Influencing factors toward e-shoppers' adoption of green last-mile delivery

Abstract

PurposeE-commerce continues to experience unprecedented growth, but a lack of understanding of socio-behavioral aspects of green last-mile delivery solutions is conflicting with e-commerce and shipping companies' climate-related pledges to e-shoppers. This study seeks to correct for research deficiencies in the e-commerce context by determining how e-shoppers' adoption of green last-mile delivery might be influenced by socio-behavioral factors, personality traits; and e-shopping motivations.Design/methodology/approachTo test the hypotheses, this study collected data from 319 US adults enrolled in an online panel survey and conducted hierarchical regression analyses after controlling for demographic variables.FindingsResults showed that socio-behavioral variables (attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavior control) contributed 60.3% of the unique variance in explaining purchase intention via green delivery (PIGD). Notably, e-shopping motivations derived from utilitarian features (convenience and energy efficiency) and experiential features (e-shopping adventure) emerged as significant predictors of PIGD. Although personality traits (conscientiousness and openness) significantly predicted PIGD in the regression model, the individual effect of openness was not significant. Further, demographic subgroups, including gender, education and income level revealed significant outcomes, while age and ethnicity exhibited no significant group differences with the above-mentioned variables.Practical implicationsThe study findings would provide online retailers and marketers with in-depth insight on how green marketing initiatives can increase responsible consumers' intention to purchase via green delivery.Originality/valueThis is a one-of-a-kind effort that integrates and tests e-shoppers' socio-behavioral factors, e-shopping motivations and personality traits into a single model.