This report aims to examine green purchasing behaviors across consumers. Factors examined include
demographics (gender, age, educational background, household income, household size, and living area), preferences for variety, innovation, shopping habits, reasoning, time pressure, price sensitivity, desired social perceptions, and environmental knowledge, concern, and actions. An online survey was distributed over the course of one month, resulting in almost 500 respondents. These respondents spread across a wide range of demographics – both males and females of all ages, with various educational backgrounds, household sizes, incomes, and living areas.
Statistical analysis showed that consumers of all ages, gender, education, household size, and
income purchase green products. Consumers living in suburban areas were more likely to purchase green products than consumers in rural areas. Personality traits may also influence green purchasing decisions. Consumers who seek variety and innovation, as well as habitual shoppers, were more likely to purchase green products. There was no relationship between need for cognition, time pressure, or price sensitivity on green purchasing behavior. Consumers who desired to be perceived as environmentally responsible were more likely to make green purchases, but consumers who wished to not be perceived as wasteful were not more likely to make green purchases. Finally, consumers with high self-‐perceived environmental knowledge and environmental concern were not more likely to make green purchases, but consumers who engaged in other green activities were more likely to make green purchases.
Recommendations based on these findings include further research to define specific target
groups, developing new products to appeal to innovators and variety-‐seekers, while maintaining current products to appease habitual shoppers, and encouraging consumers to make green purchases rather than simply educating them about green practices.
The purpose of this report is to measure differences in green purchasing behavior across consumers who differ in various factors, such as demographics (such as gender, age, educational background, household income, household size, and living area), variety-‐seeking preference, innovativeness, shopping habits, reasoning, time pressure, price sensitivity, environmental knowledge, action, and concern, and desired social perception.
H1: Women are significantly more likely to purchase green products than men. » There will be a significant relationship between gender and green purchasing behavior.
H2: Younger consumers are more likely to purchase green products than older consumers. » There will be a significantly negative relationship between age and green purchasing behavior.
H3: Consumers with higher levels of education are more likely to purchase green products. » There will be a significantly positive relationship between educational background and green purchasing behavior.
H4: Consumers with higher income level are more likely to purchase green products. » There will be a significantly positive relationship between household income and green purchasing behavior.
H5: Consumers with smaller household sizes are more likely to purchase green products. » There will be a significantly negative relationship between household size and green purchasing behavior.
H6: Consumers in urban living areas are more likely to purchase green products than consumers in rural living areas.
» There will be a significant relationship between living area and green purchasing behavior.
H7: Consumers who display higher variety-‐seeking behavior are significantly more likely to purchase green products.
» There will be a significantly positive relationship between variety-‐seeking behavior and green purchasing behavior.
H8: Consumers with a high degree of innovative purchasing intention are more likely to purchase green products.
» There will be a positive relationship between innovativeness and green purchasing behavior.
H9: Consumers with habitual shopping behavior are less likely to purchase green products. » There will be a significantly negative relationship between habitual shopping and green purchasing behavior.
H10: Consumers with higher need for cognition are more likely to purchase green products. » There will be a significantly negative relationship between need for cognition and green purchasing behavior.
H11: Consumers who feel pressed for time are less likely to purchase green products. » There will be a significantly negative relationship between time pressure and green purchasing behavior.
H12: Consumers who display price sensitivity are less likely to purchase green products. » There will be a significantly negative relationship between price sensitivity and green purchasing behavior.
H13: Consumers with self-‐perceived environmental knowledge are more likely to purchase green products.
» There will be a significantly positive relationship between self-‐perceived environmental knowledge and green purchasing behavior.
H14: Consumers who engage in environmentally friendly activities are more likely to purchase green products.
» There will be a significantly positive relationship between environmental action and green purchasing behavior.
H15: Consumers who display environmental concern are more likely to purchase green products. » There will be a significantly positive relationship between environmental concern and green purchasing behavior.
H16: Consumers who desire to be perceived as environmentally concerned are more likely to purchase green products.
» There will be a significantly positive relationship between desire for perceived environmental concern and green purchasing behavior.
H17: Consumers who desire to not be perceived as wasteful are more likely to purchase green products.
» There will be a significantly positive relationship between desire for perceived frugality and green purchasing behavior.
H18: Consumers with high degrees of innovativeness and environmental concern are more likely to purchase green products.
» There will be a positive relationship between innovativeness and environmental concern on green purchasing behavior.
H19: Consumers in households with many members and who engage in environmentally friendly activities are more likely to purchase products in bulk or large quantities.
» There will be a significantly positive relationship between household size and environmental action on environmental purchases.
H20: Consumers who desire to be perceived as environmentally concerned and have high levels of self-‐perceived environmental knowledge are more likely to avoid purchasing products from companies that are not environmentally responsible.
» There will be a positive relationship between desire for perceived environmental concern and self-‐ perceived environmental knowledge on environmental purchasing behavior.
Market Research Tool: Project Questionnaire
Dependent Variables Q15_1 Purchase green products
I regularly purchase organic variants of a product (agree/disagree)
Q4_7
Avoid buying products from companies not environmentally responsible (frequency)
Environmental purchases
Q4_12 Environmental purchases I buy reusable rather than disposable goods (frequency) Q4_13 Environmental purchases I buy in bulk or large quantities (frequency) Q4_14 Environmental purchases I avoid buying products in aerosol containers (frequency)
Independent Variables – Demographics Q6
Gender
Gender
Q7
Age
Your age
Q9
Education
Your educational background
Q10
Household income
Your household income is in the range
Q11
Household size
Number of members in your household (including you)
Q8
Living area
Would you describe the area you live as
Independent Variables Q17_1 Variety-‐seeking
I find it boring to use the same product repetitively (agree/disagree)
Q18_1 Innovativeness
I like to try new and different products (agree/disagree)
Q19_1 Habitual shopping
I generally do my shopping in the same way (agree/disagree)
Q23_1 Need for cognition
I like to have some problems that I can solve without much thinking (agree/disagree)
Q27_1 Time-‐pressed
I usually find myself pressed for time (agree/disagree)
Q28_1 Price sensitive
It is important for me to have the best price for the product (agree/disagree)
Q29_1 Price sensitive
I compare the prices of various products before I make a choice (agree/disagree)
Q5_1
Environmental knowledge
Environmental knowledge: Novice -‐ Expert
Q5_2
Environmental knowledge
Environmental knowledge: Uninformed -‐ Informed
Q5_3
Environmental knowledge
Environmental knowledge: Know very little -‐ Know very much
Q4_1
Environmental action
I return bottles, cans/or glass containers to recycling center (frequency)
Q4_2
Environmental action
I read labels on products to see if contents are environmentally safe prior to purchase (frequency)
Q4_4
Environmental action
Recycle newspapers (frequency)
Q4_5
Environmental action
Use biodegradable plastic bags (frequency)
Q4_10 Environmental action
Contribute money to environmental groups or organizations (frequency)
Q4_11 Environmental action
Write to politicians about environmental concerns or issues (frequency)
Q20_1 Environmental concern
The environmental impact of grocery products I chose is very important to me (agree/disagree)
Q25_1 Environmental concern
If chemicals that make a product effective have harmful impact on the environment I will not use the product at all (agree/disagree)
Q30_1 Environmental concern
If chemicals that make a product effective have harmful impact on the environment I will choose a brand with harmful ingredients (agree/disagree)
Q21_1
Desire for perceived environmental concern
Being considered as environmentally responsible by other people is very important to me (agree/disagree)
Q22_1
Desire for perceived frugality
I find it very disconcerting when other people think I am wasteful in my purchase behaviors (agree/disagree)
Descriptive Statistics
N
Minimum
Maximum
Mean
Std. Dev.
Gender
144
1
4
1.62
.728
Age
144
1
4
1.72
.944
Educational Background
143
1
4
2.05
.790
Household Income
142
1
5
2.23
1.165
Household Size (including you)
116
1
4
2.05
.863
Living Area
144
1
3
1.90
.546
I find it boring to use the same product (or brand) repetitively. (agree/disagree)
484
1
5
2.62
1.155
I like to try new and different products. (agree/disagree)
485
1
5
3.70
.920
I generally do my shopping in the same way. (agree/disagree)
483
1
5
3.54
1.020
I like to have some problems that I can solve without much thinking. (agree/disagree)
476
1
5
3.41
1.023
I usually find myself pressed for time. (agree/disagree)
477
1
5
3.19
1.173
It is important for me to have the best price for the product. (agree/disagree)
477
1
5
3.81
1.080
I compare the prices of various products before I make a choice (agree/disagree)
475
1
5
3.63
1.123
Environmental knowledge: Novice -‐ Expert
28
1
7
3.57
1.476
Environmental knowledge: Uninformed -‐ Informed
30
1
7
4.17
1.577
Environmental knowledge: very little -‐ very much
27
1
7
4.15
1.512
I return bottles, cans/or glass containers to recycling center (frequency of occurrence)
471
1
5
3.25
1.468
Frequency of occurrence: I read labels on products to see if contents are environmentally safe prior to purchase (frequency of occurrence)
470
1
5
2.57
1.166
Recycle newspapers (frequency of occurrence)
471
1
5
3.36
1.416
Use biodegradable plastic bags (frequency of occurrence)
465
1
5
2.87
1.234
Contribute money to environmental groups or organizations (frequency of occurrence)
468
1
5
2.31
1.198
Write to politicians about environmental concerns or issues (frequency of occurrence)
468
1
5
1.84
1.144
The environmental impact of grocery products I chose is very important to me. (agree/disagree)
484
1
5
3.06
1.179
If chemicals that make a product effective have harmful impact on the environment I will not use the product at all. (agree/disagree)
477
1
5
3.13
4.809
If chemicals that make a product effective have harmful impact on the environment I will choose a brand that has less harmful ingredients. (agree/disagree)
476
1
5
3.33
1.129
Being considered as environmentally responsible by other people is very important to me. (agree/disagree)
483
1
5
2.99
1.084
I find it very disconcerting when other people think I am wasteful in my purchase behaviors. (agree/disagree)
477
1
5
2.90
1.045
I regularly purchase organic variants of a product just for a change. (agree/disagree)
488
1
5
2.93
1.175
Avoid buying products from companies not environmentally responsible (frequency of occurrence)
470
1
5
2.78
1.141
I buy reusable rather than disposable goods if they are priced similar to regular products (frequency of occurrence)
469
1
5
3.05
1.155
I buy in bulk or large quantities (frequency of occurrence)
489
1
5
3.17
1.104
I avoid buying products in aerosol containers (frequency of occurrence)
18
1
4
2.17
.985
I buy biodegradable, low-‐phosphate soaps or detergents if they are as effective as regular products (frequency of occurrence)
470
1
5
2.57
1.244
I use biodegradable, low-‐phosphate soaps or detergents if they are priced similar to regular products
469
1
5
2.78
1.192
I buy products made from packaged in recycled material if they are priced similar to regular products (frequency of occurrence)
468
1
5
3.14
1.172
I buy products in packages that can be refilled if they are priced similar to regular products (frequency of occurrence)
466
1
5
2.98
1.188
I buy biodegradable, low-‐phosphate soaps or detergents regardless of price (frequency of occurrence)
19
1
4
1.63
.831
I buy products made from packaged in recycled material regardless of price (frequency of occurrence)
19
1
4
1.84
.834
I buy products in packages that can be refilled regardless of price (frequency of occurrence)
19
1
3
1.79
.713
I buy reusable rather than disposable goods regardless of price (frequency of occurrence)
19
1
4
1.89
.809
I buy products made from packaged in recycled material if they are as effective as regular products (frequency of occurrence)
28
1
5
2.79
1.197
I buy biodegradable, low-‐phosphate soaps or detergents even if they are less effective than regular products (frequency of occurrence)
34
1
5
2.24
1.182
I buy products made from packaged in recycled material even if they are less effective than regular products (frequency of occurrence)
33
1
5
2.15
1.121
Eco-‐Friendly cosmetics are of better quality than or as good as regular cosmetics (agree/disagree)
37
1
5
3.24
.760
Recycles paper towels are as strong as regular paper towels (agree/disagree)
57
1
6
3.26
1.142
Valid N (listwise)
13
Hypothesis 1
Women are significantly more likely to purchase green products than men. – There will be a significant relationship between gender and green purchasing behavior.
IV: Q6: Gender DV: Q15_1: I regularly purchase organic variants of a product just for a change (agree/disagree) Group Statistics I regularly purchase organic variants of a product just for a change. (agree/disagree)
Gender
N
Mean
Std. Dev.
Std. Error Mean
Male
45
2.67
1.044
.156
Female
49
2.96
1.190
.170
Independent Samples Test Levene's Test I regularly purchase organic variants of a product just for a change. (agree/disagree)
Equal var assumed Equal var not assumed
F
Sig.
t
df
.314
.577
-‐1.262
92
-‐1.269 91.824
t-‐test for Equality of Means Sig. (2-‐ Mean Std. Error 95% Confidence tailed) Diff Diff Lower Upper .210
-‐.293
.232
-‐.753
.168
.208
-‐.293
.230
-‐.750
.165
Significance: .210
Result: An equal variances t-‐test failed to reveal a statistically reliable difference between the mean tendency to purchase organic variants for males and females. H1 is not significant at the p = 0.05 level, so there is insufficient evidence to reject the null hypothesis. This means women are not significantly more likely to purchase green products than men. Gender does not have a significant relationship with green purchasing behavior.
Hypothesis 2
Younger consumers are more likely to purchase green products than older consumers. – There will be a significantly negative relationship between age and green purchasing behavior.
IV: Q7: Your age DV: Q15_1: I regularly purchase organic variants of a product just for a change (agree/disagree) Descriptives I regularly purchase organic variants of a product just for a change. (agree/disagree)
95% Confidence Interval for Mean Lower Bound Upper Bound
N
Mean
Std. Dev.
Std. Error
25 and under
41
2.88
1.229
.192
2.49
3.27
1
5
26-‐35 years
28
2.89
1.197
.226
2.43
3.36
1
5
36-‐50 years
24
2.88
1.076
.220
2.42
3.33
1
5
50 + years
7
2.57
.787
.297
1.84
3.30
1
3
100
2.86
1.146
.115
2.63
3.09
1
5
Total
Minimum Maximum
ANOVA I regularly purchase organic variants of a product just for a change. (agree/disagree)
Sum of Squares
df
Mean Square
F
Sig.
Between Groups
.632
3
.211
.156
.925
Within Groups
129.408
96
1.348
Total
130.040
99
Significance: .925
Result: The analysis of variance did not reveal a significant relationship between age and tendency to purchase green products. H2 is not significant at the p = 0.05 level, so there is insufficient evidence to reject the null hypothesis. This means young consumers are not more likely to purchase green products. Age does not have a significant relationship with green purchasing behavior.
Hypothesis 3
Consumers with higher levels of education are more likely to purchase green products. – There will be a significantly positive relationship between education and green purchasing behavior.
IV: Q9: Your educational background DV: Q15_1: I regularly purchase organic variants of a product just for a change (agree/disagree) Descriptives I regularly purchase organic variants of a product just for a change. (agree/disagree)
95% Confidence Interval for Mean Lower Bound Upper Bound
N
Mean
Std. Dev.
Std. Error
Minimum Maximum
High School
27
2.81
1.111
.214
2.38
3.25
1
5
Undergraduate
43
2.88
1.179
.180
2.52
3.25
1
5
Graduate
25
2.92
1.115
.223
2.46
3.38
1
5
Post-‐graduate
4
2.00
.816
.408
.70
3.30
1
3
Total
99
2.84
1.131
.114
2.61
3.06
1
5
ANOVA I regularly purchase organic variants of a product just for a change. (agree/disagree)
Sum of Squares
df
Mean Square
F
Sig.
Between Groups
3.081
3
1.027
.798
.498
Within Groups
122.333
95
1.288
Total
125.414
98
Significance: .498
Result: The analysis of variance did not reveal a significant relationship between educational background and tendency to purchase green products. H3 is not significant at the p = 0.05 level, so there is insufficient evidence to reject the null hypothesis. This means consumers with higher levels of education are not more likely to purchase green products. Educational background does not have a significant relationship with green purchasing behavior.
Hypothesis 4
Consumers with higher income level are more likely to purchase green products. – There will be a significantly positive relationship between household income and green purchasing behavior.
IV: Q10: Your household income is in the range of… DV: Q15_1: I regularly purchase organic variants of a product just for a change (agree/disagree) Descriptives I regularly purchase organic variants of a product just for a change. (agree/disagree)
95% Confidence Interval for Mean Lower Bound Upper Bound
N
Mean
Std. Dev.
Std. Error
Minimum Maximum
Under $50,000
36
2.56
1.182
.197
2.16
2.96
1
5
$51,000-‐ 80,000
28
3.29
1.182
.223
2.83
3.74
1
5
$81,000-‐ 130,000
24
2.83
1.090
.223
2.37
3.29
1
5
$131,000-‐160,000
3
2.67
1.528
.882
-‐1.13
6.46
1
4
Over $161,000
7
2.86
.690
.261
2.22
3.50
2
4
Total
98
2.86
1.158
.117
2.63
3.09
1
5
ANOVA I regularly purchase organic variants of a product just for a change. (agree/disagree)
Sum of Squares
df
Mean Square
F
Sig.
Between Groups
8.540
4
2.135
1.635
.172
Within Groups
121.460
93
1.306
Total
130.000
97
Significance: .172
Result: The analysis of variance did not reveal a significant relationship between household income and tendency to purchase green products. H4 is not significant at the p = 0.05 level, so there is insufficient evidence to reject the null hypothesis. This means consumers with higher income levels are not more likely to purchase green products. Household income does not have a significant relationship with green purchasing behavior.
Hypothesis 5
Consumers with smaller household sizes are more likely to purchase green products. – There will be a significantly negative relationship between household size and green purchasing behavior.
IV: Q11: Number of members in your household (including you) DV: Q15_1: I regularly purchase organic variants of a product just for a change (agree/disagree) Descriptives I regularly purchase organic variants of a product just for a change. (agree/disagree)
95% Confidence Interval for Mean Lower Bound Upper Bound
N
Mean
Std. Dev.
Std. Error
Minimum Maximum
1-‐2 members
30
2.67
1.061
.194
2.27
3.06
1
4
3-‐4 members
33
2.97
1.159
.202
2.56
3.38
1
5
4-‐5 members
17
2.76
.970
.235
2.27
3.26
1
4
6+ members
3
2.00
1.000
.577
-‐.48
4.48
1
3
Total
83
2.78
1.083
.119
2.55
3.02
1
5
ANOVA I regularly purchase organic variants of a product just for a change. (agree/disagree)
Sum of Squares
df
Mean Square
F
Sig.
Between Groups
3.401
3
1.134
.966
.413
Within Groups
92.695
79
1.173
Total
96.096
82
Significance: .413
Result: The analysis of variance did not reveal a significant relationship between household size and tendency to purchase green products. H5 is not significant at the p = 0.05 level, so there is insufficient evidence to reject the null hypothesis. This means consumers smaller household sizes are not more likely to purchase green products. Household size does not have a significant relationship with green purchasing behavior.
Hypothesis 6
Consumers in urban living areas are more likely to purchase green products than consumers in rural living areas. – There will be a significant relationship between area and green purchasing behavior.
IV: Q8: Would you describe the area you live as DV: Q15_1: I regularly purchase organic variants of a product just for a change (agree/disagree) Descriptives I regularly purchase organic variants of a product just for a change. (agree/disagree)
N
Mean Std. Dev.
Std. Error
95% Confidence Interval for Mean Minimum Maximum Lower Bound Upper Bound
Urban
22
3.05
1.463
.312
2.40
3.69
1
5
Suburban
67
2.67
.991
.121
2.43
2.91
1
5
Rural
11
3.64
1.027
.310
2.95
4.33
2
5
Total
100
2.86
1.146
.115
2.63
3.09
1
5
ANOVA I regularly purchase organic variants of a product just for a change. (agree/disagree)
Sum of Squares
df
Mean Square
F
Sig.
Between Groups
9.764
2
4.882
3.937
.023
Within Groups
120.276
97
1.240
Total
130.040
99
Multiple Comparisons – Tukey HSD I regularly purchase organic variants of a product just for a change. (agree/disagree) (I) Living Area Urban
Mean Diff (I–J)
Std. Error
Sig.
Suburban
.374
.274
.363
-‐.28
1.03
Rural
-‐.591
.411
.326
-‐1.57
.39
Urban
-‐.374
.274
.363
-‐1.03
.28
Rural
-‐.965*
.362
.024
-‐1.83
-‐.10
Urban
.591
.411
.326
-‐.39
1.57
Suburban
.965*
.362
.024
.10
1.83
Suburban Rural
95% Confidence Interval Lower Bound Upper Bound
(J) Living Area
Significance: .023
Result: The analysis of variance revealed a significant relationship between living area and tendency to purchase green products. H6 is significant at the p = 0.05 level, so there is sufficient evidence to reject the null hypothesis. Tukey’s post hoc tests revealed that there is a difference in green purchases between consumers living in suburban and rural areas. There is insufficient evidence to suggest that there is a difference between urban and suburban or urban and rural living areas.
Hypothesis 7
Consumers who display higher variety-‐seeking behavior are significantly more likely to purchase green products. – There will be a significantly positive relationship between variety-‐seeking behavior and green purchasing behavior.
IV: Q17_1: I find it boring to use the same product (or brand) repetitively (agree/disagree) DV: Q15_1: I regularly purchase organic variants of a product just for a change (agree/disagree) Group Statistics
I find it boring to use the same product (or brand) repetitively (agree/disagree)
N
Mean
Std. Dev.
Std. Error Mean
>= 4
126
3.43
1.189
.106
< 4
357
2.76
1.118
.059
I regularly purchase organic variants of a product just for a change. (agree/disagree)
Independent Samples Test Levene's Test I regularly purchase organic variants of a product just for a change. (agree/disagree)
Equal var assumed Equal var not assumed
F
Sig.
t
df
1.639
.201
5.659
481
5.493 207.961
t-‐test for Equality of Means Sig. (2-‐ Mean Std. Error 95% Confidence tailed) Diff Diff Lower Upper .000
.667
.118
.435
.898
.000
.667
.121
.427
.906
Significance: .000
Result: An equal variances t-‐test revealed a statistically reliable difference between the mean tendency to purchase organic variants for people with high variety-‐seeking behavior and lower variety-‐seeking behavior. H7 is significant at the p = 0.05 level, so there is sufficient evidence to reject the null hypothesis. This means consumers who display higher variety-‐seeking behavior are significantly more likely to purchase green products. Variety-‐seeking behavior has a significant relationship with green purchasing behavior.
Hypothesis 8
Consumers with high degree of innovative purchasing intention are more likely to purchase green products. – There is a positive relationship between innovativeness and green purchasing behavior.
IV: Q18_1: I like to try new and different products (agree/disagree) DV: Q15_1: I regularly purchase organic variants of a product just for a change (agree/disagree) Group Statistics
I like to try new and different products (agree/disagree)
N
Mean
Std. Dev.
Std. Error Mean
>= 4
333
3.05
1.105
.061
< 4
151
2.66
1.280
.104
I regularly purchase organic variants of a product just for a change. (agree/disagree)
Independent Samples Test Levene's Test I regularly purchase organic variants of a product just for a change. (agree/disagree)
Equal var assumed Equal var not assumed
F
Sig.
t
df
11.469
.001
3.437
482
3.252 255.24
t-‐test for Equality of Means Sig. (2-‐ Mean Std. Error 95% Confidence tailed) Diff Diff Lower Upper .001
.392
.114
.168
.616
.001
.392
.120
.155
.629
Significance: .001
Result: A t-‐test revealed a statistically reliable difference between the mean tendency to purchase organic variants for people with high innovativeness and lower innovativeness. H8 is significant at the p = 0.05 level, so there is sufficient evidence to reject the null hypothesis. This means consumers with a high degree of innovative purchasing intentions are significantly more likely to purchase green products. Innovativeness has a significant relationship with green purchasing behavior.
Hypothesis 9
Consumers with habitual shopping behavior are less likely to purchase green products. – There will be a significantly negative relationship between habitual shopping and green purchasing behavior.
IV: Q19_1: I generally do my shopping in the same way (agree/disagree) DV: Q15_1: I regularly purchase organic variants of a product just for a change (agree/disagree) Group Statistics
I generally do my shopping in the same way. (agree/disagree)
N
Mean
Std. Dev.
Std. Error Mean
>= 4
321
2.84
1.115
.062
< 4
161
3.12
1.264
.100
I regularly purchase organic variants of a product just for a change. (agree/disagree)
Independent Samples Test Levene's Test I regularly purchase organic variants of a product just for a change. (agree/disagree)
Equal var assumed Equal var not assumed
F
Sig.
t
df
5.673
.018
-‐2.541
480
-‐2.437 287.35
t-‐test for Equality of Means Sig. (2-‐ Mean Std. Error 95% Confidence tailed) Diff Diff Lower Upper .011
-‐.286
.113
-‐.508
-‐.065
.015
-‐.286
.117
-‐.517
-‐.055
Significance: .015
Result: A t-‐test revealed a statistically reliable difference between the mean tendency to purchase organic variants for people with habitual shopping behavior and non-‐habitual shopping behavior. H9 is significant at the p = 0.05 level, so there is sufficient evidence to reject the null hypothesis. This means consumers with habitual shopping behavior are significantly more likely to purchase green products. Habitual shopping has a significant relationship with green purchasing behavior.
Hypothesis 10
Consumers with higher need for cognition are more likely to purchase green products. – There will be a significantly negative relationship between need for cognition and green purchasing behavior.
IV: Need for cognition [–Q23_1: I like to have problems that I can solve without much thinking] DV: Q15_1: I regularly purchase organic variants of a product just for a change (agree/disagree) Group Statistics
Need for cognition (–Q23_1)
N
Mean
Std. Dev.
Std. Error Mean
>= 3.00
211
2.92
1.198
.083
< 3.00
264
2.93
1.168
.072
I regularly purchase organic variants of a product just for a change. (agree/disagree)
Independent Samples Test Levene's Test
F I regularly purchase organic variants of a product just for a change. (agree/disagree)
Equal var assumed
.004
Equal var not assumed
Sig. .951
t -‐.114 473
df
t-‐test for Equality of Means Sig. (2-‐ Mean Std. Error 95% Confidence tailed) Diff Diff Lower Upper .910 -‐.012 .109 -‐.227 .202
-‐.113 445.053 .910
-‐.012
.109
-‐.227 .203
Significance: .910
Result: An equal variances t-‐test failed to reveal a statistically reliable difference between the mean tendency to purchase organic variants for people with high need for cognition and low need for cognition. H10 is not significant at the p = 0.05 level, so there is insufficient evidence to reject the null hypothesis. This means consumers with higher need for cognition are not more likely to purchase green products. Need for cognition has no significant relationship with green purchasing behavior.
Hypothesis 11
Consumers who feel pressed for time are less likely to purchase green products. – There will be a significantly negative relationship between time pressure and green purchasing behavior.
IV: –[Q27_1: I usually find myself pressed for time (agree/disagree)] DV: Q15_1: I regularly purchase organic variants of a product just for a change (agree/disagree) Group Statistics
Negative Recoded Q27_1
N
Mean
Std. Dev.
Std. Error Mean
>= 3.00
247
2.98
1.189
.076
< 3.00
229
2.87
1.170
.077
I regularly purchase organic variants of a product just for a change. (agree/disagree)
Independent Samples Test Levene's Test I regularly purchase organic variants of a product just for a change. (agree/disagree)
Equal var assumed Equal var not assumed
F
Sig.
t
df
.263
.609
1.061
474
1.061 472.331
t-‐test for Equality of Means Sig. (2-‐ Mean Std. Error 95% Confidence tailed) Diff Diff Lower Upper .289
.115
.108
-‐.098
.328
.289
.115
.108
-‐.098
.327
Significance: .289
Result: An equal variances t-‐test failed to reveal a statistically reliable difference between the mean tendency to purchase organic variants for people who feel pressed for time and people who do not feel pressed for time. H11 is not significant at the p = 0.05 level, so there is insufficient evidence to reject the null hypothesis. This means consumers who feel pressed for time are not less likely to purchase green products. Time pressure does not have a significant relationship with green purchasing behavior.
Hypothesis 12
Consumers who display price sensitivity are less likely to purchase green products. – There will be a significantly negative relationship between price sensitivity and green purchasing behavior.
IV: Price Sensitivity: (Q28_1 + Q29_1) ÷ 2 IVA: Q28_1: It is important for me to have the best price for the product (agree/disagree) IVB: Q29_1: I compare the prices of various products before I make a choice (agree/disagree) DV: Q15_1: I regularly purchase organic variants of a product just for a change (agree/disagree) Model Summary Change Statistics
Model
R
R Sq.
Adj. R Sq.
Std. Error
R Sq. Change
F Change
df1
df2
Sig. F Change
1
.078
.006
.004
1.179
.006
2.917
1
471
.088
ANOVA Model
Sum of Squares
df
Mean Square
F
Sig.
Residual
4.054 654.643
1 471
4.054 1.390
2.917
.088
Total
658.698
472
Regression 1
Coefficients Model (Constant)
1
Price Sensitivity
Unstandardized Coefficients B Std. Error 3.277 .210 -‐.093
.055
Standardized Coefficients Beta
t
Sig.
15.590
.000
-‐.078
-‐1.708
.088
Significance: .088
Result: Regression analysis revealed that price sensitivity is not significant. H12 is not significant at the p = 0.05 level, so there is insufficient evidence to reject the null hypothesis. This means consumers who display price sensitivity are not less likely to purchase green products. Price sensitivity does not have a significant relationship with green purchasing behavior.
Hypothesis 13
Consumers with self-‐perceived environmental knowledge are more likely to purchase green products. – There will be a significantly positive relationship between self-‐perceived environmental knowledge and green purchasing behavior.
IV: Environmental Knowledge: (Q5_1 + Q5_2 + Q5_3) ÷ 3 IVA: Q5_1: Environmental knowledge: Novice -‐ Expert IVB: Q5_2: Environmental knowledge: Uninformed -‐ Informed IVC: Q5_3: Environmental knowledge: Know very little -‐ Know very much DV: Q15_1: I regularly purchase organic variants of a product just for a change (agree/disagree) Model Summary Change Statistics
Model
R
R Sq.
Adj. R Sq.
Std. Error
R Sq. Change
F Change
df1
df2
Sig. F Change
1
.286
.082
.044
1.117
.082
2.141
1
24
.156
ANOVA Model
Sum of Squares
df
Mean Square
F
Sig.
Regression
2.672
1
2.672
Residual
29.944
24
.156
Total
32.615
25
1.248
2.141
1
Coefficients Model 1
(Constant) Environmental Knowledge
Unstandardized Coefficients B Std. Error 3.941 .830 -‐.291
.199
Standardized Coefficients Beta
t
Sig.
4.747
.000
-‐.286
-‐1.463
.156
Significance: .156
Result: Regression analysis revealed that environmental knowledge is not significant. H13 is not significant at the p = 0.05 level, so there is insufficient evidence to reject the null hypothesis. This means consumers with self-‐perceived environmental knowledge are not more likely to purchase green products. Environmental knowledge does not have a significant relationship with green purchasing behavior.
Hypothesis 14
Consumers who engage in environmentally friendly activities are more likely to purchase green products. – There will be a significantly positive relationship between environmental action and green purchasing behavior.
IV: Environmental Action: (Q4_1 + Q4_2 + Q4_4 + Q4_5 + Q4_10 + Q4_11) ÷ 6 IVA: Q4_1: Return bottles, cans/or glass containers to recycling center (frequency) IVB: Q4_2: Read labels to see if contents are environmentally safe prior to purchase (frequency) IVC: Q4_4: Recycle newspapers (frequency) IVD: Q4_5: Use biodegradable plastic bags (frequency) IVE: Q4_10: Contribute money to environmental groups or organizations (frequency) IVF: Q4_11: Write to politicians about environmental concerns or issues (frequency) DV: Q15_1: I regularly purchase organic variants of a product just for a change (agree/disagree) Model Summary Change Statistics
Model
R
R Sq.
Adj. R Sq.
Std. Error
R Sq. Change
F Change
df1
df2
Sig. F Change
1
.143
.021
.018
1.173
.021
9.563
1
455
.002
ANOVA Model
Sum of Squares
df
Mean Square
F
Sig.
Residual
13.157 626.007
1 455
13.157 1.376
9.563
.002a
Total
639.164
456
Regression 1
Coefficients Model 1
(Constant) Environmental Action
Unstandardized Coefficients B Std. Error 2.369 .187 .205
.066
Standardized Coefficients Beta
t
Sig.
12.674
.000
.143
3.092
.002
Significance: .002
Result: Regression analysis revealed that environmental action is significant and its coefficient is positive, indicating that the higher a consumer’s environmental action, the higher the tendency to purchase green products. H14 is significant at the p = 0.05 level, so there is sufficient evidence to reject the null hypothesis. This means consumers who engage in environmentally friendly activities are more likely to purchase green products. Environmental action does have a significant relationship with green purchasing behavior.
Hypothesis 15
Consumers who display environmental concern are more likely to purchase green products. – There will be a significantly positive relationship between environmental concern and green purchasing behavior.
IV: Environmental Concern: (Q20_1 + Q25_1 + Q30_1) ÷ 3 IVA: Q20_1: Environmental impact of grocery products is very important to me (agree/disagree) IVB: Q25_1: If chemicals that make a product effective have harmful impact on the environment I will not use the product at all (agree/disagree)
IVC: Q30_1: If chemicals that make a product effective have harmful impact on the environment I will choose a brand that has less harmful ingredients (agree/disagree)
DV: Q15_1: I regularly purchase organic variants of a product just for a change (agree/disagree) Model Summary Model
R
R Sq.
Adj. R Sq.
1
.018
.000
-‐.002
Change Statistics
Std. Error
R Sq. Change
F Change
df1
df2
Sig. F Change
1.181
.000
.160
1
471
.690
ANOVA Model Regression Residual Total
1
Sum of Squares
df
Mean Square
F
Sig.
.223 656.745 656.968
1 471 472
.223 1.394
.160
.690
Coefficients Model 1
(Constant) Environmental Concern
Unstandardized Coefficients B Std. Error 2.897 .108 .012
.029
Standardized Coefficients Beta
t
Sig.
26.926
.000
.018
.400
.690
Significance: .690
Result: Regression analysis revealed that environmental concern is not significant. H15 is not significant at the p = 0.05 level, so there is insufficient evidence to reject the null hypothesis. This means consumers who display environmental concern are not more likely to purchase green products. Environmental concern does not have a significant relationship with green purchasing behavior.
Hypothesis 16
Consumers who desire to be perceived as environmentally concerned are more likely to purchase green products. – There will be a significantly positive relationship between desire for perceived environmental concern and green purchasing behavior.
IV: Q21_1: Being considered environmentally responsible by others is important to me (a/d) DV: Q15_1: I regularly purchase organic variants of a product just for a change (agree/disagree) Group Statistics
Being considered as environmentally responsible by other people is very important to me (agree/disagree)
N
Mean
Std. Dev.
Std. Error Mean
>= 4
168
3.13
1.181
.091
< 4
314
2.82
1.160
.065
I regularly purchase organic variants of a product just for a change. (agree/disagree)
Independent Samples Test Levene's Test I regularly purchase organic variants of a product just for a change (agree/disagree)
Equal var assumed Equal var not assumed
F
Sig.
t
df
.723
.395
2.742
480
2.727 336.062
t-‐test for Equality of Means Sig. (2-‐ Mean Std. Error 95% Confidence tailed) Diff Diff Lower Upper .006
.306
.112
.087
.525
.007
.306
.112
.085
.527
Significance: .006
Result: An equal variance t-‐test revealed a statistically reliable difference between the mean tendency to purchase organic variants for people who desire to be perceived as environmentally concerned and people who do not desire to be perceived as environmentally concerned. H16 is significant at the p = 0.05 level, so there is sufficient evidence to reject the null hypothesis. This means consumers who desire to be perceived as environmentally concerned are more likely to purchase green products. Desire for perceived environmental concern has a significant relationship with green purchasing behavior.
Hypothesis 17
Consumers who desire to not be perceived as wasteful are more likely to purchase green products. – There will be a significantly positive relationship between desire for perceived frugality and green purchasing behavior.
IV: Q22_1: I find it disconcerting when other people think I am wasteful in my purchases (a/d) DV: Q15_1: I regularly purchase organic variants of a product just for a change (agree/disagree) Group Statistics
I find it very disconcerting when other people think I am wasteful in my purchase behaviors (agree/disagree)
N
Mean
Std. Dev.
Std. Error Mean
>= 4
143
3.08
1.172
.098
< 4
333
2.87
1.175
.064
I regularly purchase organic variants of a product just for a change. (agree/disagree)
Independent Samples Test Levene's Test I regularly purchase organic variants of a product just for a change (agree/disagree)
Equal var assumed Equal var not assumed
F
Sig.
t
df
.086
.769
1.841
474
1.843 269.545
t-‐test for Equality of Means Sig. (2-‐ Mean Std. Error 95% Confidence tailed) Diff Diff Lower Upper .066
.216
.117
-‐.015
.447
.066
.216
.117
-‐.015
.447
Significance: .066
Result: An equal variance t-‐test failed to reveal a statistically reliable difference between the mean tendency to purchase organic variants for people who desire to not be perceived as wasteful and those who do not have this desire. H17 is not significant at the p = 0.05 level, so there is insufficient evidence to reject the null hypothesis. This means consumers who desire to not be perceived as wasteful are not more likely to purchase green products. Desire to be perceived as frugal does not have a significant relationship with green purchasing behavior.
Hypothesis 18
Consumers with high degrees of innovativeness and environmental concern are more likely to purchase green products. – There will be a positive relationship between innovativeness and environmental concern on green purchasing behavior.
IV1: Q18_1: I like to try new and different products (agree/disagree) IV2: Environmental Concern: (Q20_1 + Q25_1 + Q30_1) ÷ 3 DV: Q15_1: I regularly purchase organic variants of a product just for a change (agree/disagree) Model Summary Model
R
R Sq.
Adj. R Sq.
1
.209
.044
.040
Change Statistics
Std. Error
R Sq. Change
F Change
df1
df2
Sig. F Change
1.156
.044
10.765
2
470
.000
ANOVA Model
Sum of Squares
df
Mean Square
F
Sig.
Residual
28.778 628.191
2 470
14.389 1.337
10.765
.000
Total
656.968
472
Regression 1
Coefficients Model
1
(Constant) I like to try new and different products (agree/disagree) Environmental Concern
B 1.962
Std. Error .228
Standardized Coefficients Beta
.278
.060
.214
4.622
.000
-‐.018
.029
-‐.028
-‐.611
.542
Unstandardized Coefficients
t
Sig.
8.605
.000
Significance: .000
Result: Regression analysis revealed that the model is significant and accounts for 44% of the variance in green purchases. H18 is significant at the p = 0.05 level, so there is sufficient evidence to reject the null hypothesis. This means consumers with high degrees of innovativeness and environmental concern are more likely to purchase green products. Innovativeness and environmental concern have a significant relationship with green purchasing behavior.
Hypothesis 19
Consumers in households with many members and who engage in environmentally friendly activities are more likely to purchase products in bulk or large quantities. – There will be a significantly positive relationship between household size and environmental action on environmental purchases.
IV1: Q11: Number of members in your household (including you) IV2: Environmental Action: (Q4_1 + Q4_2 + Q4_4 + Q4_5 + Q4_10 + Q4_11) ÷ 6 DV: Q4_13: I buy in bulk or large quantities (frequency of occurrence) Model Summary Model
R
R Sq.
Adj. R Sq.
1
.371
.137
.115
Change Statistics
Std. Error
R Sq. Change
F Change
df1
df2
Sig. F Change
.881
.137
6.209
2
78
.003
ANOVA Model 1
Sum of Squares
df
Mean Square
F
Sig.
Regression
9.644
2
4.822
Residual
60.578
78
.003
Total
70.222
80
.777
6.209
Coefficients Model
1
(Constant) Household Size Environmental Action
Unstandardized Coefficients B 2.161 -‐.069 .440
Std. Error .429 .116 .129
Standardized Coefficients Beta -‐.063 .361
t
Sig.
5.040 -‐.601 3.421
.000 .550 .001
Significance: .003
Result: Regression analysis revealed that the model is significant, and accounts for 14% of the variance in bulk or large quantity purchases. H19 is significant at the p = 0.05 level, so there is sufficient evidence to reject the null hypothesis. This means consumers in households with many members and who engage in environmentally friendly activities are more likely to purchase in bulk or large quantities. Household size and environmental action have a significant relationship with environmental purchases.
Hypothesis 20
Consumers who desire to be perceived as environmentally concerned and have high levels of self-‐ perceived environmental knowledge are more likely to avoid purchasing products from companies that are not environmentally responsible. – There will be a positive relationship between desire for perceived environmental concern and self-‐perceived environmental knowledge on environmental purchasing behavior.
IV1: Q21_1: Being considered environmentally responsible by others is important to me (a/d) IV2: Environmental Knowledge: (Q5_1 + Q5_2 + Q5_3) ÷ 3 DV: Q4_7: Avoid buying products from companies not environmentally responsible (frequency) Model Summary Model
R
R Sq.
Adj. R Sq.
1
.159a
.025
-‐.059
Change Statistics
Std. Error
R Sq. Change
F Change
df1
df2
Sig. F Change
.827
.025
.298
2
23
.745
ANOVA Model 1
Sum of Squares
df
Mean Square
F
Sig.
Regression
.408
2
.204
Residual
15.746
23
.745
Total
16.154
25
.685
.298
Coefficients Model
1
(Constant) Being considered as environmentally responsible by other people is very important to me (agree/disagree) Environmental Knowledge
B 2.132
Std. Error .839
Standardized Coefficients Beta
.137
.190
.149
.723
.477
-‐.030
.148
-‐.043
-‐.206
.839
Unstandardized Coefficients
t
Sig.
2.541
.018
Significance: .745
Result: Regression analysis revealed that the model is not significant, accounting for less than 3% of the variance in green purchasing behavior. H20 is not significant at the p = 0.05 level, so there is insufficient evidence to reject the null hypothesis. This means consumers who desire to be perceived as environmentally responsible and have high levels of environmental knowledge are not more likely to avoid buying products from companies that are not environmentally responsible. Desire for perceived environmental concern and self-‐perceived environmental knowledge do not have a significant relationship with green purchasing behavior.
Analysis suggests that gender, age, educational background, household income, and household size do
not have a significant relationship with green purchasing behavior. This means that consumers who make green purchases are not of a specific type. Thus, marketing of green products should not be targeted at any of these particular demographics, as no group is more likely to purchase green products than another group. Analysis of variance does indicate that consumers living in suburban areas are more likely to purchase green products than consumers in rural areas. However, there is no significant difference between green purchases of consumers living in urban or suburban, or urban and rural living areas. The result of analysis demonstrates that there is no clear demographic group that is more likely to purchase green products. Thus, more research should be conducted if specific marketing campaigns to target individual groups is desired.
Several personality traits emerged that suggest a significant relationship with green purchasing
behavior. It is important to note, however, that the results do not imply that certain personality traits cause higher intentions of green purchases, but rather suggest a relationship between the two. Variety-‐ seeking behavior had a significant relationship with green purchases, which indicates that consumers who find it boring to always use the same kinds of products purchase green products. Also, innovativeness showed a significant relationship with green purchases, which means consumers who like to buy new and different products make green purchases. Thus, marketers of green products should strive to introduce new green products, which will attract consumers seeking change and innovative products. At the same time, habitual shopping showed a significant relationship with green purchasing behavior, indicating that some consumers like to consistently purchase the same kinds of products. Therefore, marketers should ensure that they retain their old green products when introducing new products to maintain the loyalty of habitual shoppers, while also catering to the demand of innovative and variety-‐seeking consumers. Finally, price sensitivity did not have a significant relationship with green purchasing behavior, indicating that consumers who compare and look for the best prices do not purchase green products less than other consumers. Thus, pricing green products higher than similar
products does not seem to have a negative effect on consumers’ purchase intentions. This may be because consumers recognize the value of green products and decide to purchase such products regardless of the higher price. One of the most interesting findings was the relationship between environmental knowledge and concern, and environmental action. Environmental knowledge and environmental concern did not have significant relationship with green purchasing behavior. Consumers with self-‐perceived environmental knowledge and environmental concern were not more likely to purchase green products. Environmental action, however, did have a significant relationship with green purchasing behavior – consumers who engaged in environmentally friendly activities were more likely to purchase green products. These results suggest that though consumers may have knowledge of environmentally friendly practices, and even display concern for the environment, they are not more inclined to purchase green products. On the other hand, consumers who engaged in environmental activities (like recycling bottles, cans, and newspapers, reading labels to ensure products are environmentally safe, and using biodegradable bags) were more likely to make green purchases, probably because they already engage in environmentally friendly practices. Thus, a concern for the environment is not enough to increase a consumers’ proclivity for purchasing green products; rather, it is necessary to have consumers engage in other environmental practices before they will make green purchases. Marketing should therefore aim to encourage consumers to specifically purchase green products, rather than providing awareness and education about green practices and hoping environmental knowledge and concern will lead to green purchases, as results show such knowledge and concern does not lead to higher changes of tendency to make green purchasing decisions.