Equifinal causes of sustainable clothing purchase behavior: An fsQCA analysis among generation Y

Abstract

Purchase intention of sustainable clothing is investigated using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis to identify equifinal causal paths. A sample of 81 German students was drawn employing a two-stage cluster sampling approach. Environmental concerns appear to be a necessary condition for purchase intention. Segmentation according to gender revealed that for females, a pure focus on environmental concerns is sufficient for purchase intention, while the same configuration prevents this intention for males. Females emphasize price value considerations and do not wish for high visibility of their sustainable clothing, while males indicate the opposite. Further, a prestige-driven causal combination was found for the male segment, stressing social influence and visibility. The purchase intention of sustainable clothing yields interactions among causal conditions, corroborating the need for methodological diversity to gain a better understanding of the phenomenon.