Environmental Awareness and Green Consumption: The Mediating Role of Behavioral Intention and Moderating Role of Cultural Values
Abstract
Environmental degradation, climate change, resource depletion, and increasing levels of unsustainable consumption have intensified the need to understand the psychological and social mechanisms that encourage consumers to adopt environmentally responsible purchasing practices. This study examines the relationship between environmental awareness and green consumption and investigates the mediating role of behavioral intention and the moderating role of cultural values. The proposed model is primarily grounded in the Theory of Planned Behavior and complemented by the Value Belief Norm framework. Environmental awareness represents consumers' understanding of environmental problems, their consequences, and the importance of sustainable consumption. Behavioral intention represents consumers' willingness and commitment to purchase environmentally friendly products and adopt sustainable consumption practices. Green consumption represents actual environmentally responsible purchasing and consumption behavior. Cultural values are proposed as a contextual moderator because values such as collectivism, environmental responsibility, social orientation, and concern for community welfare can influence how environmental awareness is translated into behavioral intentions and consumption decisions. A quantitative cross sectional survey methodology is proposed. Data are assumed to be collected through a structured questionnaire using established Likert scale measures. The proposed model can be tested through Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling using SmartPLS. The measurement model should be evaluated through indicator reliability, internal consistency, convergent validity, and discriminant validity. The structural model should subsequently be examined through path coefficients, bootstrapping, coefficient of determination, effect sizes, predictive relevance, mediation analysis, and moderation analysis. For demonstration purposes, the hypothetical results indicate that environmental awareness has a positive and significant effect on behavioral intention and green consumption. Behavioral intention significantly mediates the relationship between environmental awareness and green consumption. Cultural values are also expected to strengthen the positive relationship between environmental awareness and behavioral intention, suggesting that environmentally aware consumers who possess stronger pro social and collectivist values are more likely to translate awareness into green purchasing intentions. The study contributes to sustainable consumption literature by integrating cognitive awareness, behavioral intention, and cultural context into a single framework. The findings have implications for policymakers, marketers, educational institutions, environmental organizations, and businesses seeking to encourage sustainable consumer behavior.
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