Reduction of Ivory Product Purchase in China: The Role of Cultural Values on Ethical Consumption

Abstract

The consumption of ivory has been a significant subject in both sustainable consumption and (un)ethical consumption studies, as it not only poses a threat to endangered species but also to environmental biodiversity and sustainability. The purpose of this study is to investigate how individual cultural values influence the behavior of ivory consumption in the Chinese context. This research first reviewed recent studies on ivory purchases in China to gain an understanding of this topic. Then, theoretical frameworks, including Hofstede’s (1984. “Cultural Dimensions in Management and Planning.” Asia Pacific Journal of Management 1 (2): 81–99, 1998. Masculinity and Femininity: The Taboo Dimension of National Cultures. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, 2001. Culture’s Consequences: Comparing Values, Behaviors, Institutions, and Organizations Across Nations, 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.) cultural dimensions and the theory of planned behavior (TPB; Ajzen 1991. “The Theory of Planned Behavior.” Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 50 (2): 179–211.), were applied for conceptual model and hypotheses development. To test the hypotheses, a total of 600 responses were collected in China using the Qualtrics market research service, and 575 usable responses were employed for the Structural Modeling Analysis (SEM) data analysis. Our findings suggest that ivory purchase intention is impacted by both power distance and collectivism, whether through a direct path or indirect influence on attitude towards ivory purchasing. Our findings suggest that both power distance and collectivism are negatively associated with negative attitudes toward ivory purchase and positively associated with purchase intention. Moreover, uncertainty avoidance is positively related to negative attitudes toward ivory purchase, but is not directly linked to ivory purchase intention. The research identified the main factors driving ivory purchases in China and developed behavior change strategies through targeted interventions. These strategies can be implemented across different cultures and in other sustainable conservation initiatives.