| Abstract [eng] |
Sustainable consumption is quickly gaining attention in Lithuanian market. Growing public interest and awareness, as well as pressure from international organizations encourages businesses and brands to choose more sustainable business strategies and to create product lines dedicated to green consumers. However, there are cases in which brands use false or even misleading communication, greenwashing, in order to reach green consumers. Such misleading practice increases consumers’ mistrust in green products and marketing practices encouraging to purchase a product that will help to contribute to a more sustainable consumption. In consequence, marketers notice a raise of green scepticism and lessened sustainable consumption behavioural intentions among consumers. In the face of growing environmental threats, research into the promotion of sustainable consumption and the factors that can influence such behaviours, such as green brainwashing and green trust, can provide additional information to combat climate change, as well as encourage more companies to move towards a real greener and more sustainable marketing strategies that would not mislead consumers and would reduce levels of scepticism in the sustainability movement. Thus, the main object of this paper – links between greenwashing, green trust and sustainable consumption behavioural intentions. The goal of the paper is to theoretically and empirically ground the impact of greenwashing on consumer green trust and sustainable consumption behavioural intentions. An analysis of the scientific literature and an empirical quantitative study examined the relationships between the main study constructs. The study found that greenwashing has a negative impact on green trust and sustainable consumption behavioural intentions. Green trust has also been found to have a positive effect on sustainable consumption behavioural intentions, however, greenwashing negatively impacts green trust which then leads to reduced sustainable consumption behavioural intentions. Scientific analysis of the literature has shown that green scepticism, as a consequence of greenwashing, has a negative impact on sustainable consumption behavioural intentions. In addition, the study suggests that green scepticism acts as a partial mediator between greenwashing and sustainable consumption behavioural intentions. In this case, greenwashing has a positive impact on green scepticism, which in turn negatively affects sustainable consumption behavioural intentions. Thus, there is a direct and indirect effect of greenwashing on sustainable consumption behavioural intentions. |
