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The sustainability claims' impact on the consumer's green perception and behavioral intention: A case study of H&M

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  • Huazhong University of Science and Technology,Wuhan, China

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The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether various kinds of sustainability claims based on the supply chain drive different extents of green psychological variables and behavioral intention. In this study, we selected the sustainability claims of the H&M group, as this group indulges in a sustainable fashion i.e. commitment of doing business that generates revenues for shareholders, protects the people, and the planet. The H&M sustainability program can be categorized into social and environmental practices. We collected data from 316 Chinese respondents. The finding of one-way ANOVA revealed that eight types of sustainability claims drive the same level of green trust and green loyalty. However, the social claims such as "building safety in Bangladesh" and "animal welfare" significantly bring a high impact on the green psychological variables (i.e. green brand image, green satisfaction, green brand equity, and green purchase intention). The outcomes of this study are helpful for fashion/clothing and textile industry marketing managers to understand the consumers' preferences towards ethical practices and trade-offs between claims while developing a positioning strategy.
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Advances in Management & Applied Economics, vol. 10, no. 2, 2020, 1-22
ISSN: 1792-7544 (print version), 1792-7552(online)
Scientific Press International Limited
The sustainability claims’ impact on the
consumer’s green perception and behavioral
intention: A case study of H&M
Tahira Javed
1
, Jun Yang
2
, Waseem Gul Gilal
3
and Waseem Gul Gilal
4
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether various kinds of sustainability
claims based on the supply chain drive different extents of green psychological
variables and behavioral intention. In this study, we selected the sustainability
claims of the H&M group, as this group indulges in a sustainable fashion i.e.
commitment of doing business that generates revenues for shareholders, protects
the people, and the planet. The H&M sustainability program can be categorized into
social and environmental practices. We collected data from 316 Chinese
respondents. The finding of one-way ANOVA revealed that eight types of
sustainability claims drive the same level of green trust and green loyalty. However,
the social claims such as “building safety in Bangladesh” and “animal welfare”
significantly bring a high impact on the green psychological variables (i.e. green
brand image, green satisfaction, green brand equity, and green purchase intention).
The outcomes of this study are helpful for fashion/clothing and textile industry
marketing managers to understand the consumers’ preferences towards ethical
practices and trade-offs between claims while developing a positioning strategy.
Keywords: Supply Chain sustainability claims, Fashion, and Textile industry,
Triple bottom line, Marketing, green psychological variables.
1
School of Management, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
2
School of Management, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
3
Department of Business Administration, Sukkur IBA University, Sukkur, Sindh, Pakistan.
4
School of Management, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
Article Info: Received: September 12, 2019. Revised: October 15, 2019.
Published online: March 1, 2020.
2 Tahira Javed et.al.
1. Introduction
Fast-fashion retailers are facing sustainability challenges, as their global supply
chain is responsible for pollution, chemical wastes, ecological hazards, the upswing
in consumption, and environmental catastrophes in developing countries (Gilal et
al., 2014; 2019a; Yang, Song, & Tong, 2017). Similarly, the apparel industry
outsources the workforce from developing countries to exploit the cheap labor
opportunity (Dabija, Pop, & Postelnicu, 2016). Media reports claim that the clothing
and textile industry is involved in the human rights violation, discrimination
between gender, and animal testing. For instance, a recent deadly tragedy in the
global supply of the apparel industry killed thousands of people in Bangladesh.
Which is changing customer perception and attitude towards the fashion industry.
In this internet era, while consumers have easy access to business operations
(Gilal et al., 2016; 2017; Iglesias, Ind, & Alfaro, 2017), green customers are keeping
an eye to the clothing and textile industry sustainable practices in emerging
countries (Kauppi & Hannibal, 2017). Consumers highly demand their favorite
brands to behave ethically (Shaw & Shiu, 2002) and prefer products that generally
perceived environmental friendly (Laroche, Bergeron, & Barbaro-Forleo, 2001).
Consequently, businesses are pursuing the TBL approach (Humes, 2011). Which
mean corporations are committed to optimum economic outcomes taking together
the green initiatives and human welfare (Gilal et al., 2019b). Apart from other
commence eco- friendly practices, organizations often face challenges and use
various steps to communicate their corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices
in the market place (Line, Hanks, & Zhang, 2016). Moreover, corporations in belt
and road countries are investing heavily in the promotion of sustainable fashion
(Dishman, 2013; Solangi et al., 2018). More precisely, sustainable communication
emphasis the organization’s social commitment to induce positive perception
among consumers (Bae, 2016; Jeong, Paek, & Lee, 2013). Green advertisement and
marketing have been diversifying and emerging significantly for many years,
including a sustainable supply chain, green advertising, sustainable marketing
(Leonidou, Leonidou, Palihawadana, & Hultman, 2011). Streetman and Banerjee
(1995) defined green advertisement as (1) any product or services which implicitly
or explicitly show a relationship with the biophysical environment, (2) its emphasis
on adoption of green lifestyle without stressing on product or services, (3) project a
corporate green responsible image. Promotional activities are used to inform current
and potential customers about the firm green innovation process (R. Y. K. Chan,
Leung, & Wong, 2006), which in turn help to gain the desired brand image,
favorable attitude (Dach & Allmendinger, 2014), customer’s loyalty (Fatma, Khan,
& Rahman, 2018), and customer satisfaction (Han, Lee, & Kim, 2018). The whole
endeavor systematically adds on into the corporation’s long-cherished reputation.
Previous studies of Y.-S. Chen and Chang (2013) discuss the concepts of green
psychological variables for example “green brand image,” “green trust”, “green
loyalty”, “green satisfaction,” “green brand equity,” and “green purchase intention.
However, a scant body of research has explored the influence exerted by green
The sustainability claims’ impact on the consumer’s green perception……
3
claims on consumers’ psychological variables and intentions to patronize retail
apparel brands engaged in CSR practices. Literature findings suggest that all
sustainability messages are not equal, and consumers react differently to subtle
distinctions in the communication of the company’s sustainability messages (Line
et al., 2016). To this end, our research intends to examine whether or not various
types of sustainability claims based on the global supply chain can lead to various
green psychological variables such as purchase intention. In order to achieve the
intended objectives, current research has chosen the green claims of H&M because
its ecological supply chain structure includes eco-material preparation, green
manufacturing, sustainable distribution, green retailing and green-conscious
consumers (Shen, Zheng, Chow, & Chow, 2014). The sustainability claims of H&M
are examined on the basis of the sustainable and TBL metrics: environmental and
social. The eight major types of green message elements are sustainably sourced
materials”, “water savings,” “recycling clothes”, and social “fair wages”, “good
working conditions”, and “improved fire and “building safety in Bangladesh”.
1.1 Means-end theory and sustainable claims
Mean-end theory extensively used in the area of marketing and consumer behaviors
for positioning decisions. It provides the methodology which is also known as a
laddering. Laddering methodology is helpful to understand the consumer’s
preferences and decision-making process. The theory is based on the concept that
products and its attributes are the mean which aids people to reinforce their personal
value and obtain benefits, and further gain crucial consequences. Brands that
positioned on the bases of benefits and values gain a competitive advantage because
that is difficult to imitate (Vriens & Hofstede, 2000; Gilal et al., 2016). P. C. Stern
and Dietz (1994) argue that attitudes of concern about environmental issues are
based on a person's more general set of values. These personal value orientations
have an effect on the person’s attitude and this attitude leads towards the behavior.
Consumer concern and attitude toward environmental issues are based on the
persona's own general set of values (P. C. Stern & Dietz, 1994; Gilal et al., 2019a;
2019b). This value will affect their belief which in turn influences personal norms
that drive their pro-environmental behaviors. Thus, an individual's own value
orientation towards the environment has a major effect on his/her pro-
environmental behavior (Moser, 2015). Further, the consumer’s personal obligation
and norms are considered as a basis of environmental behavioral disposition (Stern,
2000).
Corporation tries to differentiation their products from other providers through
green marketing and green claims. Green claims emphasis that attributes of the
products are environmentally friendly and fulfill social responsibility such as
recycling material, waste handling, fair wages, better working conditions, etc. The
study suggested that eco-product and process innovation positively influence firm
competitiveness and economic performances (H. K. Chan, Yee, Dai, & Lim, 2016).
Further, companies communicate after meeting the customer needs and wants also
4 Tahira Javed et.al.
communicate about sustainability to create a distinct brand image (Kilbourne,
McDonagh, & Prothero, 1997). T. J. Reynolds and J. Gutman (1984) developed
the “Means-Ends Conceptualization of Components of Advertising Strategy”
(MECCAS) on the bases of mean-end theory. MECCAS elaborates the five main
levels of advertisement as, “driving force,” “leverage point,” “executional
framework,”, “consumer benefits,” and “message elements.” Furthermore, their
studies concluded product attribute can be linked with the consumer’s personal
values and consequently create a product or services image. In the field of green
advertisement Peter, Olson, and Grunert (1999) used the MECCAS. MECCAS
applied through content analysis to assess green communication. In addition to that
extant literature revealed that life cycle assessment (LCA) communication can
enhance company image and leads towards a positive attitude towards the company,
which in turn positively affects purchase intention. However, it was not based on
TBL concept, and primarily focused on environmental claims (S. A. Molina-
Murillo & T. M. J. T. I. J. o. L. C. A. Smith, 2009).
2. Green psychological variables
2.1 Green Brand Image
The concept of brand image originated from marketing, however, a little consensus
is found about the definition. Some scholars defined a brand image as, a symbolic
meaning associated with specific attributes of the brand (Gilal et al., 2018a; 2018b;
M.-F. Chen & Lee, 2015; Xixiang et al., 2016). Dobni and Zinkhan (1990)
demonstrate that brand image is a memory and it can be reflected through the brand
association. According to Cretu and Brodie (2007), it is an identical mental image
in the consumer’s mind of the brand. Firms are obsessive with public perceptions
of their activities, thus delivering a brand image to specific segments (Gardner &
Levy, 1955; Grubb & Grathwohl, 1967). On the other side, a distinctive brand image
can be used to promote the competitiveness and differentiation in the competitive
market (T. J. Reynolds & J. J. J. o. a. r. Gutman, 1984). Thus, brand management is
considered an important aspect of the marketing strategy. “Green brand image” is
defined as “a set of perceptions of a brand in a consumer’s mind that is linked to
environmental commitments and environmental concerns” (Y.-S. J. J. o. B. e. Chen,
2010). CSR is a foundation of building good image and high reputation (Fatma,
Rahman, & Khan, 2015). Marketers need to understand the effects of green
advertisement on the consumer’s mind to build a strong brand image.
2.2 Green Satisfaction
Customers' expectations meet by using the product and services that lead to
customer satisfaction (E. W. Anderson, Fornell, & Lehmann, 1994). This is also
referred to as a feeling which customer feel after the consumption of product and
service, including under- or over-fulfillment (Olever, 1997). In prior research, the
concept of satisfaction with the environmental aspect has been associated (M.-F.
Chen & Lee, 2015; Y.-S. Chen, 2008). Green satisfaction construct can be explained
The sustainability claims’ impact on the consumer’s green perception……
5
as “a pleasurable level of consumption-related fulfillment to satisfy a customer’s
environmental desires, sustainable expectations, and green needs.” The customer
expects the products to be environmental friendly in a combination of excellent
quality and low price while making the purchase decision. Similarly, Hoyer &
MacInnis (2004) argue that consumer considers the environmentally friendly
product as a higher quality product. Consequently, marketing strategy mainly
focuses on satisficing the consumers’ need for environmentally friendly products
and services (Ottman, Stafford, Hartman, & Development, 2006).
2.3 Green Loyalty
Oliver (1999) described loyalty is a consumer’s desire or willingness to purchase
the same product over and over again. Furthermore, it is defined as a consumer’s
willingness to repurchase the preferred product. Consumers build and maintain a
relationship with the organization by buying the product or services (Singh &
Sirdeshmukh, 2000). Hence, there is a strong association between brand loyalty and
consumer willingness to purchase the product. Customer loyalty is a favorable
attitude toward the product and services and that led to favorable behavior to buying
it (Backman & Crompton, 1991). Green customer loyalty is customer commitment
or associated with environmental commitment and concerns. The customer wants
to be associated with the origination which is performing the sustainable practices
and shows concern for the environment in their organization. Sustainability
practices have positive and strong relationships with customer loyalty because of
consumer association with the organization, consequently, they evaluate the firm
positively (Martínez, 2015).
2.4 Green Brand Equity
Aaker and Equity (1991) elaborate brand equity as “total assets and liabilities which
are associated with the brand are called the brand equity, it includes the brand name
and symbols add to or subtract from the value provided by a product or service to a
firm and to the firm’s customers.” Another perspective of brand equity is customer-
based perspective which explained by K. L. J. J. o. m. Keller (1993) as “the
differential effect of brand knowledge on consumer response to the marketing of
the brand.” Furthermore, they add up that brand equity is a source of bringing
promising positive attitude for a brand. Similarly, Bello and Holbrook (1995)
specified that brand name plays an important role in the purchasing decision-making
process, and willing to pay more among all the other products which have the same
level of quality. Moreover, prominent scholar, K. L. J. A. r. Keller (2016) argues
that brand equity represents the preference, attitude and purchase behavior of a
customer for a brand. Y.-S. Chen and Chang (2013) proposed that green brand
equity is “a set of brand assets and liabilities about green commitments and
environmental concerns linked to a brand, its name, and symbol that add to or
subtract from the value provided by a product or service.”
6 Tahira Javed et.al.
2.5 Green Trust
Consumers are suspicious about the motives of the organization, Bae (2016)
highlights the importance of building a trusted relationship with the customer is an
essential objective of the company. Smith and Barclay (1997) defined trust as a
cognitive expectation, more precisely, it is confidence level that a person has on the
other party that will meet their expectations (Hart & Saunders, 1997). Trust is also
considering reliability on the other partner being honest and having confidence in
them (Morgan & Hunt, 1994). Customer trust is described as, the customer
dependency and reliability of the organization to provide better service quality
(Garbarino & Johnson, 1999). Consequently, trust is a crucial factor to diminish the
business risks in the present dynamic word (J. C. Anderson & Narus, 1990). Green
trust focusing on “a willingness to depend on a product, service, or brand based on
the belief or expectation resulting from its credibility, benevolence, and ability
about its environmental performance” (Y.-S. J. J. o. B. e. Chen, 2010).
2.6 Green Purchase Intention
Consumer likelihood to buy a product is called the consumer purchase intention
(Dodds, Monroe, & Grewal, 1991). This is also consumers perceived value and
benefits consumers believed they will get after consumption (Zeithaml, 1988).
Consumer purchase intention is considered an extremely important variable in the
marketing discipline as it provided estimation for the actual purchase (Zaharia,
Biscaia, Gray, & Stotlar, 2016). The consumer purchase intention helps the
practitioners and markers to adjust the product positioning of their products and
services. “Green purchase intention, “purchase intention applies to the domain of
environmental issues, means the likelihood of a consumer’s purchase decision to
buy an eco-friendly product which has a low impact on the environment”.
Consumers know that s/he is contributing to the environmental cause. Hwang, Lee,
Diddi, Karpova, and Journal (2016) and Croteau, Yan, and Hyllegard (2016) found
that ecologically concerned consumers' response was more favorable towards green
products which highlight the green aspects in advertisement compare to
advertisements without green elements. In that respect, consumer behavior research
has a critical position when it comes to communicating sustainable efforts because
consumers ultimately make the perception regarding sustainable advertisement and
make purchasing decisions. Consumers are more inclined towards green products
and feel no hesitation to pay more for the less environmentally harmful products
(Ayadi & Lapeyre, 2016; Kumar, Ghodeswar, & Planning, 2015).
The sustainability claims’ impact on the consumer’s green perception……
7
2.7 Green Claims
Corporations are using green advertisement to communicate their green efforts in
order to exploit the business opportunities (Nyilasy, Gangadharbatla, & Paladino,
2014). Various green communication strategies such as green labeling (Maniatis,
2016), sustainability reporting (Ioannou & Serafeim, 2017), ethical labeling
(Hashmi, Abdullah, & Anees, 2016), and CSR web pages (Capriotti, 2017) are used
to inform customers about sustainability efforts. Understanding consumer behavior
as a result of marketing effort is essential because customers are the major group
that appears to be more susceptible (Mani, Gunasekaran, & Delgado, 2018). The
finding of Davis (1993) suggest that specific green message claims lead towards
positive perception of products and advertiser whereas ambiguous messages lead to
negative perceptions. Outcomes of Davis’s research further highlight that
consumers are sensitive to the provided information and the included content of the
environmental product claims. Extensive literature investigates the effect of green
advertisement on the consumer purchase intention. Manrai, Manrai, Lascu, and
Ryans Jr (1997) findings suggest that green claim strength the green product
evaluation and this positive elevation motivates purchase intention. Similarly, M.-
F. Chen and Lee (2015) investigated the effect of the green claims based on the
product life cycle namely; “ethical sourcing”, “energy and water-saving”, and
“recycling” on consumer green psychological variables in the coffee industry.
Wagner and Hansen (2002) employed MECCAS to investigate the level of
greenness in an advertisement. They performed this method on forest products and
used trade magazines. Means-end theory infers that the green advertisement should
be solid and consistent and need to be associated with product attributes, advantage,
and personal values so that advertisement effectives can be enhance (Reynolds &
Craddock, 1988). Wagner and Hansen (2002) elaborates that an advertisement
should have five characteristics “driving force,” “leverage point,” “executional
framework,” “consumer benefits,” and “message elements.” If marketers want
advertisement to be influential then each element in the MECCAS model should be
communicated to the target audience.
The supply chain comprises various stages such as sourcing, production process,
packing, transportation, distribution, and consumption and disposable. Numerous
actors such as farmers, employees, third-party logistics providers, and retailers are
stakeholders of the firm. Supply chain based information can be sourced from
credible message enhancement, as well as can bring a positive attitude towards the
brand. S. A. Molina-Murillo and T. M. Smith (2009) used LCA-based information
in corporate communications. The results suggest that LCA- Based information not
only enhances the message's credibility but also positively affects the brand attitude.
As a result, have a positive effect on purchase intention. Our conceptual framework
is based on the MECCAS model. Specifically, this framework includes message
contents linked to the global supply chain. Thus, the aim of the present research is
to investigate the influences of various kinds of claims based on the supply chain
on consumer’s psychological variables (i.e. green brand image, green loyalty, green
8 Tahira Javed et.al.
brand equity, green trust, green purchase intention). Moreover, the green claims of
H&M were sorted out on the basis of the supply chain and consist of eight types of
message elements: sustainably sourced materials”, “water savings,” “recycling
clothes”, “climate positive value chain, “fair wages”, “good working conditions”,
“animal welfare” and “improved fire and building safety in Bangladesh”.
3. Methodology
3.1 Research Design
Like many prior cross-sectional studies (Chen et al., 2019; Gilal et al., 2019c; 2019g;
Gong et al., 2019; Pathan et al., 2017; Zhang et al., 2019), a survey questionnaire
was sent to the respondent to achieve the objective of our study. In this study, we
measure respondents’ green psychological behavior relative to H&M sustainability
claims. The sustainability claims of H&M are investigated and classified into eight
types of sustainability claims namely: sustainably sourced materials”, “water
savings,” “recycling clothes”, “climate positive value chain”, “fair wages”, “good
working conditions”, “animal welfare” and “improved fire and “building safety in
Bangladesh”. Therefore, our study used the eight types of scenarios and randomly
distributed among the participants. A similar methodology was used by M.-F. Chen
and Lee (2015) in their seminal study. The detailed descriptions of the eight
scenarios are provided in Appendix 1. To test hypotheses, we used the one-way
ANOVA tests which are based on how various sustainability claims influence the
consumer’s green psychology.
3.2 Data collection and sample
We sent a WeChat link and an email invitation to 3000 (N = 3000) participants who
were randomly selected and majority of them were university students in China.
Like many prior studies (Gilal et al., 2018c; 2018d; 2018e; 2019g), we chose
students as respondents in order to reduce the influence of socio-demographic
population. Furthermore, H&M store was also located in the near area. In total we
got a response from the 364 students, however, excluding 48 responses that were
incomplete, we found 316 questionnaires useful. Almost 55.33 percent of females
participated in the study. In the questionnaire, we informed the participants about
the objectives of the study that it measures their belief and attitude towards H&M
sustainability claims. The experiment took 8 to 10 minutes to complete. Subjects
were informed that it is volunteer task and they can stop any moment during the
survey. Respondents were assured that all the gathered information would be kept
strictly anonymous and would not be shared with anyone.
3.3 Measurements
After reading one of the eight types of H&M’s claims designed for this study (i.e.
“sustainably sourced materials”, “water savings,” “recycling clothes”, “climate
positive value chain”, “fair wages”, “good working conditions”, “animal welfare”
and “improved fire and “building safety in Bangladesh”), participants were required
The sustainability claims’ impact on the consumer’s green perception……
9
to answer the studies constructs. Based on the prior research conducted in the
Asian context (Gilal et al., 2016b; Gilal et al., 2019d; Gilal et al 2019e; Gul et al.,
2018; 2019g), we measured all responses using 5 Likert scales, ranged from
1=strongly disagree to 5= strongly agree. In our study, we adopted all the constructs
from the Y.-S. J. J. o. B. e. Chen, (2010)’s study. One of the constructs “green
purchase intention” was measured through the Dodds et al. (1991)’s scales.
Participants' responses related to green purchase intention were measures such as
“After seeing the above information, I would consider going to H&M”. We measure
the green brand image through items such as: “H&M is regarded as the best
benchmark of environmental commitments”; Green trust was measured by the items
for instance “I feel that H&M’s environmental commitments are generally reliable”.
Green brand equity scale has items such as “It makes sense to buy H&M instead of
any other brand, even if they are the same”. Cronbach α-values of the studied
constructs were within the recommended threshold values (Nunnally, 1978). For
instance, green satisfaction (α= 0.94); green loyalty (α= 0.89); green trust (α= 0.88);
green brand image (α= 0.96); green brand equity (α= 0.96); and green purchase
intention (α= 0.91).
4. Data analysis and results
We performed the one-way ANOVA test to explore whether there is any significant
difference in the mean scores of the respondents’ green psychological variables
among the groups who were informed about the eight different message elements
of H&M’s green advertising. Before performing the test, all scores which were
scored to 1-5 were calculated and we got an unweighted average that contributed to
that studied construct was derived. Total pooled sample data of 316 were separated
into eight groups which were based on the sustainable message elements scenarios.
The details of the one-way ANOVA test can be seen in Table 1. Results showed
that among the eight groups, the claims have no significantly different effects on
green loyalty and green trust (F-value=1.000412, p= 0.43), and (F=0.47, p=0.86)
respectively. However, the study found a significant difference among the groups
which shows through the mean scores of green brand image (F-value= 5.13,
p=0.00001), green satisfaction (F-value 3.04, p=0.004), green brand equity (F-
value=2.39, p=0.02) significantly differ among the eight groups. In addition, the
outcome of green purchase intention is significantly different among the groups (F-
value 2.98, p=0.004). The result indicates that the message elements based on social
and environmental performance regarding the various stage of the supply chain are
seen to be different by the responded and lead towards the distinctive degree of
green brand image, green satisfaction, green brand equity and green purchase
intention.
10 Tahira Javed et.al.
Table 1: One-way ANOVA tests and multiple comparison tests
Fair
Wages
(n=33)
Animal
Welfare
(n=33)
Improved
fire and
building
safety
(n=76)
Sustainably
Sourced
Materials
(n=32)
Water
Savings
(n=30)
Recycling
Clothes
(n=33)
Climate
Positive
Value
chain
(n=36)
One-
way
ANOVA
F Value
P-Value
Green
brand
image
3.2336
3.6779
4.0981
3.6955
3.8575
3.5703
……
5.1344
0.00001
Green
Satisfaction
3.3455
4.0165
3.4457
3.3247
3.0892
3.3938
3.1102
3.0370
0.00419
Green
Loyalty
3.3644
3.4799
3.4027
3.3777
3.0337
3.4009
3.0716
1.0004
0.43091
Green
Trust
3.2665
3.3883
3.4593
3.4468
3.3705
3.3364
3.15608
0.4700
0.85600
Green
Brand
Equity
3.2039
3.9239
3.3621
3.2354
3.4835
3.5813
3.1563
2.3886
0.02159
Green
Purchase
Intension
2.9667
3.7446
3.3893
3.4509
3.2866
3.3954
3.1806
2.9735
0.00494
Therefore, we performed the post-hoc multiple comparison tests which indicated
which of the eight types of green advertising message elements can contribute more
to green psychological variables. Additionally, the multiple comparison tests were
also conducted to examine the pair-wise comparisons of the eight types of message
elements. The Bonferroni test shows that “improved fire” and “building safety”,
“fair wages, “good working conditions”, “climate positive value”, messages have a
significantly different effect on green psychological variables. Furthermore,
messages related to “animal welfare” and “water-saving” bring has a different
impact on the “green satisfaction” as compared to other others sustainable messages.
Sustainability claims related to “animal welfare”, “positive climate value” and “fair
wages” have differed among the group to bring “green brand equity”, and “green
purchase intention”. However, for “green loyalty” and “green brand image”, no
green message has significant different effect, hence this implies, the insignificant
effect on “green loyalty”. Overall results of our study show that consumers care
more about animals and human lives compare to recycling and sustainably sourced
material claims. Message elements related to “animal welfare, “improved fire, and
building safety” have more impact on the green brand image, green satisfaction,
green brand equity, and green purchase intention. Therefore, all the proposed
hypotheses were accepted.
The sustainability claims’ impact on the consumer’s green perception……
11
5. Conclusion and Discussion
Elkington and others (1999) developed the concept of TBL. They considered all
three-dimension (i.e., human, earth, and profit) and argued that organizations should
measure performance in terms of economic, social and environmental responsibility.
Later, (Carter & Rogers, 2008) introduced the TBL paradigm to form an ecological
supply chain. From the last few decades’ corporations are committed to optimum
economic outcomes taking together environmental and societal well-being. In the
field of marketing consumer purchase intention play a crucial role, thus the aims of
this study were to investigate the effects of different types of green claims on
consumer green psychology including green purchase intention. Our finding of
empirical test suggests that except green trust and green loyalty, the mean scores of
the other green variables bring different results against the different claims (i.e.
sustainably sourced materials”, “water savings,” “recycling clothes”, “climate
positive value chain, “fair wages”, “good working conditions”, “animal welfare”
and “improved fire and building safety in Bangladesh”), on green psychological
variables such as green trust, green satisfaction, green brand equity. Furthermore,
our results support that the same is true for consumer purchase intention regarding
H&M products. The outcomes from the multiple comparison tests indicate that
except for green trust and green loyalty “improved fire and building safety in
Bangladesh” and “animal welfare” seems to have more effect on green brand image,
green satisfaction, green brand equity, and green purchase intention. Thus, our
research found that eight types of green claims lead towards building green trust as
the consumer may consider that the organization is taking care of the environment
and increasing social commitments which lead to trust.
However, if the sustainability claims stress that supply chain in the developing
countries is working for the betterment of employees and taking the concrete steps
to provide safety at the workplace it would enhance the green brand image,
satisfaction and green brand equity. Moreover, communication about social
commitment more prone to demonstrate more purchase intention. Thus, if the
source of fashion clothing is ethical and environmental-friendly, then they will be
more popular. This study finding has several implications for the clothing and textile
industry in China, particularly the H&M fashion retailers. First, the empirical study
results from one-way ANOVA tests indicate that the eight types of green claims
proposed based on the supply chain result promisingly lead to green trust and green
loyalty. Thus, in order to build up a more positive green trust and green loyalty, it
is suggested that all the marketers have to try their best to fulfill their environmental
and social responsibilities regardless of the local or international supply chain. In
other words, marketers should always make efforts to take on their environment and
social responsibilities to enhance green trust and green loyalty. Second, in addition
to green trust and green loyalty, the results of the one-way ANOVA tests further
indicate that improved fire and building safety in Bangladesh and animal
protection is the most effective message element of green claim in increasing a
company’s green brand image, green satisfaction, green brand equity, and purchase
12 Tahira Javed et.al.
intention in the clothing industry. therefore, it is suggested that the clothing and
textile industry marketers in China should pay fair wages to workers, provide life
protection to the workers at work and animal testing should be banned. Moreover,
marketers must extensively communicate the “social sustainability” information to
the consumers. In social sustainability, it pertains to human and societal capital, fair
management practices (Huq, Chowdhury, & Klassen, 2016). The limitation of this
study is that all participants were university student thus generalization of the results
should be done with caution. Future studies should take more diverse segment of
customers in order to understand a better understanding of the subject matter.
Further, other studies in the future could use more green claims and can measure
the effects on claims on consumer self-determined needs satisfaction (Gilal et al.,
2019f) which in turn may influence green consumer psychology.
The sustainability claims’ impact on the consumer’s green perception……
13
Appendix 1.
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Fair Wages
H&M vision is that labor “treated with respect”, “get fair wages” and provided
with “good working conditions” throughout its supply chain. Although, H&M
does not own the factories thus set or nor pay the wages. However, H&M group
take the responsibly and through training enable the supplier to implement a
functional “wage management system” based on the “Fair Wage Method”. H&M
also dialogue with a national government to set minimum wages, and decide the
labor law or revise the previous law.
Working Conditions
H&M group is contributing to making a real difference through “creating jobs”,
“lifting people from out of poverty”, contribution in “economic growth” and
“improving living standards”. Almost 1.6 million jobs are providing around the
world by H&M suppliers. Through “equal opportunity almost two-thirds jobs are
undertaken by a woman. H&M help suppliers in making improvement through
capacity building programs. H&M don does not believe that they should stop
outsourcing from developing countries but instead, they believe in reducing
environmental impacts and ensuring that human rights are respected.
Animal Welfare
H&M group believe animals should be treated with love and respect. H&M does
not perform animals testing and have strict requirements in place for materials of
animal origin, such as wool, leather or down. Further H&M have banned the use
of real fur and exotic skin, as well as any material deriving from endangered
species. H&M use angora wool since 2013. H&M group to protect the animals
train their farmer and suppliers in the supply chain. Through Animal welfare
policy high standards animals’ materials are used, and H&M make full
traceability of source. Mostly sources are good animal husbandry farms. H&M
group have collaboration with the Humane Society International (HSI) and the
Textile Exchange to make animal protection a priority.
Improved Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh
H&M take responsibility for a safe workplace to improve production facilities
and to maintain higher international standards so that workers feel safe at the
workplace. After the deadly incident in Bangladesh, H&M has signed the Accord,
to monitor the 1600 factories in Bangladesh. Last year, the Bangladesh
government extended the Accord’ permission to operate beyond May 2018.
Accord will continue its operations and remedies till My 2021 until local
regulatory bodies have not taken full capacity to take over. In Bangladesh, poor
14 Tahira Javed et.al.
electric installation and bad maintenance of building are common, there is need
for improvement in fire and building safety. Thus, with H&M support Bangladesh
today’s experiencing the substantial transformation and converting into western
safety standards. H&M working with the other actors, such as employees,
organizations, Bangladesh government, global trade unions to work together, and
influence and improve the working standard in Bangladesh textile industry.
Accord is making use, two emergency exits on each flower, fire alarm, emergency
light, fire extinguishers, etc.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY
Sustainably Sourced Materials
H&M uses almost 43% organic cotton which has minimal impact on the
environment. H&M have a plan by 2020 to source all cotton from sustainable
sources such as organic cotton, recycled cotton or Better Cotton. In 2017, H&M
group was ranked at first position by Sustainable Cotton Ranking. “Organic
cotton” is grown without the chemical pesticide and fertilizers and does not have
any genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Organic cotton is good for the
farmer, environment, and customers. “Recycled cotton” comes from old garments
and textile leftover which are grounded into fiber, new yarns and woven get from
it and use it again to get cotton. “Better cotton initiative” through which 1million
farmer in 2015, got training for harvesting cotton with less water and chemical,
H&M is the active member of this non-profit organization, in collaboration with
partners such as WWF and Solidaridad. The next BCI plan is training of 5 million
farmers to produce 30% of global production by 2020.
Water
Water consumption is a major issue in the textile industry as water plays an
important role in growing cotton, dyeing fabric, all have an impact on the water
source. H&M group team up with WWF, Solidaridad and the Swedish Textile for
three years for water Initiative to ensure “responsible water use”, “building water
awareness”, “collective action” and “measuring water impact and risk”
throughout the value chain and set new standards for water consumption in the
fashion industry. In March 2016, a five years’ plan was signed with WWF but
this time scope was vast it included climate action too.
Recycle your Clothes
One major step toward sustainability is the recycling program of H&M. So far,
H&M collected more than 17,771 tonnes of textiles the equivalent of 89
million T-shirts. H&M saving resources through not throwing textile in trash bins
instead of H&M offer customers to put them into “collection boxes” in all stores
around the world. Customers can get reward after putting the clothes, bags,
The sustainability claims’ impact on the consumer’s green perception……
15
dresses, old socks, ripped tights, towels, and sheets into box and also garments
can get new life. Since 2013, a store recycling program has been lunch with the
name of beauty packaging. Such as customer can drop off an empty lip gloss
bottle in the box and get 10% off on next purchase. After collection, clothes can
be re-wear, reuse, and recycle
Climate Positive Value Chain
H&M group committed to eliminating the greenhouse gas emission from
operations. Despite all efforts there is “unavoidable emission” and to cope up
with that H&M engage on climate resilience. Climate resilience is the activities
which strengthen the planet ability to recover and resist the climate changes to
absorbed the emission caused by the H&M business operation such as production
and distribution activities. Moreover, H&M supports technological innovation
making possible the greenhouse emission. Moreover, H&M supports
technological innovation making possible to absorb green gasses and transform
them into useful material.
16 Tahira Javed et.al.
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... Marketers can leverage persuasive advertising to build a brand and increase green purchasing (Campbell & Farrell, 2020). Previous studies suggest that products successfully positioned on values rather than attributes gain a competitive advantage (Javed, et al. 2020;Vriens & Hofstede, 2000). Altruistic values, which emphasize empathy, kindness, social responsibility, and actions that benefit society and the environment, prioritize the well-being and interests of others over self-interest. ...
... This enhanced image boosts green purchase intention through a serial mediation process involving green satisfaction and brand equity. Past studies suggest that sustainability claims based on the sustainable supply chain positively impact green variables such as green brand image, green satisfaction, green brand equity, and green purchase intention (Javed et al., 2020), affirming H1, H2, and H3. ...
Article
This study explores the impact of social sustainability claims on consumer perception and behavior in the fast-fashion industry. Specifically, it examines how sustainability claims based on the fashion supply chain impact green purchase intentions through the serial mediation of green brand image, green satisfaction, and green brand equity. Based on the Mean-End-Chain (MEC) theory and the Value-Based-Norm (VBN) theory, our research investigates the 'H' brand, known for its social sustainability initiatives. These initiatives emphasize altruistic values, including cooperation with farmers for organic fiber cultivation, improved working conditions, fair wages, and workplace safety. We analyze data from 257 Chinese participants via a serial mediation model using the PROCESS macro in SPSS. The findings reveal a positive relationship between sustainability claims and purchase intentions through green brand image, green satisfaction, and green brand equity. These outcomes highlight the necessity for fashion industry marketers to strategically emphasize altruistic values in sustainability efforts to enhance green brand image, green satisfaction, and green brand equity and increase green purchase intentions. Keywords: Supply Chain Sustainability Claims, Fashion Industry, Value-Behavior relationship, Sustainability Marketing, Green Brand Image, Green Satisfaction, Green Brand Equity, Green Purchase Intention.
... Selain itu, program ini bertujuan untuk meningkatkan prospek pekerjaan di negara-negara terbelakang, mempromosikan pemanfaatan sumber daya yang dapat didaur ulang di bidang manufaktur, dan meningkatkan kesadaran konsumen terhadap praktik etika bisnis (Shen, 2014). Tahun 2017 H&M menjadi peringkat pertama dalam penggunaan kapas organik oleh "Sustainable Cotton Ranking" karena menggunakan 43% kapas organik yang meminimalisir kerusakan lingkungan, yaitu kapas yang ditanam tanpa menggunakan pestisida dan pupuk kimia (Yang et al., 2020). Sedangkan pada tahun 2019 Uniqlo meluncurkan koleksi produk berkelanjutan yang dibuat dari botol plastik bekas untuk menunjukkan dedikasi perusahaan terhadap bisnis yang berkelanjutan (Tong Van, 2019). ...
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Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisa faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhi loyalitas konsumen fast fashion. Oleh karena itu, penulis mengembangkan kerangka kerja yang menggambarkan terdapat hubungan positif antara perceived firm ethicality, corporate social responsibility, green marketing, dan brand loyalty. Data diperoleh dengan menyebarkan kuesioner kepada 150 sampel responden. Metode penarikan sampel yang digunakan adalah purposive sampling yaitu mereka yang pernah membeli produk brand fast fashion dalam kurun waktu dua tahun terakhir. Data dianalisa dengan menggunakan structural equation modelling (SEM). Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa perceived firm ethicality berpengaruh positif terhadap CSR, perceived firm ethicality berpengaruh positif terhadap green marketing, CSR Responsibility berpengaruh positif terhadap brand loyalty, perceived firm ethicality tidak berpengaruh positif terhadap brand loyalty, green marketing berpengaruh positif terhadap brand loyalty. Penelitian ini berguna bagi pemasar fast fashion agar mereka dapat membuat strategi untuk meningkatkan loyalitas konsumen.
... This preference suggests that green marketing strategies, which integrate social sustainability practices like fair wages, safe working conditions, and human rights, can effectively foster a sense of altruism and care. Javed et al. (2020) reinforce this perspective, emphasising that a human-centred approach in green marketing focuses on protecting and fulfilling human needs and is instrumental in developing a strong green brand image. ...
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Purpose: This study aims to investigate the ecological awareness of Chinese consumers towards fast fashion and examine the effect of social sustainability claims on green brand image and purchase intentions in China, considering China’s unique environmental policy landscape and its significant role in the global fast fashion industry. The study explores the role of altruistic values in promoting sustainability within the well-known fast fashion brand ‘H’ and how they shape brand image, consumer satisfaction, and brand equity. Methodology: The study collected data from 257 Chinese participants and used a serial mediation model through the PROCESS macro in SPSS to analyse the correlation between green brand image, created through sustainability claims, and consumer purchase intentions. The model also assessed the intermediary effects of brand image, satisfaction, and equity. Findings: The findings of the research indicate a direct and positive relationship between green brand image and consumer purchase intentions, emphasising the need for clothing and textile industry marketers to strategically promote altruistic values in their sustainability efforts and highlighting the importance of ecological awareness in shaping consumer behaviour in the Chinese context. This approach enhances green satisfaction and green brand equity and ultimately leads to higher green purchase intentions. Originality/Value: This study provides significant insights into the effectiveness of incorporating social sustainability claims in advertising to improve a brand’s green image and influence consumer behaviour. It emphasises the importance of altruistic values in sustainability strategies, offering valuable guidelines for marketers in enhancing green satisfaction and brand equity, thereby boosting consumer purchase intentions in the context of green branding and sustainability advertising. Focusing specifically on the Chinese market, this research sheds light on the impact of ecological awareness among Chinese consumers within the fast-fashion industry. Given China’s substantial role in shaping global fast-fashion production and its evolving environmental policies, this focus adds significant depth to our understanding of sustainability claims’ influence within this crucial consumer base. Keywords: Supply Chain Sustainability Claims, Fashion and Textile Industry, Value-Behaviour relationship, Sustainability Marketing, Green Brand Image, Green Satisfaction, Green Brand Equity, Green Purchase Intention, China
... Additionally, H&M has put in place a number of projects for a more environmentally friendly supply chain, such as the Better Cotton Initiative, which strives to enhance cotton farming methods and lessen the negative effects of cotton production on the environment. Additionally, the business introduced the H&M Global Change Award in 2015, which offers cash to creative businesses developing longterm fixes for the fashion sector (Javed et al., 2020). ...
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An overview of ethical manufacturing techniques for clothing and textiles is given in this chapter. The fashion business is renowned for its fast response to shifting consumer demands and fashion trends, but it has also come under fire for its negative effects on the environment and society. By using environmentally friendly materials, production techniques, and supply chain management, sustainable manufacturing methods in the textile and apparel industries seek to reduce the industry’s detrimental effects on the environment and society. Sustainable materials, production techniques, supply chain management, product design and development, and case studies of top fashion firms are all covered in this chapter. With an emphasis on the advantages for the environment, society, and business, it is stressed how crucial sustainable production techniques are in the textile and apparel industries. Concerns about environmental degradation, resource scarcity, and climate change are among the top challenges.
... Nowadays people are more willing to pay more for sustainable products, as stated by the Accenture research, which indicates that half of the consumers would pay more for sustainable products, aiming at their future recycling and reuse (Cantwell, Nolan & Corser, 2019). Marketing managers should identify the preferences and needs of the consumers in relation to ethical practices that could be included in their positioning strategies (Javed, Yang, Gilal & Gilal, 2020). ...
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Background: This study aims to identify the changes in the fashion industry, during the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically, within the context of online purchase of fashion products, the use of sportswear, the pondering moments before the purchase, and the importance of sustainability. Furthermore, we also consider sustainability as a fashion strategic factor and its impact in the decision-making process. Purpose: The main purpose is to understand if the type of products and the way they are purchased by the retail consumer have changed, and to assess if the level of importance granted to sustainability is significant, in particular, by evaluating the way COVID-19 pandemic has influenced the online purchase of fashion products, the use of sportswear, the pondering moments before the purchase, and the importance of sustainability. Furthermore, we evaluate if the level of importance granted to sustainability, in the decision-making process, is still the same. Study design/methodology/approach: Quantitative analysis was applied, through an observation data collection technique, using a survey by questionnaire. The sample is non-probabilistic, with the accidental and snowball sampling modalities. Findings/conclusions: the companies must define new strategies to answer their consumers' real needs, because we verify that consumer behaviour changed. It was verified that there was a growth in the amount of online shopping of fashion products, the use of sportswear increased, the level of pondering before buying expanded, and the increasing importance of sustainability became evident. Limitations/future research: A non-probabilistic sample was used, which prevents the possibility of extrapolating general conclusions.
... It is a potent force that gives purpose to people's lives, lessens uncertainty and fosters stability, but also determines whether an organization succeeds or fails (Gorman, 1989). Owing to their ability to impact performance, stakeholders may assist in identifying to whom the business is accountable (Galbreath, 2010;Javed et al., 2020). They consist of individuals who are viewed as primary stakeholders, including stockholders and investors, customers, employees, vendors, local areas and even the atmosphere as key non-social stakeholders. ...
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Purpose This study aims to investigate how organizational culture (OC) and transformational leadership (TL) affect corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance (environmental performance and social performance) and financial performance (FP) in the context of the Italian manufacturing sector. Grounded in resource-based view theory, this study explores how these factors influence sustainable firm performance. Design/methodology/approach Data gathered from 260 employees were analyzed to examine the multidimensional aspects of CSR, encompassing social and environmental sustainability. Findings The findings highlight the pressing need for sustainable firm performance in the existing environment, supporting the hypothesis that firms achieve sustainable and FP through the recognition of TL and OC. Moreover, a positive and significant relationship between CSR performance and FP was established, underscoring the strategic importance of integrating CSR initiatives into core business practices. This study offers valuable insights for both academia and firms, providing theoretical and practical implications that underscore the importance of cultivating a robust OC to drive performance enhancements. Originality/value This study is novel because it is one of the first, to the best of the author’s knowledge, to analyze the relationships between TL, OC and performance components associated with CSR.
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This study aims to conduct a systematic literature review (SLR) to identify and assess the elements influencing green brand equity (GBE). Three research questions were developed, and five databases (Scopus, Web of Sciences, Google Scholar, EBSCO, and Elsevier) were combed for articles covering the terms “green brand equity” or “green and brand equity”. The review comprised only English peer-reviewed journal articles published between 2006 and 2021. Other research categories, such as briefs, conference proceedings, workshops, chapters, reviews, and magazines, were excluded from the study. A total of twenty-eight articles were examined for the SLR using universal data and exploratory details. Most explored factors affecting GBE were brand image trust, esteem, consumer loyalty, and brand loyalty. On the other hand, quality, brand recognition, product characteristics, targeted marketing campaigns, and actual purchases were less examined factors. The acquired results are significant as they illustrate the factors that should be considered while developing GBE across various product and service categories.
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This study focuses on the level of awareness of green marketing strategies of two fast fashion brands, H&M and Uniqlo, and their relationship with Filipino consumers’ purchase intention. The awareness level of green marketing strategy is measured on green advertising and content marketing whereas purchase intention is determined by awareness, intent, desire, and action. Numerical results show that consumers are aware of both brands’ marketing strategies. Moreover, awareness of green marketing strategy and consumers' purchase intention are positively correlated.
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This study explores the strategic development of the multinational fashion company H&M, following its rise from a small shop to a major force in the market. While the external environment assessment closely examines H&M's response to macro and micro environmental issues across 71nations, the internal analysis underlines the company's dedication to innovation, varied product offerings, and strategic alliances. A thorough SWOT analysis identifies H&M's advantages in terms of worldwide expansion and environmentally responsible operations, as well as its disadvantages with regard to ethical issues. Prospects for the firm include expanding its market share in Asia and Africa and leveraging the expanding e-commerce market. On the other hand, risks include the fierce competition for brand awareness and issues related to sustainability. The research then turns its attention to H&M's target audiences, using age-based targeting to appeal to the fashion-conscious 18–35-year-olds and demographic segmentation to target the middle class and working class. The product line includes accessories, cosmetics, and clothing for men, women, and kids. The strategic study uses a well-designed retail strategy and marketing mix to highlight H&M's stance as a supplier of premium, reasonably priced apparel. The research culminates by highlighting H&M's prominence in the fast fashion industry and its dedication to sustainability, capturing the brand's history via a prism of creativity, market division, and morality
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The influence of brand characteristics on a consumer passion for a brand is firmly established in the literature. However, celebrity endorsers influence to the formation of brand passion remains largely untapped. Using three theoretical lenses- source credibility theory, relationship motivation theory, and congruity theory, the present study examines the influence of celebrity endorsement on brand passion using data from air travelers. To this end, we involved (n = 432) airline passengers to test the hypotheses in the service context. Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Structural Equation Modeling techniques were used as methods. When celebrity attractiveness, expertise, and trustworthiness were assessed, celebrity attractiveness was appeared to have the strongest influence on air travelers’ brand passion via relatedness need satisfaction. The moderation analysis reveals that the effect of celebrity attractiveness, expertise, and trustworthiness on relatedness needs satisfaction is salient when the celebrity and user having the opposite gender. Finally, implications for policy, research and practice are discussed.
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