Consumer Perceptions of Green: Are We Expecting Too Much?
12 Pages Posted: 15 Aug 2011 Last revised: 18 Aug 2011
Date Written: June 14, 2011
Abstract
Green products have been available since the 1970’s, but recently there has been an influx of green products in the marketplace. These products have been met with excitement and skepticism on the part of consumers who either believe in the conservation of our planet, or feel they are being “green washed” by companies who produce these products. Our research looks at consumer intentions to purchase green products based on their experience, met expectations, the norms of their referent groups, and greater availability. These intentions based on these predictors will have an impact on the level of sales. Data collected from green consumers is analyzed using moderated regression to test our hypotheses. The results show that consumers are accepting of green products, but marketers need to be realistic in their expectations of consumers. Education by marketers concerning the uses and implications of these green products is needed to reduce skepticism and increase purchase intention.
Keywords: Green Buyer Behavior, Theory of Planned Behavior, Consumer Behavior
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