Identity of green consumers: Why tough guys don't buy conventional light bulbs and frail women rechargeable batteries?
Abstract
Purchase of green products is in literature typically explained by a combination of pro-environmental motivation, motivation related to protection of health (own and of close people) and barriers (represented by a higher price or worse availability of green products). However, the existence of additional barriers to consumption of green products causes that a higher social status is ascribed to green consumers and consumption of green products is considered a symbol of higher social status.
The barriers of green consumption can thus increase motivation of consumers to green consumption, which is consistent with the theory of conspicuous consumption. By means of quasi-experimental studies, in which we are manipulating perceived barriers of green consumption, we test the effect of presence of these barriers on the perceived status of the consumer.
Our results indicate that the consumption of green products is perceived as superior with respect to status compare to consumption of conventional products. A higher status value of green products is caused by higher perceives barriers to green consumption.
Our results show that when the price of green products decreases, the motivation of (status-oriented) consumers to purchase of green products also decreases.