Antecedents of green computer purchase behavior among Malaysian consumers from the perspective of rational choice and moral norm factors

Abstract

Prior studies of pro-environmental behavior investigated its antecedents from the perspective of either rational choices or moral norms. However, as highlighted by many researchers, green purchase behavior associated with high-cost products such as green computers can be influenced by both perspectives. Thus, this study aims to predict the influence of the theory of planned behavior's (TPB) rational choice factors and the value-belief-norm (VBN) theory's moral norm factors on the green computer purchase behavior (GCPB) of consumers in the Malaysian context. A survey questionnaire was developed and administered to 1000 Malaysian respondents through convenience- and purposive-sampling methods. The structural equation modeling (SEM) function of the AMOS software was used to analyze the survey data and TPB factors (subjective norms), were found to be more important than the VBN factors (personal norms), in predicting GCPB. This implies that Malaysian consumers have a stronger tendency to follow social norms than fulfill moral obligations when deciding to buy green computers. Additionally, biospheric and altruistic values were drivers for the rational choice model while biospheric values drove the moral norm model. The results of this research provide recommendations to marketers, governments, environmental NGOs, educators, and manufacturers on how to communicate and engage with consumers to promote sustainable consumption through green computer purchases. The study's originality is in the development and use of a comprehensive integrated model that provides an understanding of consumer behavior when faced with moral-norm and rational-choice decisions in the purchase of a high-cost product in an emerging market context.