4.2.2 Green knowledge and intention
Furthermore, this research tend to validate that consumer with
strong environmental knowledge are willing to consume more green products.
Indeed, those results tend to show that green knowledge is kind of driving
green purchase by acting on the motivation and ability to act in an
environmentally friendly way (Nicole Darnall et al. 2008). Generally, authors
agree to say that green knowledge has a significant impact on green purchasing.
However some other researchers disagree whit that and tend to demonstrate that
there isn't necessarily a link between the knowledge and the green consumption
(Chan 1999; Hines 1987; ). In this case, with this sample, it is actually true,
but in this study the researcher assumes that green knowledge refers to
«the general knowledge of facts, concepts and relationship concerning the
natural environment and its major ecosystem«(Fryxell and lo 2003 p 45); in
other words it's what consumer know about the environment issues. However, it
is existing different types of knowledge; the researcher hasn't studied them
due to a lack of time. According to Nicole Darnall et al. (2008), it is
existing two kind of green knowledge: general knowledge and action-based
knowledge. The general knowledge refers to consumers basic knowledge (Hines et
al 1987) about environmental issues (it is what the researcher has studied);
action-based knowledge refers to «consumers' understanding of activities
required to mitigate environmental problems» (Nicole Darnall et al. 2008).
As a consequence, with the decision of the researcher to not study the action
based knowledge an important part of the population was not sampled and, as a
consequence the results could have been different.
Additionally, the findings have permitted to highlight that
generally people which are willing to purchase green product are finally doing
it. It seems that people with the intention to buy green are finally
transforming their intention in act, and this is not always the case. Indeed
Dunlap, Van Liere, Mertig, & Jones (2000) and Kaplan (2000) have analyzed
that a lot of people are aware and feel concerned with environmental problem;
however this is not always reflected in their behaviours. With this study it
appears that people intention is reflected in their behaviours. With this study
the researcher has revealed that there is a gap between the
intention to buy and the act of buying. In fact, it appears
with the findings that, even if the rate is really low, some people have the
intention to buy but are finally not doing it. How can we explain that? With
the findings, it appears that due to higher price and the perceived lower
quality, consumers tend to not buy green. As a result, even people with
environmental consciousness tend to not consume green products.
Moreover, the researcher has found that if people with
intention to buy are finally not doing it, it could be due to their perception
of the company. Indeed, consumers tend to look at the corporate social
responsibility of companies before buying products. (Matthias Vollmert 2007 ;
Lois A. Mohr, Webb D., Harris K., 2001; Percy Marquina 2007) In fact, recent
studies have revealed that «there is a positive relationship between a
company's CSR and consumer's attitudes towards a company and its
products.» This is true for all different types of products or services.
(Sankar Sen and C.B. Bhattacharya 2001) As a result, in the case of green
purchasing, it appears that even consumers with strong pro-environmental
feelings are not necessarily buying green products due to the company
background. (By David Wolinsky 2011; Thomas P. Lyon* and John W. Maxwell 2008)
However, Green purchasing is not only a question of social responsibility,
nowadays it becomes a top priority for consumers, who are starting to look, not
only to the origin of the products, but also to their impact upon the
environment. Green products are very common and, as it was found in the results
part, some people may feel reluctant against those products: they think that
companies are just trying to get new consumers and are not really providing
green products; which are in line with what have been found by the
researcher.
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