Determinants and Outcomes of Ecological Behaviors of Young Consumers in Iran

Abstract

Ecological behavior is defined as actions which contribute towards environmental preservation and/or conservation. Owing to an increasing awareness in environmental crises, consumers are more sensitive towards green products when making their purchasing decisions. The young generation seems to have a different attitude and belief which enables them to reflect on their choice of green products. The aim of this study is to investigating the determinants and outcomes of ecological behaviors of young consumers in Iran. The population of this study consisted of all students of the main universities of Ardabil city in Iran including University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Islamic Azad University of Ardabil, New Novin Institution of Higher Education and Moghadas Ardabili Institution of Higher Education. According to the unlimited population, the sample size was determined 379 based on the Morgan table, that using non-probability sampling method was selected. Standard questionnaires have been used to measure the research variables. Smart PLS software was used for data analysis. According to the results, environmental knowledge, healthy food and healthy lifestyle have a positive effect on the ecological behaviors of the consumers. Moreover, ecological behaviors of the consumers have a positive effect on green purchase behavior and green purchase intention. This research is one of the few studies that has been conducted on green consumer behavior in developing countries and can provide practical implications for promoting such behaviors in the society.

Keywords

• ecological behavior
• environmental knowledge
• healthy food
• healthy lifestyle
• green purchase behavior
• green purchase intention