Dr Belinda Senooane*
Department of Marketing and Retail Management
University of South Africa
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9884-8522
esenoobc@unisa.ac.za
Professor J. A. Wiid
Department of Marketing and Retail Management
University of South Africa
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2195-532X
Professor N. Dilotsotlhe
Department of Marketing and Retail Management
University of South Africa
https://orcid.org/000-0002-9884-8522
Vol 21 | Issue 1 | 31-47
*Corresponding author
Abstract
Consumer concerns about the natural environment have increased tremendously due to rising environmental challenges. However, globalisation – with its increase in the production and consumption of commodities – has increased participation in global consumer culture, adversely affecting the environment. Consequently, research on the consumption–sustainability nexus has grown exponentially in an effort to understand how individuals can consume responsibly in a resource-constrained world. In light of these sustainability concerns, this study empirically investigated how cultural identity factors, such as cosmopolitanism, ethnocentrism and materialism, influence environmental ethics and predict green purchase intention. Using a survey-based approach, they proposed a model validated with data from 548 respondents using structural equation modelling. Results indicated that all hree variables had a significant positive effect on environmental ethics, although the effect of ethnocentrism was negligible. Unexpectedly, materialism also had a significant impact on environmental ethics. The results also revealed that environmental ethics strongly predicts green purchase behaviour, while also mediating the relationship between cultural identity factors and green purchase intention. These findings suggest that appealing to people’s cosmopolitan and material values and enhancing their environmental ethics may increase their participation in green consumption. The study provides implications for practice and suggestions for further research.
Keywords: cosmopolitanism, ethnocentrism, materialism and environmental ethics, green buying intention
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