Reasons and intuitions: extending behavioural reasoning theory to determine green purchase behavior

Examining consumer purchasing behavior in green products is complex since multiple factors affect it, and is vital in light of environmental protection becoming a global concern. For most scholars, consumers’ rational thinking plays a significant role in making green purchasing decisions, while alternative processing systems of intuition remain ignored in literature. Therefore, this study aims to bridge this gap by including both reasons and intuitions as predictors to green purchase behavior. The behavioral reasoning theory (BRT) is used in this study to construct a theoretical framework that includes relationships among intuitions, time pressure, green consumption values, reasons (for and against), attitude towards green products, green purchase intention, and green purchase behavior. Data from 525 Indian consumers were obtained and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Green purchasing intention has a significant positive relationship with green purchase behavior. Attitude towards green products has a significant positive association with green purchase intention. Reasons for green consumption, a second order construct comprising of functional value and ecological value, are strongly linked to attitude towards green products and green purchase intentions. Reasons against green consumption, a second order construct comprising of risk barrier and usage barrier, have a significant negative relationship with green purchase intention but no significant association with attitude towards green products. Intuition, a second order construct comprising of abstract intuition, affective intuition, inferential intuition and big picture intuition, is positively associated with green purchase intention but not attitude towards green products. Green consumption values positively influence reasons for green consumption, reasons against green consumption, and intuition. Time pressure has a significant positive association with intuition. This study may aid marketers and practitioners in developing strategies for promoting the purchase of greener alternatives, thus providing benefits to society as a whole.