Abstract
Environmental values are key factors influencing consumers’ purchase intentions and improving consumers’ willingness to buy green products is crucial for the sustainable development of ecological environments. Based on environmental values and green product trust, the present study classified environmental values into egoistic, altruistic, and biospheric values and discussed the influence mechanisms of environmental values on green product purchase intention. On this basis, the study verified the mediating role of environmental concern and the moderating role of green trust on the relationship between environmental concern and green product purchase intention. The research results revealed that (1) altruistic and biospheric values had a significant positive impact on green product purchase intention, while egoistic values had a negative impact on green product purchase intention; (2) environmental concern had a partial mediating effect on the relationship between environmental values and green product purchase intention; and (3) green trust had a positive moderating effect on the relationship between environmental concern and green product purchase intention. The present study expanded on the existing research on green product purchase intention driven by values, and the conclusions provided theoretical guidance for green marketing by enterprises and the establishment of customers’ trust in the green attributes of products.
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs11356-021-13946-y/MediaObjects/11356_2021_13946_Fig1_HTML.png)
Similar content being viewed by others
Data Availability
All data generated or analyzed in this study are included in the published article and supplementary information files.
References
Ajzen I (1988) Attitudes, personality and behavior. Dorsey Press, Chicago
Ajzen I (1991) The theory of planned behavior. Organ Behav Hum Decis Process 50:179–211. https://doi.org/10.1016/0749-5978(91)90020-T
Balderjahn I (1988) Personality variables and environmental attitudes as predictors of ecologically responsible consumption patterns. J Bus Res 17:51–56. https://doi.org/10.1016/0148-2963(88)90022-7
Baum C, Gross C (2017) Sustainability policy as if people mattered: develo** a framework for environmentally significant behavioral change. J Biomech 19:53–95
Biasutti M, Frate S (2017) A validity and reliability study of the attitudes toward sustainable development scale. Environ Educ Res 23:214–230. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2016.1146660
Bjerregaard C, Møller N (2019) The impact of EU's energy labeling policy: an econometric analysis of increased transparency in the market for cold appliances in Denmark. Energy Policy 128:891–899
Blau P (1964) Exchange and Power in Social Life. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203792643
Bonini S, Oppenheim J (2008) Cultivating the green consumer. Stanf Soc Innov Rev 6:56–61
Chekima B, Wafa S, Igau OA, Chekima S (2015) Determinant factors of consumers green purchase intention: the moderating role of environmental advertising. Asian Soc Sci 11:318
Chen Y-S (2010) The drivers of green brand equity: green brand image, green satisfaction, and green trust. J Bus Ethics 93:307–319. https://doi.org/10.1007/S10551-009-0223-9
Chen Y-S, Chang C (2013a) Towards green trust. Manag Decis 51:63–82
Chen Y-S, Chang C (2013b) Towards green trust. Manag Decis 51:63–82. https://doi.org/10.1108/00251741311291319
Choi D, Johnson KKP (2019) Influences of environmental and hedonic motivations on intention to purchase green products: an extension of the theory of planned behavior. Sustain Prod Consump 18:145–155. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.SPC.2019.02.001
Dietz T, Stern P, Guagnano GA (1998) Social structural and social psychological bases of environmental concern. Environ Behav 30:450–471. https://doi.org/10.1177/001391659803000402
Dunlap RE, Jones RE (2002) Environmental concern: Conceptual and measurement issues. J Environ Sci 3:482–524
Dunlap R, Liere KDV (1977) Land ethic or golden rule: comment on land ethic realized by Thomas A. Heberlein, JSI, 28(4), 1972. J Soc Issues 33:200–207. https://doi.org/10.1111/J.1540-4560.1977.TB01891.X
Dunlap R, Liere KDV (1978) The new environmental paradigm. J Environ Educ 40:19–28. https://doi.org/10.1080/00958964.1978.10801875
Dunlap RE, Grieneeks JK, Rokeach M (1983) Human values and pro-environmental behavior. Boulder, CO: Westview
Dunlap R, Liere KV, Mertig A, Jones RE (2000) New trends in measuring environmental attitudes: measuring endorsement of the new ecological paradigm: a revised NEP scale. J Soc Issues 56:425–442. https://doi.org/10.1111/0022-4537.00176
Durgee JF, Apos GCO, Connor, Veryzer RW (1996) Translating values into product wants. J Advert Res 36:90–101. https://doi.org/10.1007/S10818-016-9238-3
Feather N (1995) Values, valences, and choice: the influences of values on the perceived attractiveness and choice of alternatives. J Pers Soc Psychol 68:1135–1151. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.68.6.1135
Fishbein M, Ajzen I (1977) Belief, attitude, intention, and behavior: an introduction to theory and research. Contemp Sociol 6:244. https://doi.org/10.2307/2065853
Flavián C, Guinaliu M, Torres E (2005) The influence of corporate image on consumer trust: a comparative analysis in traditional versus internet banking. Internet Res 15:447–470
Ganesan S (1994) Determinants of long-term orientation in buyer-seller relationships. J Mark 58:1–19. https://doi.org/10.2307/1252265
Garbarino E, Johnson M (1999) The different roles of satisfaction, trust, and commitment in customer relationships. J Mark 63:70–87. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224299906300205
Gil MT, Jacob J (2018) The relationship between green perceived quality and green purchase intention: a three-path mediation approach using green satisfaction and green trust. Int J Bus Innov Res 15:301–319
Goh SK, Balaji M (2016) Linking green skepticism to green purchase behavior. J Clean Prod 131:629–638. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JCLEPRO.2016.04.122
Grebitus C, Steiner B, Veeman M (2014) The roles of human values and generalized trust on stated preferences when food is labeled with environmental footprints: insights from Germany. Food Policy 52:84–91
Halkos G, Matsiori S (2015) Environmental attitude, motivations and values for marine biodiversity protection. J Behav Exp Econ 69:61–70. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.SOCEC.2017.05.009
Hartmann P, Apaolaza-Ibáñez V (2012) Consumer attitude and purchase intention toward green energy brands: the roles of psychological benefits and environmental concern. J Bus Res 65:1254–1263. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JBUSRES.2011.11.001
Heberlein T (1977) Norm activation and environmental action: a rejoinder to R. E. Dunlap and K. D. Van Liere. J Soc Issues 33:207–211. https://doi.org/10.1111/J.1540-4560.1977.TB01892.X
Hedlund T (2011) The impact of values, environmental concern, and willingness to accept economic sacrifices to protect the environment on tourist’s intentions to buy ecologically sustainable tourism alternatives. J Hosp Tour Res 11:278–288. https://doi.org/10.1177/1467358411423330
Hines J, Hungerford HR, Tomera AN (1987) Analysis and synthesis of research on responsible environmental behavior: a meta-analysis. J Environ Educ 18:1–8. https://doi.org/10.1080/00958964.1987.9943482
Homer P, Kahle LR (1988) A structural equation test of the value-attitude-behavior hierarchy. J Pers Soc Psychol 54:638–646. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.54.4.638
Hong B, Lee E-J, Chu Y-J (2010) The effect of environmental values of fashion consumers on purchase satisfaction and repurchase intention of eco-friendly fashion products. Text Res J 12:431–438. https://doi.org/10.5805/KSCI.2010.12.4.431
Jones RE, Dunlap R (2010) The social bases of environmental concern: have they changed over time? Rural Sociol 57:28–47. https://doi.org/10.1111/J.1549-0831.1992.TB00455.X
Kahle LR (1980) Stimulus condition self-selection by males in the interaction of locus of control and skilŒ chance situations. J Pers Soc Psychol 38:50–56. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.38.1.50
Kim H (2005) Consumer profiles of apparel product involvement and values. J Fash Mark Manag 9:207–220
Kim Y, Choi S (2005) Antecedents of green purchase behavior: an examination of collectivism, environmental concern, and Pce. ACR North American Advances
Koenig-Lewis N, Palmer A, Dermody J, Urbye A (2014) Consumers' evaluations of ecological packaging rational and emotional approaches. J Environ Psychol 37:94–105. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JENVP.2013.11.009
Kollmuss A, Agyeman J (2002) Mind the gap: why do people act environmentally and what are the barriers to pro-environmental behavior? Environ Educ Res 8:239–260. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504620220145401
Lam A, Lau M, Cheung R (2016) Modelling the relationship among green perceived value, green trust, satisfaction, and repurchase intention of green products. Contemp Manag Res 12:47–60
Laufer WS (2003) Social Accountability and Corporate Greenwashing. J Bus Ethics 43:253–261. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022962719299
Lee Y-K (2020) The relationship between green country image, green trust, and purchase intention of Korean products: focusing on Vietnamese Gen Z consumers. Sustainability 12:5098
Leonidou LC, Coudounaris DN, Kvasova O, Christodoulides P (2015) Drivers and outcomes of green tourist attitudes and behavior: sociodemographic moderating effects. Psychol Mark 32:635–650
Luo B, Sun Y, Shen J, **a L (2020) How does green advertising skepticism on social media affect consumer intention to purchase green products. J Consum Behav 19:371–381. https://doi.org/10.1002/cb.1818
Maichum K, Parichatnon S, Peng K (2016) Application of the extended theory of planned behavior model to investigate purchase intention of green products among Thai consumers. Sustainability 8:1077. https://doi.org/10.3390/SU8101077
Mainieri T, Barnett EG, Valdero TR, Unipan JB, Oskamp S (1997) Green buying: the influence of environmental concern on consumer behavior. J Soc Psychol 137:189–204. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224549709595430
Majid E, Elahe B (2017) Investigating the impact of environmental attitude on the decision to purchase a green product with the mediating role of environmental concern and care for green products. J Mark Manag 12:297–315. https://doi.org/10.1515/MMCKS-2017-0018
Maloney M, Ward M (1973) Ecology: let's hear from the people: an objective scale for the measurement of ecological attitudes and knowledge. Am Psychol 28:583–586. https://doi.org/10.1037/H0034936
Mccarty J, Shrum LJ (2001) The influence of individualism, collectivism, and locus of control on environmental beliefs and behavior. J Public Policy Mark 20:104–193. https://doi.org/10.1509/jppm.20.1.93.17291
McMillan EE, Wright T, Beazley KF (2004) Impact of a university-level environmental studies class on students' values. J Environ Educ 35:19–27. https://doi.org/10.3200/JOEE.35.3.19-27
Mohai P, Simões S, Brechin S (2010) Environmental concerns, values and meanings in the Bei**g and Detroit metropolitan areas. Int Sociol 25:778–817. https://doi.org/10.1177/0268580910378138
Neuman K (1986) Personal values and commitment to energy conservation. Environ Behav 18:53–74. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916586181003
Nguyen N, Leclerc A, Leblanc G (2013) The mediating role of customer trust on customer loyalty. J Serv Sci Manag 2013:96–109
Nuttavuthisit K, Thøgersen J (2017) The importance of consumer trust for the emergence of a market for green products: the case of organic food. J Bus Ethics 140:323–337
Ong CH, Salleh SM, Yusoff R (2015) Brand experience, trust components, and customer loyalty: sustainable Malaysian SME Brands Study. Asian Soc Sci 11:252
Paladino A, Ng S (2013) An examination of the influences on ‘green’ mobile phone purchases among young business students: an empirical analysis. Environ Educ Res 19:118–145. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2012.687044
Park JY (2017) Is there a price premium for energy efficiency labels? Evidence from the Introduction of a Label in Korea. Energy Econ 62:240–247
Peattie KJ (2001) Towards sustainability: the third age of green marketing. J Mark Manag 2:129–146. https://doi.org/10.1362/1469347012569869
Poortinga W, Steg L, Vlek C (2004) Values, environmental concern, and environmental behavior. Environ Behav 36:70–93. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916503251466
Prakash G, Pathak P (2017) Intention to buy eco-friendly packaged products among young consumers of India: A study on develo** nation. J Clean Prod 141:385–393. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JCLEPRO.2016.09.116
Rahman I, Reynolds D (2016) Predicting green hotel behavioral intentions using a theory of environmental commitment and sacrifice for the environment. Int J Hosp Manag 52:107–116. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.IJHM.2015.09.007
Ramayah T, Lee JW, Mohamad O (2010) Green product purchase intention: some insights from a develo** country. Resour Conserv Recycl 54:1419–1427. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.RESCONREC.2010.06.007
Roberts JA, Bacon D (1997) Exploring the subtle relationships between environmental concern and ecologically conscious consumer behavior. J Bus Res 40:79–89. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0148-2963(96)00280-9
Rousseau D, Sitkin S, Burt RS, Camerer C (1998) Not so different after all: a cross-discipline view of trust. Acad Manag Rev 23:393–404. https://doi.org/10.5465/AMR.1998.926617
Schlosser A, White T, Lloyd S (2006) Converting web site visitors into buyers: how web site investment increases consumer trusting beliefs and online purchase intentions. J Mark 70:133–148. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkg.70.2.133
Schultz PW, Zelezny L (1999) Values as predictors of environmental attitudes: evidence for consistency across 14 countries. J Environ Psychol 19:255–265. https://doi.org/10.1006/JEVP.1999.0129
Schurr P, Ozanne JL (1985) Influences on exchange processes: buyers' preconceptions of a seller's trustworthiness and bargaining toughness. J Consum Res 11:939–953. https://doi.org/10.1086/209028
Schwartz S, Sagiv L (1995) Identifying culture-specifics in the content and structure of values. J Cross-Cult Psychol 26:116–192
Shim S, Eastlick MA (1998) The hierarchical influence of personal values on mall shop** attitude and behavior. J Retail 74:139–160. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-4359(99)80091-8
Silva MD, Wang P, Kuah AT (2021) Why wouldn’t green appeal drive purchase intention? Moderation effects of consumption values in the UK and China. J Bus Res 122:713–724. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.01.016
Steg L, Groot JIMD, Dreijerink L, Abrahamse W, Siero F (2011) General antecedents of personal norms, policy acceptability, and intentions: the role of values, worldviews, and environmental concern. Soc Nat Resour 24:349–367. https://doi.org/10.1080/08941920903214116
Steg L, Perlaviciute G, Werff E, Lurvink J (2014) The significance of hedonic values for environmentally relevant attitudes, preferences, and actions. Environ Behav 46:163–192. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916512454730
Stern P, Dietz TA (1994) The value basis of environmental concern. J Soc Issues 50:65–84. https://doi.org/10.1111/J.1540-4560.1994.TB02420.X
Stern P, Dietz TA, Guagnano GA (1995a) The new ecological paradigm in social-psychological context. Environ Behav 27:723–743. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916595276001
Stern P, Kalof L, Dietz TA, Guagnano GA (1995b) Values, beliefs, and proenvironmental action: attitude formation toward emergent attitude objects. J Appl Soc Psychol 25:1611–1636. https://doi.org/10.1111/J.1559-1816.1995.TB02636.X
Suki N (2016) Green product purchase intention: impact of green brands, attitude, and knowledge. Br Food J 118:2893–2910. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-06-2016-0295
Sun Y, Wang S, Gao L, Li J (2018) Unearthing the effects of personality traits on consumer s attitude and intention to buy green products. Nat Hazards 93:299–314. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-018-3301-4
Teng PK, Ow MW (2014) Consumers awareness and purchase intention towards environmental friendly food products. Dorsey Press, Chicago
Thøgersen J, Ölander F (2002) Human values and the emergence of a sustainable consumption pattern: a panel study. J Econ Psychol 23:605–630. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0167-4870(02)00120-4
Tonglet M, Phillips P, Read A (2004) Using the theory of planned behaviour to investigate the determinants of recycling behaviour: a case study from Brixworth, UK. Resour Conserv Recycl 41:191–214. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.RESCONREC.2003.11.001
Torkar G, Bogner F (2019) Environmental values and environmental concern. Environ Educ Res 25:1570–1581. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2019.1649367
Vermeir I, Verbeke W (2006) Sustainable food consumption: exploring the consumer “Attitude – Behavioral Intention” Gap. J Agric Environ Ethics 19:169–194. https://doi.org/10.1007/S10806-005-5485-3
Wei C-F, Chiang C-T, Kou T-C, Lee BC (2017) Toward sustainable livelihoods: investigating the drivers of purchase behavior for green products. Bus Strateg Environ 26:626–639. https://doi.org/10.1002/BSE.1942
Weisstein FL, Asgari M, Siew S-W (2014) Price presentation effects on green purchase intentions. J Prod Brand Manag 23:230–239. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-06-2013-0324
Werff EVD, 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. J Environ Psychol 34:55–63. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JENVP.2012.12.006
Yang Y, Zhao X (2019) Exploring the relationship of green packaging design with consumer’s green trust, and green brand attachment. Soc Behav Pers 47:1–10
Acknowledgements
We are very grateful to Professor Zhu for his valuable and constructive suggestions during my thesis work. We also thank all the authors for their invaluable contributions.
Funding
This research was funded by Anhui Provincial Philosophy and Social Science Planning General Program, grant number AHSKY 2017 D70.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
Conceptualization and formal analysis: Lifeng Yang and Guangxia Li
Methodology: Guangxia Li and Baojie Zhang
Software analysis and the writing-original draft preparation: Lifeng Yang
Validation: Lifeng Yang and **aoxuan Li
Investigation: Guangxia Li and **aoxuan Li
Writing-review and editing: Guangxia Li and Lifeng Yang
Supervision: Lifeng Yang
Project administration and funding acquisition: Lifeng Yang
All authors have read and agreed on the final version of the manuscript.
Corresponding authors
Ethics declarations
Ethics approval and consent to participate
Not applicable.
Consent for publication
Not applicable.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no competing interests.
Additional information
Responsible Editor: Nicholas Apergis
Publisher’s note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Supplementary Information
ESM 1
(XLSX 107 kb)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Li, G., Yang, L., Zhang, B. et al. How do environmental values impact green product purchase intention? The moderating role of green trust. Environ Sci Pollut Res 28, 46020–46034 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-13946-y
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-13946-y