Naz Onel and Avinandan Mukherjee
Environmental behavior studies suggest that knowledge, in addition to other psychological and social factors, can play an important role in consumers’ environmental behavior…
Abstract
Purpose
Environmental behavior studies suggest that knowledge, in addition to other psychological and social factors, can play an important role in consumers’ environmental behavior change. The purpose of this paper is to understand the relationship between knowledge and various psychological factors which encourage consumers’ participation in pro-environmental behaviors. The relationships that link an individual’s attitudes toward science, environmental values, different types of knowledge (i.e. scientific facts, environmental facts, and subjective environmental knowledge), environmental risk perception, and willingness to pay (WTP) for the environment with pro-environmental behavior were examined.
Design/methodology/approach
Theoretically guided hypotheses and model were formulated and tested with multiple linear regression models. The study was based on measures and data obtained from the large-sample secondary database of the 2010 General Social Survey (n=2,044).
Findings
Results indicated that while attitudes toward science had direct effects on knowledge of scientific facts and knowledge of environmental facts, environmental values showed effects on knowledge of environmental facts and subjective knowledge on environmental issues. The results also indicated that from different types of knowledge, subjective knowledge on environmental issues had effects on both environmental risk perception and WTP for the environment. Knowledge on environmental facts, on the other hand, was able to predict only environmental risk perception. The scientific factual knowledge did not show an effect on mediator of pro-environmental behavior. Also, subjective knowledge indicated indirect effects on pro-environmental behavior through environmental risk perception and WTP for the environment.
Originality/value
Although research on understanding factors influencing pro-environmental behaviors and potential relations to individual knowledge has grown in recent years, there has been very little attempt at distinguishing between different types of knowledge and investigating their potential roles in the context of environmentally relevant behaviors. This study will help understand the functioning of different types of consumer environmental knowledge and their impacts on pro-environmental behaviors more in depth.
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Naz Onel and Avinandan Mukherjee
The purpose of this paper is to examine five different types of eco-sensitive behaviours separately and understand if determinants of these behaviours vary depending on the type…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine five different types of eco-sensitive behaviours separately and understand if determinants of these behaviours vary depending on the type of action being performed.
Design/methodology/approach
The study investigates factors influencing five different eco-sensitive behaviours by empirically testing the effects of socio-economic status (SES), gender, age and environmental values. Theoretically guided hypotheses and models were formulated and tested with multiple linear regression models by employing a data set from the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) 2010 General Social Survey.
Findings
Results conclude that different types of behaviour have different predictors. While age differences only explain recycling cans and bottles, gender difference explains buying pesticide-free fruits/vegetables and avoiding environmentally harmful products. Values, on the other hand, predict all five eco-behaviours. Driving less and saving water for environmental reasons were least explained by the examined predictors.
Originality/value
These results contribute to untangling the confusing research evidence on the effects of SES, age, gender and environmental values on different environmental behaviours and on the relationship between them by examining each behaviour separately.
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Naz Onel and Avinandan Mukherjee
The potential underlying causal factors of environmental behaviours have been examined from various theoretical angles by mostly focusing on individual motivations in the…
Abstract
Purpose
The potential underlying causal factors of environmental behaviours have been examined from various theoretical angles by mostly focusing on individual motivations in the literature. The purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual model based on an integrative approach to better understand eco-sensitive consumer behaviours and their predictors.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper reviews distinct theoretical approaches and, based on the integrative perspective, develops a model using the framework of the goal framing theory (GFT).
Findings
On the basis of the GFT, the authors propose that 12 variables influence the pro-environmental behaviours of consumers: biospheric values, egoistic values, altruistic values, environmental concern, awareness of consequences, ascription of responsibility, subjective norms, attitudes towards behaviour, perceived behavioural control, personal norms, affect, and behavioural intention. Furthermore, the authors categorize environmental behaviours based on three different stages of the consumption process of consumers: purchase, usage, and post-use.
Originality/value
The proposed model will offer future studies a holistic understanding of the factors that predict environmentally sensitive behaviours of consumers and the extent to which such behaviours depend on moral considerations, feelings, or self-interest motives.
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Nitika Sharma and Arminda Paço
This study aims to explore the impact of Own, Others and Outer influences (O3) on green purchasing behaviour in e-commerce. The study uses the O ZONE model and…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore the impact of Own, Others and Outer influences (O3) on green purchasing behaviour in e-commerce. The study uses the O ZONE model and Stimulus–Organism–Behaviour–Consequence (SOBC) framework to analyse the impact of green intentions, green product awareness and green self-efficacy.
Design/methodology/approach
This study collected data from 405 respondents through a self-administered questionnaire and analysed the data via partial least squares structural equation modelling and necessary condition analysis using the software SmartPLS.
Findings
The findings indicate that O3 factors significantly affect green product awareness among consumers, with “Own” having no impact in ecommerce. Furthermore, this study found that green self-efficacy fully mediates the relationship between green product awareness and purchasing intentions. Interestingly, the results suggest that e-commerce recommendations (others) and marketer persuasion (outer influence) have a greater impact on green product awareness, which in turn influences green buying intentions via green self-efficacy, compared to personal knowledge (own). Finally, it shows that green purchase intentions lead to green buying behaviour.
Practical implications
This study helps to understand how to create green product awareness through information transfer and ways to enhance green self-efficacy to motivate green buying behaviour. Hence, it offers valuable insights for practitioners, policymakers and managers in green and digital marketing, highlighting the importance of effective knowledge transfer to enhance green consumer behaviour. Marketers can better understand the factors influencing consumers’ awareness of green products, such as personal knowledge, online reviews, recommendations from e-commerce websites and marketing campaigns.
Social implications
The findings add new insights to the existing knowledge of green purchasing behaviour in e-commerce by highlighting the importance of understanding the factors that influence consumers’ green product awareness and self-efficacy. In addition, it underscores the relative impact of O3 factors on green purchasing behaviour, aiding the development of effective marketing strategies promoting green products in ecommerce platform.
Originality/value
Highlighting the ever-evolving nature of the e-commerce industry, this study stresses the importance of staying abreast of trends for marketer success. It reiterates the significance of adapting strategies to align with emerging industry practices and consumer preferences.
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This study aimed to understand how the consumer–green brand relationship affects the behavior of consumers of e-commerce platforms for smallholder farmers; it did so by…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aimed to understand how the consumer–green brand relationship affects the behavior of consumers of e-commerce platforms for smallholder farmers; it did so by formulating and testing a framework based on social identity perspective.
Design/methodology/approach
Structural equation modeling was applied to data from 532 questionnaire responses.
Findings
All hypotheses were supported. Customers’ environmental consciousness, green brand consciousness and green brand self-expression strongly affect green consumption consciousness. The effect of environmental consciousness on green brand identification is stronger than that of environmental consciousness on green brand consciousness and that of green brand self-expression on green brand identification.
Practical implications
Suggestions for managing green brands on e-commerce platforms for smallholder farmers and references for strategizing are also provided.
Originality/value
This study accounts for a wide range of antecedents of green consumption consciousness based on a social identity perspective. This study is the first to elucidate how green consumption affects the e-commerce branding of green smallholder farmers.