How green intrinsic and extrinsic motivations interact, balance and imbalance with each other to trigger green purchase intention and behavior: A polynomial regression with response surface analysis

Abstract

This research aims to examine how green extrinsic and intrinsic motivations individually and jointly affect green purchase intention and actual behavior, drawing on the integration of self-determination theory and the theory of planned behavior. Based upon a sample of 4062 consumers in Vietnam, we methodologically adopted a polynomial regression with response surface analysis to shed the light on how a higher degree of eco-friendly consumption intention and behavior is synthesized from the balance between high green extrinsic and intrinsic motivations. Conversely, a large imbalance between green extrinsic and intrinsic motivations will lower the level of environmentally friendly consumption. Additionally, this study indicates that green purchase intention is the most important predictor of green purchase behavior, and that green purchase intention significantly mediates the insolated and joint effects of green extrinsic and intrinsic motivations on eco-friendly consumption behavior.