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1 – 10 of over 5000Nirmal Kaur, Sarbjit Singh Bedi and Jagwinder Singh
This study aims to examine the antecedents of purchase intention toward energy efficient air conditioners by incorporating the theory of planned behavior (TPB) with two additional…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the antecedents of purchase intention toward energy efficient air conditioners by incorporating the theory of planned behavior (TPB) with two additional constructs, i.e. environmental concern and personal norms. TPB is one of the most widely used theoretical framework to study consumer behavior.
Design/methodology/approach
The study applied a quantitative technique using a survey method by distributing self-administered questionnaires among the Indian households who have purchased energy efficient air conditioners in the past six months or had enquired to do so. The study collected data from three select regions: Delhi and NCR, Punjab and Tri-city. The collected data of 424 respondents have been analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling.
Findings
The study posits that normative factors such as subjective norms and personal norms have a relatively higher influence on purchase intention. Despite the significant existence of environmental concern, the study did not find environmental concern directly influencing purchase intention.
Research limitations/implications
The sample size of the study is too small and pertains to specific regions. Thus, it could hinder the generalizability of the results. Advertisement appeals should be related with enhancement of self-esteem in terms of making responsible and valuable contribution to environment protection through the purchase of energy efficient air conditioner.
Originality/value
There are a few studies in the Indian context studying consumer’s purchase intention toward energy efficient air conditioners to which this study adds. The study provides an important contribution to marketers in developing strategies for increasing purchase intention toward energy efficient air conditioners in view of their stage in the product life cycle, diffusion of product and influence of normative factors.
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Gauri Yogesh Joshi, Pratima Amol Sheorey and Aradhana Vikas Gandhi
The purpose of this paper is to identify the barriers to consumers’ intention to purchase energy efficient appliances. It uses multiple regression analysis to predict the factors…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify the barriers to consumers’ intention to purchase energy efficient appliances. It uses multiple regression analysis to predict the factors that deter consumers’ purchase intention.
Design/methodology/approach
Five barriers to consumers’ intention to purchase energy efficient appliances were identified through an exhaustive literature survey. Data were gathered from 300 respondents from Pune city from the state of Maharashtra in India through a survey. The items were measured on a five-point Likert scale. Validity and reliability of the scale were established. Multiple regression analysis was conducted to predict consumers’ intention to purchase energy efficient appliances based on factors identified.
Findings
Findings revealed that some degree of uncertainty was associated with energy efficient appliance purchase. In addition to possessing lower degrees of awareness on energy efficient appliances, consumers tend to disbelieve claims made on labels of energy efficient appliances. Consumers also feel inconvenience in identifying these appliances, spending time to know about them and paying the price to purchase them. Hence, the factors – scepticism towards label claims and perceived personal inconvenience – were found to have negative impact on consumers’ purchase intention. Societal norm was found to have a positive impact on consumers’ purchase intention. Interestingly, price sensitivity and perceived product risk (which were expected to have a negative relationship with consumers’ purchase intention) displayed a positive relationship.
Research limitations/implications
The model proposed here is based on the researcher’s identification of the barriers. There might have been unidentified barriers that were not considered. The research does not account for manufacturing or policy-based issues that might also pose as barriers. The study encourages marketers to re-examine marketing and communication policies associated with the sale of energy efficient appliances.
Originality/value
The paper provides insights into the external barriers faced by consumers while purchasing an energy efficient appliance. This research enables managers to understand consumer’s preference for conventional products over energy efficient ones. It attempts to check the presence of barriers to energy efficient appliances, identified from literature in a tier 1 city of India. Tier 1 city is the city with population greater than 1,00,000 as per 2001 census of India.
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Paul Blaise Issock Issock and Asphat Muposhi
This study examines how consumption values influence consumers' purchase intention of energy-efficient home appliances in South Africa, an emerging market. The study further…
Abstract
Purpose
This study examines how consumption values influence consumers' purchase intention of energy-efficient home appliances in South Africa, an emerging market. The study further investigates the mediating role of consumers' attention to energy-efficient labels affixed on home appliances while making a purchase decision and the moderating effect of consumer trust in the environmental claims.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a quantitative approach, this study relied on self-administered questionnaires to collect data from 505 household representatives in South Africa's Gauteng Province. The proposed conceptual model was empirically tested using structural equation modelling, moderation and mediation analyses.
Findings
The results revealed that economic, emotional and social values can only influence consumers' intention to purchase energy-efficient appliances if consumers pay attention to the energy-efficiency label affixed on the appliance. Functional value, however, has a significant direct impact on purchase intention. Moreover, the results indicate that trust in energy-efficiency labels strengthens the effect of functional and emotional values on consumers' attention to energy-efficiency labels.
Originality/value
Findings of this study highlight the importance of capturing the attention of consumers to energy-efficiency labels during the buying process as well as increasing their trust in those labels. Results indicate that consumers are more attracted to the functional and social values that energy-efficient appliances provide. This study is of particular interest to policymakers, retailers and manufacturers, as it sheds light on key strategies to implement to effectively promote the purchase of energy-efficient household appliances in South Africa.
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The purpose of this study is to develop a theoretical framework of consumers’ purchase intention of energy efficient home appliances.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to develop a theoretical framework of consumers’ purchase intention of energy efficient home appliances.
Design/methodology/approach
Non-probability quota based on age and education and purposive sampling technique have been used to assess data collected by a questionnaire survey.
Findings
The findings of the study reveal that consumers’ knowledge of eco-labels, environmental concern and perceived consumer effectiveness are the important predictors of purchase intention. However, the positive relationship between green trust and products’ functional value was found insignificant. It is believed that consumers’ are skeptical about products’ functional benefits.
Research limitations/implications
Although this study has presented a holistic approach to assess consumer purchase intention for energy-efficient home appliances, there are some limitations of the current study. First, this study has focused on consumer intention to purchase energy-efficient home appliances rather than actual purchase of appliances. Ajzen (1991) argued that intention is the accurate and immediate measure of actual, but gaps exist between intention and the actual behavior of the consumers (Ajzen and Fishbein, 1980). Consumers’ intentions may not always result in actual behavior. Thus, to expand research applicability, researchers should include actual behavior of consumers by conducting interviews or collecting data from the same consumers after an interval of three to six months. Second, the study has focused on consumers’ psychographic variables, there may be many other factors such as technological variables, government and pressure group influence and media impact on consumer intention to purchase energy-efficient home appliances. Future studies can integrate the impact of these potential variables on consumer purchase intention of energy-efficient home appliances with the same model. The third limitation is related to the methodology of this study, the quantitative method has been used in this study. Future studies may use qualitative and mixed methods to better understand consumers’ inclination of purchase intention of energy-efficient home appliances in Pakistan. Besides, a qualitative study will be helpful to explore new variables that are essential in the decision-making of consumers for the purchase of energy-efficient home appliances in Pakistan. Pakistan is a developing country where the majority of the people are belonging to the middle-class; there may be many other important factors that affect consumers’ purchase intention of energy-efficient home appliances. Therefore, an in-depth qualitative study would be helpful to explore those variables in the context of a developing country.
Practical implications
Energy consumption has posed serious threats to the sustainability of the environment and endangered the lives of many species across the globe. Environmental degradation due to unsustainable consumptions has provided ample opportunities to the marketers that led to the development of sustainable products such as energy-efficient home appliances. In this study, the antecedent of purchase intention of energy-efficient appliances includes attitude, functional values, perceived consumer effectiveness, consumers’ knowledge of eco-labels, environmental concern and green trust. Although researchers have extended TBP to predict consumers’ purchase intention of energy-efficient appliances, studies lack to provide a holistic view from consumers’ perspective. Consumers’ concern for the safety of the environment depicts consumers tendency to purchase environmentally friendly products and promote less hazardous products. Marketers should incorporate environmentally friendly benefits to the product that serve to attract maximum consumers and maintain harmony with the environment. Consumers’ knowledge of eco-labels, green trust and functional values are a vital construct that needs focus in term of the energy-efficient appliances purchase decision. Eco-labels are one of the emerging marketing tools that serve to guide consumers related to products environmentally friendly attributes and contribute to the acceptability of products. Marketers can use eco-labels to differentiate green products from conventional and establishes consumers’ trust in product performance.
Originality/value
This study is relevant to energy-efficient home appliances. Systematic literature of previous studies suggested the need to conduct and examine the antecedents of energy-efficient home appliances in developing markets. This research highlights that perceived consumer effectiveness is the most influencing factor affecting intention. The implications of this study would be helpful in understanding consumers’ behavior toward the purchase of green products in developing markets.
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The purpose of this study is to empirically evaluate the antecedents of consumers’ purchase intention of energy-efficient home appliances.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to empirically evaluate the antecedents of consumers’ purchase intention of energy-efficient home appliances.
Design/methodology/approach
A self-administered questionnaire has been used to gather data from the targeted representatives of the population. Quota based on age and convenience sampling techniques were used to select the participants of the study, as it is a suitable technique in situations where the possibility of getting a complete sampling frame is difficult. More than 73% of the population of Pakistan is aged below 34 years (Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, 2017). Based on this information, the current study has allocated more than 75% quota to consumers who are below 35 years.
Findings
The findings of the study reveal that all antecedents have significant impact on consumers’ purchase intention of energy-efficient home appliances. Environmental concern, green trust and products’ functional values are most influencing factors in the purchase of energy-efficient home appliances.
Originality/value
This study is related to energy-efficient home appliances in Pakistan. Systematic literature suggested the need to analyze the antecedents of energy-efficient appliances. This study helps the practitioners and marketers to understand consumers’ behavior regarding the purchase of energy-efficient home appliances.
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Whitney Bevan, Shu-Ling Lu and Martin Sexton
The prevailing literature argues the need for “new” skills to deliver energy-efficient buildings. The concept of new skills, however, has not been subject to empirical…
Abstract
Purpose
The prevailing literature argues the need for “new” skills to deliver energy-efficient buildings. The concept of new skills, however, has not been subject to empirical investigation. This paper aims to provide insight on the required new skills, and their development and application, for the successful delivery of energy-efficient school retrofit buildings.
Design/methodology/approach
The research employed a case study approach of a school retrofit building project in the early stages of the adoption of energy-efficient measures. Through the application of the socio-technical network approach (STNA) as the data collection and analysis framework, data were collected through semi-structured interviews, observations and a review of relevant organisational documentation and were analysed using thematic coding.
Findings
The findings reveal key actors (i.e. the local authority, energy contractors and school end-users), their principal interests and the required communication, project management, energy management, technical and research skills during their interactions in the successful delivery of the school retrofit building project. The results further reinforce the crucial role of the local authority in driving energy performance improvement of school buildings.
Originality/value
This study demonstrates empirical evidence of the principal actors and skills required for the delivery of energy-efficient school retrofit buildings, contributes to new theoretical insights at the identification of key micro-level development of construction skills through the project network and evidences on how the STNA can be mobilised in construction skills research.
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Nicola Callaghan, James Sommerville and Nigel Craig
This paper aims to study house builder opinions of energy-efficient homes in the UK. The days of inconsiderate construction methods and disregard for the environment are becoming…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to study house builder opinions of energy-efficient homes in the UK. The days of inconsiderate construction methods and disregard for the environment are becoming a thing of the past. If zero carbon (Zc) standards are to be implemented across all new homes within the UK, it is essential that house builders are willing and able to construct such homes to the necessary standards and to the volumes required. Although new generations of low carbon (Lc) and energy-efficient homes are beginning to break into the marketplace, house builders remain reluctant to introduce complex technologies during high effort builds.
Design/methodology/approach
The findings from questionnaire responses provide an indication of the views of house builders relating to the incentives encouraging and barriers preventing them from producing mass market energy-efficient homes.
Findings
This paper has uncovered the views and opinions of house builders relating to energy-efficient homes. The findings provide evidence that the house building industry is not fully engaged with the energy-efficiency concept; that house builders portray an inconsistent level of confidence in their ability to deliver energy-efficient homes; and that Government targets are too ambitious.
Originality/value
The findings within this paper provide an overview of the opinions of house builders relating to energy-efficient homes using statistical analysis.
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Yewande Adetoro Adewunmi, Anthony Alister, Bopape Phooko and Thabethe Nokukhanya
The purpose of this study is to examine at energy efficiency practices within the facilities management sector and barriers to adopting energy efficient strategies, it further…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine at energy efficiency practices within the facilities management sector and barriers to adopting energy efficient strategies, it further explored the factors that promote the employment of energy efficient practices.
Design/methodology/approach
The data were gathered by means of an electronic survey, administered to facilities managers in Johannesburg.
Findings
Energy efficient lighting is the most used energy efficiency practice. It further uncovered that occupant engagement and education is considered least, amongst current energy efficiency practices. This study revealed that the biggest barrier to the implementation of energy efficient facilities management practices was the cost implications of adopting FM strategies and rated the lowest were policies and regulations of energy efficiency standards. Cost reduction was the highest rated factor that promotes energy efficiency practices.
Practical implications
Occupants should be educated on energy efficiency through a change of their behaviours and also exposed to the benefits of using energy conservation measures. Management buy-in should be the goal of the facilities manager for the success of energy efficient practices.
Originality/value
This study is an encompassing study on energy efficiency where many aspects of energy efficiency and factors that promote energy efficiency were explored.
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The purpose of this study is to predict the antecedents of consumers' purchase intention of energy-efficient home appliances. This study incorporated two additional constructs…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to predict the antecedents of consumers' purchase intention of energy-efficient home appliances. This study incorporated two additional constructs (knowledge of eco-labels and knowledge of eco-labels) in the model of the theory of planned behavior. Consumers' enhanced trust for energy-efficient products is crucial to purchase intention. The second construct is consumers' knowledge of eco-labels. Knowledge of eco-labels would help to assess consumers' tendency toward environmental problems and intention to purchase energy-efficient home appliances.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used a quantitative approach using a survey (questionnaire) method to collect data of respondents. Non-probability quota based on age and convenience sampling techniques were employed to select the participants of this study.
Findings
The findings of the study revealed that consumer knowledge of eco-labels, green trust, subjective norm, attitude and perceived behavioral control have positive influence on purchase intention of energy-efficient home appliances.
Originality/value
Eco-labels are served as a marketing tool to distinguish producer's products from others. Prior studies have only focused on consumers' general knowledge. This study helps marketers to understand and design strategies to generate more value for green consumers. This study also contributes to the literature on green marketing by employing the theory of planned behavior.
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The Ninh Nguyen, Antonio Lobo and Steven Greenland
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how consumers’ altruistic values influence their personal norms, environmental attitudes, subjective norms and perceived barriers, all…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how consumers’ altruistic values influence their personal norms, environmental attitudes, subjective norms and perceived barriers, all of which in turn influence their pro-environmental behaviour (i.e. the purchase of energy efficient household appliances).
Design/methodology/approach
This research follows a hypothetic-deductive approach. A unique conceptual model examines the role of consumers’ altruistic values in relation to their environmentally responsible purchase behaviour. Structured questionnaires were administered to randomly selected Vietnamese consumers who visited busy electronics and appliance specialist stores, which yielded 682 usable responses.
Findings
Structural equation modelling revealed that consumers’ altruistic values tend to positively influence their personal norms, environmental attitudes, subjective norms and mitigate their perceived barriers in relation to the purchase of energy efficient appliances.
Practical implications
Marketers, policymakers and sustainability campaigners should develop relevant communication and education programmes that emphasise the importance of purchasing energy efficient appliances for the environment and society, arousing consumers’ sense of moral obligation and societal responsibility to purchase such products. They should also provide a convenient and easily accessible shopping environment for consumers.
Originality/value
This research makes an important contribution by presenting and testing a new altruistic-values-based model that seeks to understand consumers’ environmentally responsible purchase behaviour. This model could serve as a blueprint for future studies in the domain of pro-environmental behaviour, especially those in emerging markets.
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