An environmental awareness purchasing intention model
| Published date | 11 March 2019 |
| Pages | 367-381 |
| Date | 11 March 2019 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/IMDS-12-2017-0591 |
| Author | Lu Xu,Victor Prybutok,Charles Blankson |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Information systems,Data management systems,Knowledge management,Knowledge sharing,Management science & operations,Supply chain management,Supply chain information systems,Logistics,Quality management/systems |
An environmental awareness
purchasing intention model
Lu Xu
Department of Management and Marketing, University of North Georgia,
Oakwood, Georgia, USA
Victor Prybutok
Department of Information Technology and Decision Sciences, College of Business,
University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, USA, and
Charles Blankson
Department of Marketing, Logistics and Operations Management,
College of Business, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, USA
Abstract
Purpose –This paper posits, develops and tests the effects of general environmental awareness factors on
consumers’intentions in the Environmental Awareness Purchasing Intention Model. Environmental
awareness is tested within the context of purchasing vehicles and, thus, vehicle relevant factors (perceived
quality and self-image) are also included. Further, the purpose of this paper is to explain the relative
contribution of general environmental awareness factors on purchasing intentions compared to quality
and self-image.
Design/methodology/approach –The main thrust of the research involved a survey of 248 young
automobile buyers from a large public university in Texas, USA. The data were analyzed using both multiple
regression and partial least square-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).
Findings –Environmental attitude has a positive impact on purchasing intention, while perceived control
toward environmentally responsible behavior has a negative impact. Results also show a positive impact of
quality and self-image on intention to purchase environmentally friendly cars. Furthermore, the results reveal
that environmental awareness factors explain less variance than perceived quality. At the same time, the
results show that environmental factors, relatively, explain more variance in the decision-making process
than self-image.
Originality/value –This is the first study to examine the relationship between general environmental
awareness and the intention to purchase an environmentally friendly car. This study contributes to
sustainable consumption literature in operations management. The paper also provides insights for
developing managerial guidelines for car manufacturers based on the understanding of factors influencing
environmentally friendly car purchasing intentions.
Keywords Theory of planned behaviour, Purchasing intention, Quality management,
Environmental awareness
Paper type Research paper
1. Introduction
While recent environmental sustainability research works in the operations management
(OM) field have focused on product acquisition management and sustainability
performance from a supply point of view (Walker et al., 2014), little attention has been
paid to the examination of factors influencing the demand for environmentally friendly
products, including environmentally friendly cars, from a consumer’s perspective
(Wang and Hazen, 2016). Although researchers have investigated the effects of
environmental awareness in the environmentally friendly product purchasing
decision-making process (Wang and Hazen, 2016), prior studies are limited to how
environmental awareness relevant to the specific product relates to purchasing intention.
This is an important research gap in the OM literature that decisions about
environmentally sustainable products drive production and the associated operations.
Industrial Management & Data
Systems
Vol. 119 No. 2, 2019
pp. 367-381
© Emerald PublishingLimited
0263-5577
DOI 10.1108/IMDS-12-2017-0591
Received 19 December 2017
Revised 17 March 2018
14 May 2018
Accepted 23 June 2018
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0263-5577.htm
367
Environmental
awareness
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