The Influence of High–Low Power on Green Consumption: The Moderating Effect of Impression Management Motivation

Yong Zhang,Jiayu Ao,Jiayue Deng

doi:10.3390/su11164287

Abstract

The importance of sustainable development has reached a consensus. Green consumption, as the final link of consumer behavior, can help green production activities make a real difference and achieve sustainable development. Based on the Agentic–Communal Model, this paper explores the relationship between power and green consumption through three experiments. The results showed that low-power (vs. high-power) consumers, who are more dependent on others, are likely to facilitate and encourage a communal orientation towards one’s environment. These consumers pay more attention to others and may have a preference for green consumption. Self-concern plays a mediating role in this mechanism. However, when individuals have a strong impression management motivation, the difference in their willingness toward green consumption will disappear. In other words, both lower-power and high-power consumers are more willing to purchase green products. This paper helps to deepen the understanding of the psychological mechanisms underlying green consumption and also provides practical implications for firms’ green marketing strategies.

Highlights

As academics and industry attach increasing importance to the necessity of sustainable development [1], research and practice show that green products can promote environmental sustainability
The results indicated that the interaction of power and impression management motivation was a significant independent variable of green consumption with power, impression management motivation, and power × impression management motivation as the independent variable (β = 0.18, p < 0.01)
(vs. high-power consumers) had a stronger willingness to engage in green consumption

Summary

Introduction

As academics and industry attach increasing importance to the necessity of sustainable development [1], research and practice show that green products can promote environmental sustainability. The role of green products in promoting sustainability is related to the product itself, and to marketing and consumption. Blok et al [4] proposed that only by linking green production and green consumption can we further promote sustainable development. Green consumption is often described as a kind of consumption behavior that takes the protection of the ecological environment into account during the processes of purchase, use, and disposal [5]. This behavior has the aim of minimizing the damage that an individual’s consumption has on the environment [6]

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Conclusion