THE COLLECTIVE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA, MARKETING ORIENTATION, AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY ON PURCHASE INTENTION AND BEHAVIOR

Abstract

Increasing environmental degradation, climate change concerns, and resource depletion have intensified global attention toward sustainable consumption and environmentally responsible behavior. As a result, green purchasing has emerged as an important area of research in consumer behavior and marketing literature. Although awareness of environmental issues has increased, many consumers still fail to consistently engage in green purchasing, highlighting a gap between intention and actual behavior. Understanding the factors that influence green purchase intention and how this intention translates into green purchase behavior is therefore essential for promoting sustainable consumption. The primary objective of this study is to examine the determinants of green purchase behavior by focusing on environmental responsibility, green marketing orientation, green product knowledge, and social media, while investigating the mediating role of green purchase intention. The study seeks to explain how these factors shape consumers’ intention to purchase green products and whether intention acts as a key mechanism that converts green-related perceptions and influences into actual purchasing behavior. By integrating multiple antecedents within a single framework, the study provides a more comprehensive understanding of green consumer decision-making. The theoretical foundation of this research is rooted in pro-environmental behavior and intention-based decision-making perspectives, which suggest that ethical responsibility, knowledge, and external influences play a central role in shaping environmentally friendly consumption. Environmental responsibility reflects consumers’ moral obligation toward environmental protection, which can motivate sustainable purchasing decisions. Green marketing orientation signals firms’ commitment to environmental values and influences consumers’ trust and evaluation of green products. Green product knowledge reduces uncertainty by enhancing consumers’ understanding of eco-friendly attributes, while social media serves as a powerful channel for information dissemination and social influence in modern consumption contexts. A quantitative research approach was adopted to empirically test the proposed model. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire using a cross-sectional design. A total of 200 valid responses were obtained from consumers with sufficient awareness of green products and environmental issues. Measurement items were adapted from established scales and assessed using a Likert-type format. The data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), which is suitable for predictive research models and for examining mediation effects. The analysis involved assessing both the measurement model and the structural model, with bootstrapping techniques applied to test the significance of direct and indirect relationships. The empirical findings indicate that environmental responsibility, green marketing orientation, green product knowledge, and social media all have significant positive effects on green purchase intention. These results suggest that consumers who feel a stronger sense of responsibility toward the environment, possess better knowledge about green products, and perceive marketing efforts as environmentally oriented are more likely to develop intentions to purchase eco-friendly products. Social media also plays a meaningful role in shaping intention by increasing awareness and exposure to green-related information. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that green purchase intention has a strong and significant influence on green purchase behavior, confirming that intention is a critical predictor of actual green buying actions. Environmental responsibility also shows a weak but significant direct effect on green purchase behavior, indicating that ethical concern may sometimes influence behavior independently. However, the direct effect of social media on green purchase behavior is not supported, suggesting that online exposure alone is insufficient to ensure consistent green purchasing without the formation of strong purchase intentions. The mediation analysis confirms that green purchase intention significantly mediates the relationships between all antecedent variables and green purchase behavior. This finding highlights the central role of intention in translating environmental concern, knowledge, marketing influence, and social media exposure into actual purchasing behavior. Overall, this study contributes to green consumer behavior literature by offering empirical evidence on the mechanisms underlying green purchase decisions. Practically, the findings suggest that policymakers and marketers should focus on strengthening consumers’ environmental responsibility, improving green product knowledge, and designing credible green marketing strategies that encourage intention formation and support sustainable consumption.

Keywords: Green Purchase Behavior; Green Purchase Intention; Environmental Responsibility; Green Marketing Orientation; Gr: een Product Knowledge; Social Media; PLS-SEM