eco-friendly – Success Across Cultures

Do you patronize companies whose ethical values mirror your own?

Do you consider environmental impact when purchasing a product or service?

Last week, we discussed how green marketing can cater to different cultures.

In this same vein, the research we’re looking at this week identifies ways in which cultural values influence ethical consumption.

But first, let’s define what ‘ethical consumption’ actually is.

What is ‘Ethical Consumption’?

The study itself defines ethical consumption as involving

“the rational use of resources, consideration of environmental impacts, and assertion of consumer rights in modern consumption patterns. Ethical consumption embodies social responsibility that is driven by an individual’s conscience and broader ethical consciousness.”

“the rational use of resources, consideration of environmental impacts, and assertion of consumer rights in modern consumption patterns. Ethical consumption embodies social responsibility that is driven by an individual’s conscience and broader ethical consciousness.”

In other words, your dollar is a vote cast on the way you’d like the world to be.

The Study

Engaging 938 subjects who were invited to participate in an online survey, this study unraveled the impact of diverse cultural orientations on two distinct dimensions: eco-friendly and socioeconomic-oriented consumption.

Researchers asked themselves how vertical individualism, vertical collectivism, horizontal individualism, and horizontal collectivism might shape ethical consumption patterns?

Through text messages and emails, they reached out to individuals pre-registered with a marketing research company, tapping into the diverse perspectives of consumer panels.

The study set out to examine the relationships between cultural values and ethical consumption in order to understand consumer behaviors.

Findings

The findings, revealed through structural equation modeling with EQS 6, painted a distinctive picture.

Vertical individualism emerged as a silent observer, having no statistically significant effect on eco-friendly consumption.

This suggests that cultures emphasizing autonomy through competition and personal achievement may not align with eco-friendly ethical consumption.

In contrast, horizontal individualism, horizontal collectivism, and vertical collectivism positively impacted both eco-friendly and socioeconomic-oriented consumption.

HI, with its focus on uniqueness and social equality, and VC, emphasizing sacrifice for group purposes, were associated with a propensity for consuming natural diets.

HC, valuing equality and social harmony, also played a significant role in fostering eco-friendly consumption.

The study also highlighted the positive correlation between ethical consumption behaviors and consumer happiness.

Specifically, cultures with strong HC tendencies exhibited robust eco-friendly ethical consumption behavior, indicating a link between cultural values and happiness.

VC, HI, and VI cultures were also associated with eco-friendly consumption, though to varying degrees.

The study concludes by emphasizing the diversity within cultural frameworks, cautioning against oversimplifying a country’s culture into individualist or collectivist categories.

It advocates for the utility of the two-dimensional cultural framework in understanding cultural diversity.

“Go green, breathe clean.”

“If you cannot reuse, refuse.”

“Better environment, better tomorrow.”

These slogans may rhyme (sometimes), but do they stick with you?

That might depend on your culture.

As climate and the environment become an increasingly hot topic (no pun intended), green product advertisers face the challenge of both pushing consumers toward sustainable products and retaining public interest.

In a world focusing more and more on sustainable consumption and production, driving change in consumers’ unsustainable habits is paramount.

But for advertisers, a greener future is not yet clear.

Essential to clarifying it are the cultural underpinnings that shape consumers’ motives for buying and consumption.

That’s where cultural research comes in.

This study dissects the role of cultural value orientation in environmental behavior, particularly in consumer preferences for green products.

Horizontal Individualism vs. Vertical Collectivism & Green Motivation

The primary goal of this study was to unravel the influence of horizontal individualism and vertical collectivism on consumers’ attitudes toward green products and their purchase intentions.

The study also aimed to dissect the role of environmental responsibility as a mediator in the relationship between these cultural values and consumers’ green product attitudes.

Collecting data from two distinct cultures that represent both extremes – Pakistan (vertical collectivism) and Finland (horizontal individualism) – the study found that environmental responsibility connected positively with cultural values in both countries, showing a shared commitment to environmental protection.

And, in fact, environmental responsibility didn’t just play a supporting role; it was a full mediator in the relationship between cultural values and consumers’ attitudes towards green products.

Consumers Believe in Their Role

Findings showed that consumers in both cultures believe they’re responsible for taking an active role in issues related to environmental protection, ultimately shaping positive attitudes towards green products.

The results encourage a shift in focus, with a recognition that HI and VC consumers harbor a unique sense of environmental responsibility that guides their choices.

For the VC-Pakistan culture, embracing eco-consciousness can serve as a status symbol, appealing to their desire to display social status and fulfill in-group and family obligations.

Marketers should weave these themes into their advertising messages to promote the purchase and consumption of green products.

In contrast, HI-Finland consumers seek uniqueness and self-reliance in their surroundings.

Therefore, marketers targeting this group should craft messages that emphasize these merits, showcasing how green products can make them stand out and express self-reliance in environmental protection.

In order to advance their agenda, multinational companies should apply these findings, adapting their green marketing and advertising strategies to resonate with the prevailing cultural values in each country.

The larger implication is clear: to foster a greener future, green marketing and advertising should not merely rely on economic and status benefits but should also convey the importance of environmentally responsible consumption.

Cause-related, socially responsible, environmentally friendly, and mindful consumption messages can ignite the demand for green products.

Tag: eco-friendly

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