Beyond Awareness: Investigating How Moral Obligation Strengthens the Impact of Environmental Knowledge on Green Purchase Intention
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22437/jssh.v9i2.54977Keywords:
Environmental Knowledge, Moral Obligation, Green Purchase IntentionAbstract
This study investigates the effect of environmental knowledge on green purchase intention and examines the moderating role of moral obligation in this relationship. A quantitative research design was employed using a survey approach. Data were gathered through an online questionnaire administered to 512 individuals who have prior experience considering or purchasing environmentally friendly products. The analysis was conducted using SmartPLS version 4. The results reveal that environmental knowledge exerts a positive and significant influence on green purchase intention. In addition, moral obligation significantly moderates this relationship. Specifically, the impact of environmental knowledge on purchase intention becomes stronger when individuals possess a heightened sense of moral responsibility toward environmental preservation. These findings support existing literature by highlighting the interplay between cognitive factors (knowledge) and moral considerations in shaping sustainable consumption behavior. The study also emphasizes the importance of combining educational efforts with ethical awareness in developing effective green marketing strategies.
Downloads
References
Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179–211. https://doi.org/10.1016/0749-5978(91)90020-T
Amoako, G. K., Dzogbenuku, R. K., & Abubakari, A. (2020). Do green knowledge and attitude influence the youth’s green purchasing? Theory of planned behavior. International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 69(8), 1609–1626. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPPM-12-2019-0595
Badan Pusat Statistik. (2024). Statistik lingkungan hidup Indonesia 2024 (No. 04300.24007). BPS-Statistics Indonesia.
Bouman, T., van der Werff, E., Perlaviciute, G., & Steg, L. (2021). Environmental values and identities at the personal and group level. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 42, 47–53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cobeha.2021.02.022
Brosch, T. (2021). Affect and emotions as drivers of climate change perception and action: A review. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 42, 15–21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cobeha.2021.02.001
Cooray, W. H. H., Patabendige, S. S. J., & Mirando, U. J. (2024). Impact of Environmental Knowledge on Green Purchase Intention: Examining the Mediating Effect of Young Business Executives’ Attitudes Towards Green Products in Developing Country Context. Sri Lanka Journal of Marketing, 9(3), 261–284. https://doi.org/10.4038/sljmuok.v9i3.159
Cui, M., Li, Y., & Wang, S. (2024). Environmental Knowledge and Green Purchase Intention and Behavior in China: The Mediating Role of Moral Obligation. Sustainability (Switzerland), 16(14), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16146263
Dangelico, R. M., Alvino, L., & Fraccascia, L. (2022). Investigating the antecedents of consumer behavioral intention for sustainable fashion products. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 185, 122010. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2022.122010
Iqbal, A., Saraswati, E., T, S., & Tojibussabirin, M. (2024). Green consumption behaviour in Indonesia: exploring the role of government support. Cogent Social Sciences, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2024.2439546
Kaiser, F. G. (2021). Climate change mitigation within the Campbell paradigm: Doing the right thing for a reason and against all odds. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 42, 70–75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cobeha.2021.03.024
Kang, J., Liu, C., & Kim, S. H. (2013). Environmentally sustainable textile and apparel consumption: The role of consumer knowledge, perceived consumer effectiveness and perceived personal relevance. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 37(4), 442–452. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.12013
Kumar, Arun, and Mrinalini Pandey. 2023. “Social Media and Impact of Altruistic Motivation, Egoistic Motivation, Subjective Norms, and EWOM toward Green Consumption Behavior: An Empirical Investigation.” Sustainability (Switzerland) 15(5). doi: 10.3390/su15054222.
Li, D. (2025). Impact of green advertisement and environmental knowledge on intention of consumers to buy green products. BMC Psychology, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02538-x
Li, S., Rasiah, R., Zheng, S., & Yuan, Z. (2023). Influence of Environmental Knowledge and Green Trust on Green Purchase Behaviour. Environment-Behaviour Proceedings Journal, 8(26), 353–358. https://doi.org/10.21834/e-bpj.v8i26.5141
Liao, K. Y., Graham B. Stead, & Chieh-Yu Liao. (2021). A meta-analysis of the relation between self-compassion and self-efficacy. Mindfulness, 12, 1878–1891.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-021-01626-4
Müller, R., Rach, C., Salloch, S. (2021). Collective forward-looking responsibility of patient advocacy organizations: conceptual and ethical analysis. BMC Medical Ethics 22(1). 10.1186/s12910-021-00680-w
Ranney, M. A., & Velautham, L. (2021). Climate change cognition and education: Given no silver bullet for denial, diverse information-hunks increase global warming acceptance. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 42, 139–146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cobeha.2021.08.001
Song, Y., Qin, Z., & Yuan, Q. (2019). The impact of eco-label on the young Chinese generation: The mediation role of environmental awareness and product attributes in green purchase. Sustainability (Switzerland), 11(4). https://doi.org/10.3390/su11040973
Thøgersen, J. (2021). Consumer behavior and climate change: Consumers need considerable assistance. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 42, 9–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cobeha.2021.02.008
Zhang, G., Wang, L., & Meng, H. (2024). Environmental knowledge level and consumer behavior regarding green fashion: a moderated mediation model. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 36(4), 977–992. https://doi.org/10.1108/APJML-07-2023-0637
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Edy Firza, Meilinda Dwi Anugrah, Kurnia Widya Oktarini, Ulfah Tika Saputri, Devi Febrianti

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.









