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Consumers' Actual Purchase Behaviour towards Green Products in

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Article in Malaysian Journal of Consumer and Family Economics · December 2020

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 MALAYSIAN JOURNAL OF CONSUMER AND FAMILY ECONOMICS Vol 25, 2020

Consumers’ Actual Purchase Behaviour towards Green

Products in Bangladesh

Md. Sakibur Rahman1, Mst. Anjuman Ara1, Md. Abdul Alim1, Teck
Weng Jee2, Rodney Thiam Hock Lim2
1
Department of Marketing, University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh
2
School of Business, Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak
Campus, Malaysia

Abstract
Global climate change is increasing at an alarming rate worldwide, with many
developing countries reaching the limits of their ability to cope. While these
countries must adopt environmentally sustainable behaviours, problems with
awareness and purchase behaviours among the population remain
formidable challenges to overcome. Within the context of Bangladesh, this
study attempts to test consumers’ actual purchase behaviour towards green
products. Employing the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), a survey of 240
consumers, and Partial Least Squares-based Structural Equation Modelling
(PLS-SEM) analysis, it was found that consumer attitude towards the
environment, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control have a
significantly positive influence on behavioural intention, while behavioural
intention has a significantly positive influence on actual purchase behaviour.
The discussions along with the theoretical and practical implications
presented at the end of this study are helpful for policy-makers, investors, and
the related stakeholders. The conclusions, limitations, and future research
directions are also discussed.

Keywords: Actual purchase behaviour, behavioural intention, Bangladesh,

and green product.

Introduction
In the past few decades, rapid growth in the world economy,
fuelled by overconsumption and overutilization of natural resources has
led to serious degradation of the natural environment which has
manifested in the form of the present climate crisis, problems with
pollution, waste disposal, natural disasters, social inequalities, and
other humanitarian issues (Campbell-Lendrum & Prüss-Ustün, 2019;
Dermody, 2011; Schaffartzik et al., 2019; Wiedmann et al., 2020). One

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of these major issues currently at the forefront of the global green

awareness agenda has been the climate change crisis where recent
studies have gathered strong evidence of growing public awareness
about global warming (Energy Policy Institute at the University of
Chicago & The AP-NORC Centre for Public Affairs Research, 2019;
Leiserowitz, et al., 2018). In these studies, respondents have indicated
concerns about human activities that drive global warming and
expressed an increasing desire to engage with these issues. As
experts continue to highlight the severity of the matter on human
populations (Bologna & Aquino, 2020; Wiedmann et al., 2020),
policymakers in international bodies, governments, and businesses are
facing increasing pressure to respond urgently by raising awareness
and promote sustainability through green consumerism. Green
consumerism refers to consumption behaviours that promote positive
environmental effects (Sachdeva et al., 2015; Testa et al., 2020) and
involves environmentally sustainable production and consumption of
goods and services such as those that incorporate renewable and
clean energy, organic and low toxicity products, minimized wastage,
zero emissions, and so on (Connoly & Prothero, 2008).
While awareness about the importance of preserving the natural
environment has gathered much momentum in recent years, the
epicentre of this global green movement continues to be entrenched in
the more affluent countries in North America and Europe.
Correspondingly, research interest on green consumption behaviours
has also mostly focused on these more developed countries (Cho et
al., 2013; Gracia & de Magistris, 2007; Kanchanapibul et al., 2014;
Liobikiene et al., 2016; Matthes et al. 2014; Onwezen et al., 2014;
Testa et al., 2020). In comparison, there has been relatively less
research into green consumption behaviour in the context of
developing countries (Adrita, 2020; Bhatia & Jain, 2013; Cherian &
Jacob, 2012; Khare, 2015; Obayelu, 2019), including Asian countries
(Maichum et al., 2016; Mei et al., 2012).
Developing countries hold great potential for green products due
to their growing economies, large market sizes, and increasing
concerns over environmental issues. At the same time, research
findings from the more developed western settings may not apply to
other less developed settings as geographical and country-specific
factors have been found to affect social and behavioural characteristics
of environmentally conscious consumers (Arbuthnot & Lingg, 1975;
Testa et al., 2020). Therefore, building a more robust theory of green

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consumption behaviour requires more emphasis on research in diverse

contexts including developing countries. In line with this, this study
aims to add insights on green consumption behaviours in the context
of a developing country, namely Bangladesh. Using the Theory of
Planned Behaviour (TPB) as the foundation of the study, this study
investigates consumers' actual purchase behaviour towards green
products in the context of Bangladesh. The green concept was
introduced in Bangladesh in 1993 and formally recognized through the
banning of polythene bags in 2002 by the Ministry of Environment and
Forest (MoEF). The country offers several environmental awareness
campaigns and programs aimed at making her people conscious about
green products (Diamantopoulos et al., 2003).
The paper will next present a literature review followed by a
proposed framework and hypotheses development. Next, the methods
of the study along with the data analysis, results, discussions, and
implications will be presented. Finally, the paper concludes with the
limitations of the study and future research directions.

Theoretical Framework
This study utilized the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB)
(Ajzen, 1985, 1988, 1991) which is a popular behavioural model that is
used to explain and predict changes in behaviours (Ajzen 1991). It was
developed from the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA), which suggests
that a person’s intentions to perform a behaviour is a function of their
attitude toward the behaviour and subjective norms ((Fishbein & Ajzen,
1975). Since behaviour was found to not be completely voluntary and
cannot always be controlled, the concept of perceived behavioural
control was added to the TRA model to derive the TPB.
Perceived behavioural control is defined as an individual's
perception of the ease or difficulty of performing a particular behaviour
(Ajzen, 1988). How strong an attempt the individual makes to engage
in the behaviour and how much control that individual has over the
behaviour (behavioural control) are influential in whether he or she
engages in the behaviour. Thus, behavioural intention is produced from
a combination of attitude toward the behaviour, subjective norm, and
perceived behavioural control. Behavioural control is similar to self-
efficacy and depends on the individual's perception of how difficult it is
going to be to engage in the behaviour. The more favourable a person's
attitude is towards behaviour and subjective norms and the greater the

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perceived behavioural control, the stronger that person will intend to

perform the behaviour.
Furthermore, the Theory of Planned Behaviour has been used
in many previous studies to investigate purchase behaviour
(Chaudhary & Bisai, 2018; Taufique & Vaithianathan, 2018;).
Therefore, based on its broad acceptance and applicability, the Theory
of Planned Behaviour has been applied as the theoretical foundation
for this study. The current study’s theoretical framework (Figure 1)
consisting of five basic constructs, namely attitude towards the
environment, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control,
behavioural intention, and actual purchase behaviour, has been
formulated to investigate consumers’ actual purchase behaviour
towards green products. The theoretical framework shows attitude
towards the environment, subjective norms, perceived behavioural
control, and behavioural intention as the proposed exogenous
constructs that affect actual purchase behaviour.
Many previous studies have advocated that attitude towards the
environment, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control
have a significant positive effect on behavioural intention (Carfora et
al., 2019; Chaudhary & Bisai, 2018; Taufique & Vaithianathan, 2018).
However, a few other studies have also claimed that subjective norms
do not have a positive effect on behavioural intention (Chaudhary &
Bisai, 2018; Taufique & Vaithianathan, 2018). Furthermore, Carfora et
al. (2019) and Chaudhary and Bisai (2018) have also contended that
consumers’ positive behavioural intention has a significant influence on
actual purchase behaviour.

Attitude towards the

environment H1

H2 H4
Behavioural Actual purchase
Subjective norms
intention behaviour

Perceived H3
behavioural control

Figure 1 : Theoretical framework

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Literature Review
3.1 Green Products
The concept of green products came into prominence in the
1970s and 1980s amidst awareness that environmental issues such as
overconsumption are the result of marketing activities (Fisk, 1974). An
outcome of this growing awareness was the introduction of green
products (Peattie & Crane, 2005) which fuelled a shift towards green
marketing initiatives. To date, there has been a lack of a uniform
definition of the term green products. Although it can actually
encompass several dimensions such as political, corporate social
responsiveness, fair trade, conservation, non-profit, ethical, and so on
(McDonagh & Prothero, 1996), the concept 'green' is usually taken to
mean environmental-friendliness and sustainability (Zhao & Chen,
2019). Within this perspective, green products do not just reduce
impacts on the environment, but can bring about greater benefits to the
environment compared to conventional products (Reinhardt, 1998) in
terms of conserving energy and/or resources and reducing or
eliminating the use of toxic agents, pollution, and waste (Ottman et al.,
2008). They are not harmful to consumers (Lian et al., 2016), do not
harm the environment or do not damage natural resources, and can be
recycled or conserved (Kim et al., 2013). These products are often
cutting edge, modern, cost-effective, and generate less waste. The
consumption of green products ensures sound health and an
opportunity to contribute to environmental sustainability (Leonidou et
al., 2013). Thus, green products revolve around the production and
marketing of sustainable and socially responsible products and
services and involve a broad range of activities across the entire supply
chain including using renewable resources, modifications to the
product, its production processes, advertising, packaging, and so on to
reduce the detrimental impacts of their consumption and disposal on
the environment (Mishra & Sharma, 2012; Sivesan et al., 2013).
The successful adoption of green products by consumers is
dependent on their awareness, knowledge of, and concerns with
environmental issues. In many Asian countries, awareness programs
have contributed to the increasing popularity of green products (Gurau
& Ranchhod, 2005; Khan & Kirmani, 2015). As a result, many national
and multinational manufacturing companies have begun to devote
attention to the production and marketing of green products to satisfy
the emerging needs of customers (Kim et al., 2013). Despite this, the

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literature shows that consumers' awareness and concerns about the

environment and their favourable attitude towards green purchase do
not always lead to the actual purchase of green products (Hughner et
al., 2007; Liobikiene & Bernatoniene, 2017). A study by McKinsey and
Company in 2007 showed that although 87% of consumers were aware
and concerned about the environmental and social impact of the
products they buy, only around 33% of them were willing to actually buy
green goods (Bonini & Oppenheim, 2008). Thus, awareness of
environment-friendly products is not necessarily reflected in the actual
purchase behaviour. Apart from environmental awareness, consumers’
actual purchase decision towards green products is also affected by
how well they are informed about the benefits and attributes of green
products (Sheikh et al., 2014).
These issues are relevant to a developing country like
Bangladesh which has been trying to embrace green production to
establish green consumerism despite having an inadequate number of
producers of green products (Nekmahmud & Fekete-Farkas, 2020;
Sarker & Itohara, 2008). To establish a sustainable environment
through green products consumption, various industries in Bangladesh
have, in recent years, provided close attention to producing more green
products in various customer categories such as food, textile, leather,
agriculture, plastic, and cosmetics. Thus, efforts to encourage the
purchasing of green products among consumers in Bangladesh is
contingent on green awareness (Nekmahmud & Fekete-Farkas, 2020,
p. 22).
Also, varying socio-economic circumstances in developed and
developing countries raise the possibility of differences in purchasing
behaviours towards green products. In developed countries,
consumers have been found to have high levels of awareness and
concern for environmental issues and have expressed intentions to
purchase green products (Hughner et al., 2007; Tulley & Winer, 2014).
In developing countries, the marketing of green products is confronted
with unique barriers to consumer adoption including a lack of
information and awareness about environmental issues, problems with
quality and credibility, and lower purchasing power among segments
of the population (Nguyen et al., 2017). For example, there are
indications that customers in developing countries may still prioritize
their purchase decisions according to non-green attributes such as
value for money, product performance, and safety rather than on green
propositions (Johri & Sahasakmontri, 1998). These raises doubt about

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consumer buying responses to green marketing initiatives in

developing countries in general. Nevertheless, various studies have
found that consumers in various developing countries are influenced
by green marketing initiatives and are willing to purchase green
products, even as they are priced at a premium (Biswas & Roy, 2016;
Hossain & Khan, 2018). The lack of consistent findings in the literature
suggests that more work is needed to better understand the
determinants of consumers’ purchase behaviour in developing
countries.

3.2 Attitude towards the Environment

Attitude is one of the major determining factors of behavioural
intention in the TPB framework. Attitude towards a behaviour refers to
the extent of a person’s favourable or unfavourable evaluation of a
particular behaviour (Ajzen, 1991). Attitude has been described as
favourable or unfavourable cognitive evaluations, emotional
experiences, or behavioural tendencies that people constantly hold for
certain situations or ideas (Blackwell et al., 2006). In terms of the
environment, attitude can be defined as “cognitive and affective
evaluation of the object of environmental protection” (Bamberg, 2003),
or simply an individual’s concern for the environment and
environmental issues (Kim & Choi, 2005). More specifically,
environmental attitudes refer to ecological concern that is likely to result
in a pro-environmental consumption behaviour (Rex & Baumann,
2007). Consumers who are aware of the environment are thought to be
more likely to have an intention to endorse environmentally responsible
consumer behaviour (Ellen et al., 1997).
The link between attitudes towards the environment and
behavioural intentions including intentions to purchase green products
has attracted numerous research interest and has covered many
categories of green products such as organic products (Aaijaz &
Ibrahim, 2009; Zagata, 2012), public transportation (Chen, 2016),
green hotels and eateries (Chen & Tung, 2014; Kim et al., 2013),
skincare products (Hsu et al., 2017), and others. However, the findings
in these studies have often been varied. Several studies on pro-
environmental consumer behaviour have acknowledged that attitude
towards the environment has a significant positive effect on
behavioural intentions (Carforaa et al., 2019; Chaudhary & Bisai, 2018;
Chuah & Lu, 2019; Maichum et al., 2016; Taufique & Vaithianathan,

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2018). On the other hand, other researchers have reported weak links.
For example, Joshi and Rahman’s (2017) study of young consumers in
India found environmental attitudes to be least effective in explaining
green purchase behaviour. This was similar to Bamberg’s (2003)
findings among German university students concerning green
electricity brochures. This leads to the following hypothesis:

H1: Consumer attitude towards the environment have a positive

influence on behavioural intentions of green products purchases

3.3 Subjective Norms

Subjective norms refer to the individual’s assessment of others’
preference and support for behaviour (Tarkiainen & Sundqvist, 2005).
The preferences of friends, family members, co-workers, or any
reference group may exert an influence on the intention of others to act
in certain ways. Many social programs have used this notion of
adherence to social norms to shape behaviours’ by emphasizing the
desirable behaviour of the majority (Perkins, 2003). Thus, when
consumers are unsure about how to act in a specific situation, they try
to find support from their close contacts. As such, the reference group
(subjective norms) is a commonly used construct in consumer
behaviour literature (Taufique & Vaithianathan, 2018). The positive
impact of significant others like friends, family, peers, and relatives
towards green products has been reported in prior studies in having a
significant influence on green consumers’ actual purchase intention
(Dean et al., 2012). In this regard, many previous studies have
acknowledged the significant positive influence that subjective norms
have on green consumers’ behavioural intentions (Carfora et al., 2019).
On the other hand, other studies have shown that subjective norms
associated with green consumers does not influence their behavioural
intentions (Chaudhary, & Bisai, 2018; Taufique & Vaithianathan, 2018).
This inconsistent finding supports the need for further study on the
effects of subjective norms on the actual purchase behaviour of green
consumers. This leads to the following hypothesis:

H2: Subjective norms have a positive influence on the behavioural

intentions of green products purchases.

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3.4 Perceived Behavioural Control

Perceived behavioural control refers to 'the perceived ease or
difficulty of performing a behaviour’ (Ajzen, 1991, p. 183). Perceived
behavioural control can be divided into two broad categories, namely
the internal perceived behavioural control (e.g. required personal skills,
confidence, plan, etc.) and the external behavioural control (i.e. the
ability to overcome external constraints) (Kidwell & Jewell, 2003).
However, the Theory of Planned Behaviour highlighted the necessity
of perceived behavioural control in anticipating the intentions as well as
actual behaviours when the concerning behaviour is within discretional
control of a person (Thogersen, 2007). Despite the numerous studies
on consumers’ purchase behaviour, only few studies have been
conducted on green products in the consumer behaviour literature
(Carfora et al., 2019; Chaudhary & Bisai, 2018). These studies have
shown that perceived behavioural control exert significant influences
on green consumers’ behavioural intention. This leads to the following
hypothesis:

H3: Perceived behavioural control has a positive influence on the

behavioural intentions of green products purchases.

3.5 Behavioural Intention and Actual Purchase Behaviour

Behavioural intention means a person’s degree of determination
and willingness to perform a specific behaviour which is often
determined by attitude and subjective norms (Ajzen, 1988). Ajzen
(1988) also suggested that higher levels of willingness to conduct
specific behaviour will have the best possibility of the idea being
actually conducted. According to the Theory of Planned Behaviour,
actual purchase behaviour is determined by several factors namely
attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, and
consumers’ behavioural intention (Azjen, 1991). Where green products
have emerged to help conserve the environment (Harris, 2006), green
purchasing behaviour is generally associated with purchasing done in
a responsible, ethical, sustainable, and environmentally friendly way.
Green purchasing behaviour includes buying energy efficient products,
avoiding over-packaged goods, exhibiting a preference for
biodegradable and recycled articles, and buying fair trade and locally
sourced products. It contributes not only to equity and wellbeing in the
community but also to the reduction of pollution and the preservation

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of the planet. Many studies conducted on green purchasing behaviour

(Carfora et al., 2019; Chaudhary & Bisai, 2018;) advocate that
behavioural intention has great power to influence actual purchase
behaviours of green consumers. These studies suggest that if a green
product marketer can build positive behavioural intentions among its
customers, they can be influenced to make actual purchases. This
leads to the following hypothesis:

H4: Behavioural intention has a positive influence on the actual

purchase of green products.

Research Methodology
4.1 Survey Measures
A quantitative survey was carried out by collecting data to test
the significance of the proposed relations in the conceptual framework.
The study adopted all items from previously validated instruments. The
questionnaire featured 22 items and five basic demographic questions
(i.e. age, gender, marital status, education, and income). Specifically,
the items that measure attitude towards the environment, subjective
norms, and behavioural intention were adopted from Taufique and
Vaithianathan (2018), while the items that measure perceived
behavioural control and actual purchase behaviour were adopted from
Chaudhary and Bisai (2018). The measurement items were further
validated by performing factor loading, Cronbach’s Alpha, composite
reliability, and average variance extracted. These items were assessed
on a six-point rating scale where 1 = strongly disagree, and 6 = strongly
agree.

4.2 Sampling, Sample and Data Collection

The respondents for the data collection were recruited via
purposive sampling technique. The data was collected in September
2019 through emails sent to members of Rajshahi University Marketing
Alumni Association in Bangladesh where a link for participation was
provided in the email. The association has a database of 20,000
registered alumni in Bangladesh. These alumni were chosen as they
were likely to be employed and had the means to purchase consumer
goods. Survey invitations were sent to 1000 email contacts with follow-
up emails sent every seven days, involving a total of four follow-up
emails. Respondents were asked screening questions in the first

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section of the questionnaire to confirm that they were consumers of

green products. This criterion was established to ensure that
respondents had actual knowledge of green products and had
experience in purchasing or consuming green products in the past.
After undergoing a filtration process for outliers and incompleteness,
data from 2401 responses out of a total of 247 completed responses
collected were used to test the conceptual model. The sample size in
the current study meets the required sample sizes of 30 cases,
determined as 10 cases x the maximum of three arrows (i.e. attitude
towards the environment, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural
control) pointing at a latent research construct [behavioural intention],
74 cases based on power analysis using G*Power, and 100 to 200
cases for a meaningful structural (or path) analysis (Hair et al., 2017;
Hoyle, 1995).

4.3 Data Analysis Technique and Procedures

This study employed PLS-SEM to test the causal relations
between the constructs of the proposed model. This analytical
technique is more appropriate for confirmatory research that aims to
examine the extent of the relationships between the exogenous and
endogenous constructs where independent constructs predict the
ultimate dependent construct (Hair et al., 2017; Ringle, Wende, &
Becker, 2015). This technique has been increasingly applied in
marketing research and other business studies (Henseler et al., 2009).
The three steps of PLS-SEM procedure for assessing the
conceptual framework were drawn for this study. First, this study tested
common method bias using Harman’s (1976) single-factor test and
Bagozzi’s (1991) correlation threshold of 0.90 and for collinearity of
indicators by computing the variance inflation factor (Hair et al., 2017).
This was followed by the second step where established convergent
and discriminant validity in the measurement model was tested by
conducting confirmatory factor and correlation analyses to evaluate the
results against the recommended threshold values for factor loadings,
composite reliability, average variance extracted (AVE), and
heterotrait-monotrait (HTMT) (Byrne, 2010; Fornell & Larcker, 1981;
Hair et al., 2010; Henseler et al., 2015; Sarkar et al., 2001). Finally, the

1
24% response rate (240 usable responses / 1000 email survey invitations) were received,
consistent with the suggested response rates for most online survey research (Deutskens et al.,
2004).

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significance and effect size of the path relationships and predictive

relevance of the structural model was tested through bootstrapping and
blindfolding procedures (Hair et al., 2017; Ringle et al., 2015).

Findings
5.1 Respondents’ Profiles
Table 1 illustrates the demographic information of the
respondents in this study. It shows that the majority of the respondents
was in the 21-30-year-old age range (83.8%), while the rest were below
20 years old and above 30 years old. In terms of gender and marital
status, a substantial number of respondents were men (75%), and
single (76.7%). Most of the respondents were highly educated with
50% of them having undergraduate degrees while 42.5% of the sample
have postgraduate degrees. In terms of monthly income, 38.8% of the
respondents or their families earned less than BDT 20,000 while only
6.3% earned above BDT 60,000. However, 27.9% of the respondents
earned between BDT 20001 to BDT 30000, followed by 15% with
incomes between BDT 30001– BDT 40000 or approximately between
350 USD to 470 USD. Such findings are consistent with the sampling
frame discussed earlier where the respondents are likely to be
employed and have independent means for consumption of consumer
goods.

Table 1 : Demographic results

Characteristics Frequency Percentage (%)
Age:
Below 20 years 16 6.7%
21-30 years 201 83.8%
31-40 years 15 6.3%
41-50 years 6 2.5%
Above 50 years 2 0.8%
Gender:
Male 180 75.0%
Female 60 25.0%
Marital Status:
Single 184 76.7%
Married 56 23.3%

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Table 1 : Demographic results- continued

Characteristics Frequency Percentage (%)
Education:
Undergraduate Degree 120 50.0%
Postgraduate Degree 102 42.5%
Others 18 7.5%
Monthly Income:
BDT Below 20,000 93 38.8%
BDT 20,001-30,000 67 27.9%
BDT 30,001-40,000 36 15.0%
BDT 40,001-50,000 20 8.3%
BDT 50,001-60,000 9 3.8%
BDT Above 60,000 15 6.3%

5.2 Manipulation Checks

The test for common method bias was executed by performing
Harman's (1976) single-factor test. This was done by entering all the
study constructs into a principal component factor followed by the
elimination method of a principal component of one fixed factor without
applied rotation (Podsakoff et al., 2003; Podsakoff et al., 2012). The
test results showed that only one factor explains less than 40.7% (i.e.
33.06%) of the variance emerged. Un-rotated factor analysis was also
applied and the used items produced four factors and explained
62.76% of the variance in total. Therefore, this study did not observe
the common method variance as a major concern (Podsakoff et al.,
1986).
The study also tested multi-collinearity of the indicators
determined by the variance inflation factor and was found to be below
the cut-off point of five (Hair et al., 2017). Hence, collinearity of
indicators was not an issue in the measurement and structural models
to estimate the path relations for PLS-SEM analysis of this study. Next,
a two-step procedure was employed to calculate the measurement
model for the used constructs and discriminant validity and then to test
the drawn hypotheses in the structural model (Anderson & Gerbing,
1988).

5.3 Assessment of Measurement Model

The measurement model performs factor loading, Cronbach’s
Alpha, composite reliability (CR), and average variance extracted

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(AVE) to establish the convergent validity (Fornell & Larcker, 1981).

More specifically, Table 2 illustrates that the loading values of all items
exceeded the suggested threshold value of 0.5 (Hair et al., 2011;
Wong, 2013) while CR values of the study constructs exceeded the
standard critical level of the recommended value of 0.708 (Hair et al.,
2017). Lastly, the study found that the AVE value of this study is greater
than the suggested value of 0.5 which was adequate for convergent
validity (Bagozzi & Yi, 1988; Fornell & Larcker, 1981). Therefore, all
three requisites for the convergent validity of the reflective
measurement model were met.

Table 2 : Results of the measurement model

Item Description Loadings
Attitude Towards the Environment (CA=0.89, CR=0.93, AVE=0.81)
Raising environmental concern among our people in Bangladesh 0.89
(ATE1)
More environmental protection works are needed in Bangladesh (ATE2) 0.93
It is essential to promote green living in Bangladesh (ATE3) 0.88
Subjective Norms (CA=0.91, CR=0.93, AVE=0.65)
Most of my friends think I should recycle household garbage (SN1) 0.79
Most of my neighbours think I should use green products (SN2) 0.81
Most of my neighbours think I should recycle (SN3) 0.85
Most of my co-workers think I should use environmentally friendly 0.80
household products (SN4)
Most of my co-workers think I should recycle (SN5) 0.82
Most of my family members think I should use green products (SN6) 0.79
Most of my family members think I should recycle (SN7) 0.77
Perceived Behavioural Control (CA=0.75, CR=0.84, AVE=0.57)
I believe I have the ability to purchase green products (PBC1) 0.76
If it is entirely up to me, I am confident that I will purchase green 0.77
products (PBC2)
I see myself as capable of purchasing green products in the future 0.80
(PBC3)
I have resources, time, and willingness to purchase green products 0.70
(PBC4)

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Table 2: Results of the measurement model - continued

Item Description Loadings
Behavioural Intention (CA=0.78, CR=0.84, AVE=0.57)
I will join a group or club which is concerned with the environment (BI1) 0.70
I would pay more taxes to support government control of pollution (BI2) 0.77
I would pay more each month for electricity if it meant cleaner air (BI3) 0.72
I would stop buying products from companies who cause pollution even
0.69
though it might be inconvenient for me (BI4)
I would make personal sacrifices for the sake of slowing down pollution
0.75
(BI5)
Note: CA= Cronbach’s alpha, CR= composite reliability, and AVE= average variance
extracted.

Discriminant validity was further assessed by using the test

suggested by Fornell and Larcker’s (1981) criterion as the traditional
method, and Henseler et al. (2015)’s Heterotrait-Monotrait Ratio of
Correlations (HTMT) criterion as a superior method. The traditional
method suggested that the square roots of the AVEs were greater than
the correlation values for each research construct pairing (Table 3).
The superior method suggested that the threshold value of below 0.90
between two study constructs was acceptable to establish discriminant
validity. The HTMT0.85 (Table 4) means that the result is below the
recommended critical value of 0.85 for each group-specific model
estimation. Thus, it also met the tests of discriminant validity.

Table 3 : Fornell and Larcker criterion results

Actual Attitude Behavioural Perceived Subjective
Purchase towards the Intention Behavioural Norm (SN)
Behaviour Environmen (BI) Control
(APB) t (ATE) (PBC)
Actual Purchase 0.82
Behaviour (APB)
Attitude towards the 0.15 0.90
Environment (ATE)
Behavioural Intention 0.51 0.53 0.73
(BI)
Perceived 0.44 0.52 0.56 0.76
Behavioural Control
(PBC)
Subjective Norm (SN) 0.34 0.25 0.40 0.24 0.80
Note: Bold diagonal values represent the square root of the AVE, and the off-diagonal
value represents the correlation of coefficient.

Table 4 : Heterotrait-Monotrait Ratio of Correlations (HTMT) criterion results

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Actual Attitude Behavioural Perceived Subjective

Purchase towards the Intention Behavioural Norm (SN)
Behaviour Environment (BI) Control
(APB) (ATE) (PBC)
Actual Purchase
Behaviour (APB)
Attitude towards the 0.19
Environment (ATE)
Behavioural 0.66 0.62
Intention (BI)
Perceived 0.58 0.64 0.71
Behavioural Control
(PBC)
Subjective Norm 0.41 0.23 0.46 0.30
(SN)
Note: Discriminant validity is established at HTMT 0.85

5.4 Assessment of Structural Model

In the structural model, the bootstrapping procedure was used
to test the path relations. This analytical technique ensures the
exactness and significance of the path relations between the study
constructs (Hair et al., 2017). In this case, a total of 5,000 subsamples
were taken from the original sample. The results from the bootstrapping
procedure (Table 5) illustrate that the direct effects of attitude towards
the environment, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control on
behavioural intention, and actual purchase behaviour were positive and
significant. Therefore, hypotheses H1, H2, H3, and H4 were supported.
Next, the predictive relevance of the structural model was further
evaluated by using the blindfolding procedure (Hair et al., 2017; Ringle
et al., 2015). More specifically, the proportion of variance in the
endogenous construct was assessed by using the coefficient of
determination (R2) which was predicted from the independent
variables. The structural model also assessed the cross-validated
predictive relevance by using the criterion of Stone-Geisser’s (Q2). The
R2 and Q2 values for BI were 0.45 and 0.22, and APB were 0.26 and
0.16 respectively. This suggested that 45% of the variance in
Behavioural Intention was explained by attitude towards the
environment, subjective norm, and perceived behavioural control, and
26% of the variance in actual purchase behaviour was explained by
behavioural intention. The results of the structural model also
established the predictive relevance as their Q2 values for behavioural
intention and actual purchase behaviour were 0.22 and 0.16
respectively which were greater than 0.

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Also, the effect sizes (f2) that specified the extent of the relative
effect of a particular independent variable on a dependent variable was
substantial (Chin, 2010). The greater effect size of the construct was
BI on APB (f2= 0,35). Table 5 also shows the other effect sizes between
the used constructs of the study.

Table 5 : Results of the structural model

Direct Effect Beta S.E. t- p- 5.00 95.00% Decision f2 R2 VIF Q2
value value %
H1: ATE -> BI 0.30 0.07 4.40 0.00 0.16 0.44 Supported 0.12 0.45 1.39 0.22
H2: SN -> BI 0.26 0.05 5.44 0.00 0.17 0.34 Supported 0.11 1.08
H3: PBC -> BI 0.34 0.07 4.84 0.00 0.20 0.47 Supported 0.15 1.41
H4: BI -> APB 0.51 0.06 8.03 0.00 0.35 0.61 Supported 0.35 0.26 1.00 0.16
**p< 0.01, *p< 0.05, S. E= Standard error.

Discussions and Implications

This study emphasizes on the constructs that have a direct
influence on consumers' actual purchase behaviour towards green
products. The estimation of PLS-SEM indicates that consumers’
attitude towards the environment, subjective norm, and perceived
behavioural control directly influence their behavioural intention
towards green products in Bangladesh. Thus, the hypotheses H1, H2,
and H3 were supported as its beta values were 0.30, 0.26, and 0.34.
Such findings are consistent with the outcome suggested in earlier
studies (Carfora et al., 2019; Chaudhary & Bisai, 2018; Dean et al.,
2012). It implies that the consumers who describe themselves as
environmentally responsible and are concerned about wasting the
resources of the earth had a positive behavioural intention to purchase
green products. It also indicates that the consumers who get support
from the individuals who have preferences in practising and using
green products had a positive intention to purchase green products.
Furthermore, the result shows that an individual's behavioural intention
is led by their perceived behavioural control. From this finding, it can
be predicted that the available production of green products influences
consumers to demonstrate favourable behavioural intention towards
green products. This ensures that the green product policy of
Bangladesh is in the right tract as it aims to establish a sustainable
environment through green products consumerism.
Next, the fourth hypothesis explored that consumers’
behavioural intention has a positive influence on actual purchase

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behaviour of green products. Therefore, the hypothesis H4 was

strongly supported as its beta value was 0.51, and effect size (f2) was
large. This result is consistent with previous works done in the same
vicinity of green marketing (Adrita, 2019; Bhatia & Jain, 2013; Khare,
2015). This finding implies that consumers are generally guided by a
predetermined set of beliefs and perceptions. At the same time, they
maintain a collective concern for the environment and the adverse
impact of their product consumption on the environment. This means
that desirable intentions such as a positive behavioural intention
towards green products are likely to influence their general demand
and consumption of green products. The estimated relationships in the
findings provide some valuable theoretical insights as well as practical
implications.

6.1 Theoretical Implications

Theoretically, this study affirms the applicability of the TPB
framework in predicting behavioural intentions and actual purchase
behaviours (refer to Table 5) concerning consumers of green products
within the context of a developing economy such as Bangladesh. It
reinforces the works of Khare (2015) and Yadav & Pathak (2017) who
similarly applied the TPB framework to examine behavioural intentions
and actual purchase behaviours of Indian consumers towards green
products. Hence, this study confirms the overall robustness of the TPB
framework in its ability to explain and predict consumer behaviours in
varying contexts.
Where there has been relatively less research into green
consumption behaviours in the context of a developing country (Adrita,
2019; Bhatia & Jain, 2013; Khare, 2015;), this study addresses a critical
gap in the literature by demonstrating the positive relationship between
behavioural intention towards green products and actual purchase of
green products. This research provides insights into the socio-
psychological processes underlying green buying behaviours by
showing how attitudes towards the environment, subjective norms, and
perceived behavioural control influence actual purchase behaviour
through their influence on behavioural intentions. In doing so, the study
uncovers the underlying dynamics of the relationship among the
aforementioned variables.
The study largely provides support for the TPB with the showing
of a direct association between subjective norms and behavioural

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intention. This suggests that social entities such as family and friends
directly influence the sampled consumers’ behavioural intention. The
main theoretical contribution of this paper is that it largely attests to the
validity of the TPB framework in explaining green consumers’ buying
behaviour in the context of a developing country like Bangladesh.

6.2 Managerial Implications

This study carries significant implications for marketing
managers who are responsible for the marketing of green products in
Bangladesh and other developing countries. The findings enrich
marketers’ understanding of consumers’ intentions to buy green
products. Since the behavioural intention was found to be a significant
predictor of actual purchase behaviour (refer to H4 findings in Table 5),
marketers need to make efforts directed at improving the explanatory
power of the predicting variables as identified in the current study. In
addition to focusing on the predictors of behavioural intention
established by the well-developed socio-psychological model of
planned behaviour, marketers may benefit by directing their attention
towards other variables such as attitude towards the environment,
subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control. Since these
variables have a strong influence on behavioural intentions (refer to H1,
H2, and H3 findings in Table 5), marketers and other associated
stakeholders can better plan and strategize specific activities and
programs to quicken consumers’ behavioural intentions, and
subsequently their actual purchase of green products as follows:

1. Consumers’ attitudes towards the environment produce positive

effects on their behavioural intentions towards green products.
Such findings provide information on how consumers’ attitude
towards the environment (i.e. how consumers feel about the
environment) greatly contributes to their behavioural intentions
towards green products (i.e. action resulting from how they feel
about green products). Thus, to elicit desirable behavioural
intentions towards the purchase of green products, marketers
working in a developing country context can implement actionable
strategies and activities to shape consumers’ attitudes towards the
environment.
2. Consumers’ subjective norms and perceived behavioural control,
which is a form of socio-psychological factor, produce significant

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positive effects on consumers’ behavioural intentions towards

green products. These findings provide empirical evidence to the
strong links between consumers’ socio-psychological factors and
their behavioural intentions towards green products in the context
of a highly collectivist society such as Bangladesh. Thus, firms
operating in such contexts should focus on developing programs
that can exert positive influences on social norms and perceived
behavioural control in order to shape the behavioural intentions of
target consumers.
3. Consumers’ actual purchase behaviour towards green products are
positively affected by their behavioural intentions and this finding
reinforces the need to create consumers’ intentions in most
purchase circumstances.

Conclusion and Recommendations

Major environmental problems and depletion of natural
resources have forced human civilization to focus on environmentally
responsible consumption. As many organizations offer more options for
environmentally friendly products, consumers respond with greater
willingness to purchase such products. As this research is one of the
first to study green purchasing decisions by applying the Theory of
Planned Behavior (TPB) in Bangladesh, it addresses a gap by
determining the various factors behind consumers’ actual purchase
behaviour towards green products in the country. The findings provide
some valuable insights on consumers’ actual purchase behaviour
towards green products and raise further discussions of the effects of
the main constructs used in this study. This study establishes that
attitude towards environment, subjective norms, and perceived
behavioural control have a positive influence on behavioural intention,
while behavioural intention has a significant positive influence on
consumers’ actual purchase behaviour.
The study has limitations common with similar research work
and hence provide opportunities for future research. First, this study
has focused on a broad category of green products. In reality, green
products can be sub-divided into various sub-product categories such
as organic food, green electrical appliances, clothing, and so on. Thus,
it is suggested that future research should examine the impact of the
variables used in this study on various categories and subcategories of
green products. Next, where this study has used some basic constructs
based on TPB, other relevant constructs can be incorporated in future

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research such as environmental concerns, self-identity, and

consumers’ egoistic and personal values. This might provide further
clarity for practitioners in implementing marketing strategies for green
products. Finally, the sample size in this study may limit the
generalizability of the findings. Data were also collected online. Thus,
future research can improve the generalizability of the findings by
extending the sample size.

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