Journal of Cleaner Production 228 (2019) 833e844

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Journal of Cleaner Production

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jclepro

Examination of peer influence as a moderator and predictor in

explaining green purchase behaviour in a developing country
Norazah Mohd Suki a, *, Norbayah Mohd Suki b
a
Othman Yeop Abdullah Graduate School of Business, Universiti Utara Malaysia, 06010, UUM Sintok, Kedah, Malaysia
b
School of Creative Industry Management & Performing Arts, Universiti Utara Malaysia, 06010, UUM Sintok, Kedah, Malaysia

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: This study examines the factors affecting consumers' purchasing behaviour in respect of green products
Received 18 October 2018 in a developing nation. Additionally, it ascertains the moderating effect of peer influence on this rela-
Received in revised form tionship. A questionnaire was administered to a group of 400 respondents through the convenience
9 April 2019
sampling method. Data were analysed via the Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-
Accepted 18 April 2019
Available online 24 April 2019
SEM) approach to examine the posited research hypotheses. The PLS-SEM approach revealed that
perceived deterioration of environmental problems was the strongest predictor of consumers’ pur-
chasing behaviour in respect of green products in a developing nation. This was followed by environ-
Keywords:
Green products
mental concern, and then by perceived environmental responsibility, and environmental self-image.
Consumer behaviour Furthermore, the moderating effects varied significantly across peer influence groups. Producers and
Peer influence marketing managers should overtly demonstrate their sensitivity to the need to care for the environ-
Perceived deterioration ment. This requires them to arouse positive environmental awareness among consumers about the
Environmental concern deterioration of environmental problems. The originality of the paper is its investigation of peer influ-
Acquisition transaction utility theory ence as the moderator and predictor in the proposed theoretical framework, something that has been
overlooked in prior studies. The results underpin new and extensive inputs into marketing theory, and
enlarge the emergent literature related to consumer green purchasing behaviour in a developing nation.
Directions for future research are offered.
© 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction sustainable purchasing. As for the UK market, the same report

Many consumers have a strong preference for green products
that contain no (or less) toxic chemicals, and that can be recycled so
that in themselves they have minimal negative impact on the
environment (Persaud and Schillo, 2017; Suki, 2016a; Wang et al.,
2018b; Zhang et al., 2018). Those with direct exposure to the
negative impact of unsustainable business practices put greater
emphasis on sustainable purchasing with companies that have
sustainable credentials. The power of social norms, i.e. influence
from peers, family members, environmentalists, and the green
society contributes towards this effort. A sustainable behaviour
research study conducted by Unilever (2017) reported that Indian
consumers (88%), Brazilian consumers (85%), Turkish consumers
(85%), and American consumers (78%) all support this form of
* Corresponding author.
E-mail addresses: azahsuki@yahoo.com (N. Mohd Suki), bayasuki@yahoo.com
(N. Mohd Suki).
noted that the demand for the availability of green products was
above average (53%). These statistics demonstrate that with their
enhanced awareness of the need to protect the environment for the
future, people are more cautious about what they are prepared to
purchase, and essentially look for purchases bearing the hallmark
of high environmental consciousness (Kumar et al., 2017; Suki and
Suki, 2015).
Within the Malaysian context, the government has established
the MyHIJAU programme to boost the purchase of products that are
environmentally friendly, and to encourage more utilisation of
green technology among citizens. The MyHIJAU programme, which
falls under the umbrella of the Ministry of Energy, Green Technol-
ogy and Water (KeTTHA), and the Malaysia Green Tech Corporation
(MGTC), offers assurance that products are certified to be in
accordance with environmental and ecological standards. Fig. 1
presents the MyHIJAU environmental certification schemes
comprising: (i) the Standards and Industrial Research Institute of
Malaysia (SIRIM) Eco-Labelling Scheme by SIRIM Berhad, (ii) En-
ergy Efficient Labelling by Energy Commission, and (iii) the Water

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.04.218
0959-6526/© 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
834 N. Mohd Suki, N. Mohd Suki / Journal of Cleaner Production 228 (2019) 833e844
Fig. 1. MyHIJAU environmental certification schemes.
Efficient Products Labelling Scheme by the National Water Services
Commission.
Such eco-labelling aids Malaysian consumers' decision-making
and evaluation of green products before purchasing them (Suki,
2013, 2016a). Indeed, these scholars have also emphasised that (i)
environmental concern and knowledge affect consumer beliefs,
attitude and purchase intentions towards green products, and (ii)
social value was the dominant predictor of their purchase of green
products followed by epistemic value and functional value quality.
Encouragingly, since 2015 the Malaysian government has
mandated the separation of solid waste at source via three imple-
mentation stages: (i) separate according to type, (ii) temporarily
storage in suitable containers, and (iii) placing the waste next to the
garbage bin on collection day, to boost citizens' sensitivity and
sense of responsibility towards recycling, and green behaviour
(Ministry of Housing and Local Government, 2019). Additionally, to
inculcate more environmental concern and responsibility in terms
of green consumption among Malaysian citizens, the Ministry of
Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change
(2018) is enforcing the practice of ‘no straw by default’ where
straw is provided free upon request, bringing one's own food
container or paying for food containers that comply with ECO001
and ECO009 to replace polystyrene and plastic food packaging at
food eateries, and paying a minimum of RM0.20 for plastic bags.
In an effort to attract more investment in Malaysia's green in-
dustry, the government is introducing an interesting privilege for
companies that produce environmentally-friendly plastics based
on bio-resin and biopolymer through a Pioneer Status incentive of
70% or investment allowance of 60% for 5 years. Furthermore, an
allocation of RM 2 billion Green Technology Financing Scheme
(GTFS) subsidizing a 2% interest cost for the first year is also
documented in Malaysia's Budget 2019 (PricewaterhouseCoopers,
2018). The incentives will increase the quality supply of green
products in Malaysia in order to help meet consumers' volatile
demand and concern to enjoy a greener and healthier lifestyle, and
to cultivate a high spirit of environmentalism spirit. Given the
intensification of environmental consciousness movements, more
research that delves into the specific factors affecting consumers'
purchasing behaviour towards green products is deemed necessary
(De Angelis et al., 2017; De Medeiros and Ribeiro, 2017; Sangroya
and Nayak, 2017; Souri et al., 2018).
The Acquisition Transaction Utility Theory (ATUT) is employed
as the guiding principle in this research because it helps to
conceptualize consumers' acquisition in respect of green products.
The utilisation of ATUT to associate with environmental variables
by incorporating interaction effects has hardly been evident in a
developing nation setting. Indeed, it is a theory that was applied
mainly in the twentieth century, rather than in the digitised
twenty-first century which has brought substantial reliance by
citizens on technology, including green technology as a testament
to their sustained sensitivity towards the environment. Thaler
(1983) noted over thirty-give years ago, that consumers evaluate
products based on their acquisition utility, and transaction utility.
Bei and Simpson (1995) subsequently asserted that consumers who
experience greater acquisition utility tend to be more inclined to
purchase green products. Environmental aspects like environ-
mental concern, perceived deterioration of environmental prob-
lems, perceived environmental responsibility, environmental self-
image, and peer influence reflect the acquisition utility of the
green products purchasing in the proposed theoretical framework.
Furthermore, peer influence is added into this framework to play a
significant moderating role in this relationship. That interaction
was not explored in Lee's (2009) study as he only tested the direct
impact of the variables on the green purchasing behaviour of Hong
Kongese adolescents, and examined the differences between
gender groups.
Accordingly, the goal of the present study is to examine the
factors affecting consumers' purchasing behaviour towards green
products in a developing nation. At the same time, the study in-
spects the moderating effect of peer influence on this relationship.
To date, there has been no such focus on this issue in a developing
nation. Clearly, the demand for more research effort is justified. The
originality of the paper lies in its investigation of peer influence as
the moderator, as whilst this particular influence was examined as
the predictor in some prior studies, such as that of Lee (2009), there
has been no attempt to examine it as a moderating factor. Addi-
tionally, the present research findings respond to the demand by
Groening et al. (2018) for additional research to extend acquisition
utility and transaction utility functions to include the perceived
utility by social groups. The empirical results are significant, of-
fering confirmation to marketers and policy-makers that perceived
deterioration of environmental problems is the strongest predictor
of consumers’ purchasing behaviour in respect of green products in
a developing nation. This is followed by environmental concern,
and then by perceived environmental responsibility, and environ-
mental self-image. Moreover, the moderating effects vary signifi-
cantly across peer influence groups. The resulting knowledge
assists marketers in their formulation of segmenting, targeting, and
positioning strategies in respect of their green products. Further,
the input should be of benefit to them in generating greater con-
sumer demand for those products, and in stimulating healthy green
purchase behaviour, as well as in fostering environmentally-
friendly purchase decision-making.
This paper is presented in six sections, the literature review
 N. Mohd Suki, N. Mohd Suki / Journal of Cleaner Production 228 (2019) 833e844
appearing in Section 2. The methodology employed is elaborated in
Section 3, while the analysis of data is detailed in Section 4. A
discussion of the findings is provided in Section 5, and finally, in
Section 6, a conclusion and directions for further research are
offered.
2. Proposed hypotheses and model
This section reviews the literature related to green products,
environmental concern, perceived deterioration of environmental
problems, perceived environmental responsibility, environmental
self-image, and peer influence. From this review, the study's hy-
potheses are formulated.
2.1. Green products
Green products refer to those that use resources with minimal
impacts and risks to the environment (Commission of the European
Communities, 2001). However, there is no absolute standard for
green products, as acknowledged by Pickett-Baker and Ozaki
(2008), who note that a product is considered as “green” if it has
“superior environmental performance” than traditional products
during its production phase and overall life cycle (Albino et al.,
2009). Green is also termed as “eco-friendly”, “environmentally-
friendly”, or “sustainable” (Kim et al., 2013). Bearing this in mind,
Suki (2016b) highlights that companies that successfully apply
green brand positioning help to differentiate their products from
their competitors, create more demand, and increase consumers’
intention to purchase more green products. Prior studies, such as
those by De Angelis et al. (2017), De Medeiros and Ribeiro (2017),
Persaud and Schillo (2017), and Yadav and Pathak (2016), have been
undertaken on the subject of consumer green purchasing behav-
iour in Western countries, whereas Kumar and Ghodeswar (2015),
Prakash and Pathak (2017), and Sangroya and Nayak (2017) have
carried out research in India, Nguyen et al. (2017) in Vietnam, Souri
et al. (2018) in Iran, Wang (2014) in Taiwan, and Wang et al. (2018a)
in China. From these studies, it is apparent that differences exist in
environmental concern, perceived deterioration of environmental
problems, and responsibility. However, the literature in this area is
by no means comprehensive, as there has been only marginal effort
directed to the issue in a developing nation (Tait et al., 2016), and
particularly in the Malaysian context. Additionally, Souri et al.
(2018) have stressed the need for more research to unravel the
related problems.
2.2. Environmental concern
Environmental concern refers to consumers’ expression of
concern about the quality of the environment for the benefit of the
well-being of the nation (Bickart and Ruth, 2012). Consumers who
have a concern for the environment are optimistic about the green
credentials of products and strongly inclined to purchase those
products in order to gain a healthier lifestyle and to remain true to
their principles (Agyeman, 2014; Magnier and Crie, 2015; Pires
et al., 2015; Paul et al., 2016). Indeed, they tend to purchase green
products precisely for their environmental characteristics, which
they elevate above other traits of those products, as noted by Suki
(2016a). Because consumers are strongly concerned for the envi-
ronment, they invest a high emotional involvement in their part in
conserving the environment and instilling a strong love of their
motherland. This was discovered in the research work of Lee
(2009). Prior studies have found that concern for the environ-
ment influences the consumer decision-making process,
835
particularly in the intention towards purchasing, and in actual
purchasing behaviour in respect of green products (e.g. Chen and
Peng, 2012; Yadav and Pathak, 2016). This sustained finding is
also echoed in the research by Arısal and Atalar (2016), and Chang
and Wu (2015), who observe that consumers tend to develop a
higher level of intention to purchase green products when they are
deeply concerned about the environment. Accordingly, it is
postulated that:
H1. Environmental concern has a positive effect on consumers'
purchasing behaviour in respect of green products.
2.3. Perceived deterioration of environmental problems
The perceived deterioration of environmental problems is
stressed among consumers when they think about the conse-
quences of using and consuming certain products before they
actually purchase them. Researchers such as Dezdar (2017), and Lee
(2009), have noted that this perceived deterioration influences the
green purchasing behaviour of adolescents; and other researchers
confirm this, noting that consumers (in general) with a high
perception of the deterioration of environmental problems,
demonstrate green behaviour during their product evaluations and
decision-making (Hessami and Yousef, 2013; Suki, 2016a). More-
over, such perceived environmental deterioration is more pro-
nounced among green consumers than among their counterparts
(Hessami and Yousef, 2013), and it affects both intention to pur-
chase, and actual purchase (Banerjee and Mckeage, 1994). Conse-
quently, the subsequent hypothesis is posited:
H2. Perceived deterioration of environmental problems has a
positive effect on consumers' purchasing behaviour in respect of
green products.
2.4. Perceived environmental responsibility
Perceived environmental responsibility is related to consumers'
obligation to protect the environment by ensuring their action does
not have any negative effects upon others or the general environ-
ment (Barr, 2003; Bierhoff and Auhagen, 2001). Environmental
protection is the responsibility of everyone, including environ-
mental organisations (Kumar and Ghodeswar, 2015; Punitha and
Azmawani, 2011). The intention to take individual responsibility
is seen in the buying decisions for green products which reflect
consumers' willingness to spend more money (Suki, 2013; Suki and
Suki, 2015; Verma and Chandra, 2018). In a Hong Kong-based study
conducted by Lee (2009), it was found that perceived environ-
mental responsibility significantly predicted adolescents’ green
purchasing behaviour. To be precise in terms of gender differences,
females have a stronger tendency to take responsibility for
ameliorating environmental problems than their male counter-
parts. In the light of such understanding, it is proposed that:
H3. Perceived environmental responsibility has a positive effect
on consumers' purchasing behaviour in respect of green products.
2.5. Environmental self-image
Environmental self-image results from reflecting upon one's
green actions, and is used as a means of acquiring a particular
status, creating an impression upon others, and developing a
feeling of personal identity (Hormuth, 1999; Waterman, 2004). In
the context of green behaviour, the self-image possessed by green
836 N. Mohd Suki, N. Mohd Suki / Journal of Cleaner Production 228 (2019) 833e844
consumers motivates them to accept green products (Gwendolyn
and Dickson, 2009; Wang et al., 2018a). This is confirmed by Pino
et al. (2012) who also focused on the green-buying intention and
actual purchase of green products. Earlier scholars such as Dezdar
(2017) noted that the green purchasing intention among adoles-
cents is determined by the desire to protect the environment for
their future. Consequent upon all these studies which show that
individuals with a strong environmental self-image tend to pur-
chase green products, the next hypothesis is framed:
H4. Environmental self-image has a positive effect on consumers'
purchasing behaviour in respect of green products.
2.6. Peer influence
Peer influence is seen as the encouragement from peers to
embark upon certain actions (Brisol and Mangleburg, 2005). Hence,
peer endorsement of the green agenda predisposes individuals to
want to adopt the norm within their overall group, and change their
buying behaviour to embrace green principles (Kumar, 2012).
Earlier studies have revealed a statistically significant relationship
between influence from peers (i.e. friends, co-workers, family, and
opinion leaders) and consumers' purchasing behaviour in respect
of green products, in various settings including green products
purchase intention (Ha and Janda, 2012; Persaud and Schillo, 2017),
and actual green consumption behaviour (Nguyen et al., 2017;
Rizwan et al., 2013). Analogous results have also been obtained
concerning the influence of peers towards consumers' intention to
visit green hotels (Chen and Peng, 2012; Chen and Tung, 2014).
Furthermore, peer influence has been shown to be a significant
determinant of consumers’ intention to consume green products,
since peers are able to reason and persuade others to recognise the
deterioration of environmental problems (Moser, 2015; Tsarenko
et al., 2013). When they possess a high level of concern about the
green attributes of the products, individuals are acting responsibly
in safeguarding the environment (Oliver and Lee, 2010). Thus, the
following hypothesis is formulated:
H5. Peer influence has a positive effect on consumers' purchasing
behaviour in respect of green products.
Thus far, there has been no effort to examine the moderating
effect of peer influence on consumers’ purchasing behaviour to-
wards green products by environmental factors like environmental
concern, perceived deterioration of environmental problems,
perceived environmental responsibility, and between environ-
mental self-image in the past studies. The rationale is evidenced in
the research works of Lee (2009), Nguyen et al. (2017), and Persaud
and Schillo (2017) who inspected peer influence only as a predictor
and not as a moderating factor. Thus, the following hypotheses are
put forward:
H6. Peer influence moderates the relationship between environ-
mental concern and consumers' purchasing behaviour in respect of
green products.
H7. Peer influence moderates the relationship between perceived
deterioration of environmental problems and consumers' pur-
chasing behaviour in respect of green products.
H8. Peer influence moderates the relationship between perceived
environmental responsibility and consumers' purchasing behav-
iour in respect of green products.
H9. Peer influence moderates the relationship between environ-
mental self-image and consumers' purchasing behaviour in respect
of green products.
Based on the review of the literature, the proposed theoretical
framework and the formulated hypotheses are shown in Fig. 2.
3. Methodology
3.1. Participants and procedure
A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to a group of
400 respondents through the convenience sampling method in
Labuan, Malaysia over a two-week period in October 2017. Hair
et al. (2014), and Kline (1998) noted that the sample size needs to
be at least ten times the parameter/items. Given that a total of 31
items were involved, the minimum sample size required in this
study is 310. From this circulation, 300 useable responses were
subjected to data analysis giving a response rate of 75%. Table 1
shows that 45% were male, and 55% female. There were 29% aged
less than 21 years old, 35% aged between 21 and 30 years old, 23%
aged between 31 and 40 years old, and 13% aged 41 years old and
over. Concerning education level, 61% of the respondents held the
Malaysia Higher School Certificate Examination (STPM)/Matricu-
lation certificates, 36% were degree holders, and the remaining
respondents (3%) possessed a diploma. As for monthly income, a
small portion of the respondents (19%) earned more than USD
2,001, 46% earned between USD 1001 and USD 2,000, whereas the
balances (35%) earned less than USD 1000 per month.
On the subject of the frequency of purchasing green products
per month, half of the participants (50%) indicated that they pur-
chased such products between one and two times, more than a
quarter of the participants (27%) placed this estimate at three to
four times per month, 12% stated they did this five to six times a
month, and 11% reported buying such products more than seven
times per month (Table 2). Next, 56% of the respondents said they
had purchased recycled paper in the past three months. Addition-
ally, 29% of the respondents reported having purchased recycled
toilet tissue, and 15% indicated they had purchased clothes made
from recycled fabric. In terms of the money spent on green products
per month, 66% of the respondents spent less than USD 200 per
month, 27% spent between USD 201 and USD 400, and a small
percentage (7%) spent more than USD 401 per month. With regard
to the motivations for engaging in such behaviour, 30% of the re-
spondents were encouraged by family members, and 28% stated
that they were self-motivated. Recommendations from friends
(21%) and advertising (21%) were the least over-riding causes that
enthused them to acquire green products.
3.2. Questionnaire development and Instrument
A three-section questionnaire was designed in English. Section
A requested demographic information such as gender, age, educa-
tion level, and monthly income. Section B required responses to
questions regarding experiences in purchasing green products like
frequency of purchasing green products per month, type of green
products purchased in the past three months, money spent on
green products per month, and motivation for purchasing green
products. Section C recorded the respondent's perception of green
purchasing. This last section covered 31 measurement items
adopted from Lee (2009) and that had been adjusted to fit the
context of green purchasing. Harman's single factor test was per-
formed to establish any evidence of common method bias through
un-rotated principal component factor analysis on all measurement
items via the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS)
version 21 (Simonin, 1999). The analysis extracted six factors with
eigenvalues larger than 1.0 which accounted for 65.72% of the total
variance with the first factor accounting for only 22.94% of the
variance. Respondents were also assured of anonymity, and of the
 N. Mohd Suki, N. Mohd Suki / Journal of Cleaner Production 228 (2019) 833e844 837

Fig. 2. Proposed theoretical framework.

Table 1 not become a noticeable problem in this data set, and hence, the
Respondents’ characteristics. reliability of the research is increased. Appendix 1 details the
Variables Frequency Percentage measurement items, which embrace four items for environmental
concern, five for perceived deterioration of environmental prob-
Gender
Male 135 45.0 lems, and seven for perceived environmental responsibility. The
Female 165 55.0 remaining dimensions included three items for environmental self-
Age (years old) image, and five for peer influence. Seven items were used for the
Less than 21 87 29.0
dependent variable, i.e., consumers' purchasing behaviour in
21-30 105 35.0
31-40 68 22.7
respect of green products. These items were measured on a 5-point
41 and above 40 13.3 Likert scale extending from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly
Education level agree).
STPM/Matriculation 182 60.7
Diploma 9 3.0
Degree 109 36.3 3.3. Statistical techniques
Monthly Income
< USD 1000 105 35.0 The Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-
USD 1001 - USD 2000 138 46.0
SEM) approach supported by Smart-PLS 3.0 was employed to
> USD 2001 57 19.0
analyse the research model in this study. PLS-SEM has been re-
ported as an effective analytical tool to assess interactions by
reducing type II errors and can readily handle formative di-
Table 2
Experiences in purchasing green products.
mensions (Chin, 1998). The statistical experts such as Hair et al.
(2017), Rigdon (2016), and Sarstedt et al. (2017) explain another
Variables Frequency Percentage
enormous advantage of PLS-SEM as being that the approach is non-
Frequency of purchasing green products per month parametric. This means that there is no requirement for normally-
1e2 times 151 50.3 distributed data, and the technique can be applied in research with
3e4 times 80 26.7
a low sample size, and in exploratory research. As such, it helps the
5e6 times 36 12.0

7 times 33 11.0 researcher to analyse structural models that embrace multiple-
Type of green products purchased in the past three months item constructs, with direct and indirect paths, to determine the
Recycled paper 169 56.3 predictor variation.
Clothes made from recycled fabric 44 14.7
Recycled toilet tissue 87 29.0
Money spent on green products per month 4. Data analysis
 USD 200 197 65.7
USD 201- USD 400 80 26.7 PLS-SEM is chosen over CB-SEM (covariance-based SEM) due to

USD 401 23 7.6
Motivation for purchasing green products
the philosophy of measurement and the aim of the analysis (i.e., to
Friends 63 21.0 predict, rather than to confirm), in keeping with the suggestion of
Family members 90 30.0 Hair et al. (2018). The PLS-SEM approach was executed by assessing
Self-motivated 85 28.3 the measurement model, and the structural model.
Advertising 62 20.7

4.1. Measurement model

confidentiality of the responses that they furnished (Chang et al.,

The internal consistency reliability, convergent validity, and
2010). This result surmises that common method variance does
discriminant validity of the construct measures in the
838 N. Mohd Suki, N. Mohd Suki / Journal of Cleaner Production 228 (2019) 833e844

Table 3
Reliability and validity analysis.

Factors Items Item loadings Cronbach's alpha Composite reliability Average variance extracted

Environmental Concern (EC) 0.704 0.818 0.530

EC1 0.779
EC2 0.703
EC3 0.706
EC4 0.720
Perceived Deterioration of Environmental Problems 0.705 0.815 0.526
(PSEP)
PSEP1 0.786
PSEP2 0.773
PSEP3 0.659
PSEP5 0.675
Perceived Environmental Responsibility (PER) 0.733 0.834 0.557
PER4 0.718
PER5 0.719
PER6 0.828
PER7 0.714
Environmental Self-image (SEP) 0.772 0.867 0.686
SEP1 0.833
SEP2 0.841
SEP3 0.810
Peer Influence (PI) 0.740 0.830 0.551
PI1 0.665
PI2 0.688
PI3 0.812
PI4 0.794
Green Purchasing Behaviour (GPB) 0.767 0.842 0.517
GPB2 0.681
GPB4 0.684
GPB5 0.720
GPB6 0.790
GPB7 0.715

measurement model were examined. Reliability of the constructs 2017) (ranging from 1.256 to 1.718), surmising there were no
was inspected using Cronbach's alpha and composite reliability. multicollinearity issues among the predictor constructs. Both
Table 3 shows the readings of Cronbach's alpha ranges between findings provide evidence of satisfactory discriminant validity.
0.704 and 0.772, and composite reliability ranges between 0.815
and 0.867 which all surpassed the boundary of 0.70 (Hair et al.,
4.2. Structural model
2014), signifying strong reliability among the measures.
Convergent validity was checked via factor item loadings,
The significance of path coefficients in the structural model was
composite reliability, and average variance extracted (AVE). In this
evaluated via the 95% bias-corrected and accelerated (BCa) boot-
study, the convergent validity was accomplished as the factor item
strap confidence intervals with 5000 re-samples. Based on the
loadings go beyond 0.60, the composite reliability exceeds 0.70, and
blindfolding procedure with an omission distance of 7, a predictive
the AVE is above 0.50 (Hair et al., 2014). Prior to that, several items
relevance in the structural model is well-secured as a cross-
were deleted for not meeting this criterion, these being: an item of
validated redundancy result (the Stone-Geisser test, Q2) of the
perceived deterioration of environmental problems (PSEP 4: “I
endogenous variable was greater than 0 (Q2 ¼ 0.236) (Chin, 1998).
think the environmental problems are threatening the reputation
Further, its overall model fit by using the standardised root mean
of the companies” with loading ¼ 0.341), and three items of
square residual (SRMR ¼ 0.074) as an index for model validation
perceived environmental responsibility (PER1: “I should be
was beneath 0.08 and thus considered satisfactory (Hu and Bentler,
responsible for protecting our environment” with loading ¼ 0.411,
1999). Besides, the R2 of the endogenous variable was 0.334,
PER2: “Environmental protection is the responsibility of environ-
signifying that 33.4% of the variance in consumers’ purchasing
mental organisations, not me” with loading ¼ 0.465, and PER3:
behaviour regarding green products is explained by the indepen-
“Environmental protection starts with me” with loading ¼ 0.524).
dent variables. Rasoolimanesh et al. (2016) reported that the R2
Additional items removed included one concerning peer influence
value that surpasses 20% is considered high for consumer behav-
(i.e. PI5: “I often share with my friends about green product expe-
iour studies. Moreover, the bootstrapping procedure shows that the
riences and information” with loading ¼ 0.411), and two about
direct effects of all the five variables are significant (attributable to
consumers’ purchasing behaviour towards green products (i.e.
the non-appearance of zero in 95% BCa bootstrap confidence in-
GPB1: “I often buy organic products” with loading ¼ 0.363, and
tervals) for the relationship between constructs (see Table 5). Hair
GPB3: “I often buy products that are against animal-testing” with
et al. (2017, p. 156) explained that if the “confidence interval does
loading ¼ 0.430).
not contain the value zero, the path coefficient is significant”.
Discriminant validity was assessed via the heterotrait-
On closer inspection, the standardised beta coefficients reveal
monotrait (HTMT) ratio with thresholds of 0.85, which has been
that environmental concern was seen to significantly affect con-
acknowledged as a superior criterion than the Fornell-Larcker cri-
sumers' purchasing behaviour in respect of green products
terion (Henseler et al., 2015). Table 4 demonstrates that the read-
(b1 ¼ 0.174, bootstrap t-value ¼ 2.729, p < 0.05). It is thus deduced
ings of the associations between all factors were not above the
that H1 is supported. Furthermore, as projected, the perceived
critical value of 0.85. Further, all constructs had variance inflation
deterioration of environmental problems had a positive effect on
factor (VIF) values less than the recommended value of 5 (Hair et al.,
consumers' purchasing behaviour concerning green products
 N. Mohd Suki, N. Mohd Suki / Journal of Cleaner Production 228 (2019) 833e844 839

Table 4
Mean, standard deviation and discriminant validity (HTMT.85 criterion).

Variables 1 2 3 4 5 6 Mean SD VIF

(1) Environmental concern 0.728 3.521 0.777 1.718

(2)Perceived deterioration of environmental problems 0.333 0.725 3.376 0.739 1.512
(3)Perceived environmental responsibility 0.395 0.282 0.746 3.603 0.761 1.422
(4)Environmental self-image 0.381 0.299 0.471 0.828 3.853 0.779 1.412
(5)Peer influence 0.340 0.286 0.338 0.267 0.742 3.255 0.770 1.256
(6)Green purchasing behaviour 0.443 0.425 0.405 0.387 0.340 0.719 3.465 0.736

Note: The diagonal figures are the square root of the AVE, whereas the off-diagonals are correlations; VIF ¼ Variance inflation factor.

Table 5
Determinants of consumers’ purchasing behaviour.

Hypothesised paths Standardised beta Bootstrap t- BC 95% Q2 f2

coefficients value bootstrap CI

H1 Environmental concern / Consumers' purchasing behaviour towards green products 0.174* 2.729 0.069, 0.280 0.236 0.027
H2 Perceived deterioration of environmental problems / Consumers' purchasing behaviour 0.212* 3.441 0.106, 0.304 0.044
towards green products
H3 Perceived environmental responsibility / Consumers' purchasing behaviour towards green 0.174* 2.381 0.043, 0.277 0.030
products
H4 Environmental self-image / Consumers' purchasing behaviour towards green products 0.129* 2.086 0.030, 0.236 0.020
H5 Peer influence / Consumers' purchasing behaviour towards green products 0.149* 2.418 0.040, 0.231 0.025

Notes: *p < 0.05; BC ¼ Bias corrected; CI ¼ Confidence interval.

(b2 ¼ 0.212, bootstrap t-value ¼ 3.441, p < 0.05). Hence, H2 is also
supported. Further inspection of the standardised beta coefficients
shows that perceived environmental responsibility significantly
influenced consumers' green purchasing behaviour (b3 ¼ 0.174,
bootstrap t-value ¼ 2.381, p < 0.05), as postulated by H3. In conse-
quence, H3 is protected. Support is also resilient for H4, which
posited that individuals' environmental self-image positively in-
fluences their green purchasing behaviour (b4 ¼ 0.129, bootstrap t-
value ¼ 2.086, p < 0.05). Thus, H4 is upheld, as anticipated. In a
similar vein, peer influence positively and significantly affects
consumers’ purchasing behaviour regarding green products
(b5 ¼ 0.149, bootstrap t-value ¼ 2.418, p < 0.05), thus supporting
H5.
Additionally, based on the reading of effect size (f2), environ-
mental concern (f2 ¼ 0.027), and perceived deterioration of envi-
ronmental problems (f2 ¼ 0.044) contributed to the explanation of
the endogenous constructs with a small effect. Likewise, a small
effect was denoted by aspects such as environmental self-image
(f2 ¼ 0.020), perceived environmental responsibility (f2 ¼ 0.030),
and peer influence (f2 ¼ 0.025) (see Cohen's 1988 guideline).
4.3. Moderating effect of peer influence
The moderating effects were determined by calculating the
mean-centred indicator values before the moderator variable
multiplication with the predictor variables, also known as
interaction terms. This method was validated by Ping (1995) as an
applicable way to evaluate path models with latent variable in-
teractions. Table 6 furnishes the results of the path estimates and
bootstrap t-values of the interaction effect. Precisely, the moder-
ating effects of peer influence on the linkages between environ-
mental concern (b6 ¼ 0.149), perceived deterioration of
environmental problems (b7 ¼ 0.128), and perceived environ-
mental responsibility (b8 ¼ 0.161), and consumers’ purchasing
behaviour towards green products were significant at p < 0.05.
These findings imply that the outcome of these relationships varies
significantly across two groups of influence from peers. Hence, H6-
H8 are reinforced.
Indeed, in terms of the strength of the interaction effect,
perceived environmental responsibility has the strongest influence
on consumers' purchasing behaviour towards green products, fol-
lowed by environmental concern, and perceived deterioration of
environmental problems, respectively. However, the empirical re-
sults provided no support for the final hypothesis (H9) because the
interaction effect of peer influence on the relationship between
environmental self-image and consumers’ purchasing behaviour in
respect of green products was non-significant (b9 ¼ 0.103, p > 0.05).
Fig. 3a, Fig. 3b, and Fig. 3c illustrate the interaction effect plots of
the three significant relationships noted above. The graphs indicate
that the positive effect of the linkages is stronger when the influ-
ence from peers is high, whereas, for those with lower peer influ-
ence, there is no impact.

Table 6
Moderating effects of peer influence.

Hypothesised paths Standardised beta Bootstrap t- BC 95%

coefficients value bootstrap CI

H6 Peer influence * Environmental concern / 0.149* 2.155 0.058, 0.249

Consumers' purchasing behaviour towards green products
H7 Peer influence * Perceived deterioration of environmental problems / Consumers' purchasing behaviour 0.128* 2.596 0.031, 0.261
towards green products
H8 Peer influence * Perceived environmental responsibility / Consumers' purchasing behaviour towards 0.161* 2.001 0.077, 0.285
green products
H9 Peer influence * Environmental self-image / Consumers' purchasing behaviour towards green products 0.103 1.447 0.104, 0.172

Notes: *p < 0.05; BC ¼ Bias corrected; CI ¼ Confidence interval.

840 N. Mohd Suki, N. Mohd Suki / Journal of Cleaner Production 228 (2019) 833e844

Fig. 3a. Moderating effect of peer influence on the relationship between environmental concern and consumers' purchasing behaviour in respect of green products.
Note: PSEP ¼ Perceived deterioration of environmental problems.. (For interpretation of the references to colour in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the Web version of
this article.)

Fig. 3b. Moderating effect of peer influence on the relationship between perceived deterioration of environmental problems and consumers' purchasing behaviour in respect of
green products.
Note: PER ¼ Perceived environmental responsibility.. (For interpretation of the references to colour in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the Web version of this article.)

5. Discussion moderating role of peer influence on this relationship. The posited

This study examined the factors affecting consumers' purchas-
ing behaviour in respect of green products in a developing nation,
and inspected the moderating effect of peer influence on this
relationship. Empirical results via a PLS-SEM approach disclosed
that environmental concerns significantly affect consumers' pur-
chasing behaviour in respect of green products, and hence, H1 was
supported. The results infer that the higher the concerns for the
quality of the environment, the more likely consumers will actively
make green products purchases. These results corroborate those
obtained in foregoing studies (e.g. Chen and Peng, 2012; Suki and
Suki, 2015). They also complement those reported in the schol-
arly works of Arısal and Atalar (2016), Suki (2016a), and Yadav and
Pathak (2016). Further analysis was then performed to check the
H6 was also supported. The results imply that the linkages were
stronger when influence from peers was higher, whereas low in-
fluence from peers had no impact on the environmental concern/
consumers’ purchasing behaviour in respect of green products
relationship (see Fig. 3a). Consumers are emotionally involved in
environmental conservation and find a way forward to enrich the
quality of the environment.
Pertaining to the influence of perceived deterioration of envi-
ronmental problems on consumers' purchasing behaviour in
respect of green products, this relationship is apparent and signif-
icant, hence upholding H2. The results specify that consumers with
a deep appreciation of the deterioration of environmental problems
incline towards purchasing more green products with strong in-
fluence from friends. This finding concurs with the outcomes of
 N. Mohd Suki, N. Mohd Suki / Journal of Cleaner Production 228 (2019) 833e844
Fig. 3c. Moderating effect of peer influence on the relationship between perceived environmental responsibility and consumers' purchasing behaviour in respect of green products.
(For interpretation of the references to colour in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the Web version of this article.)
preceding studies (e.g. Dezdar, 2017; Hessami and Yousef, 2013;
Suki, 2016a). In terms of the influence of peers as moderations on
this connection, the interaction plot in Fig. 3b revealed a significant
result which supported the postulated H7. The discoveries indicate
that stronger influence from peers had an impact on consumers’
purchasing behaviour in respect of green products through their
perceived deterioration of environmental problems. This reflects
their acceptance that environmental problems are serious, and may
be life-threatening, and consumers carry these beliefs forward
when evaluating the green credentials of companies.
Next, the third hypothesis explored whether perceived envi-
ronmental responsibility has a positive effect on consumers' pur-
chasing behaviour in respect of green products. Referring to the
standardised beta coefficients of the structural model, the result is
obtained that H3 is supported, thereby inferring that consumers'
green purchasing behaviour is influenced by perceived environ-
mental responsibility. This outcome demonstrates that environ-
mental protection is the responsibility of all members of society.
Indeed, the respondents have grown up respecting the need to
protect the environment, and are consequently eager to accept
their obligation in this connection. The results from the study are
comparable with those reported by Kumar and Ghodeswar (2015),
Suki (2013), and Suki and Suki (2015). Additional analysis such as
the interaction effect of peer influence on this relationship was put
forward in H8. The interaction plot in Fig. 3c demonstrate that in-
fluence from peers was higher, whereas low influence from peers
had no impact on the effect between perceived environmental re-
sponsibility and consumers’ purchasing behaviour in respect of
green products. Hence, H8 was sustained.
Furthermore, environmental self-image is also seen to affect
consumers' purchasing behaviour in respect of green products.
Thus, H4 was defended. The reason for this significant connection is
that by showing their support for environmental protection, in-
dividuals enhance their environmental self-image and feel better
about themselves, being proud of honouring their obligation to the
environment and their communities. Such improvement to their
self-image has a knock-on effect on their sense of worth and value,
both of which contribute towards making them more positive as
individuals. This result reflects the findings presented by
841
Gwendolyn and Dickson (2009) and Wang et al. (2018a). However,
when testing the moderating impact of peer influence on the
relationship between environmental self-image and consumers’
purchasing behaviour in respect of green products as conjectured in
H9, an insignificant result was derived. Thus, peer influence was not
successful in affecting the posited linkages. Indeed, rejection of this
hypothesis is in fact a valuable insight as it was not explored in
previous studies.
Besides, an investigation of whether peer influence has a posi-
tive effect on consumers' purchasing behaviour in respect of green
products is examined in H5. The PLS-SEM approach revealed that
consumers’ green purchasing behaviour is influenced by peers.
Thus, H5 was upheld. The findings deduce that recommendations
from peers are powerful as young people especially are keen to act
in the same way as their friends, and to uphold the subjective norm.
In other words, peer influence is seen when individuals are exposed
to environmental issues by friends who subsequently share
knowledge about their own green product purchasing, and provide
encouragement for those individuals to follow suit. These results
authenticate the discoveries of past studies, e.g. Ha and Janda
(2012), Kumar (2012), and Nguyen et al. (2017).
Interestingly, of the five direct relationships assessed, perceived
deterioration of environmental problems was the strongest sig-
nificant predictor of consumers' purchasing behaviour in respect of
green products in a developing nation. This was followed by envi-
ronmental concern, and then by perceived environmental re-
sponsibility, and environmental self-image. Furthermore, the study
has found that peer influence was a significant moderator and
predictor in explaining consumers’ purchasing behaviour towards
green products. Indeed, the strength of its impact was stronger in
the aspect of perceived environmental responsibility than envi-
ronmental concern.
6. Conclusion
All in all, the analyses reported in this paper lead to the
conclusion that the greater the encouragement from peers, the
more likely consumers are to develop green purchasing behaviour
in a developing nation. The findings from the study offer
842 N. Mohd Suki, N. Mohd Suki / Journal of Cleaner Production 228 (2019) 833e844
indispensable research and practical implications as they show the
topic of consumers’ green buying behaviour to be useful in gener-
ating insights into an issue that has an effect upon every person on
the planet.
6.1. Research implications
From a theoretical perspective, the application of the ATUT in
the proposed theoretical framework advances the existing body of
knowledge by providing a better empirical understanding of the
significant predictors of consumers’ purchasing behaviour in
respect of green products in the Malaysian situation, and of the
moderating effect of peer influence on this relationship. This
valuable insight can help enhance and reinforce future research on
the use of peer influence as an important variable in the exami-
nation of this overall issue in various contexts. In fact, the study is
one of the first to attempt an investigation of peer influence as a
moderator and predictor in explaining green purchase behaviour in
a developing country. The quantitative results obtained endow
marketing theory with new and extensive inputs, whilst also
enlarging the emergent literature related to consumer green pur-
chasing behaviour, particularly in a developing nation context.
6.2. Practical implications
In terms of the study's implications for practitioners, its findings
provide empirical evidence that informs marketers about the sig-
nificant moderating effect of peer influence, and the key specific
factors affecting consumers' purchasing behaviour towards green
products in a developing nation. Firstly, given the fact that peer
influence played the strongest significant moderating role on the
relationship between perceived environmental responsibility and
consumers' purchasing behaviour towards green products, wider
awareness and appreciation of the need to stem environmental
problems must reach the community of peers and consumers. Peer-
group association and environmental activities to “save the world
together” should enhance the power of peer networking in
disseminating positive environmental messages responsibly.
In order to uphold a strong sense of environmental re-
sponsibility, marketers should aggressively and effectively promote
their green activities and practices to peers and consumers by using
emotional appeal messages like “we could heal the earth”, “we
could make a difference to our environment”, “together, we could
Statements
Environmental concern
The green environment is a major concern.
I would say I am emotionally involved in environmental protection.
I am worried about the worsening of the quality of the environment.
I think about how the environmental quality can be improved.
Perceived deterioration of environmental problems
I think the environmental problems are serious.
I think the environmental problems need to be dealt with urgently.
I think the environmental problems are worsening.
I think the environmental problems are threatening the reputation of the companies.
I think the environmental problems are threatening our health.
Perceived environmental responsibility
I should be responsible for protecting our environment.
Environmental protection is the responsibility of environmental organisations, not me.
Environmental protection starts with me.
Environmental protection is the responsibility of all members.
I have taken responsibility for environmental protection since I was young.
I have high responsibility in protecting the environment.
I'm willing to take up the responsibility to protect the environment.
help save the world”, “the earth needs you”, “there is something we
can do” on their companies’ websites, and social media forms like
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Whatsapp, etc. Additionally, mar-
keters should make efforts to demonstrate enhanced environ-
mental responsibility on their own part by implementing eco-
production and sustainable operating techniques and systems, as
well by emphasising the benefits of green products consumption.
Such actions will enable them to remain competitive in the
marketplace.
Further, the strong positive influence of perceived deterioration
of environmental problems on consumers’ purchasing behaviour in
respect of green products suggests that the buying public should be
repeatedly forewarned of the deterioration of environmental
problems by means of rational appeal messages regarding the side
effects of these problems on the earth. Such campaigning should
gradually introduce a culture shift, and persuade those who are not
already green, to show more sensitivity, responsibility, and concern
towards the environment.
6.3. Future research
There is a need to extend the present study not only within
Malaysia itself, but also to other contexts, and simultaneously, to
include a research population which is more diverse. As consumers
have a deep appreciation of the deterioration of environmental
problems, future research may consider testing the moderating
effects of gender or other consumer characteristics. An inspection
of the cultural effects on environmental variables is also recom-
mended in future studies. Groening et al. (2018, p. 1848) stress that
“few consumers will pay more for green products and that
behaviour in one environmental context does not necessarily
translate into comparable behaviour in another context”. In addi-
tion, given the great concern about environmental sustainability,
future research can also use longitudinal data to validate and
complement the present research as more new forms of green
purchasing and other consumption-related behaviour need to be
explored. The expansion of the coverage provided by this study
would heighten its explanatory power.
Appendix 1. Measurement of instruments.
Label
EC1
EC2
EC3
EC4
PSEP1
PSEP2
PSEP3
PSEP 4
PSEP5
PER1
PER2
PER3
PER4
PER5
PER6
PER7
 N. Mohd Suki, N. Mohd Suki / Journal of Cleaner Production 228 (2019) 833e844 843

(continued )

Statements Label

Environmental self-image
Supporting environmental protection makes me feel that I'm an environmentally-responsible person. SEP1
I feel proud of being a green person. SEP2
Supporting environmental protection makes me feel meaningful. SEP3
Peer influence
I often learn about environmental issues from my friends. PI1
I often discuss the environmental issues/products with my friends. PI2
I often recommend environmentally-friendly products to my friends. PI3
I often went shopping for green products with my friends. PI4
I often share with my friends about green product experiences and information. PI5
Green purchasing behaviour
I often buy organic products. GPB1
I often buy products that are labelled as environmentally-safe. GPB2
I often buy products that are against animal-testing. GPB3
I often buy products that contain no or fewer chemical ingredients. GPB4
When I consider buying a product, I will look for a certified environmentally-safe or organic stamp. GPB5
I often buy products that support fair community trades. GPB6
I often buy products that use recycled/recyclable packaging. GPB7

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