The power of spirituality: Exploring the effects of environmental values on eco-socially conscious consumer behaviour
Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics
ISSN: 1355-5855
Article publication date: 18 October 2018
Issue publication date: 5 November 2018
Abstract
Purpose
In the wake of growing environmental issues, active public and corporate interventions are inevitable to reduce the negative impact of human activities on global environments. Building on the Norm Activation Model and Value-Belief-Norm Theory, the purpose of this paper is to report on research exploring consumers’ eco-socially conscious behaviours related to the choice and use of personal cars in a developing country, Pakistan.
Design/methodology/approach
To test a moderated-mediation model of environmental values, perceived consumer effectiveness (PCE), spirituality and eco-socially conscious consumer behaviours (ESCCBs), data were collected from 447 customers of three automobile manufacturing firms from eight different cities of Pakistan. The data collection was undertaken by using a self-administered questionnaire based on key themes in the literature.
Findings
Analysis of the data revealed that altruistic and egoistic values were negatively while biospheric values were positively associated with eco-ESCCB. PCE mediated all the relationships and spirituality moderated the mediated paths.
Originality/value
Although there are several models that explain purchase and use of personal cars in isolation or in conjunction with other general pro-environmental behaviours, an explanation of the eco-social aspects of purchase and use of personal cars in one theoretical model is rare to find. Second, among the many theoretical predictors and intervening factors explaining several pro-environmental behaviours, some culture-specific factors have been ignored – spirituality being one of them. This study contributes to the body of knowledge related to pro-environmental behaviours by conceptualising and testing the impact of spirituality in a moderated-mediation model.
Keywords
Citation
Saleem, M.A., Eagle, L., Yaseen, A. and Low, D. (2018), "The power of spirituality: Exploring the effects of environmental values on eco-socially conscious consumer behaviour", Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, Vol. 30 No. 4, pp. 867-888. https://doi.org/10.1108/APJML-10-2017-0259
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited