Exploring the determinants of eco-friendly purchasing behavior: evidence from Bangladesh

Abstract

This study explores how distinct environmental values—biospheric, altruistic, and egoistic—shape green purchasing behavior in Bangladesh, a country highly vulnerable to climate change yet underrepresented in sustainability research. Grounded in the Value-Belief-Norm (VBN) theory and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), the study models green purchase intention as a mediating mechanism that channels internalized values into actionable behavior. A cross-sectional survey of 200 adult consumers was conducted using a structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (EFA and CFA), multiple regression, and mediation modeling via Hayes' PROCESS macro. Results show that biospheric and altruistic values significantly predict green purchase intention, which in turn strongly influences actual behavior. Egoistic values exert a weaker but still significant effect. Mediation analysis confirms intention as a partial mediator (β = 0.22, 95% CI [0.11, 0.33], p < .01). Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) supports the overall model with excellent fit indices (CFI = 0.948, RMSEA = 0.061). Additionally, willingness to pay, corporate environmental trust, and climate change awareness emerged as significant behavioral enablers. Income was found to moderate the intention–behavior relationship, highlighting structural limitations in value-aligned consumption. The study contributes by localizing global behavioral models within an emerging economy and offering actionable insights for bridging the intention–behavior gap through value-driven and trust-based strategies. The findings inform policymakers, marketers, and sustainability advocates seeking to promote pro-environmental behavior in resource-constrained contexts.