Effects of institutions on ecological attitudes and behaviour of consumers in a developing Asian country: the case of the Philippines

Abstract

This study examines the effects of institutions emanating from the social environment on ecologically sustainable consumer behaviour in a developing country context. Drawing on the behavioural perspective model of consumer choice and institutional theory, this study argues that the regulative, normative and cognitive dimensions of the institutional environment play critical roles in shaping the pro-environmental attitudes called ecoattitudes of consumers. In turn, eco-attitudes positively influence the eco-behaviour of consumers. The structural equation modelling of data from a survey of 1045 consumers from the Philippines shows the significant and positive effects of the regulatory, normative and cognitive dimensions of the institutional environment on the eco-attitudes of consumers, which in turn have strong positive influence on eco-behaviour. The findings about the partial mediating role of eco-attitudes offer a more nuanced explanation on how institutions explain the eco-behaviour of consumers which is a topic that is less understood especially in a developing country context. The study highlights the theoretical, methodological, policy and future research implications of the findings.

Bird's‐eye view of the environmental attitude types in the sustainable consumption context

“…The performance of green consumption studies is expected to increase in the future (Liobikienė & Bernatonienė, ). Consequently, exploring particular types of attitudes and behaviors provides an overt illustration of the reasons beyond the strength of attitude–behavior relationships (Martinez, Castaneda, Marte, & Roxas, ), and dividing attitudes into these types is appropriate in order to understand and interpret precisely the attitudes’ effects (Sarigöllü, ). Typically, there are two types of environmental attitudes, GEA and SEA, and the differences in the meanings and interactions of environmental attitudes represented a key point in analyzing the impact of attitudes on sustainable consumption, such as purchasing green products.…”

Attitudes of Young European Consumers Toward Recycling Campaigns of Textile Companies

“…Environmentally friendly attitudes describe the psychological tendency of consumers to favor or disfavor some behaviors that are considered ecologically sustainable as well as their overall proclivity, preference, or willingness to engage in or disengage from such behaviors [27,28]. Although some studies have noted the direct link between eco-attitudes and eco-behavior [29,30].…”

The E-Commerce Revolution: Status, Awareness and Demographics of Farmers in Cebu City.

“…With the unquestionable rise in the world's connectivity, The Philippines wishes to take a bigger share of the pie and the glory that goes with it. Philippines is an archipelagic country dubbed to be one of the fastest growing economy in the world [15]. Its populations have been growing at 1.72% annually, reaching at 100.98 Millions in Philippines Statistics Authority official census of 2015.…”