Research Article

Vision

Determinants of Green Consumer 1–12

© 2022 MDI

Behaviour among Indian Consumers:

Reprints and permissions:
in.sagepub.com/journals-permissions-india
DOI: 10.1177/09722629221131100
An ISM Approach journals.sagepub.com/home/vis

Zainab Fatima1 , Mohd Abdul Moid Siddiqui2 and Rahela Farooqi1

Abstract
The dynamic changes in the environment and the global market scenario, has also changed the way consumers approach a product.
In the recent past, it has been observed that consumers are getting more inclined towards green purchases. This has resulted in the
emergence of a new field of research called ‘green consumerism’ or green consumer behaviour. Many researchers have highlighted the
reasons, patterns, barriers and enablers of green consumer behaviour. With the help of previous literature and expert opinions, 11
key determinants of green consumer behaviour have been identified operating in the Indian market. Interpretive structural modelling
(ISM) has been used to develop a framework to show the interrelationship among the identified determinants and how it affects the
customer’s green purchase behaviour.

Key Words
Green Consumerism, Green Consumer Behaviour, ISM, Indian Consumer

Introduction environmental damage. While majority of the consumers

have a favourable view about environmental protection (Li
Over the past few years, more and more people are realiz- et al., 2012). Although there are studies stating that the
ing that the environment is getting affected by every living number of consumers eager to purchase green products has
individual and is also at the same time affecting various increased in recent years, there is no evidence that green
aspects of their lives either directly or indirectly. Some product purchases have increased in the same amount as
people due to the influence of environmentalists or organi- the eagerness to purchase (Bray et al., 2011).
zations that value these concerns more than others, or due Green purchase behaviour has been extensively studied
to various individual factors or external influences. around the world. But in the Indian context, green purchas-
People’s environmental awareness is influenced by differ- ing is a relatively new term, as the majority of previous
ent dimensions like the social influence regarding these studies on Indian consumer behaviour have focused on
things, ethics or education level and so on. With the grow- observing customer attitudes regarding green purchases
ing emphasis on environment protection and increasing (Nittala, 2012). According to a recent survey by consulting
consumer demand for green products, the companies who firm Bain and Company, 43% of Indian consumers keep
are providing green goods and services are reaping size- sustainable and green attributes among the top 5 criteria
able profits (Schmeltz, 2012). ‘Green consumption’ on the while making purchases (Times of India, 2022), whereas
other hand deals with the environmentally responsible the market share of green products is still 5% of the total
behaviour of consumption of various products by the con- products sold according to the same report which high-
sumers where they measured the environmental impact of lights the huge scope of attention of decision-makers and
their purchase, use and disposal of any product or service researchers to bridge the gap. The study is novel in its
(Moisander, 2007). This purchasing is important as approach as all the previous studies have considered either
unplanned and unconscious purchasing damages the motivators (enablers) or restrictors (barriers) to green con-
environment (Young et al., 2010). By choosing green prod- sumption whereas this study considers motivators as well
ucts, consumers have the capability to avoid or reduce as restrictors together in one framework and established

1 Department of Management Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, Delhi, India
2 IILM Graduate School of Management, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India

Corresponding author:
Mohd Abdul Moid Siddiqui, IILM Graduate School of Management, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201306, India.
E-mail: [email protected]
2 Vision

relationships among them by the interpretive structural sustainable food practices are becoming more and more
modelling (ISM) method. Previous studies on green con- popular with each passing day (Tait et al., 2016). But due
sumption also have been limited in their approach in the to low environmental awareness among the Indian popula-
sense the factors studied have been conceptualized around tion, the green consumption value is still low as compared
specific category/categories of products like food products, to the rest of the world (Ghose & Chandra, 2020; Wang
white goods or high involvement products like automo- et al., 2019). This might be due to reasons like high popula-
biles. Most of the studies have also limited their area of tion, low literacy rate, prevailing poverty and so on. There
study by considering only online or offline mode of pur- are other recent studies that focus on understanding the
chase, whereas this study does not pose any such restric- green consumption pattern of collective societies in emerg-
tion in the factors outlined that are widely applicable on ing markets including India (Uddin & Khan, 2018),
most categories of consumer products and is applicable to Pakistan (Ali & Ahmad, 2016), Turkey (Yarimoglu &
all media of purchase as well. Hence, the purpose of this Binboga, 2019) and Thailand (Maichum et al., 2016).
study is to identify and model the key determinants of
green purchase behaviour of the consumers in the Indian
Determinants of Green Consumer
market through the ISM approach, to further establish the
Behaviour
assessment of green consumption habits of Indian consum-
ers so that companies, government and all the stakeholders For the study, eleven critical factors have been identified
can better target their green efforts. ISM is a multi-criteria from various literature that influence the green consump-
decision-making (MCDM) approach that helps in estab- tion pattern of Indian consumers. Initially, 13 variables
lishing and understanding the interrelationships among were identified by the literature review that were rated by
various determinants and mentioning the ones with high experts from academia active in research in the relevant
driving power, that is, which factors require maximum and field, through personal connect and through professional
minimum attention for the effective implementation of social media networks. A total of 75 responses were
these green purchase practices. It is a method of recogniz- received. They were requested to rate the 13 factors on a
ing and enforcing the interdependence of the identified five-point scale of ‘1 = highly irrelevant to 5 = highly rel-
variables (Sage, 1997). The ISM technique transforms evant’ the primary motive of this exercise was to eliminate
ambiguous, poorly articulated models into distinct and any determinant from the study that the experts considered
definite models that can be used in a wide range of irrelevant. The cut-off mean score was considered as 3 for
applications. any factor to be considered relevant for the study, analysis
from this exercise revealed that as per the experts’ rating
two determinants, that is, consumer guilt and manufactur-
Review of Literature er’s measures were found to be irrelevant and fetched
Green Consumer Behaviour below the mean score of 3, thus were eliminated from the
study. Further, an elaborate literature review along with a
When a person’s purchasing and consumption habits reflect discussion with three industrial and two academic experts
environmental awareness, they are said to have ‘green con- was carried out for the study. Thus, the eleven shortlisted
sumption value’ (Moser, 2016). It can also refer to a per- factors are explained below:
son’s desire to consume or utilize only products that fulfil
their environmental and sustainability standards (Varshneya 1. Lack of environmental awareness: It signifies
et al., 2017; Wu & Chen, 2014). These habits of individuals that consumers are not aware of the advantages and
govern their consumption behaviour and urge them to use benefits of eco-friendly items (Luthra et al., 2011).
or prefer more green products and avoid the products that Increase in environmental awareness can increase
harm the environment (Nguyen et al., 2019; Varshneya the demand for eco-friendly products, thus creating
et al., 2017; Wang & Lin, 2017). Research has shown how an external pressure on the companies to fulfil these
unsustainable consumption practices can also be influ- demands (Jose, 2022; Mathiyazhagan et al., 2013).
enced by various socio-demographic criteria (Bucic et al., Various studies from the past have analysed envi-
2012; Bulut et al., 2017; Pearce et al., 2014). ronmental awareness of customers and reasons for
There has been a growing emphasis on building policies low awareness (Biswas & Roy 2015; Maheshwari,
for sustainable production during the previous decade 2014; Rather & Rajendran, 2014; Surianshah,
(Ananno et al., 2020; Liobikiene & Bernatoniene, 2017) 2021).
while to encourage sustainable development, the impor- 2. Government actions: Many studies on sustainable
tance of green consumption has only recently been consumption to date has focused on policy initia-
addressed (Khan et al., 2019; Kumar & Yadav, 2021). tives by the government (Welch & Southerton,
Thus, by increasing the production of green products, com- 2019). Government actions, especially in emerging
panies around the world can encourage green consumption markets, have a vital role to play when it comes to
among their consumers. In emerging markets like India, consumer demands (Veleva et al., 2015). Setting
Fatima et al. 3

defined and measurable social goals and executing unappealing point-of-purchase packaging and dis-
suitable regulations by local governments can pro- play force buyers to spend extra time to search for
mote sustainable consumption and business sus- the adequate one. As a result, customers associate
tainability, which play an essential role in promot- green purchases as time-consuming and demand-
ing green practices (Deutz & Gibbs, 2008). ing extra work (Phan et al., 2017). Consumers who
3. Social influence: Social influence is a major deter- perceive more time constraints are less likely to
minant in human behaviour; in fact, some people purchase green foods (Tanner & Kast, 2003).
define social psychology as the study of social 7. Environmental concern: Environmental concern
influence (Sanfey et al., 2003). Subjective norm is is an expression of a customer’s core environmental
defined as the perceived social pressure to perform convictions (Schultz, 2000). Consumer concern
or not to perform an action (Ajzen, 1991). According about the environment has been hailed as probably
to some studies, green consumption is a reflection the greatest opportunity for companies in the his-
of a consumer’s societal norms, values and personal tory of the industrial world (Cairncross, 1992). Jain
convictions (Caruana, 2007; Johnstone & Hooper and Kaur (2004) analysed the extent with which
2016). However, studies on green consumption environmental awareness and environment concern
behaviour and social influence have only been able is prevalent among Indian consumers. An increas-
to uncover some indirect effects of social norms on ing level of environmental concern (Ginsberg &
intentions to purchase organic foods (Thøgersen & Bloom, 2004; Ohtomo & Hirose, 2007) involving a
Zhou 2012). Social influence has been identified as slow adoption rate of environmental products and
a strong positive antecedent of green consumption services (Bonini & Oppenheim, 2008) is the key
behaviour in various research in emerging markets motivator for this work.
such as India (Biswas & Roy, 2015; Verma & 8. Price of green product: Price of the green product
Chandra, 2018). often acts as an important factor for the consumers
4. Information availability: It is often referred to as in its purchase. For some of the consumers, the
the product or service information that customers higher price of the green product often acts as a de-
seek while making a purchasing decision (Nystrand motivator in their purchase (Bonini & Oppenheim,
& Olsen, 2020). It plays an important role in the 2008). Lack of economic resources of consumers is
consumption of a product as consumers who also found to amplify the effect of price and act as a
attempt to gather information on their own, usually barrier to the purchase of green products (Connell,
incur costs in the form of time, money and incon- 2010). Consumers with low price sensitivity, on the
venience (Özen & Kodaz, 2016; Zhang et al., 2018) other hand, were found to have a favourable impact
which will ultimately influence their decision to on green purchase behaviour (Eze & Ndubisi,
purchase or not to purchase the green product. 2013). High price sensitivity, on the other hand, has
Green consumers generally weigh the pros and a detrimental impact on consumer green purchase
cons of many options before making a purchase behaviour (Ma et al., 2013). Hence, the price fair-
(Khare & Rakesh, 2011; Kumar & Kashyap, 2018). ness and pricing strategies affect the purchase of
Thus, the greater the availability of information, the green products (Dekhili & Achabou, 2013).
greater the perceived control over a purchase deci- 9. Green promotions: Green marketing, according to
sion (Khare and Rakesh, 2011). the majority of people, only refers to the promotion
5. Efforts involved: This includes factors like the or advertising of products that have environmental
availability of products or services, the distance to features (Singh, 2013). Companies are able to
the shop and shopping hours (Holbrook, 1999). improve the customers’ attitudes through the effec-
More efforts act as a discouraging factor for the tive promotion of green products (Kalafatis &
customers in their purchase (Lloyd et al., 2014), Pollard, 1999). Sudjatmiko and Soegoto (2018)
Today green purchases are further supported by found that there was a significant influence of green
technological advancement, including real-time promotions in the green purchase response of con-
product information, easy transaction mechanisms sumers with respect to green property purchase.
and details of the environmental impact of products 10. Prioritizing non-green criteria: This involves the
(Lloyd et al., 2014; Kumar & Sadarangani, 2018). inclusion of non-green criteria, desires and habits in
Consumers sometimes find more physical and men- the product purchase decision, such as specification,
tal efforts involved in finding green products size, price (including discount), recognized brand
(Young et al., 2010). and specific brand, appearance, design, colour, infor-
6. Lack of time: Due to the scarcity of ecologically mation source (which, previous experience), reliabil-
friendly products, consumers are required to visit ity, type (e.g. sports car), model, age, mileage, retailer
specialized retailers. Even after the availability choice, sales technique, service history and free and
of these products at specific shops, poor and timely delivery (Sheth et al., 1991). Not surprisingly
4 Vision

these non-green criteria reduced the influence of well-defined models (Kumar & Purbey, 2018). Thus, ISM
many of customers’ green criteria in their buying is ‘interpretive as judgement of the selected group for the
behaviour and decision-making process. Young et al. study, decides whether and how the variables are related’
(2010) recognized the non-green criteria as an impor- (Luthra et al., 2011).
tant determinant for the customers in the purchase of Following are the steps that have been followed for the
any green product. ISM approach for the study:
11. Lack of availability of green products: Some con-
sumers who wish to purchase green products may Step 1: Identification and listing of the determinants of
find it difficult to do so due to lack of availability of green consumption practices among Indian con-
these products (Bonini & Oppenheim, 2008). sumers (as explained in the literature review).
Consumers prefer to avoid wasting time hunting for Step 2: Establishment of the relationship between each
green products and instead opt for those that are determinant identified in step 1.
readily available (Tanner & Kast, 2003; Young et al., Step 3: A structural self-interaction matrix (SSIM) was
2010). Many studies found that restricted availability created after establishing a pair-wise relation-
and access to environmentally friendly products ship among determinants.
were significant hurdles to their purchase (Padel & Step 4: Development of an initial reachability matrix
Foster, 2005; Young et al., 2010), while easy access from the SSIM, and checking the same for tran-
of the green products positively affects green pur- sitivity. The ISM tool has an underlying assump-
chase behaviour (Vermeir & Verbeke, 2008). tion that if a determinant ‘X’ is related to ‘Y’ and
‘Y’ is related to ‘Z’, then ‘X’ is similar to ‘Z’.
Research Methodology Step 5: After confirming the transitivity of the initial
reachability matrix, the final reachability
The present study focuses on the identification of key determi- matrix is generated.
nants of the green consumption practices of Indian consum- Step 6: The partitioning of the determinants is done
ers. The literature was identified by running searches on the into multiple levels based on the relationships
two databases Scopus and Google Scholar with the following of the final reachability matrix and their driv-
keywords ‘green consumption determinants’, ‘determinants ing and dependent powers.
of green consumption, ‘green consumerism determinants’, Step 7: By substituting nodal elements with state-
‘determinants of green consumption in India’ which found a ments, the resulting matrix was turned into an
total of 385 articles whose abstracts were scanned to finally ISM model.
outline 35 articles that were related to the concept in the con- Step 8: The ISM model was evaluated and any concep-
text being studied. Out of the above mentioned 35 articles, we tual contradictions were checked.
shortlisted 13 determinants that were strongly influencing
green purchases (acting as motivators or barriers). Out of
these 13, two determinants were eliminated based on the cut- Identification of Variables
off score by professionals (as discussed in literature review
Based on the previous literature as well as the opinion of
section). Thus, 11 determinants were finalized for the study. industrial and academic experts, 11 variables were identi-
The ISM method is used to find and establish the interrelation- fied as the key determinants in green consumption prac-
ships between the indicated determinants as well as the ones tices. The identified determinants have been explained in
with the greatest driving and dependency power. the literature review section.

Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM)

Methodology Development of Structured Self Intersection
Matrix (SSIM)
It is a process of organizing a collection of diverse and
closely related components into a comprehensive, well- The SSIM has been formed from the interrelationship
organized model. It is a method for identifying connections among 11 variables as shown in Table 1. The following
between various factors (Sage, 1997). The ISM technique four symbols have been used to represent the direction of
involves a methodical application of some basic graph the- the relationship between two determinants ‘I’ and ‘J’ in the
ory concepts to define a complex pattern of interrelation- development of SSIM:
ships among a group of determinants (Malone, 1975). It
helps to find out the relationship between complex ele- O—No relation between the determinants
ments, resolves complex issues and directs researchers to X—–Determinants i and j will help to achieve each
prepare an overview with regard to complex relations other
between elements. It helps in the conversion of rough inad- V—Determinants i will help to achieve determinant j.
equately represented mental models into complete and A—Determinant j will help to achieve determinant i.
Fatima et al. 5

Table 1. Structured Self Intersection Matrix (SSIM).

S.N Key Determinants 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

1 Lack of environmental awareness O V A V V V V A X A
2 Government actions V V V V V O V V V
3 Social influence V V A O X V V A
4 Information availability O V X V V V V
5 Efforts involved A V A O A A
6 Lack of time O V A O A
7 Environmental concern V V A V
8 Price of green products A V O
9 Green promotions V V
10 Prioritizing non-green criteria A
11 Lack of availability of green products –
Source: The authors.

Reachability Matrix factor, and it has no effect on other factors. To identify the
factors that fall in each level, the top-level factors are sepa-
The initial reachability matrix is created by converting rated from the remaining ones and the method is repeated for
SSIM into a binary matrix where the V, A, X and 0 of SSIM all other factors. These levels aid in the creation of the final
are turned into 1 and 0 using the rules: ISM model (Singh and Kant, 2008). Table 4 depicts the com-
bined picture of initial to final iterations of all the 11 determi-
1. If the value of (i, j) in the SSIM is V, the value of nants. It includes the reachability set, antecedent set,
(i, j) in reachability matrix will be 1 and (j, i) value intersection set, initial and final levels of all the determinants.
will be 0. This level partitioning process took a total of five iterations to
2. If the value of (i, j) in the SSIM is A, the value of give a complete picture for all 11 determinants.
(i, j) in reachability matrix will be 0 and (j, i) value
will be 1.
3. If the value of (i, j) in the SSIM is X, the value of Formation of the ISM Model
(i, j) in reachability matrix will be 0 and (j, i) value From Tables 3 and 4, the final diagraph is constructed
will be 0. (Figure 1). For showing the relationship between two
4. If the value of (i, j) in the SSIM is O, the value of determinants, arrow has been used. Later on, the final dia-
(i, j) in reachability matrix will be 0 and (j, i) value graph is converted into the ISM model by replacing the
will be 0. nodal elements with sentences as illustrated in Figure 2.
By applying the above rules, the initial reachability matrix
was obtained (Table 2) for the determinants of green con- MICMAC Analysis
sumption practices. Based on the driving and dependence power identified in
By testing transitivity, the final reachability matrix was Table 3, this study has also done the MICMAC analysis
created from the initial reachability matrix through Excel. which was used in classifying the identified determinants
The driving and dependency power for each determinant into four quadrants or clusters which are as follows:
has also been shown in the Table 3.
I. Autonomous—determinants with a weak driving
Partitioning of the Levels and dependence power.
II. Dependent—determinants with a weak driving
The partitioning of levels is done with the help of final reach- power and a high reliance power.
ability matrix prepared in Table 3. The reachability set, ante- III. Linkage—determinants with a great driving and
cedent set and the intersection set for each determinant was dependence power.
obtained. The reachability set of a particular determinant con- IV. Driving or independent—determinants with strong
sists of other determinants and itself, which it helps in achiev- driving and weak dependence power (Kannan &
ing and the antecedent set includes the determinants Haq, 2007).
themselves and the other factors, which may assist in achiev-
ing it. An intersection set displays the shared determinants of
both sets. The determinant with the same reachability and Results and Discussion
intersection sets rises to the top of the hierarchy. This factor is This study has highlighted eleven key determinants of
driven by all other factors and does not affect other factors green consumption habits among Indian consumers. The
(Kannan & Haq, 2007), that is, all other factors drive this ISM approach has been used and the ISM model (as shown
6 Vision

Table 2. Initial Reachability Matrix.

S.N Key Determinants 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

1 Lack of environmental awareness 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 1 0 1 0
2 Government actions 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1
3 Social influence 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 1
4 Information availability 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0
5 Efforts involved 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0
6 Lack of time 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0
7 Environmental concern 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 1 0 1 1
8 Price of green products 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0
9 Green promotions 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1
10 Prioritizing non-green criteria 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
11 Lack of availability of green products 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1
Source: The authors.

Table 3. Final Reachability Matrix for the Key Determinants.

S.N Key Determinants 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Driving Power
1 Lack of environmental awareness 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 1 0 1 1* 8
2 Government actions 1 1 1 1 1 1* 1 1 1 1 1 11
3 Social influence 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 1* 0 1 1 8
4 Information availability 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1* 10
5 Efforts involved 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 2
6 Lack of time 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 3
7 Environmental concern 1* 0 1 0 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 8
8 Price of green products 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 2
9 Green promotions 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1* 1 1 1 10
10 Prioritizing non-green criteria 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1
11 Lack of availability of green products 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 4
Dependence power 6 1 6 3 9 7 6 8 3 11 7 67/67
Source: The authors.
Note: * Value corrected after transitivity check.

Table 4. Partitioning of Levels (Iteration 1 to Iteration 5).

S.N Reachability Set Antecedent Set Intersection Set Level

1 1,3,7 1,2,3,4,7,9 1,3,7 IV
2 2,4,9 2 2 VI
3 1,3,7 1,2,3,4,7,9 1,3,7 IV
4 4,9 2,4,9 4,9 V
5 5 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,9,11 5 II
6 6 1,2,3,4,6,7,9 6 III
7 1,3,7 1,2,3,7,9 1,3,7 IV
8 8 1,2,3,4,7,8,9,11 8 II
9 4,9 2,4,9 4,9 V
10 10 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11 10 I
11 11 1,2,3,4,7,9,11 11 III
Source: The authors.

in Figure 2) has been drawn in order to understand the were identified as the ‘dependent variables’ (Table 5).
interrelationship among different determinants. The model These determinants possess weak driving powers but are
formulated through the ISM methodology has also been highly dependent on other determinants and thus they are
presented in tabular form through MICMAC analysis. The found at the top of the ISM model (Figure 2). These three
three determinants of the model namely—prioritizing non- determinants demand least attention and affect less in the
green criteria (D10), efforts involved (D5), price of green green consumption process of consumers. At the interme-
products (D8) were found to play least influential role diate level, there are five determinants, namely—lack of
when compared to the rest of the eight determinants and time (D6), lack of availability of green products (D11)
Fatima et al. 7

Figure 1. Final Diagraph Representing the Relationship between Key Determinants.

Source: The authors.
8 Vision

Figure 2. ISM Based Model of Determinants of Green Consumptions Habits of Indian Consumers.
Source: The authors.

(both at third level), lack of environmental awareness (D1), Conclusion

social influence (D3) and environmental concern (D7) (all
three at fourth level). These five determinants were identi- In the present study, a structural ISM model has been devel-
fied as ‘linkage variable’. These eight determinants from oped based on the eleven determinants highlighted through
level one to level four were found to have less influencing previous literature and expert opinion. These determinants
power or are less important as compared to the determi- were iterated into different levels. And each determinant is
nants lying at the bottom of the model (Figure 2). Three found to have different influencing power on green con-
determinants, namely—information availability (D4), sumption behaviour as compared to the others. While the
green promotions (D9) and government actions (D2) were three determinants namely information availability (D4),
found to have maximum driving power and were signifi- green promotions (D9) and government actions (D2) have
cantly influencing all the determinants lying above them. maximum influencing power, on the other hand prioritizing
These were identified as ‘driver variables’. These determi- non-green criteria (D10), efforts involved (D5) and price of
nants are crucial and need to be given maximum attention green products (D8) influence least in the process.
in order to successfully identify and promote green con- It can be noted that not much literature is available that
sumption process among consumers. has identified the key determinants of green consumption
Fatima et al. 9

Table 5. Power Matrix of Driving and Dependence Power.

11 2
10 4,9
9
8 1,3,7
7 IV III
6
5
Driving Power

4 I 11 II
3 6
2 8 5
1 10
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Dependence Power
Source: The authors.

and arranged them in the form of a hierarchy. Hence, only who are engaged in green products’ manufacturing and
some of the research work has been mentioned. Nath et al. want to avoid failure. Further research must try to study the
(2014) have highlighted the barriers or enablers of green distribution of green products in various emerging markets
product adoption. It was found that the low availability of or developing countries and must try to identify the moti-
green products has less driving power (but not least) as com- vators of green consumption behaviour to increase their
pared to the rest of the factors. Lack of environmental aware- use in the society.
ness, on the other hand was found to influence more than the This study has considered only 11 key determinants for
low availability of the green product and the former lies the study; however, there may be other determinants that
below the latter in the hierarchy. Singh and Gupta (2020) were not included but may affect the process of green con-
have arranged the factors that affect the purchase of green sumption. Researchers can include more factors in order to
products in the form of a hierarchy and found that environ- get better results. The current model was created using pre-
mental concern acts as a linkage variable with moderate vious literature and judgement of many experts from aca-
driving power, lying in the middle of the ISM model. Handa demics and green product industry, who if biased, can
et al. (2019) have done the analysis of drivers for green man- affect the final results. Thus, the further validation of the
ufacturing and found that government or regulatory compli- present model can be done through a structural equation
ance pressure has acted as a strong driver and is found to modelling methodology. The outbreak of COVID-19 pan-
have the maximum influence in green manufacturing by demic also imposed some restrictions on physically
lying at the bottom of the ISM model. meeting the experts for an elaborate discussion, due to
In the past years, the increasing demand to implement which most of the meetings were held online.
sustainable practices have encouraged the researcher to
explore and investigate the area and adopt MCDM
approach in their research. This study attempted to fill a Managerial Implications
gap in the literature on green consumption and key deter- This research is useful to the policymakers and managers
minants of green consumption behaviour adoption. The who formulate strategies to promote the manufacturing of
findings contributed to the existing literature on green con- green products in the industry. It also offers key managerial
sumption by giving a framework for examining how these insights to the policy makers in the government and manu-
determinants interact and which factors are most important facturing industry by highlighting the roles they play in
from a strategic standpoint. green products’ manufacturing, their promotion, awareness
and availability. This research helps the academicians and
practitioners to efficiently stimulate the essential set of
Future Scope and Limitations of determinants for transitioning manufacturing practises from
the Study conventional to greener. The proposed framework gives the
This study can help the researchers to expand the horizon managers and executives a better knowledge of the impor-
of research in this area by further testing this model empiri- tance of green products’ manufacturing and consumption.
cally through data collection and analysis. For their Through the identification of the key determinants and for-
research, they can include the companies engaged in green mulation of proper strategies, the fear of failure in the imple-
products’ manufacturing or analyse consumers’ responses mentation of green consumption practice can be eliminated.
and how they feel about green products’ consumption and The ISM model can help the managers at various levels
green innovations. The present ISM model may act as a in the organization to give maximum attention to those fac-
guideline of factors for the companies and entrepreneurs tors that lie at the bottom of the model and have greater
10 Vision

influence. Division of the organizational resources, such as perceptions. Business Strategy and the Environment, 22(8),
time, money, personnel, etc. on various factors can be done 547–560.
based on the model, thus more resources can be allocated on Deutz, P., & Gibbs, D. (2008). Industrial ecology and regional
the factors that require more attention and less to those fac- development: Eco-industrial development as cluster policy.
tors that require less attention or have less influencing power. Regional Studies, 42(10), 1313–1328.
Eze, U. C., & Ndubisi, N. O. (2013). Green buyer behavior:
Evidence from Asia consumers. Journal of Asian and African
Declaration of Conflicting Interests Studies, 48(4), 413–426.
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect Ghose, A., & Chandra, B. (2020). Models for predicting sustain-
to the research, authorship and/or publication of this article. able durable products consumption behaviour: A review arti-
cle. Vision, 24(1), 81–89.
Ginsberg, J. M., & Bloom, P. N. (2004). Choosing the right green
Funding marketing strategy. MIT Sloan Management Review, 46(1),
The authors received no financial support for the research, author- 79–84.
ship and/or publication of this article. Handa, S., Raj, T., & Grover, S. (2019). Analysis of drivers for
green manufacturing using ISM. Industrial Engineering
ORCID iDs Journal, 12(6). https://doi.org/10.26488/iej.12.6.1187
Holbrook, M. B. (Ed.). (1999). Consumer value: A framework for
Zainab Fatim https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6155-7484
analysis and research. Psychology Press.
Mohd Abdul Moid Siddiqui https://orcid.org/0000-0001- Jain, S. K., & Kaur, G. (2004). Green marketing: An attitudi-
8718-1825 nal and behavioural analysis of Indian consumers. Global
Rahela Farooqi https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9483-5329 Business Review, 5(2), 187–205.
Johnstone, M. L., & Hooper, S. (2016). Social influence and
References green consumption behaviour: A need for greater government
Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational involvement. Journal of Marketing Management, 32(9–10),
Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50, 179–211. 827–855.
Ali, A., & Ahmad, I. (2016). Environment friendly products: Jose, J., Biju, M. K., & Vincent, B. (2022). Does consumer
Factors that influence the green purchase intentions of attitude influence sustainable buying behavior of branded
Pakistani consumers. Pakistan Journal of Engineering, organic food consumers? The mediating role of green con-
Technology & Science, 2(1), 84–117. sumption value in predicting the relationship. IUP Journal of
Ananno, A. A., Masud, M. H., Chowdhury, S. A., Dabnichki, P., Marketing Management, 21(1), 70–86.
Ahmed, N., & Arefin, A. M. E. (2020). Sustainable food waste Kalafatis, S. P., Pollard, M., East, R., & Tsogas, M. H. (1999).
management model for Bangladesh. Sustainable Production Green marketing and Ajzen’s theory of planned behaviour: A
and Consumption, 27, 35–51. cross-market examination. Journal of Consumer Marketing,
Biswas, A., & Roy, M. (2015). Green products: An exploratory 16(5), 441–460.
study on the consumer behaviour in emerging economies of Kannan, G., & Haq, A. N. (2007). Analysis of interactions of cri-
the East. Journal of Cleaner Production, 87, 463–468. teria and sub-criteria for the selection of supplier in the built-
Bonini, S., & Oppenheim, J. (2008). Cultivating the green con- in-order supply chain environment. International Journal of
sumer. Stanford Social Innovation Review, 6(4), 56–61. Production Research, 45(17), 3831–3852.
Bray, J., Johns, N., & Kilburn, D. (2011). An exploratory study Khan, R., Awan, T. M., Fatima, T., & Javed, M. (2020).
into the factors impeding ethical consumption. Journal of Driving forces of green consumption in sharing economy.
Business Ethics, 98(4), 597–608. Management of Environmental Quality: An International
Bucic, T., Harris, J., & Arli, D. (2012). Ethical consumers among Journal, 32(1), 41–63.
the millennials: A cross-national study. Journal of Business Khare, A., & Rakesh, S. (2011). Antecedents of online shop-
Ethics, 110(1), 113–131. ping behavior in India: An examination. Journal of Internet
Bulut, Z. A., Kökalan Çımrin, F., & Doğan, O. (2017). Gender, Commerce, 10(4), 227–244.
generation and sustainable consumption: Exploring the Kumar, A., & Kashyap, A. K. (2018). Leveraging utilitarian
behaviour of consumers from Izmir, Turkey. International perspective of online shopping to motivate online shoppers.
Journal of Consumer Studies, 41(6), 597–604. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management,
Cairncross, F. (1992). Costing the earth (Vol. 242). Harvard 46(3), 247–263.
Business School Press. Kumar, S., & Purbey, S. (2018). Benchmarking model for factors
Caruana, R. (2007). A sociological perspective of consumption influencing creation of negative electronic word of mouth.
morality. Journal of Consumer Behaviour: An International Benchmarking: An International Journal, 25(9), 3592–3606.
Research Review, 6(5), 287–304. Kumar, S., & Sadarangani, P. H. (2018). Study of shopping moti-
Connell, K. Y. H. (2010). Internal and external barriers to eco- vation and buying behaviour among generation Y in India.
conscious apparel acquisition. International Journal of ISSN No. 2362-7832, p. 341.
Consumer Studies, 34(3), 279–286. Kumar, S., & Yadav, R. (2021). The impact of shopping motiva-
Dekhili, S., & Achabou, M. A. (2013). Price fairness in the case tion on sustainable consumption: A study in the context of
of green products: Enterprises’ policies and consumers’ green apparel. Journal of Cleaner Production, 295, 126239.
Fatima et al. 11

Li, W., Liu, J., & Li, D. (2012). Getting their voices heard: Three Pearce, M., Willis, E., Mamerow, L., Jorgensen, B., & Martin, J.
cases of public participation in environmental protection in (2014). The prestige of sustainable living: Implications for water
China. Journal of Environmental Management, 98, 65–72. use in Australia. The Geographical Journal, 180(2), 161–174.
Liobikienė, G., & Bernatonienė, J. (2017). Why determinants of Phan, T. T. H., Cao, T. K., & Nguyen, H. V. (2017). Green pur-
green purchase cannot be treated equally? The case of green chase behavior: Mitigating barriers in developing countries.
cosmetics: Literature review. Journal of Cleaner Production, Strategic Direction, 33(8), 4–6.
162, 109–120. Rather, R. A., & Rajendran, R. (2014). A study on consumer
Lloyd, A. E., Chan, R. Y., Yip, L. S., & Chan, A. (2014). Time awareness of green products and its impact on green buying
buying and time saving: Effects on service convenience and behavior. International Journal of Research, 1(8).
the shopping experience at the mall. Journal of Services Sage, A. P. (1997), Interpretive structural modeling: Methodology
Marketing, 28, 36–49. for Large-Scale Systems (pp. 91–164), McGraw-Hill.
Luthra, S., Kumar, V., Kumar, S., & Haleem, A. (2011). Barriers Sanfey, A. G., Rilling, J. K., Aronson, J. A., Nystrom, L. E., &
to implement green supply chain management in automobile Cohen, J. D. (2003). The neural basis of economic decision-
industry using interpretive structural modeling technique: An making in the ultimatum game. Science, 300(5626), 1755–1758.
Indian perspective. Journal of Industrial Engineering and Schmeltz, L. (2012). Consumer-oriented CSR communication:
Management (JIEM), 4(2), 231–257. Focusing on ability or morality? Corporate Communications,
Maheshwari, S. P. (2014). Awareness of green marketing and its 17(1), 29–49.
influence on buying behavior of consumers: Special reference Schultz, P. (2000). Empathizing with nature: The effects of per-
to Madhya Pradesh, India. AIMA Journal of Management & spective taking on concern for environmental issues, Journal
Research, 8(1/4). of Social Issues, 56(3), 391–406.
Maichum, K., Parichatnon, S., & Peng, K. C. (2016). Application Sheth, J. N., Newman, B. I., & Gross, B. L. (1991). Why we buy
of the extended theory of planned behavior model to investi- what we buy: A theory of consumption values. Journal of
gate purchase intention of green products among Thai con- Business Research, 22(2), 159–170.
sumers. Sustainability, 8(10), 1077. Singh, G. (2013). A study of evolution and practice of green mar-
Malone, D. W. (1975). An introduction to the application of inter- keting by various companies in India. International Journal
pretive structural modeling. Proceedings of the IEEE, 63(3), of Management and Social Sciences Research, 2(7), 49–56.
397–404. Singh, M. D., & Kant, R. (2008). Knowledge management
Mathiyazhagan, K., Govindan, K., NoorulHaq, A., & Geng, Y. barriers: An interpretive structural modeling approach.
(2013). An ISM approach for the barrier analysis in imple- International Journal of Management Science and
menting green supply chain management. Journal of Cleaner Engineering Management, 3(2), 141–150.
Production, 47, 283–297. Singh, S., & Gupta, A. (2020). An ISM modeling for fac-
Moisander, J. (2007). Motivational complexity of green consumer- tors affecting the purchase of green products. Journal of
ism. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 31(4), 404–409. Modelling in Management, 16(1), 103–123.
Moser, A. K. (2016). Consumers’ purchasing decisions regard- Sudjatmiko, G., & Soegoto, D. S. (2018). The influence of green
ing environmentally friendly products: An empirical analysis location strategy, green price, and green promotions toward
of German consumers. Journal of Retailing and Consumer purchase decision of the property. Journal Advances in Social
Services, 31, 389–397. Science, Education and Humanities Research, 255, 263–266.
Nath, V., Kumar, R., Agrawal, R., Gautam, A., & Sharma, V. Surianshah, S. (2021). Environmental awareness and green products
(2014). Impediments to adoption of green products: An ISM consumption behavior: A case study of Sabah State, Malaysia.
analysis. Journal of Promotion Management, 20(5), 501–520. Biodiversitas Journal of Biological Diversity, 22(7), 2685–2692.
Nguyen, H. V., Nguyen, C. H., & Hoang, T. T. B. (2019). Green Tait, P., Saunders, C., Guenther, M., & Rutherford, P. (2016).
consumption: Closing the intention-behavior gap. Sustainable Emerging versus developed economy consumer willingness to
Development, 27(1), 118–129. pay for environmentally sustainable food production: A choice
Nittala, R. (2012). Determinants of green purchase behavior of experiment approach comparing Indian, Chinese and United
university teachers. South Asian Journal of Marketing & Kingdom lamb consumers. Journal of Cleaner Production,
Management Research, 2(8), 292–309. 124, 65–72.
Nystrand, B. T., & Olsen, S. O. (2020). Consumers’ attitudes and Tanner, C., & Wölfing Kast, S. (2003). Promoting sustainable
intentions toward consuming functional foods in Norway. consumption: Determinants of green purchases by Swiss con-
Food Quality and Preference, 80, 103827. sumers. Psychology & Marketing, 20(10), 883–902.
Ohtomo, S., & Hirose, Y. (2007). The dual-process of reactive and Times of India. (2022). 60% of India willing to pay a premium for sustain-
intentional decision-making involved in eco-friendly behav- ability products. June 6, 2022. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/
ior. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 27(2), 117–125. articleshow/92030126.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_
Özen, H., & Kodaz, N. (2016). Utilitarian or hedonic? A cross medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
cultural study in online shopping. In Thriving in a new world Thøgersen, J., & Zhou, Y. (2012). Chinese consumers’ adoption
economy (pp. 234–239). Springer. of a ‘green’ innovation–The case of organic food. Journal of
Padel, S., & Foster, C. (2005). Exploring the gap between atti- Marketing Management, 28(3–4), 313–333.
tudes and behaviour: Understanding why consumers buy Uddin, S. F., & Khan, M. N. (2018). Young consumer’s green
or do not buy organic food. British food Journal, 107(8), purchasing behavior: Opportunities for green marketing.
606–625. Journal of Global Marketing, 31(4), 270–281.
12 Vision

Varshneya, G., Pandey, S. K., & Das, G. (2017). Impact of social About the Authors
influence and green consumption values on purchase inten-
tion of organic clothing: A study on collectivist developing Zainab Fatima ([email protected]) is a research
economy. Global Business Review, 18(2), 478–492. scholar pursuing her PhD from Centre for Management
Veleva, V., Todorova, S., Lowitt, P., Angus, N., & Neely, D. Studies and Research, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi.
(2015). Understanding and addressing business needs and Her research areas are consumer behaviour, ecological
sustainability challenges: Lessons from Devens eco-indus- buying behaviour and green marketing.
trial park. Journal of Cleaner Production, 87, 375–384.
Verma, V. K., & Chandra, B. (2018). An application of theory of
planned behavior to predict young Indian consumers’ green Mohd Abdul Moid Siddiqui ([email protected]) is cur-
hotel visit intention. Journal of Cleaner Production, 172, rently an Assistant Professor at IILM Graduate School of
1152–1162. Management, Greater Noida. Prior to this, he worked as an
Vermeir, I., & Verbeke, W. (2008). Sustainable food consump- Assistant Professor & Head Academics, Faculty of
tion among young adults in Belgium: Theory of planned Management, Asian Business School, Noida and Subject
behaviour and the role of confidence and values. Ecological
Expert and Faculty at Institute of Development Studies,
Economics, 64(3), 542–553.
University of Lucknow. He has a PhD in Business
Wang, E. S. T., & Lin, H. C. (2017). Sustainable development:
The effects of social normative beliefs on environmental Administration from Faculty of Management Studies and
behaviour. Sustainable Development, 25(6), 595–609. Research, AMU. He is a Commerce graduate from the
Wang, L., Zhang, G., Shi, P., Lu, X., & Song, F. (2019). Influence University of Lucknow, post that, he has done MBA and PG
of awe on green consumption: The mediating effect of psy- Diploma in Personnel Management from Aligarh Muslim
chological ownership. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 2484. University. He has presented and published research in jour-
Welch, D., & Southerton, D. (2019). After Paris: Transitions for nals of repute and premier institutions in India and abroad,
sustainable consumption. Sustainability: Science, Practice such as SC Johnson School of Business, Cornell University,
and Policy, 15(1), 31–44. New York, Prague Technical University—Czech Republic,
Wu, S. I., & Chen, J. Y. (2014). A model of green consump- IIM Lucknow to name a few.
tion behavior constructed by the theory of planned behavior.
International Journal of Marketing Studies, 6(5), 119.
Yarimoglu, E., & Binboga, G. (2019). Understanding sustainable Rahela Farooqui ([email protected]) has more than 20
consumption in an emerging country: The antecedents and years of teaching experience at the post graduate level in the
consequences of the ecologically conscious consumer behav- area of marketing. She has guided more than 10 PhD schol-
ior model. Business Strategy and the Environment, 28(4), ars. Her research papers have been published in reputed
642–651.
journals, such as Emerald, SAGE and so on. She has deliv-
Young, W., Hwang, K., McDonald, S., & Oates, C. J. (2010).
ered lectures and presented papers in international confer-
Sustainable consumption: Green consumer behaviour when
purchasing products. Sustainable Development, 18(1), 20–31. ences in Denmark, Germany, Malaysia and Thailand. She is
Zhang, C. Y., Yu, B., Wang, J. W., & Wei, Y. M. (2018). Impact a passionate teacher, a keen learner and a sensitive person.
factors of household energy-saving behavior: An empirical She is eager to make a difference in the lives of students by
study of Shandong Province in China. Journal of Cleaner guiding and motivating them.
Production, 185, 285–298.