With the rising challenges related to social, economic, and climatic factors, the focus toward adoption of sustainable products is rising. Increasing focus on sustainable products, has influenced the consumer shopping behavior toward greener products. The consumers’ participation showntoward sustainable products is what defines their behavior toward its purchase. Understanding of sustainable consumption in emerging markets is still unexplored which calls for further research. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from the millennials who belong to the working population of India and have awareness regarding sustainable products and its impact on the environment. The results show that there is a direct relationship between environment self-identity (ESI) and the intention to purchase a sustainable product (PI). Psychological ownership (PO) also plays a role of a partial mediator for the relationship between SI and PI. Environment Concern (EC) and social influence (Soc) are critical factors; their relationship also matters to comprehend the results concretely
AhmedT.Sullivan MortG.D’souzaC. (2015). Consumption of young xin yimin: The role of identity and tacit motives. Australasian Marketing Journal (AMJ), 23(4), 311–318.
2.
AlbayrakT.AksoyCaberM. (2013). The effect of environmental concern and scepticism on green purchase behaviour. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 31(1), 27–39. https://doi.org/10.1108/02634501311292902
3.
AsatryanV. S.OhH. (2008). Psychological ownership theory: An exploratory application in the restaurant industry. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 32(3), 363–386. https://doi.org/10.1177/1096348008317391
4.
BagozziR. P.VerbekeW. J.DietvorstR. C.BelschakF. D.van den BergW. E.RietdijkW. J. (2013). Theory of mind and empathic explanations of Machiavellianism: A neuroscience perspective. Journal of Management, 39(7), 1760–1798.
5.
BalderjahnI.PeyerM.SeegebarthB.WiedmannK. P.WeberA. (2018). The many faces of sustainability-conscious consumers: A category-independent typology. Journal of Business Research, 91, 83–93. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.05.022
BarbarossaC.BeckmannS. C.De PelsmackerP.MoonsI.GwozdzW. (2015). A self-identity based model of electric car adoption intention: A cross-cultural comparative study. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 42, 149–160. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2015.04.001
8.
BarbarossaC.De PelsmackerP. (2016). Positive and negative antecedents of purchasing eco-friendly products: A comparison between green and non-green consumers. Journal of Business Ethics, 134(2), 229–247. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-014-2425-z
9.
BelkR. W. (1988). Possessions and the extended self. Journal of Consumer Research, 15(2), 139–168.
10.
BelkR. W. (1991). The ineluctable mysteries of possessions. Journal of Social Behavior and Personality, 19(3), 17–55.
11.
BertrandiasL.Elgaaied-GambierL. (2014). Others’ environmental concern as a social determinant of green buying. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 31(6/7), 417–429. https://doi.org/10.1108/jcm-05-2014-0966
12.
BianQ.ForsytheS. (2012). Purchase intention for luxury brands: A cross cultural comparison. Journal of Business Research, 65(10), 1443–1451. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2011.10.010
13.
BoltonR. N. (2021). The convergence of sustainability and marketing: Transforming marketing to respond to a new world. Australasian Marketing Journal. April. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/18393349211005200.
BrehmJ. M.EisenhauerB. W.StedmanR. C. (2013). Environmental concern: Examining the role of place meaning and place attachment. Society & Natural Resources, 26(5), 522–538. https://doi.org/10.1080/08941920.2012.715726
16.
BuckleyM. R.CoteJ. A.ComstockS. M. (1990). Measurement errors in the behavioral Sciences: The case of personality/attitude research. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 50(3), 447–474. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013164490503001
17.
ChangT. W.ChenY. S.YehY. L.LiH. X. (2021). Sustainable consumption models for customers: Investigating the significant antecedents of green purchase behavior from the perspective of information asymmetry. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 64(9), 1668–1688. https://doi.org/10.1080/09640568.2020.1837087
18.
CharngH.-W.PiliavinJ. A.CalleroP. L. (1988). Role identity and reasoned action in the prediction of repeated behavior. Social Psychology Quarterly, 51(4), 303. https://doi.org/10.2307/2786758
19.
ChoE.GuptaS.KimY. K. (2015). Style consumption: Its drivers and role in sustainable apparel consumption. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 39(6), 661–669. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.12185
ClaytonS. D. (Ed.). (2012). The Oxford handbook of environmental and conservation psychology. Oxford University Press.
22.
CoderoniS.PeritoM. A. (2020). Sustainable consumption in the circular economy. An analysis of consumers’ purchase intentions for waste-to-value food. Journal of Cleaner Production, 252, 119870. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.119870
23.
ConnellK. Y. H.KozarJ. M. (2012). Sustainability knowledge and behaviors of apparel and textile undergraduates. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 13(4), 394–407. https://doi.org/10.1108/14676371211262335
24.
ConnerM.ArmitageC. J. (1998). Extending the theory of planned behavior: A review and avenues for further research. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 28(15), 1429–1464. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.1998.tb01685.x
25.
CookA. J.KerrG. N.MooreK. (2002). Attitudes and intentions towards purchasing GM food. Journal of Economic Psychology, 23(5), 557–572. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0167-4870(02)00117-4
26.
DholakiaU. M.BagozziR. P.PearoL. K. (2004). A social influence model of consumer participation in network-and small-group-based virtual communities. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 21(3), 241–263.
27.
DagherG. K.ItaniO. S. (2012). The influence of environmental attitude, environmental concern and social influence on green purchasing behavior. Review of Business Research, 12(2), 104–110.
28.
DasG.GuinK. K.DattaB. (2013). Impact of store personality antecedents on store personality dimensions: An empirical study of department retail brands. Global Business Review, 14(3), 471–486. https://doi.org/10.1177/0972150913496865
DermodyJ.Koenig-LewisN.ZhaoA. L.Hanmer-LloydS. (2018). Appraising the influence of pro-environmental self-identity on sustainable consumption buying and curtailment in emerging markets: Evidence from China and Poland. Journal of Business Research, 86, 333–343. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2017.09.041
31.
DeVellisR. F. (2016). Scale development theory and applications (4th ed., p. 4). SAGE Publication.
DommerS. L.SwaminathanV. (2013). Explaining the endowment effect through ownership: The role of identity, gender, and self-threat. Journal of Consumer Research, 39(5), 1034–1050. https://doi.org/10.1086/666737
34.
DosterL. (2013). Millennial teens design and redesign themselves in online social networks. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 12(4), 267–279. https://doi.org/10.1002/cb.1407
35.
FelixR.AlmaguerJ. (2019). Nourish what you own: Psychological ownership, materialism and pro-environmental behavioral intentions. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 36(1), 82–91. https://doi.org/10.1108/jcm-10-2017-2417
36.
FieldingK. S.McDonaldR.LouisW. R. (2008). Theory of planned behaviour, identity and intentions to engage in environmental activism. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 28(4), 318–326. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2008.03.003
37.
FornellC.LarckerD. F. (1981). Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. JMR, Journal of Marketing Research, 18(1), 39. https://doi.org/10.2307/3151312
38.
FuchsC.PrandelliE.SchreierM. (2010). The psychological effects of empowerment strategies on consumers’ product demand. Journal of Marketing, 74(1), 65–79. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkg.74.1.65
39.
GazzolaP.ColomboG.PezzettiR.NicolescuL. (2017). Consumer empowerment in the digital economy: Availing sustainable purchasing decisions. Sustainability, 9(5), 693. https://doi.org/10.3390/su9050693
GoldsmithE. B. (2015). Social influence and sustainable consumption. Social Influence and Sustainable Consumption.
42.
GoldsmithE. B.GoldsmithR. E. (2011). Social influence and sustainability in households. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 35(2), 117–121. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1470-6431.2010.00965.x
43.
GongX.YeZ.LiuK.WuN. (2020). The effects of live platform exterior design on sustainable impulse buying: Exploring the mechanisms of self-efficacy and psychological ownership. Sustainability, 12(6), 2406. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12062406
44.
GrønhøjA.ThøgersenJ. (2009). Like father, like son? Intergenerational transmission of values, attitudes, and behaviours in the environmental domain. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 29(4), 414–421. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2009.05.002
45.
Gürhan-CanliZ.MaheswaranD. (2000). Cultural variations in country of origin effects. JMR, Journal of Marketing Research, 37(3), 309–317. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkr.37.3.309.18778
46.
HairJ.BlackW.BabinB.AndersonR. (2010). Multivariate data analysis: A global perspective (Vol. 7). Pearson Education.
47.
HartmannP.Apaolaza-IbáñezV. (2012). Consumer attitude and purchase intention toward green energy brands: The roles of psychological benefits and environmental concern. Journal of Business Research, 65(9), 1254–1263. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2011.11.001
48.
HayesA. F. (2018). introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis, second edition: A regression-based approach. Guilford Press.
49.
HillenbrandC.MoneyK. G. (2015). Unpacking the mechanism by which psychological ownership manifests At the level of the individual : A dynamic model of identity and self. The Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 23(2), 148–165.
50.
JudgeM.Warren-MyersG.PaladinoA. (2019). Using the theory of planned behaviour to predict intentions to purchase sustainable housing. Journal of Cleaner Production, 215, 259–267. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.01.029
51.
JussilaI.TarkiainenA.SarstedtM.HairJ. F. (2015). Individual psychological ownership: Concepts, evidence, and implications for research in marketing. The Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 23(2), 121–139. https://doi.org/10.1080/10696679.2015.1002330
52.
KashimaY.PaladinoA.MargettsE. A. (2014). Environmentalist identity and environmental striving. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 38, 64–75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2013.12.014
53.
KhareA.PandeyS. (2017). Role of green self-identity and peer influence in fostering trust towards organic food retailers. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 45(9), 969–990. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijrdm-07-2016-0109
54.
KhareA.SadacharA.ManchirajuS. (2020). Investigating the role of knowledge, materialism, product availability, and involvement in predicting the organic clothing purchase behavior of consumers in the Indian market. Journal of International Consumer Marketing, 32(3), 228–242. https://doi.org/10.1080/08961530.2019.1695239
55.
KilbourneW.PickettG. (2008). How materialism affects environmental beliefs, concern, and environmentally responsible behavior. Journal of Business Research, 61(9), 885–893. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2007.09.016
56.
KimH.LeeE. J.HurW. M. (2012). The normative social influence on eco-friendly consumer behavior: The moderating effect of environmental marketing claims. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 30(1), 4–18. https://doi.org/10.1177/0887302x12440875
57.
KimJ.KangS.LeeK. H. (2020). How social capital impacts the purchase intention of sustainable fashion products. Journal of Business Research, 117, 596–603. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.10.010
58.
KirkC. P.PeckJ.SwainS. D. (2018). Property lines in the mind: Consumers’ psychological ownership and their territorial responses. Journal of Consumer Research, 45(1), 148–168. https://doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucx111
59.
KleinschaferJ.MorrisonM. (2014). Household norms and their role in reducing household electricity consumption. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 38(1), 75–81. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.12066
60.
KwonW. S.EnglisB.MannM. (2016). Are third-party green–brown ratings believed?: The role of prior brand loyalty and environmental concern. Journal of Business Research, 69(2), 815–822. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2015.07.008
61.
LeeK. (2009). Gender differences in Hong Kong adolescent consumers’ green purchasing behavior. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 26(2), 87–96. https://doi.org/10.1108/07363760910940456
62.
LegereA.KangJ. (2020). The role of self-concept in shaping sustainable consumption: A model of slow fashion. Journal of Cleaner Production, 258, 120699. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.120699
63.
LiS.QuH.WeiM. (2021). Antecedents and consequences of hotel customers’ psychological ownership. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 93, 102773. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2020.102773
64.
MatilainenA.Pohja-MykräM.LähdesmäkiM.KurkiS. (2017). “I feel it is mine!” – Psychological ownership in relation to natural resources. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 51, 31–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2017.03.002
65.
MishraS.JainS.MalhotraG. (2021). The anatomy of circular economy transition in the fashion industry. Social Responsibility Journal, 17(4), 524–542. https://doi.org/10.1108/srj-06-2019-0216
66.
MishraS.MalhotraG.ChatterjeeR.Sanatkumar ShuklaY. (2021). Impact of self-expressiveness and environmental commitment on sustainable consumption behavior: The moderating role of fashion consciousness. Journal of Strategic Marketing. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/0965254x.2021.1892162
67.
MuralidharanS.Rejón-GuardiaF.XueF. (2016). Understanding the green buying behavior of younger millennials from India and the United States: A structural equation modeling approach. Journal of International Consumer Marketing, 28(1), 54–72. https://doi.org/10.1080/08961530.2015.1056328
68.
NolanJ. M.SchultzP. W.CialdiniR. B.GoldsteinN. J.GriskeviciusV. (2008). Normative social influence is underdetected. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 34(7), 913–923. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167208316691
69.
OysermanD. (2009). Identity-based motivation: Implications for action-readiness, procedural-readiness, and consumer behavior. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 19(3), 250–260. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcps.2009.05.008
70.
OysermanD.ElmoreK.SmithG. (2012). Self, self-concept, and identity. In LearyM. R.TangneyJ. P. (Eds.), Handbook of self and identity, (2nd ed., pp. 69–104). New York, NY: Guilford Press.
71.
PatelJ. D.TrivediR. H.YagnikA. (2020). Self-identity and internal environmental locus of control: Comparing their influences on green purchase intentions in high-context versus low-context cultures. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 53, 102003. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2019.102003
PierceJ. L.KostovaT.DirksK. T. (2001). Toward a theory of psychological ownership in organizations. Academy of Management Review, 26(2), 298–310. https://doi.org/10.5465/AMR.2001.4378028
74.
PierceJ. L.KostovaT.DirksK. T. (2003). The state of psychological ownership: Integrating and extending a Century of research. Review of General Psychology, 7(1), 84–107. https://doi.org/10.1037/1089-2680.7.1.84
75.
PodsakoffP. M.MacKenzieS. B.LeeJ. Y.PodsakoffN. P. (2003). Common method biases in behavioral research: A critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(5), 879–903. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.88.5.879
76.
PomeringA. (2017). Marketing for sustainability: Extending the conceptualisation of the marketing mix to drive value for individuals and society at large. Australasian Marketing Journal (AMJ), 25(2), 157–165.
77.
PotdarB.GuthrieJ.GnothJ.GarryT. (2018). The role of psychological ownership in shoplifting prevention: An exploratory study. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 44, 253–265. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2018.07.015
78.
RashotteL. (2009). Social Influence. In RitzerG.RyanJ. M. (Eds.), The concise blackwell encyclopedia of sociology. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.
79.
RapaportP.OrbellS. (2000). Augmenting the theory of planned behaviour: Motivation to provide practical assistance and emotional support to parents. Psychology and Health, 15(3), 309–324. https://doi.org/10.1080/08870440008401995
80.
ReesW.TremmaO.ManningL. (2019). Sustainability cues on packaging: The influence of recognition on purchasing behavior. Journal of Cleaner Production, 235, 841–853. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.06.217
81.
RiseJ.SheeranP.HukkelbergS. (2010). The role of self-identity in the theory of planned behavior: A meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 40(5), 1085–1105. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.2010.00611.x
82.
Romero-CanyasR.HiltnerS. (2020). Scaling Up and out: Psychological science in the service of promoting sustainable consumption. Journal of Social Issues, 76(1), 164–171. https://doi.org/10.1111/josi.12375
83.
SalazarH. A.OerlemansL.van Stroe-BiezenS. (2013). Social influence on sustainable consumption: Evidence from a behavioural experiment. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 37(2), 172–180. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1470-6431.2012.01110.x
84.
SchwepkerC. H.CornwellT. B. (1991). An examination of ecologically concerned consumers and their intention to purchase ecologically packaged products. Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 10(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1177/074391569101000205
85.
ScottB. A. (2009). Meeting environmental challenges: The role of human identity. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 29(4), 535–537. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2009.11.001
86.
SilvaA. R. A.BiotoA. S.EfraimP.QueirozG. C. (2017). Impact of sustainability labeling in the perception of sensory quality and purchase intention of chocolate consumers. Journal of Cleaner Production, 141, 11–21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.09.024
87.
SongS.KoE. (2017). Perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors toward sustainable fashion: Application of Q and Q-R methodologies. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 41(3), 264–273. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.12335
88.
SoronD. (2010). Sustainability, self-identity and the sociology of consumption. Sustainable Development, 18(3), 172–181. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.457
89.
SparksP.ShepherdR. (1992). Self-Identity and the theory of planned behavior: Assessing the role of identification with “green consumerism. Social Psychology Quarterly, 55(4), 388. https://doi.org/10.2307/2786955
90.
SparksP.ShepherdR.FrewerL. J. (1995). Assessing and structuring attitudes toward the use of gene technology in food production: The role of perceived ethical obligation. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 16(3), 267–285. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15324834basp1603_1
91.
StrykerS. (1987). Identity theory: Developments and extensions. In YardleyK.HonessT. (Eds.), Self and identity: Psychosocial perspectives (pp. 89–103). John Wiley & Sons.
92.
SuJ.(Tu) WatchravesringkanK.ZhouJ.GilM. (2019). Sustainable clothing: Perspectives from US and Chinese young millennials. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 47(11), 1141–1162. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJRDM-09-2017-0184
93.
Sussenbach, Sophie and Bernadette Kamleitner (2018), “Psychological Ownership as a Facilitator of Sustainable Behaviors.” In PeckJ.ShuS. B. (Eds.), Psychological Ownership and Consumer Behavior. New York: Springer, pp. 211–226.
94.
TanC. S.OoiH. Y.GohY. N. (2017). A moral extension of the theory of planned behavior to predict consumers’ purchase intention for energy-efficient household appliances in Malaysia. Energy Policy, 107, 459–471. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2017.05.027
95.
ThoitsP. A.VirshupL. K. (1997). Me’s and we’s: Forms and functions of social identities. In AshmoreR. D.JussimL. J. (Eds.), Self and identity: Fundamental issues (pp. 106–133). Oxford University Press.
96.
ThorbjørnsenH.PedersenP. E.NysveenH. (2007). “This is who I am”: Identity expressiveness and the theory of planned behavior. Psychology and Marketing, 24(9), 763–785. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.20183
97.
Toboso ChaveroS. (2017). The unsustainability of fast fashion. Datatèxtil, 36, 56–62.
van der WerffE.StegL.KeizerK. (2013). The value of environmental self-identity: The relationship between biospheric values, environmental self-identity and environmental preferences, intentions and behaviour. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 34, 55–63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2012.12.006
100.
van der WerffE.StegL.KeizerK. (2014). I am what I am, by looking past the present: The influence of biospheric values and past behavior on environmental self-identity. Environment and Behavior, 46(5), 626–657. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916512475209
101.
VarshneyaG.PandeyS. K.DasG. (2017). Impact of social influence and green consumption values on purchase intention of organic clothing: A study on collectivist developing economy. Global Business Review, 18(2), 478–492. https://doi.org/10.1177/0972150916668620
102.
VerplankenB.HollandR. W. (2002). Motivated decision making: Effects of activation and self-centrality of values on choices and behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82(3), 434–447. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.82.3.434
103.
WangL.ZhangG.ShiP.LuX.SongF. (2019). Influence of awe on green consumption: The mediating effect of psychological ownership. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 2484. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02484
104.
WhiteK.HabibR.HardistyD. J. (2019). How to SHIFT consumer behaviors to be more sustainable: A literature review and guiding framework. Journal of Marketing, 83(3), 22–49. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022242919825649
105.
WhiteK.HardistyD. J.HabibR. (2019). The elusive green consumer. Harvard Business Review, 97(4), 124–133.
WhitmarshL.O’NeillS. (2010). Green identity, green living? The role of pro-environmental self-identity in determining consistency across diverse pro-environmental behaviours. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 30(3), 305–314. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2010.01.003
108.
YangS.LiL.ZhangJ. (2018). Understanding consumers’ sustainable consumption intention at China’s double-11 online shopping festival: An extended theory of planned behavior model. Sustainability, 10(6), 1801. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10061801
109.
YeY.GawronskiB. (2016). When possessions become part of the self: Ownership and implicit self-object linking. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 64, 72–87. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2016.01.012
110.
ZhaoR.GengY.LiuY.TaoX.XueB. (2018). Consumers’ perception, purchase intention, and willingness to pay for carbon-labeled products: A case study of Chengdu in China. Journal of Cleaner Production, 171, 1664–1671. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.10.143
