Bridging the Green Gap; The mediating role of Attitude towards Green Product Purchase and Green Brand Love

This research explores the relationships between the variables Environmental Knowledge, Attitude towards Green Product Purchase, Green Brand Love, and Green Purchase Behavior. The research is focused on the phenomenon known as the "green gap", the discrepancy between pro-environmental consumer intentions and their actual purchasing behaviors. By integrating the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) with empirical research on Environmental Knowledge and Green Brand Love, the study seeks to provide a better understanding of consumer behavior in the context of environmental consumption. The main research question of this thesis investigates to which extent Environmental Knowledge affects Green Purchasing Behavior through the mediating effects of Attitude towards Green Product Purchase and Green Brand Love. Answering that question, the thesis suggests that the Attitudes towards Green Product Purchases and the emotional connection consumers form with green brands, Green Brand Love, can mediate the relationship between their Environmental Knowledge and their purchasing behaviors. This study contributes to academic literature and research by proposing a revised model of TPB that incorporates Green Brand Love as a mediating factor. Furthermore, it also offers practical insights for companies by suggesting that Environmental Knowledge and Green Brand Love can effectively drive green purchasing decisions. This could ultimately help in the closure of the Green Gap by giving insight into how new elements can be driving factors in resolving the discrepancy between buyer intention and actual purchase behavior. This research emphasizes the importance of understanding the psychological and emotional drivers behind consumer choices in order to promote more sustainable consumer practices effectively. To investigate these relationships, the research used a quantitative design. All data was collected through an online survey distributed to consumers who are familiar with purchasing green personal care products. A total of 156 valid responses were analyzed. Statistical analyses, including linear regression and mediation analysis, were conducted using SPSS to test the proposed hypotheses. The findings demonstrate that Environmental Knowledge positively influences both Attitude towards Green Product Purchase and Green Brand Love. The findings also show that positive Attitude towards Green Product Purchase and Green Brand Love were found to significantly enhance Green Purchase Behavior. The mediation analysis showed that the relationship between Environmental Knowledge and Green Purchase Behavior is sequentially mediated by Attitude towards Green Product Purchase and Green Brand Love.