Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1
Department of Business Management, Faculty of Business and Economics, Persian Gulf University, Bushehr, Iran
2
Department of Business Management,Faculty of Business and Economics, Persian Gulf University, Bushehr, Iran
3
Department of Business Management, Faculty of Management and Accounting, Shahid Beheshti, University, Tehran, Iran.
10.22034/jbar.2026.24403.4655
Abstract
Extended Abstract
Introduction: In recent years, aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a growing number of businesses have embraced green marketing to differentiate their offerings and appeal to environmentally conscious consumers. As public awareness and concern for environmental conservation have surged, the demand for eco-friendly products has naturally expanded. However, despite these positive developments, the market has witnessed a proliferation of unsubstantiated, exaggerated, or false environmental claims by corporations—a deceptive practice commonly known as greenwashing. Consequently, this has intensified "green skepticism" among consumers, which is defined as a tendency to doubt, disbelieve, or question the environmental performance and claims of green products. While prior marketing literature acknowledges that environmental concern and environmental knowledge are critical drivers of sustainable purchase intentions, the pervasive issue of green skepticism has created a significant attitude-behavior gap. Skeptical consumers tend to attribute corporate green claims to ulterior motives, such as profit maximization or brand image enhancement, rather than genuine ecological responsibility. Despite its prevalence, empirical research on how green skepticism systematically undermines cognitive and affective drivers—specifically environmental knowledge and concern—remains limited. Addressing this notable theoretical gap, the present study aims to critically examine the direct effect of green skepticism on consumers' intention to purchase green products, while simultaneously investigating the mediating roles of environmental concern and environmental knowledge in this complex psychological mechanism.
Methodology: This study adopts an applied, descriptive-survey research design to explore the causal relationships among the proposed variables. The target population comprised consumers of green products residing in the city of Bushehr, Iran. Given the large and indeterminate size of the consumer population, Cochran’s formula for infinite populations was utilized, indicating a minimum required sample size of 385 respondents. Data were ultimately collected from 405 participants using a convenience sampling method. The primary data collection instrument was a structured questionnaire featuring items adapted from established prior studies, measured on a 7-point Likert scale. To ensure the robustness of the measurement model, both content and face validity were confirmed by a panel of marketing experts prior to distribution. Furthermore, the construct validity was rigorously assessed using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), with the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measure and Bartlett’s test of sphericity demonstrating excellent sampling adequacy and significance. Convergent validity was established as the Average Variance Extracted (AVE) for all constructs exceeded the 0.5 threshold. Reliability was also highly satisfactory, with both Cronbach’s alpha and Composite Reliability (CR) values surpassing the acceptable level of 0.70. The conceptual model and hypotheses were empirically tested using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) via the Partial Least Squares (PLS) approach in SmartPLS software.
Discussion and results: The demographic profile of the respondents revealed an equal gender distribution (50% male, 50% female), with the majority (67%) falling within the 18 to 40 age brackets, and 50% holding a master's degree or higher. The structural model analysis yielded robust support for all eight proposed hypotheses, demonstrating how green skepticism significantly impedes sustainable consumer behavior. First, the results indicated a significant negative direct effect of green skepticism on green purchase intention (β = -0.26, t = 2.93), confirming that heightened consumer doubt directly suppresses the willingness to buy green products. Second, green skepticism exerted a strong negative impact on environmental concern (β = -0.37, t = 3.74), suggesting that skeptical consumers are less likely to maintain high levels of environmental empathy or concern due to their overarching distrust. Third, skepticism significantly hindered environmental knowledge (β = -0.32, t = 3.52), as doubtful consumers exhibit "information avoidance" and rely on heuristic judgments rather than systematically seeking objective data. Conversely, environmental concern positively and significantly influenced both environmental knowledge (β = 0.22, t = 2.20) and green purchase intention (β = 0.29, t = 3.98). Environmental knowledge also served as the strongest direct positive predictor of green purchase intention in this model (β = 0.33, t = 3.00). Crucially, Sobel test results confirmed the conceptualized mediating pathways. Green skepticism indirectly and negatively impacted purchase intention by simultaneously diminishing environmental concern (H3) and eroding environmental knowledge (H5). Overall, the variables in the model accounted for 47% of the variance (R2= 0.47) in consumers' green purchase intention.
Conclusion: The findings of this research provide compelling evidence that green skepticism is not merely an external barrier but a profound internal deterrent that paralyzes both the cognitive (knowledge) and affective (concern) foundations of sustainable consumer behavior. Because skeptical consumers disregard environmental claims and halt their information-seeking processes, their environmental knowledge diminishes, subsequently lowering their purchase intentions. From a practical standpoint, these results offer vital strategic insights for marketing managers seeking to promote green products. To mitigate skepticism, businesses must abandon exaggerated advertising and greenwashing tactics, as these yield severe counterproductive outcomes. Instead, firms should cultivate an authentic brand image by providing transparent, credible, and verifiable information regarding their products' ecological footprints. Obtaining recognized eco-labels, publishing tangible environmental metrics, and engaging in transparent corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives with environmental NGOs are optimal strategies to build consumer trust. Furthermore, while fear appeals and scientific warnings regarding environmental degradation can stimulate consumer concern, marketers must exercise caution; highly skeptical consumers may perceive such emotional appeals as manipulative and driven by extrinsic motives. Therefore, educational campaigns at both the micro (corporate) and macro (educational institutions) levels are highly recommended to enhance objective environmental knowledge, thereby empowering consumers to differentiate between genuine green products and ordinary ones, ultimately bridging the attitude-behavior gap in sustainable consumption.
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