THE INFLUENCE OF VALUES AND ATTITUDES ON GREEN CONSUMER BEHAVIORAL INTENTIONS: AN EMPIRICAL EXAMINATION OF THREE GREEN PRODUCTS

Imran Rahman

Extant literature and consumer surveys have signified the rise in demand for environment-friendly products. Hospitality environment-related literature revealed a gap in regards to understanding the deeper facets of consumer behavior. There is an apparent shortage of studies incorporating general values and general attitudes as predictors of specific behavior or behavioral intentions for different green products. Research has also not been very forthcoming in analyzing the influence of egoistic values and status-related motives on green product patronage - an area touted to deliver major implications for marketers and practitioners. This study addresses these aforementioned inadequacies by developing a conceptual framework that seeks to understand consumers' behavioral intentions in regards to three green products - the green hotel, organic wine, and an environment-friendly car. Based on Schwartz's Values theory, using Stern's nomenclature, in conjugation with value-attitude-hierarchy and green signaling theory, I seek to analyze the values and attitudes that influence consumers' green product purchase intention, willingness to pay a premium, and willingness to sacrifice. The study empirically tested the influence of biospheric, altruistic, and egoistic values on behavioral intentions related to the three green products. A self-report consumer survey, operationalized by structural equation modeling, revealed the significant influence of biospheric value on all three types of behavioral intentions across all three green products. Altruistic value only influenced willingness to sacrifice for green hotels while egoistic value influenced purchase intentions for organic wines and hybrid/electric cars. Green products whose product class exudes status and/or whose consumption is more a public practice, appeal to consumers as a social-status enhancing medium. Consumers also would increasingly embrace a green product if it can connote personal benefits. However, consumers' egoistic values would neither cause them to pay more nor sacrifice for these products. Regarding high-impact environmental products such as the green hotel that often involve consumers in the environmental management process, altruistic value-oriented consumers are willing to sacrifice their own luxury, convenience, and quality expectations. Thus, for the green hotel a fitting marketing strategy would be to pitch it as benefiting to not only the environment but also the humankind.

THE INFLUENCE OF VALUES AND ATTITUDES ON GREEN CONSUMER BEHAVIORAL INTENTIONS: AN EMPIRICAL EXAMINATION OF THREE GREEN PRODUCTS

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