Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities
Pertanika Journal Home Facebook
Pertanika · Universiti Putra Malaysia Press

Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities

Official journal of Universiti Putra Malaysia for scholarly work across the social sciences, humanities and related interdisciplinary fields.

e-ISSN 2231-8534 ISSN 0128-7702
Research article

Green Consumption: Behavior of Young Indonesian Consumers ― Role of Environmental Knowledge, Responsibility, and Attitudes

Megawati Simanjuntak and Ismaul Fitri

https://doi.org/10.47836/pjssh.32.3.16
KeywordsEnvironmental attitudes, knowledge, responsibility, green consumption behavior
Article content

Abstract

Younger consumers are important in addressing environmental problems caused by consumption activities. It is mediated through green behavior, which is influenced by Internal factors. Thus, this study examines how young Indonesian consumers’ environmental attitudes, knowledge, and responsibility relate to their green consumption habits. Using the voluntary sampling approach, 328 respondents were chosen, and data were examined using SEM and descriptive analysis. The findings demonstrated that views about the environment and green consumer behavior were significantly influenced by environmental knowledge. A person’s attitude greatly influences their green consumption habits. These findings support the cognitive-affective-behavioral (CAB) hypothesis, which can be applied to similar study subjects or topics. An important factor influencing perceptions is environmental responsibility. It follows the Norm Activation Theory (NAM). In contrast to green consumption behavior, the effect of environmental responsibility was not significant. It is not in line with the NAM, so it is recommended that the theory be modified or other theories be used to examine similar variables. Environmental responsibility is significantly impacted by environmental knowledge. While attitudes were in the high category, knowledge, responsibility, and green consumption behavior were in the medium category. The study suggests marketers offer and promote eco-friendly products to provide more choices to consumers. These results also provide good insights for policymakers to achieve sustainable consumption targets by considering knowledge enhancement through environmental campaigns on social media.
Supporting literature

References

  1. Al-Haziazi, M., & Muthuraman, S. (2019). Consumer environmental responsibility towards green consumption in Sultanate of Oman. Kuwait Chapter of Arabian Journal of Business and Management Review, 8(4), 24–37. https://doi.org/10.12816/0055340
  2. Andrew, & Slamet, F. (2013). The influence of environmental behavior on green purchasing behavior among young generation C in Jakarta [Paper presentation]. Proceedings of The National Seminar and Call for Papers SANCALL 2013, Surakarta, Indonesia. https://publikasiilmiah.ums.ac.id/xmlui/bitstream/handle/11617/3841/02-Andrew.pdf?sequence=1
  3. Anuar, M. M., Omar, K., & Ali, A. (2017). The influence of internal factors on consumer’s green consumption behavior. International Journal of Advanced and Applied Sciences, 4(12), 238–242. https://doi.org/10.21833/ijaas.2017.012.041
  4. Barber, N., Taylor, D. C., Strick, S., Barber, N., & Taylor, D. C. (2010). Selective marketing to environmentally concerned wine consumers : A case for location, gender, and age. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 27(1), 64–75. https://doi.org/10.1108/07363761011012967
  5. Barr, S., Gilg, A. W., & Ford, N. J. (2001). Differences between household waste reduction, reuse and recycling behaviour: A study of reported behaviours, intentions and explanatory variables. Journal of Environmental and Waste Management, 4(2), 69–82.
  6. Bengtsson, M., Alfredsson, E., Cohen, M., Lorek, S., & Schroeder, P. (2018). Transforming systems of consumption and production for achieving the sustainable development goals: Moving beyond efficiency. Sustainability Science, 13(6), 1533–1547. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-018-0582-1
  7. Berglund, C., & Matti, S. (2014). Citizen and consumer : The dual role of individuals in environmental policy. SHARP Research Programme, 15(4), 550–571. https://doi.org/10.1080/09644010600785176
  8. Brix-Asala, C., Hahn, R., & Seuring, S. (2016). Reverse logistics and informal valorisation at the base of the pyramid: A case study on sustainability synergies and trade-offs. European Management Journal, 34(4), 414–423. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2016.01.004
  9. Central Bureau of Statistics. (2020). The results of the Population Census (SP2020) in September 2020 recorded a population of 270.20 million people. https://www.bps.go.id/id/pressrelease/2021/01/21/1854/hasil-sensus-penduduk-sp2020-pada-september-2020-mencatat-jumlah-penduduk-sebesar-270-20-juta-jiwa-.html.
  10. Chekima, B., Chekima, S., Azizi, S., Syed, W., Wafa, K., Igau, O. A., Laison, S., & Jr, S. (2015). Sustainable consumption: The effects of knowledge, cultural values, environmental advertising, and demographics. International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology, 23(2). 210-220. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504509.2015.1114043
  11. Chen, Y., Chang, C.-H., & Wu, F.-S. (2012). Origins of green innovations: The differences between proactive and reactive green innovation. Management Decision, 50(3), 368–398. https://doi.org/10.1108/00251741211216197
  12. Chou, S. F., Horng, J. S., Sam Liu, C. H., & Lin, J. Y. (2020). Identifying the critical factors of customer behavior: An integration perspective of marketing strategy and components of attitudes. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 55, Article 102113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2020.102113
  13. D’Souza, C., Taghian, M., & Lamb, P. (2006). An empirical study on the influence of environmental labels on consumers. Corporate Communications, 11(2), 162–173. https://doi.org/10.1108/13563280610661697
  14. Ekasari, A. (2017). Purchase intention of reusable bags: The role of social marketing to achieve sustainable consumption. Journal of Siasat Bisnis, 21(2), 119–130. https://doi.org/10.20885/jsb.vol21.iss2.art2
  15. Fabiola, K., & Mayangsari, L. (2020). The influence of green skepticism, environmental knowledge and environmental concern on generation Z’s green purchase intentions in Indonesia. Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 5(8), 96–105. https://doi.org/10.47405/mjssh.v5i8.470
  16. Fang, W.-T., Chiang, Y.-T., Ng, E., & Lo, J. C. (2019). Using the norm activation model to predict the pro-environmental behaviors of public servants at the central and local governments in Taiwan. Sustainability (Switzerland), 11(13), Article 3712. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11133712
  17. Fielding, K. S., Mcdonald, R., & Louis, W. R. (2008). Theory of planned behaviour, identity and intentions to engage in environmental activism. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 28, 318–326. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2008.03.003
  18. Flamm, B. (2009). The impacts of environmental knowledge and attitudes on vehicle ownership and use. Transportation Research Part D, 14(4), 272–279. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2009.02.003
  19. Fraj, E., & Martinez, E. (2006). Environmental values and lifestyles as determining factors of ecological consumer behaviour: An empirical analysis. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 23(3), 133–144. https://doi.org/10.1108/07363760610663295
  20. Fryxell, G. E., & Lo, C. W. H. (2003). The influence of environmental knowledge and values on managerial behaviours on behalf of the environment: An empirical examination of managers in China. Journal of Business Ethics, 46(1), 45–69. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1024773012398
  21. Gigerenzer, G. (2020). How to explain behavior? Topics in Cognitive Science, 12(4), 1363–1381. https://doi.org/10.1111/tops.12480
  22. Gomes, S., Lopes, J. M., & Nogueira, S. (2023). Willingness to pay more for green products: A critical challenge for Gen Z. Journal of Cleaner Production, 390, Article 136092. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.136092
  23. Gram-Hanssen, K. (2010). Standby consumption in households analyzed with a practice theory approach. Journal of Industrial Ecology, 14(1), 150–165. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1530-9290.2009.00194.x
  24. Gursoy, D., Ouyang, Z., Nunkoo, R., & Wei, W. (2018). Residents’ impact perceptions of and attitudes towards tourism development: A meta-analysis. Journal of Hospitality Marketing and Management, 28(3), 306–333. https://doi.org/10.1080/19368623.2018.1516589
  25. Habibie, A. (2020). Relationship between self-efficacy and environment knowledge with responsibility environment behavior. BIOEDUSCIENCE: Jurnal Pendidikan Biologi Dan Sains, 4(1), 21–26. https://doi.org/10.29405/j.bes/4121-264805
  26. Hamiyati, Nadiroh, & Neolaka, A. (2020). Pengaruh pengetahuan pro environmental terhadap perilaku ramah lingkungan [The influence of pro-environmental knowledge on environmentally friendly behavior]. Prosiding Seminar Nasional Pascasarjana Universitas Negeri Jakarta, 1(01). https://journal.unj.ac.id/unj/index.php/semnas-ps/article/view/16636/9119
  27. Haryanto, B. (2018). The Influence of ecological knowledge and product attributes in forming attitude and intention to buy green product. International Journal of Marketing Studies, 6(2), 83-91. https://doi.org/10.5539/ijms.v6n2p83
  28. Hendrawan, D., & Zorigoo, K. (2019). Trust in website and its effect on purchase intention for young consumers on C2C e-commerce business. Jurnal Aplikasi Manajemen, 17(3), 391–399. https://doi.org/10.21776/ub.jam.2019.017.03.02
  29. Hume, M. (2010). Compassion without action: Examining the young consumers consumption and attitude to sustainable consumption. Journal of World Business, 45(4), 385–394. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwb.2009.08.007
  30. Joshi, Y., & Rahman, Z. (2015). Factors affecting green purchase behaviour and future research directions. International Strategic Management Review, 3(1–2), 128–143. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ism.2015.04.001
  31. Junaedi, D. K., & Fatmawati, I. (2016). Antecedents of purchasing green products. Journal of Business Management and Marketing, 9(1), 175–186.
  32. Juvan, E., & Dolnicar, S. (2014). The attitude-behaviour gap in sustainable tourism. Annals of Tourism Research, 48, 76–95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2014.05.012
  33. Kim, S. Y., Yeo, J., Sohn, S. H., Rha, J. Y., Choi, S., Choi, A. Y., & Shin, S. (2012). Toward a composite measure of green consumption: An exploratory study using a Korean sample. Journal of Family and Economic Issues, 33(2), 199–214. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10834-012-9318-z
  34. Kostadinova, E. (2016). Sustainable consumer behavior: Literature overview. Economic Alternatives, 2, 224–234.
  35. Law, M. M. S., Hills, P., & Hau, B. C. H. (2017). Engaging employees in sustainable development – a case study of environmental education and awareness training in Hong Kong. Business Strategy and the Environment, 26(1), 84–97. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.1903
  36. Lee, K. (2008). Opportunities for green marketing: Young consumers. Marketing Intelligence and Planning, 26(6), 573–586. https://doi.org/10.1108/02634500810902839
  37. Lee, K. (2011). The green purchase behavior of Hong Kong young consumers: The role of peer influence, local environmental involvement, and concrete environmental knowledge. Journal of International Consumer Marketing, 23(1), 21–44. https://doi.org/10.1080/08961530.2011.524575
  38. Lin, S. T., & Niu, H. J. (2018). Green consumption: Environmental knowledge, environmental consciousness, social norms, and purchasing behavior. Business Strategy and the Environment, 27(8), 1679–1688. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.2233
  39. Marmaya, N. H., Zakaria, Z., & Desa, M. N. M. (2019). Gen Y consumers’ intention to purchase halal food in Malaysia: A PLS-SEM approach. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 10(3), 1003–1014. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIMA-08-2018-0136
  40. Middlemiss, L. (2010). Reframing individual responsibility for sustainable consumption: Lessons from environmental justice and ecological citizenship. Environmental Values, 19(2), 147–167. https://doi.org/10.3197/096327110X12699420220518
  41. Milfont, T. L., & Duckitt, J. (2010). The environmental attitudes inventory: A valid and reliable measure to assess the structure of environmental attitudes. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 30(1), 80–94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2009.09.001
  42. Ministry of Environment and Forestry. (2022). National waste management information system. https://sipsn.menlhk.go.id/
  43. Mostafa, M. M. (2007). Gender differences in Egyptian consumers’ green purchase behaviour: The effects of environmental knowledge, concern and attitude. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 31(3), 220–229. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1470-6431.2006.00523.x
  44. Natakoesoemah, S., & Adiarsi, G. R. (2020). The Indonesian millenials consumer behaviour on buying eco-friendly products: The relationship between environmental knowledge and perceived consumer effectiveness. International Journal of Multicultural and Multireligious Understanding, 7(9), 292–302. http://doi.org/10.18415/ijmmu.v7i9.2047
  45. Ojiaku, O. C., Achi, B. E., & Aghara, V. O. (2018). Cognitive-affective predictors of green purchase intentions among health workers in Nigeria. Management Science Letters, 8(10), 1027–1038. https://doi.org/10.5267/j.msl.2018.8.001
  46. Onwezen, M. C., Antonides, G., & Bartels, J. (2013). The norm activation model: An exploration of the functions of anticipated pride and guilt in pro-environmental behaviour. Journal of Economic Psychology, 39, 141–153. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joep.2013.07.005
  47. Oyewole, P. (2001). Social costs of environmental justice associated with the practice of green marketing. Journal of Business Ethics, 29(3), 239–251. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1026592805470
  48. Paul, J., Modi, A., & Patel, J. (2016). Predicting green product consumption using theory of planned behavior and reasoned action. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 29, 123–134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2015.11.006
  49. Peattie, K. (2010). Green consumption: Behavior and norms. Annual Review of Environment and Resources, 35(1), 195–228. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-environ-032609-094328
  50. Polonsky, M. J., Vocino, A., Grau, S. L., Garma, R., & Ferdous, A. S. (2012). The impact of general and carbon-related environmental knowledge on attitudes and behaviour of US consumers. Journal of Marketing Management, 28(3–4), 238–263. https://doi.org/10.1080/0267257X.2012.659279
  51. Quoquab, F., Mohammad, J., & Sukari, N. N. (2019). A multiple-item scale for measuring “sustainable consumption behaviour” construct: Development and psychometric evaluation. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 31(4), 791–816. https://doi.org/10.1108/APJML-02-2018-0047
  52. Rizkalla, N., & Erhan, T. (2020). Sustainable consumption behaviour in the context of millennials in indonesia – can environmental concern, self-efficacy, guilt and subjective knowledge make a difference? Journal of Sustainable Businnes and Management Solutions in Emerging Economies, 25(3), 43–54. https://doi.org/10.7595/management.fon.2020.0001
  53. Safari, A., Salehzadeh, R., Panahi, R., & Abolghasemian, S. (2018). Multiple pathways linking environmental knowledge and awareness to employees’ green behavior. Corporate Governance (Bingley), 18(1), 81–103. https://doi.org/10.1108/CG-08-2016-0168
  54. Saleh, R. M., Anuar, M. M., Al-Swidi, A. K., & Omar, K. (2020). The effect of awareness, knowledge and cost on intention to adopt green building practices. International Journal of Environment and Sustainable Development, 19(1), 33–58. https://doi.org/10.1504/ijesd.2020.105468
  55. Sari, M. E. P. (2017). The role of society in achieving sustainable consumption patterns. Trias Politika, 1(2), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.33373/jtp.v1i2.1057
  56. Schutte, N. S., & Bhullar, N. (2017). Approaching environmental sustainability: Perceptions of self-efficacy and changeability. Journal of Psychology: Interdisciplinary and Applied, 151(3), 321–333. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223980.2017.1289144
  57. Septian, Y., Ruhimat, M., & Somantri, L. (2016). Learners’ environmentally friendly behavior of high school students in the city of Bandung. Social Science Education Journal, 16(2), 71–81. https://doi.org/10.17509/gea.v17i1.4678
  58. Seyfang, G., & Smith, A. (2007). Grassroots innovations for sustainable development: Towards A new research and policy agenda. Environmental Politics, 16(4), 584–603. https://doi.org/10.1080/09644010701419121
  59. Shamsi, M. S., & Siddiqui, Z. S. (2017). Green product and consumer behavior: An analytical study. Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 25(4), 1545-1554.
  60. Simanjuntak, M., Nafila, N. L., Yuliati, L. N., Johan, I. R., Najib, M., & Sabri, M. F. (2023). Environmental care attitudes and intention to purchase green products: Impact of environmental knowledge, word of mouth, and green marketing. Sustainability, 15(6), 5445. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15065445
  61. Siringi, R. (2012). Determinants of green consumer behavior of post graduate teachers. Journal of Business and Management, 6(3), 19–25. https://doi.org/10.9790/487X-0631925
  62. Slavoljub, J., Zivkovic, L., Sladjana, A., Dragica, G., & Zorica, P. S. (2015). To the environmental responsibility among students through developing their environmental values. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 171, 317–322. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.01.128
  63. Stone, G., Barnes, J. H., & Montgomery, C. (1995). Ecoscale: A scale for the measurement of environmentally responsible consumers. Psychology & Marketing, 12(7), 595–612. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.4220120704
  64. Straughan, R. D., & Roberts, J. A. (1999). Environmental segmentation alternatives: A look at green consumer behavior in the new millennium. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 16(6), 558–575. https://doi.org/10.1142/S0217751X15410031
  65. Sunarsih, E. (2014). Concept of household waste in environmental pollution prevention efforts. Journal of Community Health Sciences, 5(3), 162–167.
  66. Tamar, M., Wirawan, H., Arfah, T., & Putri, R. P. S. (2021). Predicting pro-environmental behaviours: The role of environmental values, attitudes and knowledge. Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal, 32(2), 328–343. https://doi.org/10.1108/MEQ-12-2019-0264
  67. Tantawi, P., & Shaughnessy, N. O. (2009). Green consciousness of consumers in a developing country: A study of Egyptian consumers. Contemporary Management Research, 5(1), 29–50. https://doi.org/10.7903/cmr.1149
  68. Taufique, K. M. R., Siwar, C., Chamhuri, N., & Sarah, F. H. (2016). Integrating general environmental knowledge and eco-label knowledge in understanding ecologically conscious consumer behavior. Procedia Economics and Finance, 37(16), 39–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2212-5671(16)30090-9
  69. Utami, K. S. (2020). Green consumers behavior: Consumer behavior in purchasing environmentally friendly products. Management, Cooperatives, and Entrepreneurship, 9(2), 208–223. https://doi.org/10.30588/jmp.v9i2.499
  70. Van der Werff, E., Steg, L., & Keizer, K. (2013). It is a moral issue: The relationship between environmental self-identity, obligation-based intrinsic motivation and pro-environmental behaviour. Global Environmental Change, 23(5), 1258–1265. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2013.07.018
  71. Vicente-molina, M. A., Fernández-sáinz, A., & Izagirre-olaizola, J. (2013). Environmental knowledge and other variables affecting pro-environmental behaviour: Comparison of university students from emerging and advanced countries. Journal of Cleaner Production, 61, 130–138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2013.05.015
  72. Wang, J., Shen, M., & Chu, M. (2021). Why is green consumption easier said than done? Exploring the green consumption attitude-intention gap in China with behavioral reasoning theory. Cleaner and Responsible Consumption, 2, Article 100015. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clrc.2021.100015
  73. Widayat, W., Praharjo, A., Putri, V. P., Andharini, S. N., & Masudin, I. (2022). Responsible consumer behavior: Driving factors of pro‐environmental behavior toward post‐consumption plastic packaging. Sustainability (Switzerland), 14(1). https://doi.org/10.3390/su14010425
  74. Yadav, R., & Pathak, G. S. (2016). Intention to purchase organic food among young consumers: Evidences from a developing nation. Appetite, 96, 122–128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2015.09.017
  75. Yuliati, L. N., & Simanjuntak, M. (2024). Digital communication innovation of food waste using the AISAS approach: Evidence from Indonesian adolescents. Sustainability, 16(2), 488. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16020488
  76. Yuliati, L. N., & Simanjuntak, M. (2024). Indonesian consumer complaint behavior: The role of information seeking, knowledge, purchase behavior, and tendency to talk. Global Business and Finance Review, 29(1), 57-71. http://doi.org/10.17549/gbfr.2024.29.1.57
  77. Zareie, B., & Navimipour, N. J. (2016). The impact of electronic environmental knowledge on the environmental behaviors of people. Computers in Human Behavior, 59, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.01.025
  78. Zuraidah, R., Hashima, H. N., Yahya, K. W., & Mohamad, S. A. (2012). Environmental conscious behaviour among male and female Malaysian consumers. OIDA International Journal of Sustainable Development, 4(8), 55–64.