Social norms moderating the attitude-intention relationship in adopting sustainable products

Abstract

Rapid economic growth, global consumption patterns, and prevailing human practices are primary contributors to environmental degradation. This study aims to understand the moderating role played by social norms in shaping consumer attitudes and their intention to buy sustainable personal care products. Psychosocial factors related to the environment, including environmental orientation, environmental knowledge, and perceived environmental responsibility, were taken as independent variables. The research population includes urban educated consumers in the region of Delhi, the capital of India. The survey instrument was shared among 390 participants via e-mail, Google Groups, and other social networking sites. The data from 238 respondents using the convenience sampling technique were collected, and AMOS structural equation modeling (Version 23.0) was used for analysis. The results validate the role of social norms as a moderator in the association between attitude (β = 0.186, p < 0.05) and intentions (β = 0.215 at p < 0.05) to acquire sustainable personal care products. The results also indicated a positive relationship between consumer attitude and purchase intention (β = 0.301, p < 0.01). The findings suggest a positive correlation between an individual’s environmental orientation, knowledge and responsibility, and inclination toward sustainable personal care products. The study shows a significant positive impact of environmental orientation on attitude toward sustainable personal care products (β = 0.332, p < 0.01). Also, a positive association between environmental knowledge and attitude (β = 0.291, p < 0.01) and perceived environmental responsibility (β = 0.227, p < 0.05) was observed.