals.

Influencing Green Purchase Intention through Eco Labels and User-Generated Content

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2022

The purpose of the study is to investigate how environmental concern, eco-labelling, influencers and user-generated content affect Generation Z’s green purchase intention. The objective of this study is to contribute with a new scope that combines influencers and user-generated content on digital platforms with environmental concern for Generation Z. The study also aims to add new value in predicting Generation Z’s green purchase intention and results that can be implemented in future marketing strategies. To test the framework, a quantitative research approach, with an online survey, was applied to collect data from Generation Z. The sample size consisted of 393 individuals from Generation Z. Structural Equation Modelling was applied to test the hypothesized framework. All hypotheses were accepted, and hence, this research has identified key variables to predict Generation Z’s green purchase intention. Additionally, this paper found that environmental concern has a significant positive impact on Generation Z’s user-generated content and eco-labelling, and influencers positively affect Generation Z’s user-generated content. This study can aid companies that employ an influencer marketing approach to comprehend how they can motivate customers to buy sustainable products more frequently. This study provides crucial and valuable insights into further understanding how the sustainable consumption behavior of Generation Z can be impacted by the utilization of influencer marketing and their concern for the environment. It also provides a deeper understanding of how influencers and their perceived concerns for the environment can be combined with user-generated content and eco-labelling, as well as subsequent effects on the green purchase intention of members of Generation Z.

Organic food adoption motivations for sustainable consumption: moderating role of knowledge and perceived price

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2022

The household spending of Pakistani consumers on sustainable food consumption has continued to remain low. Hence, the present study used the goal-framing theory to explore the consumer’s motivational factors that derive sustainable consumption of organic food. Drawing on survey data of 488 respondents, the findings show that gain and hedonic motivations significantly affect purchase intentions; however, normative has an indirect role. In addition, the knowledge and perceived price significantly moderate the motivational factors. The study provides invaluable insights for policymakers and practitioners in identifying the motivational factors, and the means of guiding the right behaviors for sustainable consumption.

Purchase Motives and Factors Shaping Consumer Behaviour on the Ecological Product Market (Poland Case Study)

Article

Full-text available

Nov 2022

The growing demand for ecological products is in line with the trend towards the ecologisation of consumption, which has become key in times of striving to achieve sustainable development that aims to satisfy consumer needs while respecting the natural environment and future generations. The shaping of pro-ecological attitudes and behaviours in consumers requires continuous monitoring of such behaviours on the market of ecological products and investigation of the factors that influence consumers’ decisions and market choices. The aim of the article is to present the motives behind the purchase of ecological products, and the factors that shape the purchasing decisions of these products by Polish consumers. The article is based on an in-depth study of the literature and the results of proprietary empirical quantitative research conducted on a national sample of 1032 respondents, of whom 509 had purchased an ecological product within the last 3 months, and 523 had not made such a purchase in this period. Analysis of the results revealed the motives for purchasing ecological products, divided into egotistical motives and altruistic motives. The variation in these motives was also indicated depending on the socio-demographic characteristics of the consumers studied. It was shown that there is a dependency between consumers’ self-assessment of their level of knowledge on the functioning of the natural environment and the effect of humankind on it, and the purchase of ecological products. Analysis was also conducted of the factors perceived by consumers as restricting the purchase of ecological products, as well as the likelihood of a growth in the demand for and consumption of such products. There was shown to be a dependency between the reasons perceived by respondents for restricting the purchase of ecological products or the decision not to make such purchases, and consumer attitudes towards ecology.

Wild caught Alaska sockeye salmon: A case study of the food energy water nexus for a sustainable wild catch fishery

Article

Jul 2022
J CLEAN PROD

There is a gap in information in the literature regarding the energy and water embodied is seafood, especially wild catch fisheries. This work draws on primary and secondary data to assess, through a life cycle approach, the energy and water consumed to catch and process wild sockeye salmon in Bristol Bay, Alaska (USA). The Bristol Bay sockeye salmon fishery is a very remote wild catch fishery. All material inputs and labor are either barged or flown in from other parts of Alaska, and the lower U.S. states. In addition, a large monitoring and enforcement effort by the State of Alaska is conducted to sustainably manage the fishery. We therefore expanded the system boundary to include energy and water for commuting laborer's and regulators to depict the system within a wider context. Structured interviews were conducted to elicit information from fishers and processors related to their use of water and energy and to ascertain potentials for reducing energy and water demand of the fishery. The energy associated with fishing and processing sockeye ranges between 24.6 and 33.8 MJ kg⁻¹ with fishing effort accounting for 43% of the total energy embodied in products. The water embodied in final sockeye salmon products ranged between 10 and 23 liters/kg, mainly the result of processing and packaging. Combined, labor transport and fishery management contributed 8% to the embodied energy in sockeye products, while contributing less that 1% of the water embodied in sockeye products. While not insignificant, the energy costs of fishery management are inconsequential and should provide adequate justification for continued sustainable management and forceful information for consumer choice. The combination of governmental regulations and the remote location results in few opportunities for lowering energy and water demand of this already efficient fishery.

Mediation Analysis of Brand Image in Predicting the Influence of Green Marketing Strategies on Purchase Intentions for Quick Service Restaurants (QSR)

Article

Apr 2025

Purpose This study attempts to analyze how the green marketing strategies in quick service restaurants (QSRs) affect the purchase intentions of millennial consumers. Design/methodology/approach A structured inquiry form was disseminated to a sample of 1,500 respondents via the web platform Google Forms. The form was comprised of constructs of brand image, consumer purchase intention, eco-labeling, eco-packaging, eco-advertising and demographic profile, and respondent details regarding their QSR visit. The statistical technique SEM (Structural Equation Modeling) was employed through the SMARTPLS 4 software for data analysis. Findings The findings drawn from the study show that the brand image fully mediates the association eco-labeling has with buying intention, but partially mediates the interrelations of eco-packaging and buying intention; eco-advertisements and buying intention. Originality/value This study brings forth meaningful insights to the QSR on how they can better plan their green marketing strategies.

Eco-Label as a Sustainable Communication Tool

Chapter

Feb 2025

Carmela Donato

This chapter examines eco-labels as key tools for green communication, helping consumers align purchasing decisions with sustainability. It provides an overview of eco-label types and the regulations ensuring their credibility, while analyzing the roles of key stakeholders—consumers, producers, and third-party organizations. Through case studies, the chapter highlights the successful brand adoption of eco-labels, showcasing their integration into marketing strategies to promote sustainability and build trust. Moreover, it addresses the barriers to broader adoption, focusing on challenges such as low consumer awareness and limited understanding of the sustainability messages eco-labels convey.

Clarifying the Mediating Role of Spatial Behaviors in The Sustainable Development of Urban Environments (Case Study: Shiraz Residential Areas)

Article

Full-text available

Oct 2024

Neighborhood-oriented sustainable development is one of the subcategories of urban sustainable development, which is trying to improve the living standards of residents with behavioral-spatial correlation by using various physical, human, economic, and cultural tools and funds. The purpose of the present research was to explain the mediating role of spatial behaviors in the generalization of the theory of planned behavior in order to achieve sustainability goals in the residential areas of Shiraz. Achieving this goal required an answer to the question that how does the spatial behavior of citizens affect the motivation, attitude, norms and behavioral needs of people on the path of sustainability? Previous studies showed that there is a gap in investigating this hypothesis that the behavioral-spatial capabilities of an environment can also be a behavioral catalyst to improve the efficiency of other variables. To prove this hypothesis, a researcher-made questionnaire was prepared based on the components of this theory. The designed items were validated by 11 experts in the field of behavior and psychology. The test population was the citizens of Shiraz city, who were selected randomly and classified. These people have included a community equal to 600 people. To conduct the research, an equation model was designed in AMOS software. This model was completed first with the mediating role of spatial behavior and then with the moderation of spatial structure and order (axial or central). The results confirmed the effect of spatial behavior in transforming sustainable behavior into the regular behavior pattern of residents and showed that norms with a regression coefficient of 0.810 have the greatest impact on people's behavior and take the greatest impact from environmental capabilities. Spatial behaviors with a regression coefficient of 0.721 affect the daily behaviors of individuals and put people on a sustainable path by strengthening other behavioral variables. The results also showed that in terms of structure, central patterns had a greater impact on people's spatial and sustainable behaviors, while in axial structures, people behave more based on their individual and internal features. Extended Abstract Introduction With the expansion of industrial production and technological arrangements to manage individual consumption, and the consequences and social problems caused by globalization, researchers realized that sustainability is about changing behavior. As a result, the studies on drawing public attention to the issues of environmental sustainability and the effects of human behavior on the environment became very widespread, and sustainable behavior was proposed to mean a series of conscious actions for the simultaneous protection of both the physical and social environment. Ajzen's (1991) theory of planned behavior is considered one of the most widely used models and a reliable predictor in the study of sustainable behavior. The basis of this theory is to create a connection between behavior, cognition, and personal communication. The theory of planned behavior is an expectancy-value theory that states that performing a behavior is related to two factors: motivation (behavioral intention) and ability (behavioral control). In other words, a person who has a high perception of control over his behavior and the intention to perform that behavior is more likely to do it. Perceived behavioral control depends on the existence of facilitators or the absence of barriers to performing a behavior or the perceived ability to perform that behavior. Despite the importance of the topic, until now, spatial behaviors have not been investigated as the main basis of human activities and a contextual factor in sustainable behavior models. Considering the extensive interactions between man-made environments and people in today's life, it seems that design with the aim of identifying environmental opportunities on the basis of the spatial structures of residential environments is an effective operational strategy in promoting the model of sustainable behavior in individual citizens. Therefore, the final goal of this research is to achieve a more specific perspective on the relationship between the physical environment of contemporary housing in Shiraz city and the sustainable behavior of residents. The main question in this research can be posed as follows: How does spatial behavior affect the motivation, attitude, norms, and behavioral needs of people to make sustainable decisions in daily life? It seems that spatial behavior can affect the mentioned

CLICCS Outlook Case Study Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Chapter

Full-text available

Sep 2024

Waibel, Nguyen, Hai, Petit and Nhat investigate the vulnerabilities of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, against the backdrop of global climate change. They argue that measures of sustainable climate change adaptation must go hand in hand with measures of sustainable urban development to tackle the multiple inter-twined challenges. They maintain that successful sustainable climate change adaptation requires more crosscutting integrated planning as part of a wider process-orientated transformative adaptation process. Finally, they advocate for a stronger involvement of the urban citizens beyond mere awareness rising which they regard as essential to enhance private engagement and to close prevalent implementation gaps.

The adoption of the green label by SMEs in the hotel sector: a leverage for reassuring their customers

Article

Full-text available

Sep 2023
J Enterprise Inform Manag

Purpose In the era of new technological revolution, seeking to survive and guarantee business sustainability in their digital internationalization, enterprises choose to become environmentally oriented. The need for new green business models has become evident in recent years, and enterprises offer green services in creative and eco-friendly ways. However, does the display of a green label on hotels' websites really promote the eco-conscious tourists' online booking intention? This study aims to examine the impact of the perceived label on the online sustainable hotel booking intention of the eco-conscious tourists, using the foundations of signal theory. Design/methodology/approach This study adopted a structural equation model to integrate several constructs with a sample of 349 validated responses. Findings The empirical results highlight, the importance of the green label perception on the eco-conscious tourists' booking intention of online sustainable hotel and the role that green trust and green perceived risk play as a mediating variable between the perception of the exposed label and the booking intention. Indeed, when booking a sustainable hotel online, the tourists may be sensitive to the exposure of a green label. Therefore, this signal decreases the perceived risk of unsustainability and ultimately increases the trust in hotel's sustainability. Research limitations/implications The first limitation is related to the sample employed in this study. Given that most of the participants were residents of France, the results of this study may not be generalized to the entire population. Secondly, a range of other factors can affect the eco-conscious tourists' intentions to book online a hotel with green label, such as their attitude, social media influence, tourists' satisfaction, etc. Indeed, other variables and/or signals could be adopted to study online booking intention in the pandemic era. Practical implications In light of these results, theoretical and managerial implications are discussed. The findings make an important contribution to SMEs sustainability and internationalization by exploring new ties. This study considers how SMEs and specifically hotels start following green practices (e.g. adoption of an eco-label) relevant to their international environment where they operate and in response to global pressures. SMEs can survive better in the highly competitive global environment where they need to employ more green practices, however, managers should consider how green trust and green perceived risk can affect customer behavior. It also adds to the existing literature by dealing with customer perceptions about the green label of sustainable hotels and its subsequent effect on booking intention. Originality/value This study had shown the importance of the display of green label on the eco-conscious tourist's online booking intention.

Carbon emissions abatement with duopoly generators and eco-conscious consumers: Carbon tax vs carbon allowance

Article

Sep 2023

Understanding the Importance of Eco-Labeling for Organic Foods at UNESCO Biosphere Reserves: A Case Study of the Cocoa Powder at the Dong Nai, Vietnam

Article

Full-text available

Jun 2023

This study examined the willingness-to-pay (WTP) of consumers and the determinants of eco-labeling for the organic cocoa powder produced in the Dong Nai UNESCO Biosphere Reserve (DNBR), Southern Vietnam. Eco-labels are designed according to the tiers of eco-labeling for biosphere reserves (BR) introduced by UNESCO; they include BR Destination (Tier 1), BR Quality (Tier 2), and Professional Certification (Tier 3) labels. Questionnaires were delivered to 203 customers in the DNBR and nearby places, such as Dong Nai and HCMC. This study employed a hybrid approach using descriptive statistics, an ANOVA test, and a Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Model (PLS-SEM). The results indicate that gender and educational level have a positive effect on consumers’ preferences. Customers are willing to pay more for cocoa powder with an eco-label than one with an organic label. Perceived food safety and product knowledge lower customers’ WTP, whereas agricultural environment and pricing concerns increase it. Tier 2 is suggested for labeling cocoa powder in the DNBR. The DNBR Management Board, together with the federal and provincial governments, should all follow a similar certification process. Increased eco-label awareness is crucial for the future of environmentally responsible shopping and responsible business practices.

Understanding the Importance of Eco-Labeling for Organic Foods at UNESCO Biosphere Reserves: A Case Study of the Cocoa Powder at the Dong Nai, Vietnam

Preprint

Full-text available

Apr 2023

This study examines the Willingness-To-Pay (WTP) of consumers and the determinants of eco-labeling for the organic cocoa powder produced in the Dong Nai UNESCO Biosphere Reserve (DNBR), Southern Vietnam. Eco-labels are designed according to Tiers of eco-labeling for biosphere reserves (BR) introduced by UNESCO include BR Destination (Tier 1), BR Quality Label (Tier 2), and Professional Certification Label (Tier 3). Questionnaires are delivered to 203 customers in the DNBR and nearby places, such as Dong Nai and HCMC. This study employs a hybrid approach using descriptive statistics, ANOVA test, and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Model (PLS-SEM). The results indicate that gender and educational level have a positive effect on consumers' preferences. Customers are willing to pay more for cocoa powder with an eco-label than one with an organic label. Perceived food safety and product knowledge lower customers’ WTP, whereas agricultural environment and pricing concerns increase it. Tier 2 is suggested for labeling cocoa powder in the DNBR. The DNBR Management Board, together with the federal and provincial governments, should all follow a similar certification process. Increased eco-label awareness is crucial for the future of environmentally responsible shopping and responsible business practices.

The Factors Influencing Green Purchase Intention on Green Product among Malaysian Consumers

Article

Full-text available

Jun 2022

The Use of Eco-Friendly Products in Indonesia: A Survey on Consumer Motivation

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2022

The use of products tagged as environmentally friendly is now on the rise in Indonesia. However, while the increasing sales of environmentally friendly products happen, public awareness of environmental sustainability has yet to improve. This paper aims to determine the factors that influence the rise of a trend, namely the use of environmentally friendly products, which has recently been rife in Indonesia. Thus, this study begins the investigation by distributing a questionnaire that uses quantitative methods and a Likert scale in data collection, with results coming from 63 Indonesian from various backgrounds. From the data, we found that of the three variables (Environmental Awareness, Fear of Missing Out, and Affordability), only one variable, FOMO, significantly influences the buyers' motivation for eco-friendly products. Hence, FOMO should be considered an important aspect of marketing or campaign. ABSTRAK [Penggunaan Produk Ramah Lingkungan di Indonesia: Survei Motivasi Konsumen]. Penggunaan produk berlabel ramah lingkungan kini sedang marak di Indonesia. Namun, di tengah meningkatnya penjualan produk ramah lingkungan, kesadaran masyarakat akan kelestarian lingkungan belum juga meningkat. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhi munculnya suatu trend yaitu penggunaan produk ramah lingkungan yang akhir-akhir ini banyak terjadi di Indonesia. Maka dari itu, penelitian ini memulai penyelidikan dengan menyebarkan kuesioner yang menggunakan metode kuantitatif dan skala Likert dalam pengumpulan data, dengan hasil yang berasal dari 63 orang Indonesia dari berbagai latar belakang. Dari data tersebut, kami menemukan bahwa dari ketiga variabel (Kesadaran akan lingkungan, Fear of Missing Out, dan Keterjangkauan), hanya satu variabel, FOMO, yang secara signifikan mempengaruhi motivasi konsumen untuk membeli produk ramah lingkungan. Oleh karena itu, FOMO harus dianggap sebagai aspek penting dari pemasaran.

The Use of Eco-Friendly Products in Indonesia: A Survey on Consumers Motivation

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2022

The Use of Eco-Friendly Products in Indonesia: A Survey on Consumers Motivation. The use of products labeled as environmentally friendly is now on the rise in Indonesia. The use of products labeled as environmentally friendly is now on the rise in Indonesia. However, while the increasing sales of environmentally friendly products happen, public awareness of environmental sustainability has not yet improved. This paper aims to determine the factors that influence the rise of a trend, namely the use of environmentally friendly products, which has recently been rife in Indonesia. Thus, this study begins the investigation by distributing a questionnaire that uses quantitative methods and a Likert scale in data collection, with results coming from 63 Indonesian from various backgrounds. From the data, it can be concluded that of the three variables used, which are Environmental Awareness, FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), and Affordability, there is only one variable, FOMO that significantly influences the buyers’ motivation for eco-friendly products. Hence, FOMO should be considered an important aspect regarding marketing or campaign.

Consumer consciousness of organic products and demographics characteristics: Are they related?

Article

Sep 2022

Nourhan Ibrahim Eldesoky

Purpose of the research: Determining the relationship between consumer’s consciousness of organic products (environmental and health concern, organic knowledge, and consumer’s attitude) based on their demographics (age, gender, education, and income). Design/methodology: The Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 18 was used to analyze the data. The following statistical procedures were used: Cronbach’s Alpha and correlation coefficients to assure the reliability and validity of the scales. Descriptive analyses, Multiple linear regression analysis, T-test, one way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and finally, Post–Hoc test to conduct comparisons to test the significance between Age, Education, and Income, and independent variables. Results/Findings: the main objective and hypothesis were accepted except environmental and health concern and organic food knowledge based on gender, organic food knowledge among on age, organic food knowledge, consumer's attitude based on education, environmental and health concern, and consumer's attitude based on income. Conclusions: this thesis had contributed to the previous research in the field of organic products, initially, the current study sought to study the relationship between consumer’s consciousness toward organic products and demographics, accordingly, questions were derived and hypothesis were also drawn from overall objectives by answering the research question and confirming the hypothesis ,the results of this study could be served as foundation for further research about organic products in Egypt.

When consumers penalize not so green products

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2018

To cash in on consumers’ willingness to pay higher prices for green products, several companies are promoting conventional products as green by highlighting a few green attributes. Through a theoretical lens, the authors investigate how consumers perceive such attempts. This research illustrates that not so green products make consumers sensitive to the monetary sacrifice associated with the purchase of such products. The current research shows that consumers have a negative attitude toward such products and they become concerned about the ethicality of the company when they encounter such products. Both implicit and explicit measures suggest that consumers notice the company's motive behind such practices which, in turn, impacts their price perceptions.

Distinctive Characteristics of Mobile Advertising in Measuring Consumers' Attitude: An Empirical Study

Article

Full-text available

Aug 2017

Green product purchase intention: impact of green brands, attitude, and knowledge

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2016
BRIT FOOD J

Norazah Mohd Suki

Purpose The purpose of this paper is threefold: to assess the impact of green brand positioning, consumers’ attitude toward green brands, and green brand knowledge on green product purchase intention; to investigate the influence of green brand knowledge on consumers’ attitude toward green brands; and to examine the moderating effect of green brand knowledge on the relationship between green brand positioning and green product purchase intention. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire was utilized to gather the data ( n =300) for this study. The purposive sampling technique was used, involving respondents who practice a green lifestyle and have had green product purchasing experience. The partial least squares (PLS) method, which is a variance-based technique for the analysis of structural equation modeling, was used to analyze the data, with the assistance of the SmartPLS computer program version 2.0. Findings Based on the standardized path coefficients of the structural model from the PLS results, green brand knowledge was found to be the most significant determinant of green product purchase intention. Knowledge of green brands has caused consumers to develop positive green marketing awareness and has bolstered their interest in fortifying the environment whilst preventing its degradation. Furthermore, green brand knowledge also impacted consumers’ attitude toward green brands. However, this factor was an insignificant moderator of the impact between green brand positioning and green product purchase intention. Practical implications Green brand positioning can be used by firms and businesses to better market their products and improve consumers’ green brand knowledge and attitude toward green brands, as well as increase green brand purchase intentions. Successful green brand positioning is seen as an advantage for marketers that can be used to differentiate their products from the available competitors, giving the impression that their products are distinguishable, and thus creating more demand and generating increased intention to purchase more green products. Originality/value The empirical results of this study address the gap in the prevailing body of literature in reference to the impact of green brand positioning and consumer attitude toward green brands, as well as the effect of green brand knowledge on green product purchase intention. This study found that green brand knowledge does not moderate the relationship between green brand positioning and green product purchase intention, thus providing insight into this subject matter, which has not been clearly examined in previous studies.

Green Demarketing in Advertisements: Comparing “Buy Green” and “Buy Less” Appeals in Product and Institutional Advertising Contexts

Article

Full-text available

Aug 2016

This research compares consumer response to traditional green advertising appeals to that of less conventional, “green demarketing” (GD) appeals—messages by for-profit companies encouraging reduced category consumption for the sake of the environment. Rather than encouraging greener consumption, modern environmentalism calls for decreased consumption overall, a trend reflected in recent advertising campaigns (e.g., Patagonia's “Don't Buy This Jacket”). Despite its potential impact and unconventionality, research on GD in general is sparse, and no empirical research has examined consumer response to GD appeals relative to traditional green appeals. In three experiments, we find that, in the context of product advertising, consumers' attitudes for green ads are more favorable than those for GD ads, mediated by greater inferences of genuine environmental concern. However, we find the reverse pattern in the context of institutional ads. Further, an “anti-consumption amplifier” message embedded in the ad—espousing the potential harm of overconsumption—further boosts favorable consumer attitudes for the GD institutional ad relative to its traditional green counterpart. Importantly, we assess all effects while controlling for consumers' individual levels of green consumerism, such that implications may be applied more generally rather than to a specific segment of green consumers.

Remanufacturing for the Circular Economy: An Examination of Consumer Switching Behavior

Article

Full-text available

Aug 2016

For the circular economy to be tenable, consumers need to not only return products after use, but also purchase products that are remanufactured. However, research finds that consumers have a poor opinion of remanufactured products and are typically not prepared to adopt them. Thus, development of the circular economy is dependent upon deeper understanding of consumers’ attitudes and behaviors. Research typically considers either micro-level or macro-level factors when assessing consumer perceptions of remanufactured products. The current research incorporates macro-level factors of price, government incentives, and environmental benefits with the moderating influence of micro-level consumer attitudes to examine consumers’ intention to switch from purchasing new products to remanufactured products. The findings suggest that a consumer’s attitude toward remanufactured products is an important moderating factor predicting consumer switching behavior to remanufactured products.

Attitudes and Behaviour of the Mobile Phones Users towards SMS Advertising: A Study in an Emerging Economy

Article

Full-text available

Mar 2016

Advertisement through SMS is a commonly used medium in the era of technology. Companies are utilizing this medium of advertisement quite frequently. Rapid increase of the usage of mobile phones has developed an innovative way of utilizing this marketing tool. Due to the exponential growth in telecommunication industry after introduction of SMS and MMS, this study has been conducted to investigate the consumer attitude towards SMS advertisement and its relationship with behavior. Entertainment, irritation, product involvement and appeal were used in order to investigate the attitude of the consumer. A questionnaire was used to examine the relationships among variables of the study. Overall 350 usable responses were gathered. SEM was used to obtain the results of the overall model. Results of the study indicate that (1) product involvement, appeal and entertainment have a positive impact on attitude towards advertisement. Only irritation was found to be negatively insignificant. (2) Relationship between consumer attitude towards SMS advertising and attitude was positively significant. (3) Positive and direct relationship between attitude and consumer behavior was also found. (4) Permission appeared to be significant on consumer attitude towards mobile advertisement, which confirmed that prior permission is required to gain the positive response of the consumer. (5) Consumers are attracted by rewards therefore monetary benefits was also found to be a significant factor.

Predicting green product consumption using theory of planned behavior and reasoned action

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2015
J Retailing Consum Serv

Unpacking the relationship between materialism, status consumption and attitude to debt: The role of Islamic religiosity

Article

Full-text available

Jun 2016

Volkan Yeniaras

Purpose The purpose of the study is to investigate how religiosity affects these relationships in Turkey where consumption is de-stigmatized among a new economic elite with strong ties to Islamism. The literature commonly associates religion and ideology with anti-capitalism and anti-consumption. Although consumer researchers have studied both topics, examination of whether materialistic values translate into status consumption and whether religiosity has an effect on the relationship between status consumption and consumer attitude to debt remains scant. Design/methodology/approach This paper investigates the relationship of materialism to status consumption and the mediating role of Islamic religiosity on the relationship between status consumption and attitude to debt. Structural equations modeling was used on a judgmental sample of 267. Findings The results showed that the materialistic values positively affect status consumption for the Islamists. This paper concludes that Islamic religiosity, not only does not reject consumption but also augments the relationship between status consumption and consumer attitude to debt. Originality/value The findings have shown that previous studies that identify Islam as a threat to consumerism have overseen the class struggles and the role of status consumption. This paper successfully provided empirical evidence that the religiosity not only does not reject consuming but intensifies the relationship between status consumption and attitude to debt for those with Islamist dispositions.

An evaluation of the role of green marketing and a firm's internal practices for environmental sustainability

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2015

The management of a firm's green operations is increasingly important for marketing strategists. The purpose of this study is to investigate the cross-influences of green marketing strategy and the key internal green functional areas in a firm. We use the antecedents of marketing strategy and identify relationships between green marketing strategy and key supporting internal environmental operations of firms with respect to (1) green suppliers, (2) environmental resource management, (3) green research and development, and (4) environmental manufacturing processes and procedures. The statistical techniques of parallel analysis, factor analysis and multiple regressions are used to analyze data collected from 332 firms. The results identify that among the four functional areas of firms adopting green marketing strategy. Two are more likely to influence green marketing strategy - supplier selection and research and development. Implications are discussed. The findings contribute to the theory of green marketing strategy. Future research is recommended.

It's Easy Being Green: The Effects of Argument and Imagery on Consumer Responses to Green Product Packaging

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2012

To assess how claims of “green” advertising influence consumers, this study examined whether argument strength and imagery used in environmental claims on product packaging affected participants' perceptions of the claims' credibility, perceptions of the products' “greenness,” attitudes toward the product, purchasing intent, and general attitudes toward “green” product advertising. A 3 (Argument: No argument, Weak, or Strong)×2 (Image: Present or Absent) factorial experiment was conducted by varying product packaging on a bottle of laundry detergent. While argument strength influenced perceptions of credibility, product greenness, and attitudes, a weak argument was as effective as a strong argument in eliciting purchasing intent. Similarly, the presence of a green seal image influenced purchasing intent regardless of argument strength. These results suggest that though consumers are able to evaluate the quality of green arguments, the mere presence of any green cue affects purchasing intent regardless of format, modality, or quality.

Signaling the Green Sell: The Influence of Eco-Label Source, Argument Specificity, and Product Involvement on Consumer Trust

Article

Full-text available

Feb 2014

Consumers cannot verify green attributes directly and must rely on such signals as eco-labels to authenticate claims. Using signaling theory, this study explored which aspects of eco-label design yield more positive effects. The study uses a 2 (argument specificity: specific versus general) x 2 (label source: government versus corporate) x 2 (product involvement: low versus high) experimental design (n = 233). Specific arguments consistently yield greater eco-label trust and positive attitudes toward the product and label source, but only with low-involvement products is source important, with corporate labels yielding more positive attitudes. Findings are discussed in terms of theoretical and managerial implications.

The role of Islamic values on green purchase intention

Article

Full-text available

Sep 2014

Siti Hasnah Hassan

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of religious values (RGV) on green purchase intention (GPI) among middle-class Muslims in Malaysia. The demand for environmentally green products is growing to facilitate the changing consumption pattern due to the substantial interest in ethical consumerism. Despite the potential impact of RGV on ethical consumption, it is difficult to find studies that embark on linking RGV towards this type of consumption, especially in a developing Muslim country such as Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire survey that was distributed using the purposive sampling method. The final useful sample consists of 140 middle-class Muslim participants. The partial least squares (PLS) structural equation was used to develop the model showing the relationship between RGV and intention to purchase green products for middle-class Muslims in Malaysia. Findings – The results suggest that there is an indirect association between RGV towards attitude and GPI. RGV directly influence natural environmental orientation and environmental concern. In turn, consumer attitude towards green purchase directly affects the respondents’ GPI via the mediator role of nature orientation, green concern and knowledge. The results, besides indicating the suitability of the PLS in statistical analysis, also contribute to a better understanding of how RGV influence GPI among the Muslim middle class. Research limitations/implications – The model developed is specific to the Muslim population in Malaysia. Therefore, the model might only be able to be generalized to nations that have a similar culture to the Muslims in Malaysia or Muslim middle class in other developing countries. Practical implications – RGV are important in influencing green consumption behaviour. The environmental problem cannot just be solved with knowledge and technology but must be backed with moral and ethical imperatives. The ethical awareness and consciousness, backed up by legislation and prohibition, can encourage green behaviour not only from the individuals but also at the social group level. The enforcement of the law and the government play an important role in the implementation of green policies for the protection and conservation of mother Earth. Originality/value – This paper confirmed that behaviour is influenced by individual-level attributes, as well as by the conditions under which people live.

Customer loyalty: Exploring its antecedents from a green marketing perspective

Article

Full-text available

Jul 2015
Int J Contemp Hospit Manag

Patricia Martínez García de Leaniz

Purpose At present, environmental issues attract the attention of academics and professionals around the world. In the hospitality industry, this interest is even greater because of the considerable quantities of water and energy consumed by hotel companies, and because of the environmental degradation that this industry can cause with unmanaged growth and development. For this reason, several authors have proposed incorporating the green loyalty construct as a key variable in tourism theory and practice. This study proposes a hierarchy of effects model to study three antecedents of green loyalty ‒ green trust, green satisfaction and green overall image ‒ and to examine the relationships between these variables. Design/methodology/approach To test the proposed model empirically, personal surveys of hotel customers were conducted in Spain using a structured questionnaire. A structural equations model was developed to test the research hypothesis. Findings The findings show that green overall image has positive direct effects on green trust, green satisfaction and green loyalty. At the same time, they reveal that both green trust and green satisfaction have positive effects on green loyalty. In addition, green trust has a positive influence on green satisfaction. Research limitations/implications This research deals with the relationship between the variables of interest, without considering other antecedents and consequences. Thus, there is still a need to explore other mediating variables (e.g., willingness to pay more to stay in a green room, or commitment regarding environmental issues), since the explanatory power of our model could still be improved. In addition, given the role of green trust and green satisfaction as mediating variables of green overall image and green loyalty, this study recognizes the need for in-depth research into the enhancement of green trust and green satisfaction. Practical implications From a practical point of view, hoteliers and marketers working for a green hotel should develop a positive green overall image and enhance customers’ perceptions of green trust and green satisfaction. In particular, they should emphasize the importance of environmental issues to customers by promoting green campaigns. At the same time, hoteliers in a green context should create effective strategies to improve their hotel’s image. Originality/value Although existing research has investigated relevant aspects of customer trust, satisfaction, overall image and loyalty, these issues have not been discussed from a green marketing perspective. Apart from that, the main contribution of this paper is its exploration of the influence of green trust, green satisfaction and green overall image on green loyalty in a hospitality setting, following the framework of the hierarchy of effects model. By complementing previous studies on customer loyalty in the environmental context and exploring the relationships among these constructs, this study offers an assessment of how green marketing strategies in the hospitality industry increase green loyalty.

Finding the Right Shade of Green: The Effect of Advertising Appeal Type on Environmentally Friendly Consumption

Article

Full-text available

May 2014

There are two forms of advertising appeals for environmentally friendly products and policies: those that provide consumer benefit (e.g., cost savings) and those that provide societal benefit (e.g., lower emissions). This research examines the role of decision-making and consumption contexts on the efficacy of each appeal. The results of three studies indicate that in contexts where consumers experience heightened public accountability they are more responsive to other-benefit appeals, and in more private settings they favor self-benefit appeals. We replicate this finding across multiple samples, product categories, and consumption and decision-making contexts. Our findings reconcile previously conflicting research on the efficacy of either appeal type and provide guidance for marketers seeking to promote environmentally friendly consumption. Pieters (1991) defines environmentally friendly consump-tion as "consumption activities that have a less negative or more positive effect on the natural environment than substitutable activities" (p. 59). When consumers engage in environmentally friendly consumption behaviors, they are typically motivated by one of two benefits. Many of these behaviors, such as purchas-ing fuel-efficient vehicles that produce fewer emissions, offer consumers a chance to protect the natural environment. How-ever, they also provide the opportunity for the consumer to save money. Marketers commonly employ communication strategies that emphasize one benefit or the other. For example, when the grocery chain Safeway encourages customers to use their own reusable shopping bags, it highlights the environmental bene-fit (i.e., an other-benefit appeal) of this practice rather than the per-bag discount to consumers (i.e., a self-benefit appeal).

Sustainable Development and the Consumer: Exploring the Role of Carbon Labelling in Retail Supply Chains: Exploring the Role of Carbon Labelling in Retail Supply Chains

Article

Full-text available

Nov 2013
Bus Strat Environ

This empirical article contributes to the sustainable development debate by examining consumer responses to carbon labels within a real world context. Given the limitations of methodologies that use self-reported or intended measures of purchasing behaviour, we use the loyalty card data of the largest supermarket retailer in the UK to measure the impact of carbon labels on sales by different consumer segments. The data show that the trial of carbon labels on supermarket own brand products has had no discernible impact on shifting demand to lower carbon products. In order to explore possible reasons for lack of impact, nine focus groups were held using purposive sampling by retailer consumer segments to allow an exploration of awareness, understanding and use of carbon labels. The findings from the focus groups identified possible reasons for this lack of impact: lack of awareness and understanding of carbon labelling; constraining or facilitating social and cultural influences; and the heterogeneous nature of consumers. As a result, a number of implications for stakeholders are discussed. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

“Greening” the marketing mix: Do firms do it and does it pay off?

Article

Full-text available

Mar 2012

Growing concern about the sustainability of the natural environment is rapidly transforming the competitive landscape and forcing companies to explore the costs and benefits of “greening” their marketing mix. We develop and test a theoretical model that predicts (1) the role of green marketing programs in influencing firm performance, (2) the impact of slack resources and top management risk aversion on the deployment of such programs, and (3) the conditioning effects that underpin these relationships. Our analyses show that green marketing programs are being implemented by firms, and we find evidence of significant performance payoffs. Specifically the results indicate that green product and distribution programs positively affect firms’ product-market performance, while green pricing and promotion practices are directly positively related to firms’ return on assets. In addition, industry-level environmental reputation moderates the links between green marketing program components and firms’ product-market and financial performance. Finally, we find that slack resources and top management risk aversion are independently conducive to the adoption of green marketing programs—but operate as substitutes for each other.

Normalising green behaviours: A new approach to sustainability marketing

Article

Full-text available

Mar 2012

This paper develops a new approach to sustainability marketing: repositioning activities as normal, or not normal, to encourage the adoption of more sustainable consumer practices. The paper is grounded in theories of social normalisation, conformity, and social practice theory. Previous qualitative work by the authors suggests that some sustainable behaviours are not adopted because they are perceived to be not normal, and that some unsustainable behaviours persist because they are seen as normal. This paper shows how consumer perceptions of the extent to which behaviours are normal or not normal can be identified and used in the design of sustainability marketing strategies. The research involved a survey of 1000 UK respondents' attitudes to 15 specific activities, and identifies marketing strategies for (re)positioning these activities as either normal or not normal, as appropriate. In addition, the paper provides guidance for targeting these normalisation strategies at specific demographic groups.

Beyond the Intention-Behaviour Mythology: An Integrated Model of Recycling

Article

Full-text available

Mar 2002
Market Theor

This paper presents a critique of the multi-attribute models of Fishbein and Ajzen and the social–psychological model of altruistic behaviour proposed by Schwartz. The purpose is to understand better the capacity of these theories of behavioural response to predict and explain observed consumer behaviour. The authors argue that the evaluation of such models cannot proceed in abstract contexts. The development, implementation and maintenance of a kerbside recycling programme by the Cotswold District Council in the UK provided an opportunity to examine the cognition–behaviour links proposed by these theories. Unlike mostother tests of these models, the authors’ research employs independent measures of behaviour as well as behavioural intention and other alleged cognitive precursors of behaviour. The results indicate that cognitive variables, notably intention, fail topredict actual behaviour and that a more elaborate integrated model of recycling is required in order to accomplish this. The research suggests that, at least in the context in which the investigation was undertaken, the intention–behaviour hypothesis, which lies at the heart of so much psychological and marketing theorizing, must be abandoned.

Disparagement as a Processing Stimulus for Humor in Advertising

Article

Jun 2015

Abstract Purpose - This research paper explores the mediating role of attitude towards the advertisement and attitude towards the brand in the relationships between disparagement as a processing stimulus for humor in advertising and purchase intention of the customer. Design/Methodology/Approach - Data has been collected from 202 individuals. Confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modeling, moderation and mediation analysis have been applied and a good fit between the data and tested model was observed. As predicted, purchase intention was positively related with disparagement and full mediation effect has been found. The results of moderation analysis are quite interesting and have been presented with the help of a chart showing interaction effect. Findings - Findings provide media agencies with an insight into the audience emotional consequences in exposure to disparagement used in advertisements. Findings are particularly salient for national and multinational media agencies in Pakistan as well in the other parts of the world. Originality/Value - This is one of the first studies to provide empirical support for the relationships between disparagement and purchase intention in Western and non-Western (Pakistani) context.

Conceptualizing Humor in Advertising: The Moderating Role of Self-Monitoring

Article

Oct 2016

This research paper explores the mediating role of attitude towards the advertisement and attitude towards the brand, and moderating role of self-monitoring in the relationships between perceived humor in the advertisement and purchase intention of the customer. Survey data was collected from 209 individuals after showing advertisements. Confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modeling, and macro developed by Preacher and Hays have been used to test moderation and mediation effect in the hypothesized model. A good fit between the data and tested model was observed. As predicted, purchase intention was positively related to perceived humor and full mediation effect has been found. The moderating role of self-monitoring has also been supported by the data. The findings are particularly salient for national and multinational media agencies in Pakistan as well in the other parts of the world.

Structural Equation Models with Unobservable Variables and Measurement Error: Algebra and Statistics

Article

Aug 1981

Several issues relating to goodness of fit in structural equations are examined. The convergence and differentiation criteria, as applied by Bagozzi, are shown not to stand up under mathematical or statistical analysis. The authors argue that the choice of interpretative statistic must be based on the research objective. They demonstrate that when this is done the Fornell-Larcker testing system is internally consistent and that it conforms to the rules of correspondence for relating data to abstract variables.

Eco-Premium or Eco-Penalty? Eco-Labels and Quality in the Organic Wine Market

Article

Jul 2012

Impact of environmental knowledge and product quality on student attitude toward products with recycled/remanufactured content: Implications for environmental education and green manufacturing

Article

Mar 2018

This study investigates the impact of environmental knowledge and perceived product quality on purchasing intention and purchasing behavior of recycled products: A4 paper, mobile phones and printers. The intent is to understand how to move future generations toward more sustainable behavior, as currently unsustainable amounts of waste are generated across the Far East. Expectancy value theory and the theory of reasoned action are applied to the purchase of products with recovered and/or recycled content (n = 215). The study indicates: (1) a significant positive relationship was found between both the intention to purchase and the purchase of recycled products; (2) the perception of recycled product risk has a significant negative impact on the perception of recycled product quality and the attitude toward environmental protection; (3) perceived quality of recycled product is positively related to attitude toward environmental protection; (4) perceived quality of recycled product and attitude to environmental protection are positively related to intention to purchase recycled products; and (5) surprisingly, knowledge regarding environmental damage and pollution is unrelated to attitude toward environmental protection. This study offers new insights into the impact of education on environmental protection, purchasing of greener products and the need for environmental education to move from a goal of understanding to that of action.

Greening of Consumer Cleaning Products

Chapter

Feb 2018

David C. Long

This chapter summarizes the history, drivers, advances, and challenges leading to the "greening" of consumer cleaning products. It addresses the common attributes of environmentally preferable cleaning products and the functional chemical class utilized in the formulation of these products. Major eco-labeling programs help consumer product manufacturers communicate the environmental and safety benefits of their products and are an important piece of companies' stewardship or sustainability initiatives. The eco-labeling and green-cleaning criteria based on verifiable, data-driven claims allowed companies to provide consumers with purchasing confidence when choosing a more sustainable cleaning products. Common cleaning products ingredients of a cleaning formulation include surfactants, solvents, builders, thickening agents, preservatives, colorants or dyes, and fragrances. Developing new methods and processes to evaluate materials and products, improving communication between industry segments, educating a new generation of green-focused scientists and engineers, and embracing life-cycle views will all push the envelope toward a truly green, sustainable future.

Activating values to stimulate organic food purchases: can advertisements increase pro-environmental intentions?

Article

Jul 2017
J Consum Market

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine different strategies for an increasing adoption of “environmentally friendly” products. Scholars have consistently shown that consumers with strong biospheric and altruistic beliefs are more likely to purchase these products, while marketers are increasingly appealing to consumers’ self-interest in their efforts to sell their “green” products. This paper explores this divide and offers a potential explanation for it, using the concept of value activation. Design/methodology/approach The paper presents results of two survey experiments that test this explanation in the context of organic food advertisements. In a simulated trip to a grocery store, participants were exposed to advertisements designed to activate the six different values in Schwartz’s framework. After viewing the advertisements, participants were asked to select among organic and non-organic options in six product categories – milk, bread, eggs, spinach, potatoes and chocolate. Findings The study’s results suggest that while advertisements designed to activate values may have limited effect on consumer intentions, those that relate to protecting the health of oneself and one’s family are most likely to increase organic purchases. Originality/value This paper is one of the first of its kind to explicitly test whether advertisements designed to activate a range of human values can increase consumers’ intention to engage in pro-environmental behaviors. The two studies reveal that value-based advertisements may have a stronger effect on the organic purchasing intentions of specific demographic groups (e.g. consumers who are aged under 40, lack a college degree and do not identify as liberal).

Extending the scope of eco-labelling in the food industry to drive change beyond sustainable agriculture practices

Article

May 2017
J ENVIRON MANAGE

New consumer awareness is shifting industry towards more sustainable practices, creating a virtuous cycle between producers and consumers enabled by eco-labelling. Eco-labelling informs consumers of specific characteristics of products and has been used to market greener products. Eco-labelling in the food industry has yet been mostly focused on promoting organic farming, limiting the scope to the agricultural stage of the supply chain, while carbon labelling informs on the carbon footprint throughout the life cycle of the product. These labelling strategies help value products in the eyes of the consumer. Because of this, decision makers are motivated to adopt more sustainable models. In the food industry, this has led to important environmental impact improvements at the agricultural stage, while most other stages in the Food Supply Chain (FSC) have continued to be designed inefficiently. The objective of this work is to define a framework showing how carbon labelling can be integrated into the design process of the FSC. For this purpose, the concept of Green Supply Chain Network Design (GSCND) focusing on the strategic decision making for location and allocation of resources and production capacity is developed considering operational, financial and environmental (CO2 emissions) issues along key stages in the product life cycle. A multi-objective optimization strategy implemented by use of a genetic algorithm is applied to a case study on orange juice production. The results show that the consideration of CO2 emission minimization as an objective function during the GSCND process together with techno-economic criteria produces improved FSC environmental performance compared to both organic and conventional orange juice production. Typical results thus highlight the importance that carbon emissions optimization and labelling may have to improve FSC beyond organic labelling. Finally, CO2 emission-oriented labelling could be an important tool to improve the effects eco-labelling has on food product environmental impact going forward.

Attitudinal Determinants of Environmentally Sustainable Behavior

Article

Mar 2017
J Consum Market

Purpose This study aims to focus on people’s pro-environmental behavior and investigates its dimensions and determinants. As environmental sustainability attracts increased scrutiny, understanding end consumers’ pro-environmental behavior becomes imperative for various stakeholders in our highly networked marketplace – e.g. policymakers, businesses, consumers, the public and society at large. Design/methodology/approach Using data from the general public in the USA, the hypothesized relationships are tested using structural equation modeling (SEM). Findings The results indicate that if people find enjoyment in nature, believe in achieving a balance between “mankind” and nature, and believe that the benefits of conservation activities are going to accrue in the near term (present), they are more likely to engage in pro-environmental behavior at all levels – supportive, active and lifestyle. Research limitations/implications Although only one aspect of environmental sustainability – environmental conservation – is analyzed, these findings support assertions set forth in the theory of environmentally significant behavior (Stern, 1999), the norm-activation theory of altruism (Schwartz, 1973), the theory of reasoned action (Fishbein, 1979) and the theory of planned behavior (Ajzen, 1985). Practical implications Messages about sustainability, environmental conservation and pro-environmental behavior should be framed using people’s fondness for and enjoyment of nature; should focus on present benefits of conservation; and should be targeted and differentiated for men, women and older people to encourage conservation behaviors among these differing demographic groups. Originality/value This study identifies three different levels of intensity of pro-environmental behavior – supportive, active and lifestyle – and empirically examines the relationships between these behavior types and the attitudinal antecedents revolving around time when the benefits of environmental conservation accrue, nature and human–nature interaction.

Consumers\' perception analysis-Market awareness towards ecofriendly FMCG products-A case study of Mysore district

Article

Jan 2014

Effect of religiosity on luxury consumer behavior: the case of the Tunisian Muslim

Article

Mar 2017

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe the effects of religiosity on attitude and personal orientation toward luxury brands and on purchase and repurchase intentions. Determining the effects of religiosity on the consumers’ behavior toward luxury has proved to be a crucial matter. As far as the authors know, academic research on this topic is almost non-existent. This is an exploratory study at the level of the direct effects of religiosity. Following a literature review, a model was constructed to represent the various interrelationships between the variables investigated in this research. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative study was conducted among 227 individuals having varying levels of religiosity. The authors verified, before, that those interviewed have purchased a luxury brand. Findings The findings show that religiosity does not hinder the consumption of luxury brands. Indeed, the authors detected a positive relationship between attitude and personal orientation toward luxury brands and the level of religiosity. The effect of religiosity on attitude and personal orientation is stronger for persons having higher incomes. Moreover, this effect is slight more marked among women. Research limitations/implications Just as for all other research work, it is important to identify the limitations of this study. The authors need only to acknowledge its exploratory nature for these relationships to be identified as preliminary ones and as the first elements of proof rather than as a conclusive demonstration. This research suffers from certain other limitations, especially concerning its convenience sampling and the fact that it covered only a limited geographical area, namely, the capital, Tunis, and its adjacent suburbs. Practical implications This research has shown that whatever the level of religiosity, its effect is stronger among persons having a high income. Therefore, Muslims, whatever their religiosity, can be a target for marketers and luxury brand. Social implications Islam is not against luxury brand but against ostentation. Originality/value It is the first research, as the authors know, that study the relationship between religiosity and consumer luxury behavior, especially among Muslims.

Toward Sustainable Livelihoods: Investigating the Drivers of Purchase Behavior for Green Products: The Drivers of Purchase Behavior for Green Products

Article

Jul 2017

Green consumption involves comprehensive concerns that address the broad scope of sustainability, ecosystem balance, profit-generation and people. Identifying the factors that influence consumers' purchase behavior enables manufacturers to understand consumers' decision-making processes and can help them develop more environmentally beneficial products. However, scholars have recently found that a gap exists between environmental concern and consumers' actual purchase behavior. The purpose of this paper is to use cognitive behavior theory to investigate the drivers of green consumption behavior and the missing link in the concern–behavior gap. After collecting 375 valid questionnaires, this study validated the proposed conceptual model using structural equation modeling. The revised model indicates that environmental involvement, informational utility, green advertising skepticism and green trust are antecedent variables of consumer attitudes toward green products. Additionally, this study also provides a possible explanation of and remedies for the concern–behavior gap. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

GREEN consumption values and Indian consumers’ response to marketing communications

Article

Sep 2016
J Consum Market

Purpose This paper aims to report on a study that assessed Indian consumers’ response to green marketing communications, based on their GREEN consumption values. GREEN (Haws et al., 2014) refers to consumers’ tendency to express their environmental concern through their consumption behaviors. This study applies this construct in a marketing communications context. Design/methodology/approach Two conceptual models involving GREEN were developed, and data to test the models were collected in a survey conducted among a convenience sample of 284 Indian consumers. Findings The results show that GREEN can enhance understanding of consumers’ green attitudes and intentions. GREEN consumption values have an impact on how Indian consumers respond to advertising and public relations stimuli, as GREEN influences perceptions of green brand trust, attitudes toward green marketing communications and green brand support and purchase intentions. Research limitations/implications The research adds to the growing literature on green marketing in emerging economies and extends the application of the GREEN construct from the domain of consumer behavior to that of green marketing communications. Practical implications The results suggest that marketers should focus on developing green marketing communications strategy, rather than just green advertising strategies, and they can position their green products to appeal to consumers based on GREEN consumption values. Originality/value The study is the first to apply the GREEN construct in assessing consumer response to a brand’s green marketing communications; it also explores this issue in an emerging economy.

Understanding Attitudes and Predicting Social Behavior

Article

Jan 1980

Thou Shall Not? The Influence of Religion on Beliefs of Stewardship and Dominion, Sustainable Behaviors, and Marketing Systems

Article

Jan 2016

This research explores the macro-level influences of religion on the marketplace by showing how religion influences beliefs of dominion and stewardship, which subsequently influence marketplace attitudes and sustainable behavior. A survey of 1,101 adults was conducted, with results showing religious individuals express greater beliefs of dominion while non-religious individuals express greater beliefs of stewardship. Stewardship beliefs in turn positively influence one’s tendency to engage in sustainable behavior, while dominion does not. These beliefs also mediate the relationship between religiosity and behavior, though the effects of dominion are negative and weaker than those of stewardship. We also provide insight into whom consumers hold responsible for solving sustainability issues, with the non-religious placing responsibility on consumers and the religious placing responsibility on producers. We build off value-belief-norm and attribution theories to discuss how our findings contribute to sustainability in marketing systems and provide greater understanding of the intersection between religion and sustainability.

Examining green consumerism motivational drivers: Does premium price and demographics matter to green purchasing?

Article

Oct 2015
J CLEAN PROD

Environmental deterioration caused by consumers' non-sustainable consumption pattern is putting a strain on the environment and is hindering sustainable development. In order to impede this effect and promote a more sustainable economy, one solution is to reduce or shift consumption from conventional products to green products. The unfortunate reality indicates that inadequate information on how to promote consumers' green behavioral intention is slowing the growth of green markets; such inadequacy appears as a prevailing obstacle facing firms while developing segments and communicating strategies for effectively promoting green products. The mentioned impact is more prevailing and most experienced in countries like Malaysia. Hence, consumers' behavioral intentions must be better understood in order to strengthen knowledge about fostering green purchases. This study aims to determine the motivational factors that influence green purchasing intention and simultaneously assess the moderator roles of the premium price and demographic characteristics – given that consumers' degree of greenness varies. A survey was administered and a total of 405 usable questionnaires were obtained. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied to test the hypotheses. Results indicate that environmental attitude, eco-label and cultural value (man–nature orientation) significantly influence the green purchase intention. The result also indicates that the premium price has no moderating effect, denying its role as one of the main barriers for consumers to walk their talk as it has previously been reported by studies and opinion polls. In addition, the findings revealed that education level and gender have a significant positive moderation effect. This suggests that green purchase intentions' motivational factors are greater among highly educated individuals especially with female consumers in particular. This study contributes to the understanding of the main factors that motivate consumers' intention to purchase green products in Malaysia. It also offers insights and discusses implementations for manufacturers, marketers and policy makers concerned with the drivers that motivate consumers' green purchasing intentions which require different marketing plan and strategy than conventional products.

Motivations for promoting the consumption of green products in an emerging country: exploring attitudes of Brazilian consumers

Article

Dec 2014
J CLEAN PROD

Understanding the motivations that stimulate green consumption can promote environmental thinking to increase demand, especially because the current estimated market share for green products is less than 4% worldwide. In this scenario, emerging countries have contributed to the increasing levels of consumption and environmental effects. Culture and socio-economic status play a significant role in environmental impacts and influences the consumption of green products. The current body of literature lacks studies focused on the attitude of Brazilian consumers in relation to these products. This research evaluates the elements that motivate the consumption of green product. A survey targeting individuals who have consumed these products was performed in the largest city in Southern Brazil. Data were analyzed using a factorial analysis, and a causal structural equation model was created to evaluate the drivers that promote green consumption. The elements of Information and Knowledge, Environmental Attitude, Social Context and Environmental Consciousness were strongly correlated with green consumption. However, the Quality and Price of green products has shown a weaker relationship with consumption. These elements indicated that the individuals in the survey recognize and seek information covering environmental issues, are concerned with the health effects associated with the consumption of the goods, and reject a brand or company that might have demonstrated inappropriate environmental behaviours. Also indicate that the relation price versus quality does not play a central role in the decision of consuming green products. Finally, information about these products and their point-of-sale availability were highlighted as enhancing green consumption. This outcome suggests that education might increase green consumption. This research contributed to understand the main drivers that support the decision about the green products option made for the surveyed sample. From a managerial standpoint, improvements in ethical transactions, the promotion of socially responsible actions, the distribution of appropriate information about green products, and the structure of the green supply chain could create new businesses focused on sustainable production and consumption. The findings of this research could support future policies and actions focused on providing information and knowledge about environmental and health contribution of the green products to the consumers, producers, companies, and society.

Green Marketing: Hotel Customers' Perspective

Article

Nov 2014

Eric S.W. Chan

Green marketing should appeal to the needs and desires of environmentally concerned customers. The aim of this study was to investigate hotel customers' perceptions of hotels' green marketing strategies. A questionnaire containing 30 statements was used to gauge respondents' perceptions of different hotel green marketing strategies. Using exploratory factor analysis to identify interpretable orthogonal factors, five factors were identified and interpreted: (1) Green Partnership; (2) Development of Green Products and Services; (3) Genuine Green Products and Services; (4) Higher Price for Green Products and Services; and (5) Credibility of Green Promotion. Independent t-tests and one-way analysis of variance were conducted to examine significant differences between hotel customers' ratings of the importance of the identified factors according to demographic variables. This is one of the first research studies to examine green marketing in the hotel industry. The discussion of the findings includes some practical implications to help hotel marketers implement more effective green marketing strategies.

A framework for sustainable marketing

Article

Jun 2011
Market Theor

This article examines how sustainable marketing could be achieved through the contribution of three existing marketing sub-disciplines; green marketing, social marketing and critical marketing. Green marketing facilitates the development and marketing of more sustainable products and services while introducing sustainability efforts into the core of the marketing process and business practice. Social marketing involves using the power of marketing to encourage sustainable behaviour among individuals, businesses and decision makers while also assessing the impact of current commercial marketing on sustainability. This links into the critical marketing paradigm which entails analyses of marketing theory, principles and techniques using a critical theory based approach. This analysis can help to guide regulation and control, development of marketing theory and practice, and to challenge the dominant institutions associated with marketing and the capitalist system, encouraging a marketing system in which sustainability is a key goal. The article concludes by offering a framework for sustainable marketing and a way forward for how this might be achieved.

Customer Environmental Values and Their Contribution to Loyalty in Industrial Markets

Article

Mar 2015
Bus Strat Environ

Concern over the effect of industries on the natural environment is growing on a multitude of levels. This study examines the effects of how perceptions of (a) environmental values, (b) green image and (c) perceived value of industrial customers influence their loyalty towards suppliers in existing relationships, and how the length of B2B relationships may moderate these linkages. A conceptual framework is developed and data are collected from a global sample (N =121) of B2B customers. We find that both green image and perceived value have a direct positive link with customer loyalty and that environmental values are positively linked to the green image of the supplier. Moreover, the effect of green image on loyalty is mediated by perceived value, with environmental values only indirectly linked with perceived value of the supplier. As the length of relationship increases, on one hand the positive relationship between green image and customer loyalty is strengthened, while on the other the positive relationship between environmental value and green image is weakened. Regardless of how environmentally aware the customer is, green image is a strong predictor of both perceived value and loyalty. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment

Multivariate Data Análisys

Book

Jan 2000

The interrelationship between temporal and environmental orientation and pro-environmental consumer behaviour

Article

Aug 2014
Int J Consum Stud

It is proposed that consumers fail to make environmentally conscious choices because they do not consider the long-term impact of their actions. This research examines the role of consumers' temporal orientation (past and future) in regard to their environmental orientation and pro-environmental consumer behaviour (PECB), using a representative sample of 2566 Australian respondents. The results identify that both future and past orientations are related to environmental orientation, with future orientation leading to increased levels of PECB and past orientation leading to reduced levels of PECB. Further, environmental orientation mediates the relationship between temporal orientation and PECB, suppressing the negative impact of high levels of past orientation.

The role of moral emotions and individual differences in consumer responses to corporate green and non-green actions

Article

Apr 2015
J ACAD MARKET SCI

We investigate the mediating role of moral emotions and their contingency on individual characteristics in consumer responses to corporate green and non-green actions. Two between subjects experiments were conducted to test our hypotheses on samples of adult consumers. The results show that, for corporate non-green actions, various individual difference characteristics (social justice values, empathy, moral identity, self-concept) moderate the elicitation of negative moral emotions (contempt, anger, disgust), which, in turn, lead to consumer negative responses (negative word of mouth, complaint behaviors, boycotting). Moreover, for corporate green actions, empathy moderates elicitation of positive emotions on gratitude, which, in turn, influences consumer positive responses (positive word of mouth, resistance to negative information, identification with the company, investment). This study adds to extant research by examining understudied “hot” moral emotional processes underlying consumer reactions toward corporate environmental responsibility and irresponsibility. Implications for marketing communication and segmentation decisions are considered.

Multivariate Data Analysis, 5th Ed

Book

Jan 1998

Company environmental performance and consumer purchase intentions. Journal of Business Research, 66(10), 1945-1953

Article

Oct 2013
J BUS RES

Evidence for the impact of CSR, and more specifically environmental, initiatives on consumer behavior is both contradictory and equivocal. This quasi-experimental study examines the relationship between the perceived environmental performance of a company (PEP) and consumers' purchase intentions, and then determines whether this relationship is moderated by the degree of consumers' environmental involvement (El) and by the relative price of company products. Surveys were posted to a random sample of residents in Hobart, the capital of Tasmania, Australia. Responses (n = 698) show that participants report higher purchase intention for products from high versus low PEP companies, and that participants' El and product price moderate this relationship. Those with high El report greater purchase intention for high PEP companies and the reverse for low PEP companies, indicating that participants with high El are more positively influenced by their perceptions of a company's environmental performance. However, participants are more likely to favor a high PEP company when the relative price of a product is low versus high, irrespective of their level of El. The strong relationship between companies' PEP and consumers' purchase intentions affirms that developing and managing an environmental brand image may deliver significant benefits, as long as it is appropriately communicated to consumers, and as long as consumers see the added value of making such purchases.

Green Advertising and the Reluctant Consumer

Article

May 2013

As ecological concerns evolve and diffuse throughout society, advertisers are interested in developing green (i.e., environmental) messages and are interested in targeting green customer segments. Unfortunately for advertisers, many green consumers have negative attitudes about business, and they often have negative impressions of the advertising industry. Here, this dilemma is examined from a variety of perspectives.

Factors Affecting Skepticism toward Green Advertising

Article

Dec 2012

Despite the growth of green marketing, there is a shortage of studies on green communication. Thus, this research aims to understand whether consumers who are concerned about the environment conserve resources and have environmentally friendly buying habits and whether they are skeptical about the green communications conveyed by companies. Using a proposal of a model about skepticism toward green advertising, several hypotheses are tested. The results indicate that the more environmentally concerned an individual is, the more skepticism he or she will be toward green claims exhibited on packages or featured in ads. In addition, results indicated no significant differences between men and women regarding this skepticism.

Why Eco-labels can be Effective Marketing Tools: Evidence from a Study on Italian Consumers: Why Eco-Labels can be Effective Marketing Tools

Article

Nov 2013
Bus Strat Environ

An emerging topic in environmental management studies is the role of eco-labels in guiding consumers in their purchasing choices. In order to contribute to the current debate on this topic, this research paper aims to assess, through a quantitative analysis, whether the knowledge, awareness and information that consumers gather on the environmental impact of a product through an eco-label can stimulate an eco-friendly behavior. Moreover, we assess whether general attitudes in purchasing behaviors determine a personal attitude toward ecological consumption. The findings from this study, which is based on a large dataset of Italian consumers, highlight a significant role of eco-labels in increasing the consumer's perceived behavioral control, unlike loyalty in brand and in store, which do not exert a significant influence. Practical implications for green business strategies emerge. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment

Seeing the World through GREEN-tinted Glasses: Green Consumption Values and Responses to Environmentally Friendly Products

Article

Nov 2013
J CONSUM PSYCHOL

The primary goal of this research is to conceptualize and develop a scale of green consumption values, which we define as the tendency to express the value of environmental protection through one’s purchases and consumption behaviors. Across six studies, we demonstrate that the six-item measure we develop (i.e., the GREEN scale) can be used to capture green consumption values in a reliable, valid, and parsimonious manner. We further theorize and empirically demonstrate that green consumption values are part of a larger nomological network associated with conservation of not just environmental resources but also personal financial and physical resources. Finally, we demonstrate that the GREEN scale predicts consumer preference for environmentally friendly products. In doing so, we demonstrate that stronger green consumption values increase preference for environmentally friendly products through more favorable evaluations of the non-environmental attributes of these products. These results have important implications for consumer responses to the growing number of environmentally friendly products.

Greenwash and Green Trust: The Mediation Effects of Green Consumer Confusion and Green Perceived Risk

Article

May 2013

The paper explores the influence of greenwash on green trust and discusses the mediation roles of green consumer confusion and green perceived risk. The research object of this study focuses on Taiwanese consumers who have the purchase experience of information and electronics products in Taiwan. This research employs an empirical study by means of the structural equation modeling. The results show that greenwash is negatively related to green trust. Therefore, this study suggests that companies must reduce their greenwash behaviors to enhance their consumers’ green trust. In addition, this study finds out that green consumer confusion and green perceived risk mediate the negative relationship between greenwash and green trust. The results also demonstrate that greenwash is positively associated with green consumer confusion and green perceived risk which would negatively affect green trust. It means that greenwash does not only negatively affect green trust directly but also negatively influence it via green consumer confusion and green perceived risk indirectly. Hence, if companies would like to reduce the negative relationship between greenwash and green trust, they need to decrease their consumers’ green consumer confusion and green perceived risk.

Consumer attitude and purchase intention toward green energy brands: The roles of psychological benefits and environmental concern

Article

Sep 2012
J BUS RES

This paper suggests advertising campaigns directed at increasing consumer demand for green energy should emphasize not only environmental concern and utilitarian benefits, but also psychological brand benefits. The theoretical framework proposes three distinct psychological benefit categories potentially enhancing consumer attitudes toward green energy brands and increasing purchase intentions: warm glow, self-expressive benefits, and nature experiences. A sample of 726 consumers was exposed to experimental advertisements for a fictitious green energy brand. Findings confirm most predicted effects and underline the overall significance of psychological brand benefits. Only self-expressive benefits do neither affect participants’ attitudes toward the experimental brand nor their purchase intentions. Nature experience has the strongest influence on brand attitude. Multi-group structural analysis shows that the nature experiences level evoked by the advertisements moderates the effects of the behavioral antecedents studied on brand attitude and purchase intention. The findings provide keys to improving green energy branding and advertising strategy.

The Role of Knowledge, Social Norms, and Attitudes Toward Organic Products and Shopping Behavior: Survey Results from High School Students in Vienna

Article

Dec 2009

In 2005 a survey was used to investigate social norms and attitudes of Viennese high school students (14–20 years, n = 340) toward organic products. Young people, who already participate in household decisions and consume organic products, have not yet been recognized sufficiently in research. The Theory of Reasoned Action and discriminant analysis are used to explore relations of a number of variables and the complex field of factors influencing Viennese high school students’ shopping behavior when shopping for organic products. Key findings include the importance of primary socialization in forming social norms and shaping behavior. Surprisingly, knowledge of organic products does not explain students’ self-reported shopping behavior when shopping for organic products. Cultural patterns seem to be far more useful to predict behavior and attitudes toward organic products.

Eco Labels and Eco Conscious Consumer Behavior: The Mediating Effect of Green Trust and Environmental Concern

Abstract

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