Investigating the mixed effect of green marketing on sustainable consumption with the mediating role of green shopping

Khalaji, Abbas; Nobahar, Khatere; Sajjadi, Seedreza; Asgari, Mohammad Mehdi

doi:10.22034/jbme.2022.363173.1039

Investigating the mixed effect of green marketing on sustainable consumption with the mediating role of green shopping

Document Type : Original Article (Quantified)

Authors

abbas khalaji ¹

Khatere nobahar ²

Seedreza sajjadi ³

Mohammad Mehdi Asgari ⁴

¹ Master's student in Business Administration, Department of Management, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran

² Master of Business Administration, Department of Management, Garmsar Branch, Payam Noor University, Garmsar, Iran

³ Master of Public Administration, Department of Management, Sirjan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Sirjan, Iran

⁴ Department of Business Management, Tonkabon Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tonkabon, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22034/jbme.2022.363173.1039

Abstract

Abstract
During recent decades, environmental sustainability has reached the top of international political issues and has been recognized as a key motivating factor for innovation. As a result, the number of companies that develop green products has grown rapidly and customers show increasing interest in these products. Therefore, understanding the main characteristics of green products, identifying the factors affecting the price and the enthusiasm of consumers, to pay more for them, promotional tools and sales channels, green marketing mix for companies whose purpose is design, development and marketing. Green products can be useful. The aim of this research is to investigate the mixed effect of green marketing on sustainable consumption with the mediating role of green shopping. The research method is descriptive and practical in terms of purpose. The statistical population includes all students of Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord branch, and using Morgan's table, a sample size of 320 people was selected and the questionnaire was distributed among 300 people. Sampling in this research was done by random method and the questionnaire was distributed among the sampled people. Sampling in this research was done by random method and the questionnaire was distributed among the sampled people. The data collection tool is the mixed marketing questionnaire of Mohajerani (2014), green purchase intention of Hong et al. (2014) and Luchik's sustainable consumption questionnaire (2011). The results of the research showed that all 4 sub-hypotheses were accepted, as a result, the main hypothesis is also accepted, and green marketing mix has a significant positive effect on sustainable consumption with the mediating role of green shopping among students of Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord branch.
Extended
Introduction
Due to the terrible destruction of the environment around the world, more and more people pay attention to environmental concerns (Turki et al, 2019; Ho et al, 2022). With the increasing awareness and knowledge of customers regarding the importance of social welfare, the environment has become a serious concern for people. With the emergence of new consumer products and the increase of society's well-being and the efforts of organizations to stay ahead of competitors, the marketing approach has changed to a customer-oriented one. But the trend we are facing today is more awareness of organizations towards the environment (Agarwal et al, 2022).
Environmental pollutions that have arisen as a result of human production and consumption are among the issues that have been repeatedly recognized as a threat to humanity by organizations active in this field. These environmental issues are still the main concern of people all over the world. This concern pressured marketers to change their strategy and adopt a marketing strategy called green marketing. Marketing is one of the topics subject to changes, which are caused by consumption patterns and people's tastes (Ho et al, 2019). Green marketing processes are rapidly becoming a mainstream to ensure the sustainability of marketing operations (Chang et al, 2019).
According to what was said, the main question of the current research is whether the marketing mix has an effect on sustainable consumption with the mediating role of green shopping.
Theoretical framework
Green marketing can be seen as the outward extension of the company's environmental management systems and procedures that try to prevent environmental damage and help protect the environment. With environmental issues becoming an important issue in society, the number of companies that rely on environmental management systems, standards and audits to achieve sustainable development has increased exponentially (Lee, Ngniatdma and Chen, 2017).
Green purchasing can affect the income of the whole organization. It also helps to create a positive public image, brand and goodwill in the market environment. The intention to buy green products is variable in cultures, genders and individual behavior of a person (Serin et al, 2018).
In 1987, the United Nations Commission presented a definition of sustainable development to the world: meeting the needs of the present without jeopardizing the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (Peterson et al., 2021).
Saadat Nia (2021) conducted a research titled "Investigation and identification of the mix effect of green marketing on consumers' purchase intention". The results of this research showed that green product mix and green promotion mix have a positive and meaningful effect on the purchase intention of consumers of Tehran Milk Industries. It is.
Azadmanesh et al., (2020) conducted a research entitled "The effect of mixed green marketing components on the purchase intention of Rogin tomato sauce consumers". The results showed that among the four components of green marketing, three components of green price, green production and green advertising have a positive and significant effect on the purchase intention of Rojin's tomato sauce consumers in Kermanshah. Among these three components, green price has the most effect and green advertising has the least effect, but green distribution has no significant effect on consumers' purchase intention.
Methodology
The current research is descriptive in terms of examining the existing conditions, and is a survey in terms of the fact that it uses a questionnaire. The current research population includes all students of Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord branch. Questionnaire was used as the survey method. In this research, 320 questionnaires were distributed among students, of which 300 questionnaires were usable, analyzed by PLS software. The questionnaire of Mohajerani et al, (2015) was used to collect data related to the green marketing mix variable, the questionnaire of Hang et al, (2014) was used for the green purchase intention variable, and the questionnaire of Lochic (2011) was used for the sustainable consumption variable.
Discussion and Results
In order to investigate the hypothesis of the research, the modeling of structural equations, the method of structural equation modeling with the help of spss software was used to test the hypotheses from inferential statistics. Then PLS software was used to test the hypotheses or the conceptual model of the research, and the results showed that the design of green products has a significant effect on sustainable consumption with the mediating role of green purchase, and the design of green products indirectly and through the mediating variable of green purchase intention has an effect of (0.726*0.576) on sustainable consumption. Also, considering that this coefficient is positive; designing green products has a positive effect on sustainable consumption with the mediating role of green purchasing. Considering that both pricing paths of green goods are significant on purchase intention and purchase intention on sustainable consumption, it is concluded that the pricing of green goods has a significant effect on sustainable consumption with the mediating role of green purchase, and pricing green goods indirectly and through the mediating variable of green purchase intention have an effect on sustainable consumption to the extent of (0.726 x 0.199). Also, considering that this coefficient is positive, as a result, the pricing of green goods has a positive effect on sustainable consumption with the mediating role of green shopping. According to the fact that both paths of distribution conforming to green criteria are significant on purchase intention and purchase intention on sustainable consumption, it is concluded that distribution conforming to green criteria has a significant effect on sustainable consumption with a mediating role of green purchase, and distribution conforming to Green criteria indirectly and through the mediating variable of green purchase intention have an effect on sustainable consumption to the extent of (0.726*0.184). Also, considering that this coefficient is positive, as a result, the distribution according to green criteria has a positive effect on sustainable consumption with the mediating role of green purchasing. Considering that both paths of green advertising on purchase intention and purchase intention on sustainable consumption are significant, it is concluded that green advertising has a significant effect on sustainable consumption with the mediating role of green purchase, and green advertising indirectly and through the mediating variable of green purchase intention has an effect on sustainable consumption to the extent of (0.726*0.266). Also, considering that this coefficient is positive, as a result, green advertising has a positive effect on sustainable consumption with the mediating role of green shopping. Considering that all 4 sub-hypotheses were approved, as a result, the main hypothesis is also approved and marketing mix has a significant positive effect on sustainable consumption with the mediating role of green shopping for students of Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord branch.
Conclusion
The present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the mix effect of green marketing on sustainable consumption with the mediating role of green shopping. This finding is in line with researchers such as Saadat Nia (2021), and Azadmanesh et al., (2020); Due to the fact that nowadays consumers are more interested in environmental issues and environmental awareness among them has grown significantly, it has led to a gradual change in consumer behavior and the introduction of green marketing to the field of activity of companies and producers of consumer products; a better understanding of green consumers and customers and their needs will lead to a better market for green products and will help more companies and organizations to produce green products.
According to the results of the research, it is suggested that the subject of environmental knowledge should be taught as a general subject in higher educational institutions as well as in universities, so that students might become familiar with the importance and role of its proper maintenance. This will also lead to a change in the attitude towards the environment of the country's future makers.

Keywords

green marketing mix

sustainable consumption

green purchase intention. marketing mix

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