| Abstract [eng] |
Sustainability is one of the key components for a better future. People are dependent on natural resources, so ignoring sustainability can lead to their depletion. The purchase, use and disposal of sustainable goods is becoming increasingly popular not only among consumers but also among researchers. Consumers tend to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle, increasingly focusing on the products they buy, prefering ethical and sustainable businesses, eco-labeled products, and remaining indifferent to saving electricity and water and sorting waste (Abrahamse and Steg 2009; Concari et al. 2020; Kaiser 2006; Lasuin and Ching 2014; Szegedi 2021). Consumers seeking sustainable consumption behaviors face barriers, such as greenwashing, which mislead the consumer when choosing a product. Pickett-Baker and Ozaki (2008) argue that most consumers are unable to distinguish simple products from organic or sustainable ones, because companies use misleading or incorrect claims to create the illusion that the products, they transmit are sustainable (Chang, 2015). The negative effects of greenwashing on sustainable consumption behaviors have prompted researchers to pay attention to this relationship. Braga Junior et al. (2019) found that consumers who perceive being exposed to greenwashing feel confused when it comes to choosing a sustainable product, as well as feel distrust and dissatisfaction with sustainable products. Nguyen et al. (2019) found that consumers exposed to greenwashing tend to be skeptical about the realism of sustainable products. According to the values-belief-norms theory, consumers attitude toward sustainable consumption behavior are influenced not only by beliefs such as perceived greenwashing, but also by the values the consumer possesses and cherishes, such as materialism. In the everyday life of the consumer, materialism manifests itself in the desire for various things. A value system based on material interests encourages behavior opposite to sustainable consumption (Hurst et al., 2013). Greenwashing by companies (both at the level of the company itself and at the level of the product it sells) is geared to the materialistic values of the consumer, to convince them that contributing to sustainable consumption is only possible if products are purchased. Consumer materialism is becoming an increasingly important topic for researchers (Antiniene et al., 2021; Evers et al., 2018; Kasser, 2018; Kilbourne and Pickett, 2008; Rustagi and Shrum, 2018; Shrum et al., 2014; Sreen et al., 2020). A study by Dong et al. (2018) found that love of tangible assets has a positive effect on sustainable consumption because consumers tend to care for their cherished assets, thus extending their lifetime. Kilbourne and Pickett (2008) argue that materialistic values are deeply embedded and that consumers are more likely to prioritize materialistic values than sustainable consumption. A review of the scientific literature has revealed that perceived green greenwashing and its consequences have a negative impact on consumers sustainable consumption behavior. The consumer also faces a conflict of values between sustainability and materialism when choosing a sustainable product. A review of the literature implies that materialism could be a moderator of the relationship between perceived greenwashing and its consequences and sustainable consumption behaviors, revealing a model of construct interfaces. An empirical study has revealed that perceived greenwashing at the firm level is negatively associated with sustainable consumption behavior and the sustainable use and care of goods. The more the consumer tends to be aware of greenwashing, less likely they are to be sustainable. Consumers who perceive being exposed to greenwashing have been found to be more likely to feel confused and skeptical. Consumers with a strong belief that they are being exposed to greenwashing feel stronger confusion and skepticism about sustainability. Perceived greenwashing at the product level is positively associated with both confusion and skepticism, but perceived greenwashing at the firm level is positively associated only with skepticism. The results of the empirical study revealed that both confusion and skepticism are related to the sustainable use and care of goods but are not related to the acquisition of sustainable goods. Also, the empirical study did not find a significant moderating effect of materialism between perceived greenwashing and sustainable consumption behaviors. Therefore, further research could use smaller dimensions of materialism scales, such as the scales of material centrality, materialism as a search for happiness, materialism as an indicator of success (Richins and Dawson, 1992), these scales allow for detailed examination of consumers materialistic values and their influence on the link between greenwashing and sustainable consumption behaviors. In further research, it is appropriate to use the design of experimental research, as well as to use specific cases of greenwashing, to delve into the opinions and feelings of consumers. |
