Executive summary of “Thinking green, buying green? Drivers of pro-environmental purchasing behavior”

Citation

(2015), "Executive summary of “Thinking green, buying green? Drivers of pro-environmental purchasing behavior”", Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol. 32 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCM-05-2015-030

Executive summary of “Thinking green, buying green? Drivers of pro-environmental purchasing behavior”

Article Type: Executive summary and implications for managers and executives From: Journal of Consumer Marketing, Volume 32, Issue 3

This summary has been provided to allow managers and executives a rapid appreciation of the content of the article. Those with a particular interest in the topic covered may then read the article in toto to take advantage of the more comprehensive description of the research undertaken and its results to get the full benefit of the material present.

Persuading consumers to make green purchase decisions helps secure objectives relating to environmental welfare. The benefits for business are equally evident. Companies with a pro-ecological orientation often gain in terms of profitability, market share and return on assets. Many also report increased employee commitment and higher levels of customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Consumption of everyday products is seen as an important indicator of people’s willingness to engage in environmentally friendly behaviors. Household consumption impacts on the environment, particular through groceries, along with other categories that include transportation, home improvement and telecommunications.

In the present work, Moser aims to identify factors that mostly influence green purchasing behavior and to determine their relative importance. She utilizes the theory of planned behavior (TPB) as the theoretical framework for the study. The premise of the model’s assumptions applied to this context is that green buying behavior generates positive outcomes in the shape of personal, altruistic and/or environmental benefits. Particular attention is paid to the attitude, norms and perceived behavioral control (PBC) dimensions of TPB.

A common approach to the topic of green consumption is to explore the relationship between attitudes and actual behavior. Findings have proved somewhat inconclusive so far and appear to vary between different study contexts. A low correlation between attitude and behavior is evident in situations where the personal effort needed to embrace green behavior is considerable. Changing to public transportation from using a private car is cited as an example. Behavior is also less likely to be determined by attitude when the sacrifice in, such as, cost, performance or convenience is perceived to generate only minimal impact on the environment. Lifestyles or habits are other factors that can impede the transition toward greener consumption behaviors.

Conversely, attitude is often more predictive of behavior, in contexts where effort, cost or inconvenience is deemed low. Evidence suggests that food is one such category. Increased consumption in this area is also attributed to factors like improved availability, higher quality and the use of environmental labels. Various studies have found that attitude is a major determinant of organic food consumption.

Numerous studies have confirmed the impact of social norms on consumption behavior. Such norms often compel individuals to act in a certain way. They also serve as a framework to evaluate the morality of specific actions, and what benefits might emerge as a consequence. Different researchers point out that social norms often become ingrained and evolve into personal norms. This reflection of someone’s own standards is regarded by Moser as more appropriate than social norms when predicting green consumption behavior. The favorable impact on behavior from personal norms is empirically proven and the effect becomes more reinforced as such norms strengthen. There is also evidence of “spillover effects”, whereby green consumption in one area can lead to similar behaviors in others. For instance, people who engage in recycling might subsequently purchase organic food and use greener modes of transport.

Many individuals indicate a willingness to shift toward more sustainable consumption practices. However, making this transition frequently involves overcoming certain obstacles. Circumstances in which people are not in “volitional control” of their actions are captured by the PBC dimension of TPB. Essentially, PBC reflects consumer belief in their capabilities to act in a specific manner. Lack of opportunity, skills or resources, such as time or money, are regularly identified as perceived barriers to engage in certain behaviors.

The author points out the importance of identifying factors that mostly impact on the perceptions of behavioral control. In the current situation, it is assumed that green products are available and that consumers have the requisite knowledge needed to make informed purchase decisions. The emphasis is therefore on price, widely acknowledged as a barrier to green consumption. Evidence shows this factor is especially influential when shoppers compare the cost of organic foods with conventional alternatives. But certain observers have found that price is not necessarily an issue for those consumers who exhibit greater concern for environmental welfare. Such individuals are typically less price-sensitive when their purchases will benefit the environment. Moser consequently believes that willingness to pay (WTP) is an important antecedent of green buying and, thus, a key factor of PBC.

These issues are further investigated using data obtained from 12,113 German households obtained from a national panel representative of the country’s population. The questionnaire was completed by the person in the household who was most responsible for purchasing decisions and females accounted for 80.4 per cent of participants. The survey focused on environmental factors and green shopping activities. Subject responses to various statements were used to measure attitude, moral obligation and ethical motivations, WTP a price premium and types of green purchase behavior pertaining to daily consumer goods.

Analysis revealed that:

• attitude toward the environment is strong and positive;

• consumers are influenced by norms when purchasing daily consumer goods;

• WTP a higher price for environmentally friendly products is slightly positive;

• strongest predictor of green buying is WTP followed by personal norms; and

• the impact of attitude on behavior appears inconsequential.

The author notes the significance of the attitude-behavior gap and speculates that it may be partly due to the strong impact of WTP and personal norms. She also suggests that additional PBC factors could be responsible. In this regard, earlier research discovered that quality perceptions, brand loyalty and ease of access to green products had some impact on the attitude-behavior relationship.

One key conclusion from the work is that price is of no major concern to consumers who regard green attributes as an advantage. Their greater WTP more for ecologically friendly products highlights the need to identify the green features that such consumers regard as most important.

Marketers hoping to positively influence green purchase behavior are urged to focus on important areas such as WTP and personal norms. They must, however, devise different approaches for consumers who by the nature of being less concerned about the environment will be more sensitive to price. The author, therefore, recommends regular price discounts for perishable goods that are purchased frequently and a more substantial monetary reduction for, such as, personal care or household products. But, lowering prices is seen as only providing a short-term fix. In the longer term, a focus on costing over the product’s life-cycle is viewed as a more effective strategy. Moser additionally points out the possibility of higher prices having a positive effect when status-seeking consumers purchase daily consumer goods.

An emphasis on personal norms should be a key component of promotional messages that likewise reflect environmental concerns and awareness of issues. Credibility of the product’s image is also seen as imperative. Product positioning will need to vary depending on the target audience. Stressing the environmental benefits could be appropriate for affluent individuals who typically score higher on WTP. Infrequent buyers of green products are likely to be more price conscious. In view of this, it could prove more effective to highlight personal benefits relating to, such as, health or nutrition.

Examining actual purchase behavior is an option for future study. Researchers might also seek to identify other factors that shape the divide between attitude and behavior. Comparing social norms within different cultural contexts is another option to pursue.

To read the full article enter 10.1108/JCM-10-2014-1179 into your search engine.

(A précis of the article “Thinking green, buying green? Drivers of pro-environmental purchasing behavior”. Supplied by Marketing Consultants for Emerald.)