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Article
Publication date: 26 December 2023

Nirmal 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.

Details

International Journal of Energy Sector Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1750-6220

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 February 2019

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…

1247

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.

Article
Publication date: 22 August 2022

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.

Details

Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal, vol. 34 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1477-7835

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 April 2020

Idrees Waris and Irfan Hameed

The purpose of this study is to develop a theoretical framework of consumers’ purchase intention of energy efficient home appliances.

1403

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.

Article
Publication date: 1 June 2020

Idrees Waris and Irfan Hameed

The purpose of this study is to empirically evaluate the antecedents of consumers’ purchase intention of energy-efficient home appliances.

1284

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.

Article
Publication date: 29 May 2020

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.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 27 no. 10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 July 2014

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…

1224

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.

Details

International Journal of Housing Markets and Analysis, vol. 7 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-8270

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 August 2019

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.

Details

Journal of Facilities Management , vol. 17 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1472-5967

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 April 2020

Idrees Waris and Waqar Ahmed

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.

Details

Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal, vol. 31 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1477-7835

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 September 2017

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…

1637

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.

Details

Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, vol. 29 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-5855

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 5000