Personal cultural orientation and green purchase intention: a case of electric two-wheelers in India

Abstract

PurposeThis study aims to obtain an understanding of the impact of personal cultural orientation on potential consumers’ intention toward the purchase of high-involvement green products, specifically, electric two-wheelers in India, which is one of the largest emerging markets of the world.Design/methodology/approachA self-administered questionnaire comprising a total of 30 items was administered over a sample of 582 respondents. The structural equation modeling using partial least square was used to analyze the relative impact of different cultural dimensions on consumers’ green purchase intention. Geert Hofstede’s typology of culture was used to represent personal cultural orientation and four of the five dimensions, namely, collectivism, long-term orientation (LTO), masculinity and uncertainty avoidance were studied.FindingsFindings of the study revealed that collectivism, LTO and masculinity appear to be significant cultural dimensions that influence Indian consumers’ intention to purchase electric two-wheelers. Collectivism is the most influential dimension, followed by LTO and masculinity.Research limitations/implicationsThis study helps in expanding literature in the area of green purchase by providing insight on how consumers’ individual cultural orientation influences their purchase of eco-friendly products such as electric two-wheelers.Practical implicationsThe findings of the study offer insights, which can be useful for marketers in developing various promotional strategies, as consumers’ cultural values have significant implications for decisions with respect to the advertisement content.Originality/valueThis study illustrates the relative impact of different dimensions of national culture (measured at consumers’ personal level) on consumers’ green purchase intention. Such a study appears to be important in extending current knowledge on green purchase behavior in one of the largest emerging markets such as India.