Ecolabels and the Attitude–Behavior Relationship towards Green Product Purchase: A Multiple Mediation Model

Kyriakos Riskos,Paraskevi (Evi) Dekoulou,Naoum Mylonas,George Tsourvakas

doi:10.3390/su13126867

Kyriakos Riskos, Paraskevi (Evi) Dekoulou + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/su13126867

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Abstract

Ecolabels are regarded as an exceptional marketing and advertising tool that informs contemporary consumers about the green traits of a product. They provide information that motivates consumers to exhibit a positive attitude and actual behavior towards a green product purchase. Despite the growing interest in the relationship between green attitude and the corresponding green purchase behavior, studies that investigate the influence of ecolabel features on this relationship are rather scarce. In the present study, a survey carried out in Greece with a sample of 571 participants, examined the direct and indirect effects of ecolabel credibility and ecolabel involvement on attitude and actual behavior about green product purchase. A multiple mediation model about green purchase behavior was developed. Results highlighted the crucial role of ecolabel credibility that positively influences attitude towards green product purchase as well as ecolabel involvement. Moreover, emphasis was given on the concepts of attitude towards green product purchase and ecolabel involvement that proved to be significant mediators of this model. Findings can provide useful guidance to green marketers so that they can generate effective strategies based of ecolabels and favor a positive attitude towards green product purchase that ultimately will enhance green product purchase behavior.

Highlights

The present study investigated the direct and indirect effects of ecolabel credibility and ecolabel involvement on attitude towards green product purchase and green product purchase behavior
Despite the fact that green attitudes and green purchase behavior are constantly studied in green marketing, most studies focus on the concepts of attitude towards environment (e.g., [2,15,55,135]) or attitude towards green products in general (e.g., [119,136])
We intended to focus on a less studied type of green attitude, which absolutely matches to the same concept of purchase behavior, namely attitude towards green product purchase and green product purchase behavior

Summary

Introduction

Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Society’s growing concerns about the environment have led to the emergence of a new type of consumer whose buying behavior exhibits environmental sensitivity [1]. Modern consumers seem to be increasingly concerned about the eventual negative impact of their buying decisions, which in turn affects their purchasing behavior [2]. Ecolabels can be regarded as a crucial green marketing and advertising tool that is widely used to provide consumers with knowledge about the green aspects of the product [3]. Since consumers cannot verify the characteristics of green products directly, they need to rely of ecolabels to authenticate such claims. Ecolabels boost sustainable behavior without jeopardizing consumer freedom of choice, they reduce uncertainty and information search costs, while in parallel, they make it more possible that consumers will use this information [4]

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