The effectiveness of social norms in promoting green consumption

Abstract

Purpose Given the seriousness of environmental issues, academic research has proposed social norms as an effective policy tool to encourage a wide range of pro-environmental behaviors, including green consumption. However, tangible evidence of the effectiveness of the social norm approach for green consumption behaviors is unreconciled, raising controversy about such a strategy. Considering that social norm interventions are only effective when targeted at the right consumers, this study aims to focus on exploring the role of individual difference factors, namely, social power value-, social face value- and independence orientations, in clarifying the effects of social norms on green consumption behaviors. Design/methodology/approach The study uses hierarchical ordinary least squares regression to test the hypotheses with survey data from 269 consumers in Southeast Asia. Findings The study reveals that perceived social norms positively predict green consumption behaviors, providing additional evidence for the effectiveness of the social norms. It also finds that the perceived social norms have a stronger impact on the green consumption behaviors of consumers who value social power and social face. However, the effect becomes weaker for consumers with a strong tendency toward independence. Originality/value This study highlights the importance of individual difference factors in explaining the effectiveness of social norms. The current findings also offer insightful implications for designing more effective social influence approaches for constructing green consumption culture.