The role of psychological factors in influencing consumer purchase intention towards green residential building

Abstract

Purpose This study aims to investigate the role of psychological factor affecting Malaysian consumers’ purchase intention towards green residential buildings and to examine whether the purchase intention affects their willingness to pay for such buildings. Design/methodology/approach In general, a total of 304 respondents participated in the survey of this study and they are from three states in Malaysia, namely, Penang, Selangor and Johor. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) analyses were performed on the latent variables. Findings This study concludes that the main factors influencing consumer purchase intention towards green residential buildings include the attitude towards green residential buildings, the perceived moral obligation, the environmental concern, the perceived value, the perceived self-identity and the financial risk. These do not include subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, performance risk and psychological risk. Subsequently, the purchase intention was found to be an essential predictor of consumers’ willingness to pay for a green home in a green residential building. Research limitations/implications Psychological factors are noteworthy determinants in assessing consumer purchase intention toward green residential building in Malaysia. Originality/value Going green has become prevalent among Malaysian households, and it should be embraced for promoting green living such as purchasing a green home. This study is expected to provide insights to property developers in designing their marketing and promotion strategies. As for the government sector, the findings are important in view of the recent government blueprint focused on building a sustainable city in near future.

On the Factors Influencing Green Purchase Intention: A Meta-Analysis Approach

“…As an important intermediate state variable in the process of consumer purchase, perceived value can serve as a signal of consumer judgment and a key antecedent of purchase intention (Mahesh, 2013). Tan and Goh (2018) contend that the higher the perceived value of green products, the stronger the consumer purchase intention.…”

Exploring Residents’ Purchase Intention of Green Housings in China: An Extended Perspective of Perceived Value

“…This means that GHs may not maintain satisfactory performance continuously over the entire life cycle. The current literature indicates that perceived performance risks negatively affect homebuyers’ attitude and intention to purchase GHs [ 4 , 35 , 38 ]. Therefore, when residents perceive higher performance risks, they have a more negative overall perceived value of GHs.…”

“…Homebuyers consider GHs’ primary benefits to be their functional benefits with regard to comfort, health, and economy [ 8 , 12 , 17 , 34 ]; their emotional benefits as related to psychological satisfaction [ 12 , 36 ]; their green benefits associated with reduced environmental pollution and efficient energy utilization [ 8 , 21 , 22 , 37 ]; and their social benefits concerning individual image and social acceptance [ 12 , 26 , 27 ]. The main hindrances are perceived to be the performance risk involving uncertain stability, safety, and reliability [ 4 , 35 , 38 , 39 ] and the financial risk in terms of high acquisition costs, operating costs, and maintenance costs [ 4 , 28 , 35 , 38 ]. Both perceived benefits and perceived risks are essential factors influencing residents’ purchase intention of GHs.…”

Theory enhances impact. Reply to: ‘The case for impact-focused environmental psychology’

“…The first assumption is that theory-driven research in environmental psychology has led to 'systematic neglect of some particularly impactful behaviours and their determinants', such as 'home and vehicle purchases, investment in solar panels, and decisions about family size' (Nielsen et al, 2021, p. 1). Yet, many theory-based studies in environmental psychology have focused on these and other behaviours that are identified as highly impactful (Ivanova et al, 2020), such as (but not limited to) energy use, consumption of animal products, purchase of material goods, and car use (e.g., Abrahamse et al, 2005;Büchs, 2017;Fielding et al, 2008;Gatersleben et al, 2002;Graham & Abrahamse, 2017;Hahnel et al, 2020;Lai et al, 2020;Namazkhan et al, 2020;Nordlund, 2003;Pahl et al, 2016;Ruby et al, 2020;Schultz et al, 2015;Tan & Goh, 2018;Whitmarsh et al, 2020;Wolske et al, 2017, and many more).…”