Environmental Concerns, Communal Orientation, and Environmental Self-Efficacy as Predictors of Ecologically Conscious Consumer Behaviour Among Young Adults

Abstract

The quintessential era of 21st century is well-known for rapid industrialization and growth. Expansion of industrialization has resulted in massive environmental damage leading to several environmental concerns such as global warming, pollution, non-biodegradable wastes, and frequent climatic changes. To combat the threat of environmental damage, ‘Green or eco-friendly products’ has gained enormous attention from both commodities producers and consumers. In no time, there has been an increase in demand for eco-friendly products by consumers globally. Reports have that the young population showed a vigilant interest in adapting to green marketing strategies as a part of their daily routine. However, it is crucial to understand the underlying psycho-social factors responsible for young consumers’ decision-making process while engaging in green purchase behaviour as they will be significantly contributing to nature being the proactive and highly conscious generation. Therefore, the present study aims to understand the role of environmental concerns or attitudes, communal orientation and environmental self-efficacy as the predictors of pro-environmental purchase behaviour among young adults. The cross-sectional survey study was conducted on 150 young adults between the age range of 18-34 years. Psychometric tools i.e., pro-environmental purchase behaviour scale (PPS) [1], new ecological paradigms scale (NEPS) [2], communal orientation scale (COS) [3] and environmental self-efficacy scale (ESE-20) [4] were used for data collection. Mean, standard deviation, Pearson correlation and regression analysis were computed to statistically analyse the obtained data. Findings of the study aid in gaining insight into motives and intentions related to pro-environmental behaviour engagement among young population. It will help in formulating better public and environmental interventions and policies for strengthening and safeguarding the environment and maintaining sustainability.