How to Cite
Abstract
The unsustainable level of consumption globally is one of the major causes of the environmental challenges that the world currently faces. The purchase of green products is one of the ways to promote environmental sustainability globally. The study examines the determinants of green purchase behaviour of university students in South Africa. The study merges the Value-Attitude-Behaviour (VAB) theory and the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) to develop a new theoretical model to predict GPB. The study uses a quantitative research design, and data is collected from students at two South African universities. The study adopts the Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling for data analysis. The findings support the applicability of the merged theories in predicting GPB. Recommendations to improve the GPB of students include the introduction of environmental education as a subject in universities.
References
Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179-211. https://doi.org/10.1016/0749-5978(91)90020-T
Ajzen, I., & Fishbein, M. (1980). Understanding attitudes and predicting social behaviour. N. J.: Englewood Cliffs, Prentice-Hall.
Alagarsamy, S., Mehrolia, S., & Mathew, S. (2020). How Green Consumption Value Affects Green Consumer Behaviour: The Mediating Role of Consumer Attitudes Towards Sustainable Food Logistics Practices. Vision: The Journal of Business Perspective, 25(1), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1177/0972262920977986
Alalei, A., & Jan, M. T. (2023). Factors influencing the green purchase intention among consumers: An empirical study in Algeria. Journal of Global Business Insights, 8(1), 49-65. https://www.doi.org/10.5038/2640-6489.8.1.1181
Anuar, A. Y., Omar, M. M., Ahmed, K., Saputra, Z. U., & Yaakop, J. (2020). Drivers of green consumption behaviour and their implications for management. Polish Journal of Management, 21, 71-86. https://doi.org/10.17512/pjms.2020.21.1.06
Arko-Achemfuor, A. (2017). Socio-economic development through the exploitation of natural resources in rural South Africa. Environmental Economics, 8(4), 44-52. https://doi.org/10.21511/ee.08(4).2017.06
Ates, H. (2020). Merging Theory of Planned Behavior and Value Identity Personal norm model to explain pro-environmental behaviors. Sustainable Production and Consumption, 24, 169-180. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2020.07.006
Azionya, C. M., & Overton de Klerk, N., (2021). The development of a brand perception instrument for South African youth. Communitas, 26, 33-52. http://www.scielo.org.za/pdf/comm/v26/03.pdf
Barbarossa, C., & De Pelsmacker, P. (2016). Positive and Negative Antecedents of Purchasing Eco-friendly Products: A Comparison Between Green and Non-green Consumers. Journal of Business Ethics, 134(2), 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-014-2425-z
Barbu, A., Catan ̆a, S. A., Deselnicu, D. C., Cioca, L.-I., & Ioanid, A. (2022). Factors Influencing Consumer Behavior toward Green Products: A Systematic Literature Review. International Journal Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(24), 16568. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192416568
Bhutto, M. Y., Soomro, Y. A., & Yang, H. (2022). Extending the Theory of Planned Behavior: Predicting Young Consumer Purchase Behavior of Energy-Efficient Appliances (Evidence from Developing Economy). SAGE Open, 12(1), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440221078289
Carrington, M. J., Neville, B. A., & Whitwell, G. J. (2010). Why Ethical Consumers Don’t Walk Their Talk: Towards a Framework for Understanding the Gap Between the Ethical Purchase Intentions and Actual Buying Behaviour of Ethically Minded Consumers. Journal of Business Ethics, 97(1), 139-158. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-010-0501-6
Chen, Y., & Chang, C. (2012). Enhance green purchase intentions: The roles of green perceived value, green perceived risk, and green trust. Management Decision, 50(3), 502-520. https://doi.org/10.1108/00251741211216250
Cheung, M., & To, W. (2019). An extended model of value-attitude-behavior to explain Chinese consumers’ green purchase behavior. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 50, 145-153. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2019.04.006
de Groot, J. I. M., & Steg, L. (2007). Value Orientations to Explain Beliefs Related to Environmental Significant Behavior: How to Measure Egoistic, Altruistic, and Biospheric Value Orientations. Environment and Behavior, 40(3), 330-354. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916506297831
de Groot, J. I. M., & Steg, L. (2010). Relationships between value orientations, self-determined motivational types and pro-environmental behavioural intentions. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 30(4), 368-378. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2010.04.002
Department of Forestry, Fisheries & the Environment. (2022). Green Economy for Sustainable Development. https://www.dffe.gov.za/green-economy-sustainable-development
Diddi, S., Yan, R., Bloodhart, B., Bajtelsmit, V., & McShane, K. (2019). Exploring Young Adult Consumers’ Sustainable Clothing Consumption Intention-Behavior gap: A Behavioral Reasoning Theory Perspective. Sustainable Production and Consumption, 18, 200-209. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2019.02.009
do Paco, A., Shiel, Ch., & Alves, H. (2018). A New Model for Testing Green Consumer Behaviour. Journal of Cleaner Production, 207(2), 998-1006. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.10.105
ElHaffar, G., Durif, F., & Dubé, L. (2020). Towards Closing the Attitude-Intention-Behavior gap in Green Consumption: A Narrative Review of the Literature and an Overview of Future Research Directions. Journal of Cleaner Production, 275, 122556. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.122556
Environmental Performance Index. (2022). South Africa. https://epi.yale.edu/epi-results/2022/country/zaf
Falayi, M., Gambiza, J., & Schoon, M. (2021). A scoping review of environmental governance challenges in southern Africa from 2010 to 2020. Environmental Conservation, 48(4), 235-243. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0376892921000333
Fauzi, M. A., Hanafiah, M. H., & Kunjuraman, V. (2022). Tourists’ intention to visit green hotels: building on the theory of planned behaviour and the value-belief-norm theory. Journal of Tourism Futures, 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1108/JTF-01-2022-0008
Fenitra, R. M., Tanti, H., Gancar, C. P., & Usman, I. (2021). Extended theory of planned behavior to explain environemntally responsible behavior in context of nature-based tourism. Geojournal of Tourism and Geosites, 39(4spl), 1507-1516. https://doi.org/10.30892/gtg.394spl22-795
Fontes, E., Moreira, A. C., & Carlos, V. (2021). The influence of ecological concern on green purchase behavior. Management & Marketing, 16(3), 246-267. https://doi.org/10.2478/mmcks-2021-0015
Geng, D., Liu, L., & Zhu, Q. (2017). Motivating sustainable consumption among Chinese adolescents: An empirical examination. Journal of Cleaner Production, 141, 315-322. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.09.113
Ghazali, E. M., Nguyen, B., Mutum, D. S., & Yap, S. (2019). Pro-Environmental Behaviours and Value-Belief-Norm Theory: Assessing Unobserved Heterogeneity of Two Ethnic Groups. Sustainability, 11(12), 3237. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11123237
Hair, J. F., Risher, J. J., Sarstedt, M., & Ringle, C. M. (2019). When to use and how to report the results of PLS-SEM. European Business Review, 31(1), 2-24. https://doi.org/10.1108/EBR-11-2018-0203
Han, H., Hwang, J., Lee, M., & Kim, J. (2018). Word-of-mouth, buying, and sacrifice intentions for eco-cruises: Exploring the function of norm activation and value-attitude-behavior. Tourism Management, 70(2), 430-443. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2018.09.006
Hans, S., Zöller, D., Hammer, J., Stucke, J., Spieb, S., Kesavan, G., Kroehne, V., Eguiguren, J. S., Ezhkova, D., Petzold, A., Dahl, A., & Brand, M. (2021). Cre-Controlled CRISPR mutagenesis provides fast and easy conditional gene inactivation in zebrafish. Nature Communications, 12, 1125. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-21427-6
Harjadi, D., & Gunardi, A. (2022). Factors affecting eco-friendly purchase intention: subjective norms and ecological consciousness as moderators. Cogent Business and Management, 9(1), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2022.2148334
Hasan, A. A. T., Islam, T., Ehasan, A., Sumon, S. M., & Hossain, M. S. (2022). The extension of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) to predict green tea purchase intentions: The role of green tea satisfaction. Global Media Journal, 20, 49.
Hazaea, S. A., Al-Matari, E. M., Zedan, K., Khatib, S. F. A., Zhu, J., & Al Amosh, H. (2022). Green Purchasing: Past, Present and Future. Sustainability, 14(9), 5008. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095008
Henseler, J., Ringle, Ch. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2015). A New Criterion for Assessing Discriminant Validity in Variance-based Structural Equation Modeling. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 43(1), 115-135. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-014-0403-8
Homer, P. M., & Kahle, L. R. (1988). A structural equation test of the value-attitude-behavior hierarchy. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54(4), 638-646. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.54.4.638
Hsu, Ch.-L., Chang, Ch.-Y., & Yansritakul, Ch. (2017). Exploring purchase intention of green skincare products using the theory of planned behavior: Testing the moderating effects of country of origin and price sensitivity. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 34(C), 145-152.
Jahanshahi, A. A., & Jia, J. (2018). Purchasing Green Products as a Means of Expressing Consumers' Uniqueness: Empirical Evidence from Peru and Bangladesh. Sustainability, 10(11), 4062. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10114062
Jaiswal, D., & Kant, R. (2018). Green purchasing behaviour: A conceptual framework and empirical investigation of Indian consumers. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 41, 60-69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2017.11.008
Jan, I. U., Ji, S., & Yeo, C. (2019). Values and Green Product Purchase Behavior: The Moderating Effects of the Role of Government and Media Exposure. Sustainability, 11(23), 6642. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11236642
Joshi, Y., & Rahman, Z. (2015). Factors Affecting Green Purchase Behaviour and Future Research Directions. International Strategic Management Review, 3(1-2), 128-143. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ism.2015.04.001
Kamalanon, P., Chen, J.-S., & Le, T.-Th.-Y. (2022). “Why Do We Buy Green Products?” An Extended Theory of the Planned Behavior Model for Green Product Purchase Behavior. Sustainability, 14(2), 689.
Karimi, S., & Mohammadimehr, S. (2022). Socio-psychological antecedents of pro-environmental intentions and behaviors among Iranian rural women: An integrative framework. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 10, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2022.979728
Kis, A., Verschoor, M., & Sargisson, R. J. (2020). Who Is More Likely to Influence Others? A Value-Based Approach to Pro-Environmental Social Influence Behavior. Sustainability: The Journal of Record, 13(6), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1089/sus.2020.0022
Kock, N. (2015). Common method bias in PLS-SEM: A full collinearity assessment approach. International Journal of e-Collaboration, 11(4), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.4018/ijec.2015100101
Koloba, H. A. (2020). Purchase intention towards environmentally friendly products among consumers in South Africa. Applying the theory of planned behaviour. International Journal of Business and Management Studies, 12(1), 34-49.
Lee, K. (2011). The role of media exposure, social exposure and biospheric value orientation in the environmental attitude-intention-behavior model in adolescents. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 31(4), 301-308. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2011.08.004
MU. (2023, January 20). Student Village and Youth Dynamix release report on youth. https://www.mediaupdate.co.za/marketing/153287/student-village-and-youth-dynamix-release-report-on-youth
Namazi, M., & Namazi, N. (2016). Conceptual Analysis of Moderator and Mediator Variables in Business Research. Procedia Economics and Finance, 36, 540-554. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2212-5671(16)30064-8
Nathaniel, S. P. (2021). Natural Resources, Urbanisation, Economic Growth and the Ecological Footprint in South Africa: The Moderating Role of Human Capital. Quaestiones Geographicae, 40(2), 63-76. https://doi.org/10.2478/quageo-2021-0012
Naz, F., Oláh, J., Vasile, D., & Magda, R. (2020). Green Purchase Behavior of University Students in Hungary: An Empirical Study. Sustainability, 12(23), 10077. https://doi.org/10.3390/su122310077
Ndofirepi, T. M., & Matema, S. C. (2019). Exploring Green Purchasing Behaviour among College Students in a Developing Economy. Southern African Business Review, 19(1), 1-25.
Nguyen, H. V., Nguyen, C. H., & Hoang, T. (2018). Green consumption: Closing the intention-behavior gap. Sustainable Development, 27(1), 118-129. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.1875
Nguyen, T., Lobo, A., & Greenland, S. (2016). Pro-environmental purchase behaviour: The role of consumers' biospheric values. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 33(C), 98-108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2016.08.010
Obrenovic, B., Jianguo, D., Tsoy, D., Obrenovic, S., Khan, M. A. S., & Anwar, F. (2020). The enjoyment of knowledge sharing: impact of altruism on tacit knowledge-sharing behavior. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 1496. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01496
Oh, R. R. Y., Fielding, K. S., Ngheim, L. T. P., Chang, C. C., Carrasco, L. R., & Fuller, R. A. (2021). Connection to nature is predicted by family values, social norms and personal experiences of nature. Global Ecology and Conservation, 28, e01632. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01632
Osburg, V.-S., Akhtar, P., & Yoganathan, V. (2019) The influence of contrasting values on consumer receptiveness to ethical information and ethical choices. Journal of Business Research, 104, 366-379.
Pang, M. D., Goossens, G. H., & Blaak, E. E. (2021). The Impact of Artificial Sweeteners on Body Weight Control and Glucose Homeostasis. Frontiers in nutrition, 7, 598340. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2020.598340
Paul, J., Modi, A., & Patel, J. D. (2016). Predicting green product consumption using theory of planned behavior and reasoned action. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 29, 123-134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2015.11.006
Perlaviciute, G., & Steg, L. (2015). The influence of values on evaluations of energy alternatives. Renewable Energy, 77, 259-267. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2014.12.020
Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., & Podsakoff, N. P. (2012). Sources of method bias in social science research and recommendations on how to control it. Annual Review of Psychology, 63(1), 539-569. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-120710-100452
Prakash, G., Choudhary, S., Kumar, A., Garza-Reyes, J., Khan, S., & Panda, T. (2019). Do altruistic and egoistic values influence consumers’ attitudes and purchase intentions towards eco-friendly packaged products? An empirical investigation. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 50, 163-169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2019.05.011
Rahman, I., & Reynolds, D. (2019). The influence of values and attitudes on green consumer behavior: A conceptual model of green hotel patronage. International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Administration, 20(1), 31-50. https://doi.org/10.1080/15256480.2017.1359729
Ruangkanjanases, A., You, J., Chien, S., Ma, Y., Chen, S., & Chao, L. (2020). Elucidating the Effect of Antecedents on Consumers’ Green Purchase Intention: An Extension of the Theory of Planned Behavior. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 1433. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01433
Schwartz, S. H. (1994). Are there universal aspects in the content and structure of values? Journal of Social Issues, 50(4), 1945.
Shafiel, A., & Maleksaeidi, H. (2020). Pro-environmental behavior of university students: Application of protection motivation theory. Global Ecology and Conservation, 22, e00908. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e00908
Sharma, A., & Foropon, C. (2019). Green product attributes and green purchase behavior: A theory of planned behavior perspective with implications for circular economy. Management Decision, 57(3). https://doi.org/10.1108/MD-10-2018-1092
Simon Kucher & Partners. (2021). Global Sustainability Study. Consumers are key players for a sustainable future. https://www.simon-kucher.com/sites/default/files/studies/Simon-Kucher_Global_Sustainability_Study_2021.pdf
Soomro, R. B., Ali, I., Latif, S. A., & Mirani, P. (2020). Exploring the green purchasing behavior of young generation in Pakistan: opportunities for green entrepreneurship. Asia Pacific Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 14(3). https://doi.org/10.1108/APJIE-12-2019-0093
Sousa, S., Correia, E., Viseu, C., & Larguinho, M. (2022). Analysing the Influence of Companies’ Green Communication in College Students’ Green Purchase Behaviour: An Application of the Extended Theory of Planned Behaviour Model. Administrative Sciences, 12(3), 80. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci12030080
South African Government. (2012). National Development Plan. https://www.gov.za/issues/national-development-plan-2030
Soyez, K. (2012). How national culture values affect pro-environmental consumer behavior. International Marketing Review, 29(6), 623-640. https://doi.org/10.1108/02651331211277973
Stern, P. C., & Dietz, T. (1994). The value basis of environmental concern. Journal of Social Issues, 50(3), 65-84. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4560.1994.tb02420.x
Stern, P., Dietz, T., & Kalof, L. (1993). Value orientations, gender, and environmental concern. Environment and Behaviour, 25, 322-348.
Taufique, K., & Vaithianathan, S. (2020). A fresh look at understanding Green consumer behavior among young urban Indian consumers through the lens of Theory of Planned Behavior. Journal of Cleaner Production, 183(10), 46-55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.02.097
Teng, Y., Wu, W., & Liu, H. (2013). Integrating Altruism and the Theory of Planned Behavior to Predict Patronage Intention of a Green Hotel. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research, 39(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/1096348012471383
Testa, F., Pretner, G., Iovino, R., Bianchi, G., Tessitore, S., & Iraldo, F. (2020). Drivers to green consumption: a systematic review. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 23(3), 4826-4880. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-020-00844-5
Trivedi, R. H., Patel, J. D., & Acharya, N. (2018). Causality analysis of media influence on environmental attitude, intention and behaviors leading to green purchasing. Journal of Cleaner Production, 196, 11-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.06.024
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. (2022). Now 8 billion and counting: Where the world’s population has grown most and why that matters. https://unctad.org/data-visualization/now-8-billion-and-counting-where-worlds-population-has-grown-most-and-why
United Nations. (2015). Sustainable Development Goals. https://sdgs.un.org/goals
Van der Weiff, E. V., Steg, L., & Keizer, K. (2013). The value of environmental self-identity: The relationship between biospheric values, environmental self-identity and environmental preferences, intentions and behaviour. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 34, 55-63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2012.12.006
Verma, V., & Chandra, B. (2018). Intention to Implement Green Hotel Practices: Evidence from Indian Hotel Industry. International Journal of Management Practice, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1504/IJMP.2018.10008645
Volschenk, J., Gerber, C., & Santos, B. A. (2022). The (in)ability of consumers to perceive greenwashing and its influence on purchase intent and willingness to pay. South African Journal of Economic and Management Sciences, 25(1), a4553. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajems.v25i1.4553
Wang, C., Zhang, Q., Wong, P., & Wang, L. (2023). Consumers’ green purchase intention to visit green hotels: A value-belief-norm theory perspective. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1139116. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1139116
Wang, L., Wang, Z., Zhang, Q., Jebbouri, A., & Wong, P. (2022a). Consumers’ intention to visit green hotels – a goal framing theory perspective. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 30(8), 1837-1857. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2021.1977937
Wang, L., Zhang, Q., & Wong, P. (2022b). Purchase intention for green cars among Chinese millennials: Merging the value–attitude–behavior theory and theory of planned behaviour. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 786292. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.786292
Waris, I., Dad, M., & Hameed, L. (2021). Promoting environmental sustainability: the influence of knowledge of eco-labels and altruism in the purchase of energy-efficient appliances. Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal, 32(5), 989-1006. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-020-00844-5
White, K., Hardisty, D. J., & Habib, R. (2019). How to SHIFT Consumer Behaviors to be More Sustainable: A Literature Review and Guiding Framework. Journal of Marketing, 83(3), 22-48. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022242919825649
Wijekoon, R., & Sabri, M. F. (2021). Determinants That Influence Green Product Purchase Intention and Behavior: A Literature Review and Guiding Framework. Sustainability, 13, 1-40. https://doi.org/ 10.3390/su13116219
Woo, E., & Kim, Y. G. (2019). Consumer attitudes and buying behavior for green food products: From the aspect of green perceived value (GPV). British Food Journal, 121(2), 320-332. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-01-2018-0027
Xu, W., Du, J., Khan, M., & Jin, S. (2022). Effects of Subjective Norms and Environmental Mechanism on Green Purchase Behavior: An Extended Model of Theory of Planned Behavior. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 10, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2022.779629
Yadav, R., & Pathak, G. S. (2017). Determinants of Consumers' Green Purchase Behavior in a Developing Nation: Applying and Extending the Theory of Planned Behavior. Ecological Economics, 134, 114-122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2016.12.019
Youth Progress Index. (2021). Towards greater impact for our youth. https://www.socialprogress.org/static/ebd8cf65080c9100450f78e5754a7617/Youth_Progress_Index_2021_0.pdf
Zhang, X., & Dong, F. (2020). Why Do Consumers Make Green Purchase Decisions? Insights from a Systematic Review. International Journal of. Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(18), 6607. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17186607
Zhao, F., Zhang, Y., Alharthi, M., & Zafar, M. (2021). Environmental sustainability in developing countries: Understanding the criticality of financial inclusion and globalization. Sustainable Development, 30(6), 1823-1837. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.2350
Zhuang, W., Luo, X., & Riaz, M. U. (2021). On the Factors Influencing Green Purchase Intention: A Meta-Analysis Approach. Frontier of. Psychology, 12, 644020. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.644020
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2023 Economics and Environment