What is the role of cultural factors in moderating the impact of environmental concern, social value, and perceived consumer effectiveness on green purchase intention?

Details

Supervisors

Hazée, Simon

Faculty

Louvain School of Management

Degree label

Master [120] en sciences de gestion, à finalité spécialisée

Abstract

enAs sustainability becomes an increasingly important concern for consumers and firms, understanding the drivers of Green Purchase Intention (GPI) has gained growing relevance in consumer behavior research. This master’s thesis examines the psychological and cultural determinants of GPI by focusing on three established antecedents: Environmental Concern (EC), Perceived Consumer Effectiveness (PCE), and Social Value (SV). In addition, the study integrates Hofstede’s cultural framework to investigate whether cultural dimensions moderate the relationships between these psychological drivers and GPI. Data were collected through an online survey administered to 376 respondents, primarily based in Europe. After preliminary data screening and influential-case analysis, a filtered analytical sample of 355 respondents was retained for the main correlation and hypothesis- testing analyses. The measurement model was assessed through exploratory factor analysis and reliability testing, while the hypotheses were tested using a three-step hierarchical regression model. The findings confirm that EC, PCE, and SV all have significant positive effects on GPI, with EC emerging as the strongest predictor. This suggests that green purchase intention is primarily driven by moral and environmental concern, while perceived effectiveness and social value act as supporting motivational mechanisms. Several cultural dimensions also show direct effects on GPI, particularly Collectivism, Power Distance/Masculinity, and Uncertainty Avoidance. However, none of the hypothesized cultural moderation effects were statistically supported. Overall, the study contributes to green consumer behavior research by showing that psychological drivers remain robust even when cultural orientations are considered. The findings suggest that culture may influence sustainable consumption more indirectly, through broader value contexts, norms, or structural conditions, rather than by systematically moderating individual-level psychological relationships.