EVALUATING THE ANTECEDENTS OF GREEN

PURCHASE INTENTION AMONG

GENERATION Z:
A MEDIATING AND MODERATING STUDY ON
THE FAST-FASHION INDUSTRY OF
PAKISTAN

Amna Saeed
Introduction
 A rapidly growing trend of sustainable
development and lifestyle (Sun and Xing, 2020)
A rise in environmental issues in the past few
decades (Nekmahmud et al., 2022)
Many studies conducted in the past on how
overpopulation and overconsumption leads to

An Overview environmental degradation (Chen & Hung,

2016; Kates, 2000)
Fast-fashion industry is the major contributor
of environmental issues (Pandey & Yadav,
2023)
Researchers advocate for the promotion and
consumption of “green apparels” (Cho et al.,
2015)
 In the recent years, consumers have
increasingly become aware of the
environmental impact of their clothing
apparels (Centobelli et al., 2022)
Various researches discuss the need for
apparel brands to adopt sustainable supply

Rationale chain management (Wren, 2022)

Social Media is considered to be a pivotal
platform for advertising and promoting green
purchase intentions amongst the consumers
(Nekmahmud et al., 2022)
 No extensive study on the
consumption patterns of Generation
Z (Sun & Xing, 2022)
No extensive study on the GPI of the
consumers of Pakistan (Gandhi &

Gaps Sheorey, 2019)

No study on the GPI of a specific
industry, such as the Fast-Fashion
industry (Sun & Xing, 2022)
Limited study on the extent of the
attitudes, beliefs and subjective norms
of consumers into showcasing an
environmentally conscious behavior
(Alam et al., 2023)
 Based in Pakistan,
a developing country

Industry-focused (Fast-Fashion)

Contributions
Specified age (Generation Z)

Occupation (moderator), and

various other antecedents
 Regression Analysis

Mediation Analysis
Scope of
Moderation Analysis
the Study
Descriptive Analysis
Variables with
Definitions
Variable Definition

Green Purchase Intentions GPI refers to the sustainable consumption behavior of consumers, i.e., their intentions to buy
(DV) green (i.e., environmentally friendly) products (Nekmahmud et al., 2022)

SMM refers to the use of social media platforms to target customers and promote advertising
Social Media Marketing (IV) via networking, user communications, positive eWOM spread, and interpersonal relationships
(Nekmahmud et al., 2022)

Eco-branding is a marketing approach, which focus on environmental and sustainability. Many

companies are using phrases like “environmentally friendly,” “eco-friendly,” “recycled,” and
Eco-Branding (IV/Mediator)
“low energy consumption” which are motivating youths and also the general public toward
green purchasing and green consumption (Ali et al., 2023)

Environmental Concern Environmental concern is defined as the level of emotionality a consumer links to
(IV/Mediator) environmental issues (Gandhi & Sheorey, 2019)

Green thinking (GT) can be described as the ability to be aware of our connection with the
Green Thinking (IV/Mediator)
world and manifest our unintentional acts of damaging environment (Nekmahmud et al., 2022)
Variable Definition

Consumers generally possess a variety of images of themselves that are linked with their
Self-Image (IV/Mediator)
personality which also affect their consumption pattern (Gandhi & Sheorey, 2019)

Subjective Norms Subjective norms are concerned with the individual and social engagement in specific
(IV/Mediator) behaviors due to specific expectations and specific results (Ali et al., 2023)

The characteristics of Generation Z, born during the period 1995-2009, would be studied
Age (IV/Moderator)
for this research (Sun & Xing, 2022)

Occupation refers to the different lifestyles, values, needs, and preferences of people due
Occupation
to their different environments and groups, which can have a direct impact on purchasing
(IV/Moderator)
behavior (Sun & Xing, 2022)
Framework
Hypothesis
H1a: Social Media Marketing has a positive and significant effect on Eco-Branding

H1b: Social Media Marketing has a positive and significant effect on

Environmental Concern

H1c: Social Media Marketing has a positive and significant effect on Green
Thinking

H1d: Social Media Marketing has a positive and significant effect on Green
Purchase Intentions
H1e: Social Media Marketing has a positive and significant effect on Self-
Image

H1f: Social Media Marketing has a positive and significant effect on

Subjective Norms

H2: Eco-Branding has a positive and significant effect on Green

Purchase Intentions

H3: Environmental Concern has a positive and significant effect on Green

Thinking

H4: Green Thinking has a positive and significant effect on Green Purchase
Intentions
H5: Self-Image has a positive and significant effect on Green Purchase Intentions

H6: Subjective Norms have a positive and significant effect on Green Purchase
Intentions

H7: Age moderates the relationship between Subjective Norms and Green
Purchase Intentions

H8: Occupation moderates the relationship between Social Media Marketing and
Green Purchase Intentions
 Derived from the Theory of Planned
Behavior (TPB)
To study the factors affecting consumer
behavior (Neighbors, Foster, & Fossos, 2013)
Another variable of “perceived behavioral
control” was added to the model (Arafat,

Theoretical Izham, & Ibrahim, 2018).

This model has been extended by many

Background studies to evaluate the green purchase

intentions of consumers (Tong et al., 2020)
By far, there has only been one study
conducted that used TPB model by adding a
great number of variables under one
framework (Nekmahmud et al., 2022)
Literature
Review
 Dependent Independent
Sr. No Year Journal Name Author Name Title of Paper Results
Variable variable

Attitude, subjective norms, perceived

Transforming consumers'
Technological Md. Nekmahmud , Farheen green role of social behavior control, green thinking, and social
intention to purchase green
1 2022 Forecasting and Naz , Haywantee Ramkissoon purchasing media, SMM, media marketing have a strong and positive
products: Role of social
Social Change , Maria Fekete-Farkas intentions SMU association with the intention to purchase
media
green products on social media

The roles of pollution green food pollution Significant effects of subjective environmental
concerns and environmental choices, chinese concerns, knowledge and pollution concerns on
Food Research Tong Q, Anders S, Zhang J,
2 2020 knowledge in making green consumer subjective purchase intentions. Food quality concerns
International Zhang L
food choices: Evidence from purchase environmental mediate GPI, while individual's demographic
Chinese consumers intentions knowledge characteristics act as moderators.

Young consumers' intention

young
Journal of towards buying green env concern, env the use of TPB turned out to be very
consumer's
3 2016 Cleaner Yadav R, Pathak G products in a developing knowledge, using significant in building relation between Ivs an
intentions
Production nation: Extending the theory TPB Dv
towards GP
of planned behavior

Do social media influence

Mohammad Nurul Alam, Social media has an influence on consumer
altruistic and egoistic
Cleaner Osarodion Ogiemwonyi, intentions, as well as altruistic and egoistic
motivation and green
4 2023 Engineering and Rashed Alshareefa, Majed GPI SM values. Attitude has a direct positive influence
purchase intention towards
Technology Alsolamy, Norazuwa Mat, on intention, acting as a moderator b/w Ivs and
green products? An
Noor Azlinna Azizan Dv
experimental investigation

Determinants of CSR and

CSR, along with a
Journal of green purchase intention:
Ahmad W, Jafar R, Waheed mediating role of direct relation between csr and gpi, as well as
5 2023 Cleaner Mediating role of customer GPI
A, Sun H, Kazmi S GP (Green between csr and gp.
Production green psychology during
Psychology)
COVID-19 pandemic
 Dependent Independent
Sr. No Year Journal Name Author Name Title of Paper Results
Variable variable

Int. J. Public Antecedents of green all the Ivs identified here have a strong
Green Social influence,
Sector Aradhana Gandhi* and consumer behavour: a study of influence on the DV. Moreover, marketers
6 2019 Consumer environmental
Performance Pratima Sheorey consumers in a developing need to step up and use these findings to
Behavior influence, thics,
Management country like India promote their sales

Journal of Research on the influencing Consumers' Covid-19, SMM,

perceived behavioral control and intentions
Retailing and factors of consumers’ green green crisis awareness,
7 2022 Sun Y, Leng K, Xiong H have positive influence on behavior. All other
Consumer purchase behavior in the post- purchase product
ivs also have direct or indirect relation
Services pandemic era behavior knowledge

Assessing the impact of green GPI of

Environmental
consumption behavior and millennial, SM, eco-labeling,
Science and Ali M, Ullah S, Ahmad M, SM has a very high impact on molding the GPI
8 2023 green purchase intention green eco-branding,
Pollution Cheok M, Alenezi H of millennials and their behaviors
among millennials toward consumptio social norms,
Research
sustainable environment n behaviors

SM, role of trust trust in social media and perceived

Journal of Social media and sustainable
sustainable in SM, alongside environmental effectiveness significantly
Retailing and Zafar A, Shen J, Ashfaq M, purchasing attitude: Role of
9 2021 purchasing environmental moderate the relationships belongs to the
Consumer Shahzad M trust in social media and
attitude factors acting as browsing and drive for environmental
Services environmental effectiveness
mediator responsibility

Social Media
Information social media info sharing has a positive effect
Sharing, on GPI, perceived green value and subj norms
perceived green play a partially mediating role in this relation,
The Impact of Social Media
value and occupation mediates the moderating role of
Sustainability Information Sharing on the
10 2022 Sun Y, Xing J GPI of Gen Z subjective norms subjective norms in social media information
(Switzerland) Green Purchase Intention
acting as a sharing and green purchase intention, such
among Generation Z
mediator, while that the mediating role of subjective norms is
consumer stronger for non-student consumers and
occupation being insignificant for student consumers.
moderator
 Dependent Independent
Sr. No Year Journal Name Author Name Title of Paper Results
Variable variable

Impact of social media on

JOURNAL OF favourable relationship between social media,
Dikhsa Bisht, Joney environmental consciousness GPI of young
11 2022 MANAGEMENT & Social media environmental consciousness and green
Janotra and green purchase intention women
ENTREPRENEURSHIP buying intention
of young women

Green purchase intentions:

Jih-Hwa Wu , Chih-Wen image, risk, value, Results support the argument that image, risk,
Journal of Business An exploratory study of the Green purchase
12 2015 Wu , Chin-Tarn Lee , and perceived value, and perceived usefulness are key
Research Taiwanese electric intentions
Hsiao-Jung Lee usefulness determinants of purchase intention.
motorcycle market

Investigating consumers’ role of economic Findings suggested that emotional value,

green purchase intention: value, emotional perceived marketplace influence, subjective
Yatish Joshi , Dwarika consumers’
Journal of Cleaner Examining the role of value and norm, and attitude are key predictors of
13 2021 Prasad Uniyal , Deepak green purchase
Production economic value, emotional perceived consumers' green purchase intention.
Sangroya intention
value and perceived marketplace Incorporating psychological factors also
marketplace influence influence increased the GPI

the results demonstrate that consumers’

The influence of greenwashing perceptions not only have a
mediating role of
greenwashing perception on direct negative impact on green purchasing
green word-of-
Lu Zhang, Dayuan Li , green purchasing intentions: green intentions, but also have indirect negative
Journal of Cleaner mouth (WOM)
14 2018 Cuicui Cao, Senhua The mediating role of green purchasing effects via green WOM. Further, green concern
Production and the
Huang word-of-mouth and intentions strengthens the negative relationship between
moderating role
moderating role of green greenwashing perceptions and green
of green concern
concern purchasing
intentions.

The findings indicate that environmental

The moderating influence of environmental
consciousness and recycling intentions
Journal of Cleaner Pradeep Kautish , Justin environmental consciousness green purchase consciousness
15 2019 significantly moderate the impact of perceived
Production Paul , Rajesh Sharma and recycling intentions on behavior and recycling
consumer effectiveness (PCE) and willingness
green purchase behavior intentions
to be environmentally friendly (WEF) on GPB.
 Dependent Independent
Sr. No Year Journal Name Author Name Title of Paper Results
Variable variable

green
Journal of study of the antecedents and effects of behavioral Green self-identity and green
Enrique P Becerra , Lorena green self-identity,
16 2023 Business green self-identity on green behavioral intentions product values positively
Carrete , Pilar Arroyo perceived product value
Research intentions of young adults of young impact behavioral intentions.
adults

Antecedents and consequences of pro-env

Journal of conspicuous green behavior on social behaviors, positive relation b/w cgb and
virtual self identity, like-
17 2023 Business Elaine Wallace , Isabel Buil media: Incorporating the virtual self- conspicious pro-env intentions and
seeking, narcissism
Research identity into the theory of planned green behaviors
behavior behavior

brand perceived quality,

Journal of Antecedents of green brand equity: Green green perceived value,
Truong Thi Hue , Nguyen five key factors with 18 items of
18 2023 Cleaner Delphi method brand green satisfaction, green
Kieu Oanh the GBE model
Production and Analytic Hierarchy Process analysis equity trust, and green brand
image

theory of planned
green TPB factors (subjective norms),
Antecedents of green computer behavior's (TPB) rational
Sustainable computer were found to be more
Paul H.P. Yeow , Wee Hong purchase behavior among Malaysian choice factors and the
19 2022 Production and purchase important than the VBN factors
Loo consumers from the perspective of value-belief-norm (VBN)
Consumption behavior (personal norms), in predicting
rational choice and moral norm factors theory's moral norm
(GCPB) GCPB.
factors

consumers'
consumers' perceived health
Antecedents to Consumers’ Green green hotel
risks and green hotels'
Hotel Stay Purchase Behavior during stay green consumption value,
Tourism perceived persuasiveness can
the COVID-19 Pandemic: The influence purchase emotional ambivalence,
20 2023 Management Annie Chen , Norman Peng affect their emotional
of green consumption value, emotional behavior and consumers’
Perspectives ambivalence that, in turn, can
ambivalence, and consumers’ during the perceptions
affect their green purchase
perceptions COVID-19
behavior of hotel stays.
pandemic
Research
Design
 Quantitative research
Essentially focusing on survey
Research research
Survey questionnaires
Strategy
 Sampling

Generation Z, the 252 responses were Snowball sampling

consumers of fast- collected from the and convenience
fashion industry of Generation Z sampling was used
Pakistan residing in Lahore
 Data Collection

Primary and Thequestionnaire had All the measurement

secondary information 2 sections, i.e., constructs were
was collected descriptive analysis adopted from the
and latent variable past studies
analysis
Variables Items

GPI1: I plan to purchase green products in the future.

Green Purchase
Intentions: (Ding et
al., 2017; Sun & Wang, GPI2: I intend to pay more for green products.
2019; Wang et al.,
2018)
GPI3: I will recommend green products to other people.

SMM1: Social media marketing is a good source of product information and supplies relevant product
information

Social Media
SMM2: I use social media to search for information about green products that I am thinking about buying.
Marketing: (Hynes &
Wilson, 2016; Logan
et al., 2012)
SMM3: I would like to share information from social media about green products with my friends

SMM4: Social media advertising is a good source of up-to-date product information

Variables Items

EB1: I am aware of the term “Eco-branding”.

Eco-Branding:
EB2: When buying from a brand, I usually look for labels such as “Eco-friendly”, or
(M. Ali et al.,
“environmentally friendly”, or “recycled” on its products.
2023b; Huang et al.,
2014)

EB3: I am more likely to buy from a brand that is focusing on producing “Eco-friendly”,
“environmentally friendly”, or “recycled” products.

EC1: Environment is severely abused by humans.

Environmental
Concern: (Chen &
EC2: We must maintain the balance of nature for our survival.
Tung, 2014;
Mostafa, 2007a)

EC3: Uncontrolled expansion of the industrialized society must be checked.

Variables Items

GT1: I am thoughtful about the environment.

Green Thinking:
(F. Ali et al., 2020;
GT2: I am willing to find ways to protect the environment.
Lee, 2008;
Mostafa, 2007b)

GT3: I know that I buy products and packages that are environmentally safe.

SI1: I think of myself as an environmentally-friendly consumer.

Self-Image
(Hustvedt &
Dickson, 2009; SI2: I think of myself as someone who is concerned about social issues.
Whitmarsh &
O’Neill, 2010)
S13: I think of myself as an “organic consumer”.
Variables Items

SN1:
Most of the people who are
important to me support my purchases of green products

Subjective
Norms: (Ding et
al., 2017; Sun & SN2:
Wang, 2019; If I purchase green products,
Wang et al., people who are important to me will also do so
2018)

SN3:
Those who I think are valuable to
me would prefer me to buy green products
 SPSS Software for
descriptive analysis

PLS-SEM for latent

Statistical variable analysis

Tools CFA

Regression Analysis
Chapter 4:
Results
 The environmental implications of
fast fashion-industry
The link between fast-fashion
industry dynamics and green

Results purchase intentions highlighted

(Nekmahmud et al., 2022; Sun and
Wang, 2020)
252 responses collected from
Generation Z
4.1. Descriptive
Statistics
 Data was displayed and collected
through SPSS software
4.1. Helped in analyzing an extensive
Descriptive data

Statistics Provided widespread summaries

of the entire data
 4.1.1 Descriptive
Statistics for the
demographic variables
4.1.2 Cross
Tabulations
4.1.3 Compare
Means
 4.2. Partial Least
Square - Structure
Equation Modeling
4.2.1 Confirmatory Factor Analysis:
4.2.1.1 Outer Loadings
4.2.1.2 Construct Reliability
and Validity
4.2.1.3 Discriminant
Validity
 4.2.1.4
Model Fit
 4.2.2
Path Analysis
 Allows the study of multiple
direct and indirect
relationships between

4.2.2 Path variables simultaneously

(Valenzuela & Bachmann,

Analysis 2017)
SmartPLS 4 was used to carry
out the path analysis
Note: * represents at 0.05 level (P < 0.05), ** represents at 0.01 level (P < 0.01), *** represents at 0.001 level (P<0.001)
 4.3
Mediation Analysis
 4.4
Moderation Analysis
 Social Media Marketing has a strong and direct
relationship with Eco-branding, Environmental Concern,
Green Purchase Intentions, Self-Image and Subjective
Norms.

5.5 Summary Eco-Branding significantly related to Green Purchase

Intentions

of the Environmental Concern strongly related to Green

Thinking

Findings No significant relationship between Green Thinking, Self-

Image, Subjective Norms, and Green Purchase Intentions
Self-image, Eco-Branding, Subjective Norms, Green
Thinking and Eco-Branding are partially mediating
Age and Occupation portray no moderating role
 Future researchers can incorporate multiple other
constructs in one frame, such as trust in social media,
brand image, social media skepticism etc

5.6 Future
Future studies may also examine the role of social
media influencers and celebrities in influencing the

Research attitude of consumers towards green products

The sample size could be broadened with the study of

Directions different age groups

Apart from Lahore, different other metropolitan cities
of Pakistan, such as Islamabad and Karachi, could also
be studied
 Biased responses; because the sample size was
chosen through convenience sampling and may not
be truly representative of the entire Generation Z of

5.7 Pakistan
Limited factors considered in the study; many other

Limitations constructs could be incorporated too, such as

organic food consumption, and subjective factors
like beliefs, attitude, etc.,
The sole focus of the study was on Generation Z,
thus the results cannot be applied for all the
consumers of fast-fashion industry in Pakistan
 All the antecedents have played a significant role in
spreading knowledge about green products to the
consumers
Marketers and managers could provide a specific

5.8 platform for the customers to help them build their trust
in the advertising and promotion

Managerial Past studies reported distrust towards SMM of green

products (do Paço & Reis, 2012; Luo et al., 2020).

Implications Managers must work on reducing this skepticism

Companies should invest more resources in improving
social media engagement and awareness
Social media strategies could be used to promote eco-
labeling in the products
Thank You