Abstract
Air pollution in China has been drawing considerable attention in recent years. The emergence of new energy vehicles (NEVs) provides hope to reduce air pollutant emission. However, consumers' recognition and acceptance of NEVs remain at the early stage. This research aims to explore how consumers' environmental concern influences their NEV purchase intention. Specifically, this research conducted an online survey and an experiment to address the following issues: (1) how consumers' psychological distance (PD) toward air pollution influences their purchase intention for NEVs, and does their risk perception of the consequences of air pollution mediate this influence; (2) whether consumers' perceived price level of NEVs plays a moderating role in the relationship between risk perception and purchase intention; and (3) whether the construal level of stimulus can be manipulated to influence consumers' PD toward air pollution to increase their purchase intention for NEVs. The results of study 1, based on a total of 293 valid samples, show that consumers' PD toward air pollution significantly affects their purchase intention for NEVs, and risk perception of the consequences of air pollution plays a considerable mediating role. Meanwhile, consumers' perceived price level of NEVs has a significant negative moderating effect on the relationship between risk perception and purchase intention. The results of study 2, based on an online experiment, show that the construal level of stimulus can influence consumers' PD toward air pollution, which in turn affects their purchase intention for NEVs. The findings of this research have implications for businesses' promotional strategies and governments' policies. For instance, low-construal-level promotional materials can be developed to arouse consumers' environmental concern, thereby facilitating their eco-friendly consumption behavior. Governmental financial assistance and other policies can also increase consumers' willingness to purchase NEVs.
Highlights
Private vehicles in China have been increasing yearly along with the economic growth and the improvement of people’s living standards
Based on the psychological distance (PD) theory, this study explores the relationship between consumers’ PD toward air pollution and their purchase intention for new energy vehicles (NEVs) and verifies the mediating role of risk perception and the moderating role of perceived price level
Perceived price level moderates the relationship between risk perception of the consequences of air pollution and NEV purchase intention (β = −0.028, p < 0.05)
Summary
Private vehicles in China have been increasing yearly along with the economic growth and the improvement of people’s living standards. Few studies have considered the relationship among construal level, PD toward air pollution, and the purchase intention for NEVs. Risk perception can explain people’s psychology and behavior. Based on the PD theory, this study explores the relationship between consumers’ PD toward air pollution and their purchase intention for NEVs and verifies the mediating role of risk perception and the moderating role of perceived price level. (2) Whether perceived price level plays a moderating role in the relationship between risk perception of the consequences of air pollution and purchase intention; and (3) Whether the construal level of stimulus can be manipulated to influence consumers’ PD toward air pollution, thereby affecting consumers’ purchase intention for NEVs. This research implemented two studies to address the abovementioned questions. In the section Conclusion, the limitations of this research and our future work are disclosed
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