When is going green good for company image?
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the conditions under which US consumers, known for their “green” skepticism, are more (less) likely to respond favorably to a firm's environmental initiative in today's marketplace.
Design/methodology/approach
The research paper investigates whether the general positive impact derived from the implementation of societal initiatives found by other researchers carries over when specific environmental initiatives are put into operation. The authors test hypotheses related to consumer responses to information about a firm's environmental initiative with varied salience of its public‐ and self‐serving motives. Next, they test how consumer responses are affected by the level of perceived sincerity associated with a firm's environmental initiative. The role of brand commitment is also examined across both studies.
Findings
The results reveal that consumers use a rather skeptical approach when interpreting a firm's environmental initiative and that these responses vary based on the level of brand commitment, as well as how the initiative is presented to them.
Research limitations/implications
The generalizability of results is currently limited to a particular brand with strong brand equity, large market share, and highly experiential service (Starbucks).
Practical implications
The authors provide insights into what marketers and policy makers should consider in the development of environmental initiatives, in order to increase the likelihood of positive consumer responses.
Originality/value
The present research contributes to the development (and application) of more accurate models of consumer responses to a firm's environmental initiative.
Keywords
Citation
Raska, D. and Shaw, D. (2012), "When is going green good for company image?", Management Research Review, Vol. 35 No. 3/4, pp. 326-347. https://doi.org/10.1108/01409171211210190
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2012, Emerald Group Publishing Limited