Environmental Consciousness and Green Purchase Behaviour: A Study of Consumers Attitudes towards Eco-Friendly Home Appliances

Abstract

Today, businesses and consumers face a significant challenge in protecting and conserving the earth’s natural resources and environment. Both organizations and consumers have become increasingly conscious of environmental issues and recognize that their production and consumption decisions have a direct impact on the natural environment. Green marketing has the potential not only to transform the existing competitive practices of businesses but also to create a distinctive competitive advantage by addressing the environmental needs and expectations of customers.

In recent years, consumers have shown a growing preference for purchasing products from companies that demonstrate social and environmental responsibility. To minimize consumers’ perceived risk and strengthen their trust, companies need to provide adequate and reliable information about their products, enabling consumers to evaluate and compare the environmental performance and functionality of products offered by different companies.

The primary objective of this study is to gain a comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing consumers’ green product purchase behaviour, environmental commitment, and environmental attitude, particularly in relation to the purchase of home appliances (white goods) in Tamil Nadu, India. The study examines 11 dimensions to assess customers’ environmental attitude and buying behaviour towards green products with specific reference to home appliances. These dimensions include Environmental Attitude, Commitment towards Environment, Green Brand Image, Green Brand Satisfaction, Green Brand Trust, Green Brand Awareness, Green Brand Preference, Green Product Buying Behaviour, Personal Profile of the Respondents, and Level of Awareness towards Star Rating of Products, along with the other dimension included in the study framework.

The study has formulated five objectives and developed ten hypotheses, along with one additional hypothesis concerning the personal profiles of the respondents. The geographical scope of the study is restricted to Tier-II cities in Tamil Nadu, specifically Coimbatore, Tiruchirappalli, Salem, and Madurai, which have been selected as the population areas for the study.