How and when consumer corporate social responsibility knowledge influences green purchase behavior: A moderated-mediated model

Abstract

Due to global warming and climate change, consumers worldwide are now carefully evaluating corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices when choosing which businesses to engage with, aiming to enhance their resilience to the adverse effects of these global issues. The current study employs the theories of reasoned action and planned behavior to explore how consumer CSR knowledge (CCK) impacts green purchase behavior (GPB) and consumer environmental attitude (CEA). Additionally, it assesses the mediating influence of CEA on the connection between CCK and GPB, while also examining the moderating role of perceived consumer effectiveness (PCE) in the interactions between CCK and GPB directly and via CEA. Primary data were collected through surveys from 336 EMBA students in Bangladesh over a three-month period, spanning from 9 August to November 8, 2022. The collected data and the suggested model were analyzed and validated using Mplus. The results show that CCK significantly improves GPB and CEA. CEA partially mediates the relationship between CCK and GPB. PCE significantly moderates the relationships between CCK and CEA directly and via CEA, such that CCK positively influences CEA and GPB when PCE is high only. Lastly, the current study documented theoretical and practical implications and concluded that CCK encourages consumers to adopt environmentally friendly attitudes, which in turn motivates them to exercise green behaviors such as GPB.