Understanding The Relationship of Greenwashing and Consumer Behavior: Case Study of the Airline Sector in the US
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65080/ajbmss.v2i1.CM2621101020Keywords:
Greenwashing, green consumerism, environmentalism, perceived genuineness, green , consumer sensitivity, sustainability , credibility, airline business, U.S. airline business, corporate socio-responsibilityAbstract
Aim: The study examined the mediating relationship of greenwashing practices, environmental initiatives, and consumer awareness between perceived authenticity and consumer behavior.
Method: The study adopted a primary quantitative design, and data was collected from a sample of 385 consumers from the USA airline sector, comprised of students, travel vloggers, businessmen, and corporate employees. The data was collected using a structured LIKERT scale-based survey instrument. The data analysis process followed a PLS-SEM approach using SmartPLS.
Results: The findings indicated that Consumer Awareness has a substantial and statistically significant positive impact on Consumer Behavior (β = 0.413; p = 0.000), along with Greenwashing Practices (β = 0.194; p = 0.001) and Perceived Authenticity (β = 0.177; p = 0.001). On the other hand, the direct effect of Environmental Initiatives was insignificant (β = 0.063; p = 0.218). In terms of mediation, the mediating impact of environmental initiatives was statistically significant via indirect effects (- -0.139; p 0.005), showing partial mediation but an inconsistent mediation.
Implications: The results implied that environmental programs have greater effects on consumer behavior when observed as authentic, and exaggerated or ambiguous assertions have a lesser impact on the passengers of the U.S. airline industry.
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