Extending the Theory of Planned Behavior to Explain the Effects of Cognitive Factors across Different Kinds of Green Products

Leibao Zhang, Yanli Fan, Wenyu Zhang and Shuai Zhang
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Leibao Zhang: School of Public Finance and Taxation, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Hangzhou 310018, China
Yanli Fan: School of Public Finance and Taxation, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Hangzhou 310018, China
Wenyu Zhang: School of Information, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Hangzhou 310018, China
Shuai Zhang: School of Information, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Hangzhou 310018, China

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 15, 1-17

Abstract: Sustainable development is a powerful impetus to achieve the coordination between economic advancement and environmental protection. Therefore, the promotion and adoption of green consumption has attracted increasing attention from academics. As an important tool for multivariate data analyses, structural equation modelling has been extensively used in purchase intention for green products. However, most previous research has recognized green products as a general class when studying their purchase intention, which focused little attention on comparing purchase intention for different kinds of green products. This study extends and tests the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and includes another cognitive construct, that is, environmental concern, to explore purchase intention for different kinds of green products. First, the effect of TPB constructs was examined on purchase intention for utilitarian green products and hedonic green products. Second, a cognitive factor, that is, environmental concern, was used to test its different effects on these two kinds of green products. Third, the indirect effect of environmental concern on purchase intention was measured for these two kinds of green products. The study showed that extended TPB constructs, that is, attitude, perceived behavior control, and environmental concern positively and significantly affected purchase intention for both utilitarian green products and hedonic green products, while subjective norm only significantly and positively affected purchase intention for utilitarian green products. Moreover, the cognitive factor, that is, environmental concern, had a higher effect on purchase intention for utilitarian green products than purchase intention for hedonic green products, and it also had a similar indirect effect on both kinds of green products. This study provides an insight to policymakers, entrepreneurs, and marketers into how to increase purchase intention for different kinds of green products.

Keywords: purchase intention; cognitive factor; environmental concern; extended theory of planned behavior; utilitarian green products; hedonic green products (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (37)

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