Factors influencing green purchases: An emerging market perspective

Educators, marketers, and policymakers need to understand what factors influence the consumers' purchase of green products to encourage green product buying. Thus, this study examines the antecedents to green purchases. An online survey provides quantitative input for a SmartPLS analysis. The study draws on the theory of consumption values to investigate how emotional and social values affect green purchasing decisions. The role of knowledge-seeking in developing these values is investigated and found to be significantly positive. The relationships between emotional value, social value, and green purchase behavior are found to be mediated by environmental concerns. This study contributes to the discussion around consumption values by showing that environmental concern has a stronger relationship with green purchases than emotional and social value. It is through the environmental concern that emotional and social values influence green purchases. Our findings suggest that marketers should leverage the consumers' knowledge-seeking and environmental concern in their advertising campaigns by emphasizing a specific green product novelty and highlighting the casual connection between green buying and their effect on the environment.