Attitude-behaviour Gap in Green Consumerism among Men: An Exploratory Analysis

2018 dissertation for MSc. International Business Management. Selected by academic staff as a good example of a masters level dissertation. Purpose – Firstly, the purpose of the paper is to investigate adult male consumer’s attitude towards the environment and green products. Furthermore, it aims to explore the relationship between a positive environmental attitude and green purchase behaviour. Ultimately it aims to explore the factors affecting the attitude-behaviour gap in green consumerism in the context of adult male consumers. Design/Methodology/Approach – The research design is exploratory in nature and an interpretivist approach was followed. The primary data and qualitative approach of the study has enabled the researcher to get insight into participant’s attitudes and behaviours. A total of eleven in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted to successfully answer the research questions guiding the research. Findings – Findings show that adult male consumers show a positive attitude towards the environment and green products. Notwithstanding, the study showed that participants did not purchase green products. Factors found to impede green purchase behaviour were: lack of trust, cynicism, consumer effectiveness, price, availability/accessibility, information, time, convenience, and habit/familiarity. Research Implications – The study has found that there is an attitude-behaviour gap in green consumerism amongst male consumers and further identified key barriers, offering a plausible explanation as to what factors influence the inconsistency. Practical Implications – The results have practical implications for policy makers, executives and marketing professionals to frame and implement strategies to promote and encourage green purchasing among adult male consumers. Originality/Value – The study addresses a gap in the literature. While the attitude-behaviour gap has been studied previously, this study is context-specific as it focusses on adult male consumers and contemporary.