Young Consumers最新文献

Purpose

Celebrities communicating about environmental sustainability on social media have the power to inspire young adults to engage in pro-environmental behavior, such as reducing their consumption behavior or only buying local and organic food. However, at the same time, celebrities’ carbon-rich and luxurious lifestyles might generate skepticism when they preach about environmental action. Thus, this study aims to shed light on the effects of celebrity pro-environmental messages on young adults’ perceived authenticity and greenwashing and, subsequently, on young adults’ pro-environmental behavior. Moreover, this study examined the moderation effect of congruent (vs incongruent) messages in the celebrity’s social media profile depicting an environmentally friendly (vs unfriendly) lifestyle.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted a 3 (celebrity pro-environmental messages: with concrete action claim vs without vs control group) x 2 (celebrity message-lifestyle congruence: congruent vs incongruent) between-subjects experimental study (N = 400) with young adults (16–26 years old).

Findings

Results showed a significant positive effect of celebrity pro-environmental messages with concrete green action claims on authenticity perceptions only when the social media profile depicted a congruent environmentally friendly lifestyle. Moreover, higher perceived authenticity of the celebrity by social media audiences led to a higher likelihood of young adults’ engagement in pro-environmental behavior.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to consider celebrity message characteristics and young adults’ perceptions of authenticity and greenwashing when investigating the effects of celebrity pro-environmental messages on young adults’ pro-environmental behavior.

Purpose

The unethical use of natural resources is contributing to the increasing environmental degradation. The depleting environment poses a threat to the sustainability of present and future generations. This paper aims to investigate the impact of social media on the green purchase intention of consumers. The research adopts the theory of reciprocal determinism to integrate the variables of social media, green product knowledge, green consumption values and drive for environmental responsibility, assessing their collective impact on green purchase intention.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were gathered from a sample of 310 young consumers using a structured close-ended questionnaire. The proposed hypothesis was tested by employing PLS-SEM.

Findings

The study validates that social media (SM) has the ability to shape consumers' intention to choose more eco-friendly products. In addition to social media, green consumption values and the drive for environmental responsibility exert a significant influence on green purchase intention. However, green product knowledge did not have a significant impact on green purchase intention nor did mediate the relationship between social media and green purchase intention.

Originality/value

The existing scholarly literature indicates that researchers have employed a variety of theories as the basis for their studies aimed at predicting intentions and behaviors related to environmentally conscious purchases. To our knowledge, this is the first study to incorporate social media in the theory of reciprocal determinism. Notably, the paper represents the inaugural investigation in the context of an emerging economy to incorporate green product knowledge as a mediating variable.

Purpose

This study aims to examine the factors influencing trust toward mobile health applications (mhealth apps) among young consumers. By building on the socio-technical systems framework and self-congruence theory, the authors develop and examine a conceptual model of the trusting intentions of young consumers toward mhealth apps.

Design/methodology/approach

The data for the study was collected from a sample of 285 young consumers via an online survey by using a purposive sampling method. All the respondents were existing users of health apps and resided in the urban areas of the country. The sample comprised 53% male respondents and 47% female respondents. Subsequently, the data was analyzed using the structural equation modeling technique.

Findings

The findings revealed that psychological factors like self-congruence and technical factors such as flow experience and perceived playfulness aid in building trust among young mhealth app users, which in turn influences the purchase intention and user loyalty toward the application. Social factors like perceived critical mass and social influence did not significantly impact trust.

Research limitations/implications

The data was collected from Generation Z, recognized as the most influential consumer demographic worldwide, primarily involved in mhealth app usage. Nonetheless, it is essential to understand that these findings might only partially apply to a specific user group. In addition, the study did not focus on any specific mhealth applications. Hence, it is prudent to exercise caution when generalizing these results to the broader population.

Originality/value

This study advances the comprehension of socio-technical elements in establishing trust, subsequently impacting purchase intentions and loyalty among young users in the context of mhealth apps. In addition, it expands the socio-technical framework by incorporating a psychological factor that could influence trust and purchase intentions toward mhealth apps. Furthermore, the post hoc findings reinforce this comprehension by identifying the moderating effects of operating system type and gender. These insights could provide valuable guidance for developing tailored marketing strategies targeting the young consumer base.

Purpose

This study aims to explore the emerging trend of business-wide Sustainability Third-Party Labels (STPLs), exemplified by entities like B-Corp. These labels are awarded to organizations committed to a distinctive approach to business, typically embracing the triple-bottom-line (TBL) framework, prioritizing not only financial performance but also social and environmental impact. The research investigates whether these labels enhance trust and influence perceptions of sustainability information quality among young consumers in Spain.

Design/methodology/approach

A factorial experiment has been conducted among a convenience sample of individuals belonging to the Z-generation (n = 126). The experiment involved randomly exposing the participants to different versions of an informational brochure from a fictional company in the agricultural sector (with and without label). Following the experiment, a focus group with 15 participants was conducted to assist in interpreting the results.

Findings

The results of this study suggest that the use of a nonsector specific label across various sectors with distinct sustainability challenges can lead to confusion among Z-generation consumers. Especially within sectors grappling with environmental concerns, such labels may be susceptible to being perceived as manifestations of greenwashing. Additionally, the study adds supporting evidence to the existing body of literature asserting gender differences in the interpretation of sustainability signals, including labels.

Originality/value

As far as this research is concerned, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first research that studies the perception of Z-generation members regarding business-wide STPLs. Focusing on studying, the attitudes toward sustainability of younger generations and how they respond to signals like business-wide STPLs are relevant, as they not only possess the longevity to drive substantial change but are also more susceptible to behavioral shifts, thereby holding significant potential in shaping a sustainable future. The study combines both qualitative and quantitative perspective and provides critical insights, relevant to stakeholders within business-wide STPL ecosystems, emphasizing the need for strategic coherence and transparency in label implementation.

Purpose

This study differentiates pure impulse buying behaviour from suggestive impulse buying behaviour in using mobile shopping applications (apps). This study aims to assess the moderating effects of instant discount and cashback promotional offers along with the mediating effects of impulse buying intention (IBI) and user satisfaction (US), using the app stimuli (performance expectancy, effort expectancy, layout, atmosphere, privacy and security).

Design/methodology/approach

The study was done in three stages: analysis of variance, followed by structural equation modelling (SEM) and paired t-tests.

Findings

The results showed that instant discounts and cashback offers are different from each other for the mediating variable IBI. The SEM results for pure impulse buying showed that, except for layout, the remaining variables have a positive relationship with IBI. For suggestive impulse buying, effort expectancy and layout were significantly related to both the mediating variables. Finally, pure and suggestive impulse buying behaviour showed significant differences.

Originality/value

Previous studies have looked into impulse buying in its generic sense and not through the “types” of impulse buying they were measuring. As impulse buying behaviour is a predominant theme for discussion today, marketing professionals and researchers must comprehend the impact of app stimuli in the context of select types of impulse buying behaviour.