Relationship between the Constructs of Green Wash, Green Consumer Confusion, Green Perceived Risk and Green Trust Among Urban Consumers in India

Abstract

Increased fervour for green consumerism has resulted in the emergence of Green Marketing as an important tool in the hands of innovative marketers looking for novel ways of satisfying customers. Green Marketing approach is often used by marketers to differentiate their products from those of the competition, based on environment and sustainability related factors. However, one of the biggest downsides of Green Marketing is the emergence of the practice of ‘Greenwashing’. Often organisations claiming to be environment friendly have been found to be indulging in the unethical practice of misrepresenting facts through deceptive and exaggerated claims (Brouwer, 2016). The aim of this paper is to explore the impact of Greenwash (GW) on Green Trust (GT) through the mediating role of Green Consumer Confusion (GCC) and Green Perceived Risk (GPR) by deploying a scale developed by Chen & Chang (2012). The relationship between demographic factors and the four constructs of GW, GT, GCC and GPR is also investigated. Through the deployment of a survey research design, questionnaires were administered to 325 respondents. The results of the analysis bring forth some interesting facts, including Greenwash being negatively related to Green Trust. However, our analysis – in contrast with that of Chen and Chang’s (2012) study - did not show a very strong mediating role played by GCC and GPR. This finding is very pertinent for companies either in the business of selling green products or positioning products on a green or eco-friendly plank.