The effect of environmental attitudes on the green purchasing behavior

In recent years, environmental issues and their destructive effects on human health have become important concerns. These concerns about the environment have led to the emergence of a new type of consumers who express the concerns in their purchasing decisions. The pace of change in the world in terms of population and technology has changed the consumption patterns, which has led to unsustainable consumption and environmental problems. This issue has increased the attention of people to the preservation and sustainability of the environment, which has ultimately caused changes in consumer behavior. Studies show that consumers who are aware of environmental issues play an important role in reducing environmental problems. So, marketers around the world seek to educate people and develop green consumerism. Much research has been done to identify the determinants of consumer behavior, which shows that demand for green products is growing at a remarkable rate. Therefore, it can be safely concluded that green marketers should focus on consumers because of their positive attitude towards the environment. In order to fully understand the complexities of sustainable marketing, consumers are considered as decision makers. Highly educated consumers are at the forefront of innovation and transformation in the economy, and they are a potential force for environmental protection because they have a significant awareness of the environment. In addition, such consumers can act as a positive influence on others. Therefore, this study was conducted to identify the main factors affecting the environmental approaches which affect the green shopping behavior of consumers. This research is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-survey in terms of data collection method. The statistical population consists of the students of Yazd University who were selected by the convenience sampling method. To determine the sample size, the structural equation modeling sampling formula (5q≤n≤15q) was used. According to the 16 questions in the questionnaire, a sample size of at least 80 and a maximum of 240 people were selected, and finally 233 questionnaires were collected. The data collection to gain environmental knowledge was based on the questionnaire devised by Ellen et al. (1991) and Suki (2013), the measurement of interpersonal impacts was based on the views of Bearden et al. (1989), and the measurements of the variables of green shopping behavior and environmental attitudes were based on the questionnaire of Lee (2009). Also, the questionnaire by Schwartz (1977) was used to measure altruistic variables. Structural equation modeling was done with the SPSS and Amos software programs to analyze the data and test the research hypotheses. The findings show that interpersonal relationships and altruism affect environmental attitudes but do not affect green shopping behavior. Also, interpersonal relationships do not affect green shopping behavior through the mediation of environmental attitudes, but altruism mediates environmental attitudes. It directly affects green buying behavior. The effect of environmental knowledge on environmental attitudes has been ruled out, but it has a partial effect on green purchasing behavior through the mediation of environmental attitudes. According to the research results, marketers and policymakers should seriously disseminate information on environmental issues, which can persuade buyers to purchase green products. Any advertising message to attract consumers should be based on idealism, altruism and values and help to reduce doubts about the consumption of green products. The results of the present study showed that consumers became environmentally aware and showed an altruistic and compassionate understanding of green shopping behavior. It is, however, difficult to implement knowledge transfer strategies among consumers. The present study provides key management implications and informs marketing professionals, managers and policy makers about the predictions made on green consumerism among consumers so that they can better understand the barriers to green buying behavior. This understanding may enable them to tailor their products and use marketing strategies that encourage green buying behavior. Government marketers and policymakers need to seriously disseminate information on environmental problems to drive buyers towards green products. Most importantly, it should be noted that the consumption of green products should be reasonable, cost-effective and appropriate so that consumers can have a positive attitude towards them and be encouraged to consume them. By enhancing the sense of altruism, various measures, such as holding cultural programs for people in the community, can be taken to develop green shopping behavior. By using the influence of the intellectual leaders of the society, people can be encouraged to engage in green shopping behavior. Marketing managers can also use different marketing methods such as promotions to influence different groups of buyers and create positive environmental attitude toward green consumption.