Factors Associated with Green Purchase Behavior Among the 1990s Generation: The Roles of Environmental Knowledge, Personal Attitudes, Media Influence, and Government Support

Authors

  • Ziqi Qin SISB International Schools 498/11 Soi Rojanamin, Ramkhamhaeng 39 Pracha-Utit Road, Wangthonglang, Wangthonglang, Bangkok

Keywords:

consumer environmental knowledge, personal attitude, media influence, government support, green purchase behavior

Abstract

This study examines how environmental knowledge, personal attitude, media influence, and government support affect green purchase behavior among individuals born in the 1990s. Data were collected from 138 respondents aged 23–32 through an online survey distributed using a snowball sampling technique. Five constructs—environmental knowledge, personal attitude toward environmental products, media influence, government support, and green purchase behavior—were measured using a five-point Likert scale. Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression was applied to evaluate the relationships among variables and assess the model’s predictive power. The results show that personal attitude is the only factor with a positive and statistically significant effect on green purchase behavior (p < .001), indicating that individuals with stronger pro-environmental attitudes are more likely to engage in eco-friendly purchasing. In contrast, environmental knowledge, media influence, and government support do not significantly predict green purchasing in this sample. Personal income also demonstrates a significant positive relationship with green purchase behavior, whereas gender shows no significant effect. Overall, the study enhances understanding of the factors influencing green consumer behavior among young adults and offers practical insights for marketers and policymakers seeking to encourage sustainable purchasing practices.

References

Business News Daily. Consumer Preference Trends toward Eco-Friendly Packaging. 2022. Available online: https://www.businessnewsdaily.com (accessed on 20 May 2024).

The Economist Intelligence Unit. An Eco-wakening: Measuring Global Awareness, Engagement and Action for Nature. 2021. Available online: https://www.eiu.com (accessed on 1 June 2024).

Amoako, G.K.; Dzogbenuku, R.K.; Abubakari, A. Do green knowledge and attitude influence the youth’s green purchasing? Theory of planned behavior. Int. J. Product. Perform. Manag. 2020, 69, 1609–1626. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPPM-12-2019-0595

Deloitte. Gen Z and Millennial Survey. 2024. Available online: https://www.deloitte.com/global/en/about/press-room/deloitte-2024-gen-z-and-millennial-survey.html (accessed on 7 July 2024).

Gomes, S.; Bandeira, R.; Barbosa, J.; Damasceno, A. Willingness to pay more for green products: A critical challenge for Gen Z. J. Clean. Prod. 2023, 390, 136092. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.136092

Narula, S. A., & Desore, A. Framing green consumer behaviour research: Opportunities and challenges. Social Responsibility Journal, 2016, 12(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1108/SRJ-08-2014-0112

Chen, Y.J.; Sheu, J.B. Non-differentiated green product positioning: Roles of uncertainty and rationality. Transp. Res. E Logist. Transp. Rev. 2017, 103, 248–260. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tre.2017.05.005

Yuan, P.; Dong, X.; Xu, J.; Lin, X. How Government Regulations and Consumer Behavior Influence Manufacturers’ Product Green Degree Decision-Making: An Agent-Based Model. Wirel. Commun. Mob. Comput. 2021, 2021(1), 5582140. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/5582140

Hosein, N.; Sioufi, A.; El‐Haddad, R.; El‐Khalil, R. Determinants of Consumers’ Green Purchasing Behavior: Empirical Evi-dence from Lebanon. J. Consum. Mark. 2013, 30(3), 159–174. https://doi.org/10.1108/07363761311328971

Ottman, J.A. The New Rules of Green Marketing: Strategies, Tools, and Inspiration for Sustainable Branding; Berrett-Koehler Pub-lishers: San Francisco, CA, USA, 2011.

Ajzen, I. The theory of planned behavior. Organ. Behav. Hum. Decis. Process. 1991, 50, 179–211. https://doi.org/10.1016/0749-5978(91)90020-T

Han, H.; Hsu, L.T.; Sheu, C. Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior to green hotel choice: Testing the effect of envi-ronmentally friendly activities. Tour. Manag. 2010, 31, 325–334. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2009.03.013

Groening, C.; Sarkis, J.; Zhu, Q. Green marketing consumer-level theory review: A compendium of applied theories and further research directions. J. Clean. Prod. 2018, 172, 1848–1866. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.12.002

Nilashi, M.; Ahnai, A.; Esfahani, M.D.; Yadegaridehkordi, E.; Samad, S.; Ibrahim, O.; Sharef, N.M.; Akbari, E. Preference learning for eco-friendly hotels recommendation: A multicriteria collaborative filtering approach. J. Clean. Prod. 2019, 215, 767–783. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.01.012

Bollinger, A.S.; Smith, R.D. Managing organizational knowledge as a strategic asset. J. Knowl. Manag. 2001, 5(1), 8-18. https://doi.org/10.1108/13673270110384365

Kollmuss, A.; Agyeman, J. Mind the gap: why do people act environmentally and what are the barriers to pro-environmental behavior?. Int. J. Sustain. High. Educ. 2002, 8(3), 239–260. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504620220145401

Bamberg, S.; Möser, G. Twenty years after Hines, Hungerford, and Tomera: A new meta-analysis of psycho-social determinants of pro-environmental behaviour. J. Environ. Psychol. 2007, 27, 14–25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2006.12.002

Roberts, J.A.; Bacon, D.R. Exploring the subtle relationships between environmental concern and ecologically conscious con-sumer behaviour. J. Bus. Res. 1997, 40(1), 79–89. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0148-2963(96)00280-9

Arbuthnott, K.D. Education for sustainable development beyond attitude change. Int. J. Sustain. High. Educ. 2009, 10(2), 152-163. https://doi.org/10.1108/14676370910945954

Nguyen, T.T.H.; Yang, Z.; Nguyen, N.; Johnson, L.W.; Cao, T.K. Greenwash and green purchase intention: The mediating role of green skepticism. Sustainability 2020, 12, 1631. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12041631

Kumar, R.; Saha, R.; Sekar, P.C.; Dahiya, R. Examining the role of external factors in influencing green behaviour among young Indian consumers. Young Consum. 2019, 20, 380–398. https://doi.org/10.1108/YC-12-2018-0921

Wang, J.; He, A. Psychological attribution and policy intervention path of consumers' low-carbon consumption behavior: Based on grounded theory. Nankai Bus. Rev. 2011, 14, 90–99.

Visual Capitalist. Sustainability Trends. 2022. Available online: https://www.visualcapitalist.com (accessed on 1 May 2025).

McKinsey & Company. Meet the 2020 Consumers Driving Sustainable Consumption. 2020. Available online: https://www.mckinsey.com (accessed on 1 May 2024).

Safari, A.; Salehzadeh, R.; Panahi, R.; Abolghasemian, S. Multiple pathways linking environmental knowledge and awareness to employees’ green behavior. Corporate Governance 2018, 18(1), 81-103. https://doi.org/10.1108/CG-08-2016-0168

Rahbar, E.; Wahid, N.A. Investigation of green marketing tools’ effect on consumers’ purchase behavior. Bus. Strategy Ser. 2011, 12, 73–83. https://doi.org/10.1108/17515631111114877

Paço, A.; Shiel, C.; Alves, H. A new model for testing green consumer behavior. J. Clean. Prod. 2019, 207, 998–1006. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.10.105

Nunnally, J.C. Psychometric Theory, 2nd ed.; McGraw-Hill: New York, NY, USA, 1978.

Schmeltz, L. Consumer-oriented CSR communication: Focusing on ability or morality? Corp. Commun. 2012, 17, 29–49. https://doi.org/10.1108/13563281211196344

Downloads

Published

2026-01-30

How to Cite

Qin , Z. (2026). Factors Associated with Green Purchase Behavior Among the 1990s Generation: The Roles of Environmental Knowledge, Personal Attitudes, Media Influence, and Government Support. ICON International Journal of Management, 1(1). retrieved from https://so16.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/ICON/article/view/3277