ecolabels and swedish consumers’ green buying behavior
TRANSCRIPT
Ecolabels and Swedish Consumers’ Green
Buying Behavior
A Quantitative Study of Factors Influencing Green Buying Behavior
Towards Ecolabelled Food
Emilia Klintebjer Brecelj
Business and Economics, bachelor's level
2021
Luleå University of Technology
Department of Social Sciences, Technology and Arts
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Lecturer Jeandri Robertson in the Department
of Business Administration, Technology and Social Sciences at Luleå University of
Technology. The completion of this thesis would have not been possible without her valuable
advice, encouragement and patient guidance. My gratitude is also extended to my classmates
in who have given me useful critiques throughout the progress of my thesis.
Lastly, I would like to further extend my sincere thanks to all the people that have been
contributing with their time in order for me to be able to fulfill this thesis. To my dearest family
and friends, to all the respondents and to all the researchers out there who have inspired me,
Thank You.
Emilia Klintebjer Brecelj
ABSTRACT
The steadily increased environmental concerns have become exceedingly palpable over time,
not at least in consumers’ way of demanding greener products, or companies’ ways of
incorporating green marketing strategies. A common tool for companies producing
environmentally friendly food is ecolabelling. Foods with ecolabels on them enable consumers
to know that this certain product indicates a good environmental choice. There are various
factors that influence consumers’ buying behavior towards it. The purpose of this thesis is to
examine whether knowledge, attitude and subjective norms have any relationship with Swedish
consumers’ green buying behavior. A theoretical framework consisting of literature-identified
constructs was developed. Using a questionnaire, a sample size of 158 was realized which was
statistically analyzed. Findings indicated that there is a positive relationship between buying
behavior and knowledge, attitude and subjective norms. It further revealed that the buying
behavior towards ecolabelled food was not that common among the respondents. Hence, the
study suggests that despite the positive attitude and sufficient amount of knowledge, consumers
are still not that keen about buying ecolabelled food.
Keywords: Green Marketing, Green Buying Behavior, Ecolabels, Attitudes, Knowledge,
Subjective Norms
SAMMANFATTNING
De stadigt ökade miljöproblemen har blivit mer påtagliga över tid, vilket har avspeglats i
konsumenternas efterfrågan av hållbara produkter och företagens sätt att nyttja gröna
marknadsföringsstrategier. För företag som producerar miljövänlig mat så är miljömärkning ett
vanligt förekommande verktyg. Livsmedel med ekomärken på gör det möjligt för
konsumenterna att veta denna specifika produkt indikerar ett bra miljöval. Det finns olika
faktorer som påverkar konsumenternas köpbeteende av ekomärkta livsmedel. Syftet med denna
avhandling är att undersöka om faktorerna kunskap, attityd och subjektiva normer påvisar ett
samband med de svenska konsumenternas gröna köpbeteende. Ett teoretiskt ramverk bestående
av tidigare forskning och konstruktioner utvecklades. Tillämpningen av ett frågeformulär
möjliggjorde ett urval på 158 respondenter, vars svar analyserades statistiskt. De observerade
värdena utgjorde grunden för det empiriska data och analysen av detta. Resultatet påvisade att
det fanns ett positivt samband mellan köpbeteende och kunskap, attityd och subjektiva normer.
Det påvisade vidare att köpbeteendet gentemot ekomärkta livsmedel inte var så förekommande
bland respondenterna. Således har denna avhandling bidragit med användbar insikt gällande de
svenska konsumenterna och deras konsumtion av ekomärkta livsmedel. Detta då trots positiv
attityd och god kunskap kring ekomärkta livsmedel, så framkom det att konsumtionen av
ekomärkta livsmedel inte var vanligt förekommande bland de svenska konsumenterna.
Nyckelord: Grön marknadsföring, Grönt Köpbeteende, Ekomärkning, Attityder, Kunskap,
Subjektiva Normer
TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................................. 1
1.1 BACKGROUND ................................................................................................................................................. 1
1.2 PROBLEM DISCUSSION .................................................................................................................................... 3
1.3 PURPOSE OF THESIS ........................................................................................................................................ 5
1.4 DELIMITATIONS .............................................................................................................................................. 5
1.5 STRUCTURE OF STUDY .................................................................................................................................... 6
2. LITERATURE REVIEW .................................................................................................................................. 7
2.1 GREEN MARKETING ........................................................................................................................................ 7
2.1.1 Green Products ...................................................................................................................................... 8
2.1.2 Green Washing ....................................................................................................................................... 8
2.2 CONCEPT OF ECOLABELLING .......................................................................................................................... 9
2.3 CONSUMER BEHAVIOR DYNAMICS ............................................................................................................... 12
2.3.1 Consumers’ Attitudes ........................................................................................................................... 13
2.3.2 Consumers’ Knowledge ....................................................................................................................... 15
2.3.3 Consumers’ Subjective Norms ............................................................................................................. 16
2.4 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK .......................................................................................................................... 17
2.5 HYPOTHESES ................................................................................................................................................. 17
3. METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................................................................... 18
3.1 RESEARCH PURPOSE ..................................................................................................................................... 18
3.2 RESEARCH APPROACH .................................................................................................................................. 18
3.3 LITERATURE SEARCH .................................................................................................................................... 19
3.4 DATA COLLECTION ....................................................................................................................................... 20
3.4.1 The Questionnaire ................................................................................................................................ 21
3.5 SAMPLE SELECTION ...................................................................................................................................... 23
3.6 DATA ANALYSIS ........................................................................................................................................... 24
3.7 CREDIBILITY ................................................................................................................................................. 24
3.7.1 Validity ................................................................................................................................................. 25
3.7.2 Reliability ............................................................................................................................................. 26
4. DATA ANALYSIS ............................................................................................................................................ 28
4.1 ANALYSIS OF SAMPLE ................................................................................................................................... 28
4.2 MULTIPLE LINEAR REGRESSION ................................................................................................................... 30
4.2.1 Analysis of Significances and Correlations ......................................................................................... 30
4.2.2 Analysis of Descriptive Statistics and Model Summary ....................................................................... 32
6. FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................................................. 36
6.1 RESEARCH QUESTIONS ................................................................................................................................. 36
6.2 GENERAL CONCLUSIONS ............................................................................................................................... 37
6.3 THEORETICAL IMPLICATIONS ........................................................................................................................ 39
6.4 MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS ........................................................................................................................ 40
6.5 LIMITATIONS OF RESEARCH .......................................................................................................................... 41
6.6 FUTURE RESEARCH SUGGESTIONS ................................................................................................................ 41
LIST OF REFERENCES ..................................................................................................................................... 43
APPENDIX 1. SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE ................................................................................................... 50
APPENDIX 2. MULTIPLE LINEAR REGRESSION ...................................................................................... 55
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1. Introduction This chapter presents the foundation of this thesis. The background section introduces the topic,
which will be the leitmotif throughout this study. The problem statement, research questions
and the significance of the study will be further presented. The chapter concludes with the
delimitations and this study’s structure. These sections will outline the narrowing of the topic.
1.1 Background
The fact that mankind has been contributing to the rapid increase of the Earth’s surface
temperature has been known for years (Kellogg, 1987). The heating is still occurring, and the
global climate change is perceptible now, more than ever before (Ricart et al., 2019). It is well
known that the global temperature is rising globally, ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica are
shrinking, the global sea level is accelerating and the number of extreme weather events are
rising (Hanna et al., 2013; Nerem et al., 2018; Singer, 2006). We are witnesses to an
unequivocal climate change, a change in which we are victim and perpetrator (Stocker, 2014).
The climate-affecting decisions made throughout history until the present affect the collective,
and we are doomed if we do not do something about it (Archer & Rahmstorf, 2010;
Pierrehumbert, 2019). Mankind is living in a climate emergency, and individuals and
governments around the world have unified in order to prevent further damage (United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change, 2015; Climate Emergency Declaration, 2019;
Fitch-Roy & Fairbrass, 2018).
The environmental crisis has led companies to reform their strategies due to climate change
policies, by reducing the impact from use of energy, manufacturing and distribution (Comyns,
2018). Private households also play an important role when striving to address climate change,
as the consumption behaviors of individuals are highly associated with carbon emissions
(Bretschger & Smulders, 2012; Wells et al., 2011). Individuals’ consumption behaviors are
complex, even more so when it comes to motivate for sustainable consumption (Choudhary &
Gokarn, 2013; Jackson, 2005; Moisander, 2007).
Sustainable consumption refers to humans’ needs being fulfilled through goods and services,
which are based on resources that have a minimal impact on the environment (Choudhary &
Gokarn, 2013). Sustainable consumption in terms of actual buying behavior is usually referred
to as green buying behavior (Mainieri et al., 1997). Green buying behaviors are essential if
striving towards sustainable development, as without incorporating sustainable lifestyles,
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mankind’s contributions to environmental degradation will continue. Therefore, it is important
for companies to understand consumers’ green buying behaviors and motivations (Gonçalves
et al., 2016). In this way, marketers can develop solutions to environmental challenges that
corresponds to the consumers’ need (Gonçalves et al., 2016). Communicating the pivotal
principles behind sustainable goods and services to stakeholders, may increase overall
awareness and benefits about sustainable consumption (Dangelico & Vocalelli, 2017). Thus,
the outcome is green marketing, defined as the integration of sustainable business practices
(Choudhary & Gokarn, 2013).
Green marketing has developed through the awareness of climate change and originates from
the mid-to-late 20th century. As the environmental awareness among the world’s population
steadily increases, the implementation of green marketing enables the possibility of enhanced
trust among consumers’ demanding sustainable products (Rezai et al., 2013). Companies are
employing green practices and enlightening consumers about this through various elements
such as ecolabeling, environmental advertisement and eco-branding (Yeng & Yazdanifard,
2015). However, consumer’s green buying behavior of green marketed goods and services do
also depend on each individual’s own environmental consciousness (Delafrooz et al., 2014).
But, assessing consumer’s perception of companies’ green marketing approaches, such as
ecolabeling and how it impacts their green buying behaviors, would thus serve to better
understand factors that encourage pro-environmental consumer behavior.
Not only does the individual’s environmental consciousness influence their green buying
behavior, but also factors such as their knowledge, attitude and subjective norms (Asiegbu et
al., 2012; Thøgersen, 2010). When a consumer considers buying a product, their decision is
strongly influenced by their attitude towards it (Asiegbu et al., 2012). To understand a
consumer’s attitude, the tri-component attitude model can be useful. The model is based on
three components that together constitute human attitude: cognitive component, affective
component and conative component. The cognitive component is related to the factor
knowledge, and accurate knowledge about a green product and its attributes, influences
consumers’ green buying behavior towards it (Hossain & Lim, 2016; Thøgersen, 2010).
Another factor that might influence green buying behavior is subjective norms, that is the
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normative expectations an individual has from significant others regarding how one should act
(Vallerand et al., 1992).
To fulfil a basic human need of sustenance, consumers, including Swedish consumers, visit
supermarkets to purchase food. When Swedish consumers are visiting a store, it is very likely
they will be exposed to products with ecolabels on them (Swedish Society for Nature
Conservation, 2021). Sweden is at the forefront regarding pro-environmental performance
(Environmental Performance Index, 2018). One could assume that Swedes have a positive
attitude toward pro-environmental actions. Their knowledge about the attributes that are
representing a positive climate might be positively influenced by significant others to consume
environmentally friendly food.
1.2 Problem Discussion
Environmental concerns are widespread, and these concerns have led governments to take
action towards sustainable development, highlighted the business operations of companies, and
necessitated people to reconsider their own way of living (Comyns, 2018; Moisander, 2007;
Webster, 1975). Incorporating green marketing is an approach for companies to become more
sustainable with their operations and it indeed satisfies the needs of consumers, whilst
preventing further environmental degradation (Kotler, 2011; Yeng & Yazdanifard, 2015).
Furthermore, the outcome of a company implementing green marketing in their strategies can
result in competitive advantage, due to individuals demanding environmental consciousness
(Yeng & Yazdanifard, 2015). However, the knowledge of consumers’ perception of the various
green marketing means is essential in order to know how to approach them effectively
(Gonçalves et al., 2016). Climate change is real and the importance of behaving pro-
environmentally is vital. Thus, one can argue that incorporating green marketing and
understanding the consumers should be a basic principle for all businesses.
Green marketing does not only benefit the environment, but the businesses themselves as they
can achieve lower costs, competitive advantage and positive development (Papadas, 2017). A
green marketing approach enhances consumer motivation towards sustainable consumption as
elements such as ecologically produced packaging, ecolabels, the product price and the brand
itself have an effect on the perceived consumer value that consumers get when they consider
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purchasing a green product (Ansar, 2013). According to Hartmann and Apaolaza Ibáñez (2006),
the challenge for marketers is how to persuade consumers of the individual benefits of
consuming green products.
Extant research asserts that creating awareness about the overall benefits of consuming green
products, will result in an increase in consumers’ prospective behaviors of buying products
from the green segment (Rezai et al., 2013; Scholl et al., 2010). However, awareness can be
created in different ways. Studies have found that green marketing mix strategies, such as
environmental advertisement, pricing and ecological produced packaging, influence
consumers awareness and purchasing behaviors (Ansar, 2013; Mahmoud, 2018; Mainieri et
al.,1997; Yeng & Yazdanifard, 2015).
One way to create awareness is ecolabeling, which are product labels that indicate that the
product has been ecologically-sustainably produced. For the right to use certain ecolabels,
companies have to be ecologically certified by independent organizations who are certified
themselves (Sønderskov & Daugbjreg, 2011; Tian, 2003). Whether consumers pay attention to
the message from ecolabels that guide them to purchase environmentally produced products,
is something that researchers are questioning according to Taufique et al. (2013). Consumers
that already carry knowledge about certain ecolabels, have a positive attitude towards them,
and trust them as being legitimate, will more likely remember the message from the labeling,
compared to consumers who experience uncertainty and mistrust (Thogersen, 2002).
However, there is limited research in the context of Swedish consumers, with less known about
the relationship between knowledge, attitude and subjective norms towards ecolabels and
consumers’ green buying behavior (Einarsson et al., 2021; Lefébure & Rosales Muñoz, 2011).
Deeper insight could guide Swedish businesses and marketers regarding how to promote
themselves in a sustainable manner. Having this knowledge regarding Swedish consumers
could also be beneficial for start-ups or businesses that have not incorporated green marketing
yet. This could be of importance, as they would obtain information regarding how knowledge,
attitudes and subjective norms are influencing consumers’ perception of ecolabels. So,
conducting this study in order to identify any correlation or relationship between Swedish
consumers’ knowledge, attitude and subjective norms towards ecolabels and green purchasing
behaviors could lead to increased consumer understanding for businesses.
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1.3 Purpose of Thesis
The purpose of this thesis is to understand whether Swedish consumers’ knowledge, attitude
and subjective norms towards ecolabels have an impact on their green buying behavior. The
aim is to enable a greater understanding of consumer behavior and preferences, as this
knowledge can be utilized when developing green marketing strategies. To fulfill the purpose
of this thesis, three research questions were defined as follow:
RQ1. How does the Swedish consumers’ knowledge about ecolabels influence their green buying behavior?
RQ2. How does the attitude towards ecolabels influence the Swedish consumers’ green buying behavior?
RQ3. How do subjective norms regarding ecolabels influence Swedish consumers’ green buying behavior?
1.4 Delimitations
Green marketing is a broad research topic. In this study, the focus will be on the green marketing
communication tool ecolabels, related to food. The research area will be narrowed down as
well, as the focus is solely on attitude, knowledge and subjective norms regarding these
ecolabels in relation to consumer’s green buying behavior. Furthermore, this study will have a
quantitative approach towards Swedish consumers from 18 years and older that are purchasing
their own groceries. However, due to the short time frame and that COVID-19 has affected day-
to-day life significantly, delimitations in how to conduct the quantitative analysis had to be
further considered. As such, the researcher made use of an online survey to collect the data.
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1.5 Structure of Study
Figure 1 to the right introduces the outline of what is
expected to come throughout this thesis. The study
initiates with the introduction namely, this chapter.
The study then continues further to chapter 2 that
embraces the literature that will lay the foundation for
the upcoming chapters. Chapter 3, 4 and 5 cover how
the empirical data was collected, analyses of data and
results. The thesis is then concluded with chapter 6
that covers the discussion of findings and conclusions
of this study.
Figure 1. Thesis Outline
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2. Literature Review
This chapter presents essential theories and previous research relevant for the research area
in this thesis. The literature review will have an emphasis on theories, constructs and research
linked to green marketing, ecolabelling, consumer behavior, attitudes, knowledge and
subjective norms. Thenceforth, the chapter concludes with a conceptual framework study and
the hypotheses.
2.1 Green Marketing
When implementing marketing strategies that are developed with components based on
environmental consciousness, the approach of green marketing is utilized. An explicit
definition of the terminology green marketing is not transparent as the range of strategies is
broad. Simply defined, green marketing incorporates activities such as modification of
products, production process, and packaging with minimized environmental harm (Peattie &
Charter, 2003). The green marketing concept was developed in the mid-to-late 20th century,
but it was not academically discussed until the 1990s. Since then, green marketing practices
have appeared across various industries (Papadas et al., 2017). Engaging in green marketing
enables companies to improve resource efficiency which most often leads to lowered costs
(Kotler, 2011). Besides the monetary benefits, the adoption of green marketing may result in
an improvement of value propositions and customer loyalty (Rezai et al., 2013; Solaiman et
al., 2015).
Ginsburg and Bloom (2004, p.81) discuss the Green Marketing Strategy Matrix, which
presents four different strategies to approach green marketing. The four strategies are Defensive
Green, Lean Green, Extreme Green and Shaded Green. The defensive green strategy tends to
be implemented when companies use green marketing as a precaution. When companies strive
for operating on a pro-environmental basis to reduce cost and improve efficiencies, without
marketing it they are approaching the lean green marketing strategy. Extreme green marketing
strategy is implemented when companies have a pro-environmental force that is driving their
way of operating their business, and where greenness is integrated in all their processes. Shaded
green involves implementing long-term environmental processes that fosters green innovations
and competitive advantages (Ginsburg & Bloom, 2004).
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One common factor in all of these marketing approaches is that they all incorporate
“greenness” of the product element, thus it is a relevant factor to include when approaching
green marketing strategies. The product element originates from the marketing mix strategy,
which emphasizes the development of the product’s design, quality, packaging (Borden, 1964).
2.1.1 Green Products
A brand has several components recognized as identities, which together constitute the brand.
Kotler (1991, p. 442) defines the identities as “a name, term, sign, symbol, or design, or
combination of them which is intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group
of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competitor”. There are brands which
consumers associate environmentalism with, and these are usually classified as green brands.
The brand identities for these brands are usually based on environmental features (Chen, 2010).
Thus, green products that are produced with environmental features are usually communicated
through the brand’s identity.
The production of green products has emerged due to the need for an improved and healthier
environment. The consumption of green products can also be perceived as beneficial for
individuals with a belief that organic and ecolabelled food comes with health advantages
(Crinnion, 2010; Hartmann & Apaolaza Ibáñez, 2006). But in general, there is consumer
engagement in green produced products for the sake of the environment (Soon & Kong, 2012).
Besides the environmental aspects, studies have shown that consumers might perceive green
products as too expensive or even stressful if there is a “lack of availability, higher perceived
prices and improper communications” (Barbarossa & Pastore, 2015, p. 201).
2.1.2 Green Washing
Unauthentic communications regarding pro-environmental practices can be associated with the
marketing spin green washing. This phenomenon occurs when organizations pose or claim that
a product or service is being good for the environment when in reality it is not (Dahl, 2010). It
misleads consumers in terms of which products are better for the environment. Thus, green
washing increases the skepticism which might result in consumers not purchasing any green
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products. As such, green washing not only harms individuals and companies, but also the
environment as it is indirectly affected (Dahl, 2010; Furlow, 2010; Polonsky et al., 1998).
Confusion among consumers regarding authentic green communication is a reality. There are
issues with identifying green produced products among all the other products with green
attributes claiming themselves being pro-environmental (Brécard, 2017). According to
McCluskey et al. (2003), for some consumers, ecolabelled and organic-labelled products that
are marketed with terms as eco-friendly or environmental-friendly might be perceived as the
same. Hence, proper product labelling is an important tool, especially when marketing green,
as it exposes consumers to a broad spectrum of products (Brécard, 2017; McCluskey et al.,
2013).
2.2 Concept of Ecolabelling
A common tool for companies to utilize when approaching green marketing strategies are
ecolabels, which usually are related to, in terms of groceries, the product’s packaging design
(Sharma & Kushwama, 2019). This tool enables companies to distinguish green produced
products from the non-green ones, and to mediate that information further to consumers
through the product’s packaging (Sharma & Kushwama, 2019).
The ecolabels provide two functions, that is informing consumers about the intangible
characteristics of the product. Also, to provide the consumers’ value, as the products are of
quality and tend to convey prestige (Delafrooz et al., 2014). Even though the function of these
labels is to enlighten consumers, provide them with value and to distinguish green products, it
tends to fail its purpose (Lewis & Stanely, 2012). With the combination of limited package
information and lack of awareness among individuals, consumers fail to perceive the mediated
message (Lewis & Stanely, 2012). Companies are recommended to act wisely when marketing,
as it is the proper usage of ecolabels and information that prevents deception (Brécard, 2017;
Sharma & Kushwama, 2019).
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As mentioned, ecolabels are a symbol or logo featured on the packaging of products which
distinguishes the product from non-green produced products (Sharma & Kushwama, 2019).
There are both mandatory and voluntary ecolabels, the latter mentioned are commonly used
for foods (Rex & Baumann, 2007). The International Standardization Organization (ISO)
issued a series of international guidelines named ISO 14000. The aim is to give organizations
the tools and directives needed to build a green foundation within their corporations (Daddi et
al., 2011). The labels that are voluntary have been categorized into type I, type II and type III,
seen in Figure 2 below. These three categories represent labels with different features, in which
type I refers specifically to ecolabels (Rex & Baumann, 2007).
Figure 2. Classification of Environmental Labels Source: Adapted from Horne (2009)
Within the ecolabelling process, there are three actors of interest involved: Consumers,
Producers and Third-Party Organizations (Dangelico & Vocalelli, 2017; Mainieri et al., 1997;
Tian, 2003). The independent third-party certifying organizations are the ones that approve and
certify other companies for the usage of their respective ecolabels. Thus, the producer of the
products must satisfy the requirements issued by the third parties (Darnall & Vázquez-Brust,
2018). The reason why companies apply for the right to use ecolabels might be because they
want to increase their financial benefits or gain competitive advantage (Yeng & Yazdanifard,
2015).
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The purchasers of ecolabelled products are different kinds of consumers that either have a
demand for green products or are simply purchasing it for other causes (Crinnion, 2010). It
might be due to the quality, ethical consumption reasons, or wanting to contribute to prevent
further environmental degradation (Choudhary & Gokarn, 2013; Crinnion, 2010; Soon &
Kong, 2012). All customers that purchase products with ecolabels must, initially, adopt the
ecolabel itself. The process of adopting an ecolabel consists of several phases of which all are
quite dynamic and complex, see Figure 3. (Thøgersen, 2010).
Figure 3. Simplified Model of the Adoption Process Source: Reconstructed from Thøgersen (2010)
The figure illustrates that external factors such as environmental factors, personal factors and
product related factors might influence the consumers adoption process. When consumers
decide to buy an ecolabelled product, their decision making is influenced by product related
factors. The logo of the ecolabel is the type of information that is related to the product, without
the logo on a product the consumer would not know that it is ecologically produced. If the
consumers are aware about what the logo certifies, or what the term ecological signifies then
they will be able to perceive the label which in turn will influence their buying decision. Hence,
will the consumer not proceed with the adoption process of an ecolabel if there is not any
awareness of what it signifies (D’Souza et al., 2006; Thøgersen, 2002).
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In conclusion, the adoption process refers to the process when consumers develop an awareness
of a product, followed by an understanding of its value, up until finally purchasing or
consuming it (Thøgersen, 2002). The marketing tool, ecolabels, are simplifying the decision-
making process. However, for a consumer to begin the adoption process, there must be some
type of awareness of what information the ecolabel signifies (Thøgersen, 2002).
2.3 Consumer Behavior Dynamics
Individuals make simple decisions every day, such as what to eat for dinner or which clothes
to wear. These decisions might appeal as fractional, but they are indeed of great interest for
marketers. Understanding consumer behavior enables marketers to detect what influences their
buying behavior (Kotler & Keller, 2016). This knowledge further enables marketers to adjust
necessary features for a product or service, in a sense which have the greatest impression on
consumers (Delafrooz et al., 2014; Katona, 1967). The consumer buying dynamics are rather
broad, and as seen in Figure 4, it consists of several aspects that must be taken into account.
The relevant aspect for this study to immerse within, are what has been presented in the
previous section, the marketing stimuli communications, and consumer psychology, consumer
characteristics and the buying decision process in this section.
Figure 4. Model of Consumer Behavior Source: Reconstructed from Kotler & Keller (2016)
Consumer psychology refers to the study of individuals’ physcological factors that influence
their buying decision process. The psychological aspects are various and diverse. Kotler and
Keller (2016) highlight the four key aspects: motivation, perception, learning and memory. The
consumer’s attitude is shaped from these aspects and there are several psychological factors
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that influence its formation (Katona, 1967). The consumer characteristics refer to the cultural,
social and personal aspects that influence consumers’ buying behaviors. The social aspect
refers to consumers’ surroundings, which consists of different factors, so-called reference
groups, cliques, family and social roles and statuses (Kotler & Keller 2016). The reference
groups are of interest as they consist of individuals that have a direct or indirect influence on
the consumers’ attitudes, behaviors and norms (Kotler & Keller 2016). Hence, among other
factors, the consumers’ social norms are influenced by the reference groups that may consist
of family, friends, religious or professional groups (Kotler & Keller 2016).
The consumer buying decision process is explained by Kotler and Keller (2016) as a process
consisting of five stages. The stages consist of problem recognition, information search,
evaluation of alternatives, purchase decision and post-purchase behavior. The initial phase,
problem recognition, occurs when a consumer recognizes a need, which are either triggered by
internal needs such as thirst or external needs for instance through advertisement. Information
search refers to when consumers become receptive to information or when they actively search
for it. The third phase, evaluation of alternatives, is the phase when consumers evaluate the
gathered information and compare it to provided information from competitors. The two last
phases highlight the process when consumers are purchasing a product to satisfy their need,
followed by the post-purchase decision that occurs when consumers are evaluating whether the
purchase satisfied their needs or not (Kotler & Keller, 2016).
2.3.1 Consumers’ Attitudes
The term attitude has several definitions, among those are Wild and Wild (2020, p.72) who
define attitude as “positive or negative evaluations, feelings, and tendencies that individuals
harbor toward objects or concepts”. Attitudes are strongly linked to consumers’ buying
behaviors. In the third phase of the buying decision process, evaluation of alternatives tends to
be influenced by the attitudes that consumers have. Whilst in the fourth phase, when the
consumers are to proceed with their final purchase, the decision made is a direct response to
their attitudes (Litvin & MacLaurin, 2001). Understanding consumers’ attitudes towards a
segment of green products, enables it to predict their willingness to buy those products (Sharma
et al., 2013).
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As earlier mentioned, attitude is shaped based on complex combinations of various aspects
such as values, beliefs, and behaviors (Katona, 1967; Schwepker & Cornwell, 1991).
Consumers with pro-environmental attitudes tend to pursue buying decisions that reflect their
attitudes (Schwepker & Cornwell, 1991; Sharma et al., 2013). According to Roberts (1996), a
consumer’s pro-environmental attitude is a great predictor of their “green” consumer behavior.
Consumers’ attitudes can be understood through the Tri-component attitude model (Asiegbu et
al., 2012). The attitude is composed of three major components, hence the name of the model,
and those are the cognitive, affect and conative components. Each of these components can be
viewed as the attitude’s independent underlying dimensions that are interrelated with one
another (Asiegbu et al., 2012).
The cognitive component refers to the individual’s awareness and knowledge and in terms of
marketing, it is usually referred to the knowledge about an attitude object and its marketing
mix, i.e., the place, price, product and promotion (Asiegbu et al., 2012). For individuals, the
foundation of this cognitive component toward attitude objects has been shaped from
experiences, relevant accessible information and different kinds of sources such as friends,
family, or electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM). This attitude component has emerged through
the consumers beliefs and opinions, as it results with the consumers perceiving that the attitude
object has certain features (Asiegbu et al., 2012; Evans et al., 2009).
The feelings and emotions that a consumer has towards objects refer to the affect component.
This component primarily evolves from human nature aspects, as it manifests itself through
reactions, judgements, evaluations and through feelings such as joy, sadness, anger etc.
(Asiegbu et al., 2012). Consumer evaluation of attitude towards an object is further shaped by
their positive, negative or neutral emotions towards it (Asiegbu et al., 2012). The emotional
states can recur and be recalled in the prospective, this as emotions towards subjects get stored
in the memory.
The conative component manages the consumer’s inclination of acting in a certain way toward
the attitude object. It is the outcome of the consumer’s attitudes, and it is the only component
in which can be observed, as the two later components mentioned can only be inferred. This
15
component enables it to analyze a consumer’s intentions towards an attitude object. Hence,
will the intention toward it be based on the perception and the emotions that the consumer has.
The components are all contributing to the formation of a consumer’s attitude. The models’
structure has been criticized, as research has raised uncertainties regarding the linkages that the
cognitive and affective components have with the conative component (Wicker, 1969). But
more recent studies do highlight that all three components are linked and do cooperatively
affect the attitude (Asiegbu et al., 2012; Evans et al., 2009).
2.3.2 Consumers’ Knowledge
Consumer knowledge is classified into three categories based on different characteristics, that
is subjective knowledge, objective knowledge and product experience. The subjective
knowledge refers to when consumers believe they know something, whereas objective
knowledge is what a consumer has memorized by time, followed by an actual experience of a
product through usage, information-search and more (Brucks, 1985; Peschel et al., 2016).
Previous research has found that subjective consumer knowledge has a greater influence on
environmental behavior compared to what objective knowledge has (Peschel et al., 2016). On
the other hand, early adoption of labels is more related to the consumer’s objective knowledge
(Moorman et al., 2004; Thøgersen, 2010). It is further found that for a consumer to be affected
by extrinsic attributes, such as price, labels, packaging of the product, and brand name, does
not require high levels of knowledge (Peschel at al., 2016).
Furthermore, knowledge and awareness regarding an attitude object (e.g., people, things,
places) are directly linked to a consumer’s buying decision and consumer’s cognitive attitude
(Asiegbu et al., 2012; Evans et al., 2009). It is an important aspect to consider when analyzing
consumers’ decision-making. When consumers already possess existing relevant knowledge
surrounding the attitude object, their decision-making will be evaluated based on that existing
knowledge (Hossain & Lim, 2016). Thus, the amount of knowledge influences the consumer’s
perception of the object, and any lack of it might result in avoidance (Peschel at al., 2016).
Among the factors that can increase a consumers’ knowledge about an attitude object are
external factors (Asiegbu et al., 2012). This includes knowledge about the environmental
spectrum, in which accurate knowledge about it is one of the variables that fosters green
16
consumer behavior the most. Individuals with greater knowledge in this spectrum process the
information related to green products easier compared to those without (Delafrooz et al., 2014).
Even adequate knowledge can have an advantageous effect on choices, for instance, of pro-
environmental foods in the decision-making process (Hossain & Lim, 2016; Thøgersen, 2010).
Hence, inadequate knowledge about green products and its attributes influence the
consumption of it, but the knowledge might increase if consumers get more exposed to it
(Hossain & Lim, 2016). However, the more environmental knowledge the consumer has, the
greater is the probability that the consumer will purchase green products (Hossain & Lim,
2016).
2.3.3 Consumers’ Subjective Norms
Subjective norms are a function of normative beliefs, and the latter can be defined as “an
individual that are accepted by specific people or groups and dictate whether behaving in a
particular fashion is appropriate” (Fang, et al., 2017, p. 3). When consumers are experiencing
the need to engage in a certain behavior with a perception to what significant others may think
of it, they are a subject to the social subjective norm (Dillard & Pfau, 2002; Vallerand et al.,
1992).
There are two kinds of categories that sustainable behaviors can be classified into, normative
and self-enhancing behaviors (Dillard & Pfau, 2002). As earlier stated, normative pressure is
common when a consumer acts based on what significant others might think. These significant
others are usually family, friends or co-workers (Minton, 2018; Sheppard et al., 1998). Swedish
studies are showing that environmental concerns are growing among the Swedish population,
across all age distributions (Ekholm, 2020; Gustafsson & Hultmann, 2020; Hallgren, 2017;
Åslund & Dahlgren, 2019). Therefore, it is reasonable to predict that subjective norms
regarding sustainable behaviors might have increased among Swedish consumers, as studies
have found an increased environmental concern among Swedes (Ekholm, 2020; Gustafsson &
Hultmann, 2020; Hallgren, 2017). But despite that, the intention for a consumer to perform in
a sustainable manner will increase if the attitude and subjective norms are in favor of the
environment (Ajzen, 2002).
17
2.4 Conceptual Framework
In order to be able to answer the research questions, an evaluation on the Swedish consumers
attitude, knowledge and subjective norms in relation to the consumers’ buying behavior of
ecolabelled food must be conducted. The proposed conceptual framework of Swedish
consumers buying behavior of ecolabelled products and influencing components are illustrated
in Figure 5.
Figure 5. Conceptual Framework
2.5 Hypotheses
The hypotheses are the assumptions that will be tested to see if there is any correlation between
these variables. The first hypotheses refer to whether there is a positive correlation between
Swedish consumers’ attitude towards the ecolabel and their buying behaviors. The second refers
to that there is a positive correlation between Swedish consumers’ knowledge of ecolabels and
the consumers’ buying behaviors. Lastly, the third hypothesis refers to that there is a positive
correlation between the Swedish consumers’ subjective norms and their buying behaviors
towards ecolabels
H1: There is a positive relationship between knowledge of ecolabels and Swedish consumers’ buying behavior of green products with ecolabels on them.
H2: There is a positive relationship between attitudes towards ecolabels and Swedish consumers’ buying behavior of green products with ecolabels on them.
H3: There is a positive relationship between subjective norms and Swedish consumers’ buying behavior of green products with ecolabels on them.
18
3. Methodology
This chapter presents the research methodology of this study. The research purpose and
research approach are introduced first. This is then followed by a discussion surrounding how
the literature search was conducted. Thereafter, the data collection, sample selection, and data
analysis will be presented. A presentation of the methodology’s credibility will conclude this
chapter.
3.1 Research Purpose
The purpose of this study was to establish a greater understanding of Swedish consumers’
knowledge, attitude, and subjective norms towards ecolabels and to assess whether it influences
their green buying behavior. As such, a descriptive research design was followed. The research
questions all assess how knowledge, attitude and subjective norms affect green buying
behavior, and as such, these formulations have descriptive features and are well suited for
quantitative studies (Bjereld et al., 2018). Furthermore, the aim of this thesis was to gain new
insight in an area by identifying and exploring patterns within the collected data. Hence, this
thesis intended to explore a field of research with deductive reasoning, which also argues for
descriptive research (David & Sutton, 2011).
3.2 Research Approach
The approach of this thesis was deductive, as the thesis was built upon a foundation consisting
of essential theories and previous research. The researcher thus formulates one or more
hypotheses that are exposed to empirical scrutiny (Bryman & Bell, 2015). The research
approach for gathering the data in this thesis was through quantitative methods, which
emphasizes the quantification of the collected data. The characteristics of a quantitative
research approach are that it is deductive, scientific and objectivistic (Bryman & Bell, 2015;
David & Sutton, 2011).
A scientific model approach, more specifically models that are based on the positivistic
doctrine, are well associated with quantitative research approaches and has its foundation in a
scientific research ideal (Bryman & Bell, 2015). The positivistic doctrine is a philosophical
19
theory that strives for absolute knowledge in which scientific theories either can be confirmed
or rejected based on empirical material (Bryman & Bell, 2015).
Objectivism is a philosophy developed by Ayn Rand in 1943 and it expresses that reality exists
whether or not there is any consciousness. Furthermore, according to the doctrine, the reality is
unambiguous, and it exists outside of all minds (Rand, 1988). Humans are aware of an
independent reality through their sense perception, and the wit is essential to process this data
(Peikoff, 1993).
3.3 Literature Search
The search for relevant research and essential theories for this study began as soon as the idea
behind this thesis leaped to mind. Initially, the author explored whether there were any articles
that had been conducted with the same context as the initial idea. A few studies were found
with a similar approach, and these articles were guiding the author towards the starting point.
Thenceforward, did the author enter a world full of theories and interlinked models that directed
her towards the conceptual framework that would represent the relationship between the
theories that were presented throughout the literature review.
The literature search had been conducted through the databases Google Scholar, Academic
Search Premier, EBSCOhost and ScienceDirect Journals. The scientific articles retrieved were
found through keywords that were both searched individually and through different
combinations, these were green marketing, ecolabelling, attitude marketing, consumer
behavior, green buying behavior, theory of reasoned action, tri-component attitude model,
sustainable consumption, green products and green washing. Furthermore, all articles in the
literature review were peer-reviewed, but some of the scientific articles that were used in the
introduction to present studies that have been conducted in Sweden were relatively new and
had not yet been peer-reviewed.
This thesis was also based on information gathered from other sources, such as from books and
the internet. The used books had acknowledged authors and have also been used in other
scientific articles and studies and were therefore perceived as trustworthy. The sources used
from the web were solely to present statistical data that were retrieved from authorities and
organizations.
20
3.4 Data Collection
Primary data was employed for this thesis, which was collected through a questionnaire, hence
considered as primary data (David & Sutton, 2011). There are various ways of collecting data,
and using a questionnaire is regarded as cross-sectional survey design (Bryman & Bell, 2015).
The data was collected through a questionnaire which includes measurement items for several
variables, with the purpose primarily being to receive a collection of observations measuring
these variables and to analyze whether there exists any patterns in the data observations
(Bryman & Bell, 2015).
The actual process of collecting the data can be done through several ways, including through
the internet. For this thesis, the questionnaire was compiled through the online survey tool
Google Forms, and the respondents were contacted through an email posting to students at
Luleå University of Technology. The questionnaire was also shared on the researcher’s social
networking sites (SNS), Facebook and LinkedIn. Using an email posting as a survey
distribution channel enables a wide target reach during a short period of time. Additionally, due
to the purpose of the research and the limited amount of time, this was the most optimal method.
A drawback of this method is that it might result in possible loss of potential respondents as
they might choose to not participate, but the possibility to reach out to several individuals at the
same time might balance it out.
There are some ethical considerations that were taken into account with the design of the
questionnaire. The matter of confidentiality and anonymity were discussed. As the researcher
was the one designing the questionnaire outline, it was of great importance to make sure that
no one except the researcher herself could see the answers of each respondent. The tool, Google
Forms, enabled the fulfillment of this requirement. Anonymity when answering the questions
was also possible, as Google Forms has a function which enables the survey answers to be
gathered without gathering any personal data from the respondent. The only personal data that
was collected, related to general demographic, geographic, and behavioral questions, such as
age, gender, city nationality, occupation and money spent on groceries/ecolabelled food. These
questions are considered as non-sensitive data (David & Sutton, 2011).
21
The survey outlines that the respondents would be anonymous, and their answers would not be
available for others to see. To inform the respondents about this, all the potential respondents
were provided information about their anonymity. They were also informed about the research
purpose and aim. They were further informed that their participation was voluntary, and they
had to consent to participating before continuing with the questionnaire. The information and
questions were written in English, in a simple and clear language. The reason for it being
English and not in Swedish is because the questionnaire and the adopted measurement items
were formulated in English. Hence, the decision was to base the whole questionnaire on the
English language. According to European Commission (2012), 86% of the Swedish population
are able to speak English on a sufficient level, and as the questionnaire was designed with an
easy and clear English, there is no belief that any language barriers would occur.
3.4.1 The Questionnaire
The questionnaire was designed with two sections, the first section included general
demographic, geographic, and behavioral questions, whilst the second section included
questions with measurements items that were acquired from an earlier research study, see
Appendix 1. The first section included personal questions about the respondent, with questions
about age, gender, nationality, city, occupation, how much money they you usually spend on
groceries per month and how much money they believe that they spend on ecolabelled food per
month. These were formed as close ended and non-leading questions and were based on both
nominal and ordinal scales depending on questions. The questions that were based on a nominal
scale were asking about gender, nationality and city. The question concerning nationality was
asked to avoid eventual bias. As the purpose of the study was to examine the Swedish
consumers, individuals with another nationality were therefore not of interest and the
categorical question enabled it to exclude these respondents. There was an interest in which
city the respondent lives in, because that enabled the researcher to understand whether the
respondents live in different places in Sweden, or if they are clustered in a certain geographical
area. This is of importance to assess whether the respondents are clustered in certain areas, if
so is the case, the collected data might not represent the Swedish consumers in its entirety.
22
The second section included questions about the respondent’s knowledge, attitude, subjective
norms and buying behavior of ecolabelled products. Consequently, and in accordance with the
research purpose, the buying behavior represented the dependent variable. These questions
were also formulated as closed questions and as non-leading, both to ensure high credibility but
foremost as the questions were to be coded for statistical purposes (Bryman & Bell, 2015).
Furthermore, all of the questions in the second section were based on a 5-point Likert scale,
they were formed with statements and had a standard set of answers. These questions were
adopted from a previous study conducted by Singh and Verma (2017), see Table 1. However,
they were modified and selected to fit the purpose of this study. The questions that represented
the independent variables were those concerning knowledge, attitude and subjective norms. The
questionnaire ended with three questions concerning the buying behavior and one for buying
intention. The three questions were adopted from Singh and Verma (2017) and the last was
developed by the researcher.
Table 1
Adopted variables
Research area Variable Adopted
Questions
Questions in
Questionnaire
Adopted From
Knowledge Independent 3 9-11 (Singh & Verma,
2017)
Attitude Independent 3 12-14 (Singh & Verma,
2017)
Subjective Norms Independent 3 15-17 (Singh & Verma,
2017)
Buying Behavior Dependent 3 18-20 (Singh & Verma,
2017)
Buying Intention Dependent 1 21 Researcher
23
3.5 Sample Selection
There are two types of sampling techniques, the probability sampling and non-probability
sampling (David & Sutton, 2011). The probability sampling has its foundation in that everyone
in a larger population has the same probability of being selected. Whereas the non-probability
sampling is when a subset of the population is selected to be representing the whole population.
Non-probability sampling gives a more distorted representation of the population as each
individual does not have the chance to be included, but it is a very effective method in terms of
efficiency and costs (David & Sutton, 2011).
The non-probability sampling, more specifically convenience sampling, was most accurate for
this research, as it was the easiest and quickest way to gain a high number of respondents. The
respondents were contacted through the students’ emails connected to the Luleå University of
Technology, and they were contacted through an already harvested email base. Furthermore,
the respondents were also contacted through the researchers SNS platforms Facebook and
LinkedIn. Issues with this is that the potential respondent who might have come in contact with
the questionnaire, might choose to not participate.
This method was a bit problematic as there were no guidelines regarding how big the sample
should be. However, when nothing is known about the population except the size of it, one can
determine a sample size with assistance of Slovin’s formula, see below (Talukder et al., 2016).
Initially, the confidence level was determined to be 92%, giving a margin error of 10%. This
indicates that there is an 8% chance of being wrong when drawing conclusions about the
Swedish population. Additionally, the Swedish population had to be further determined.
According to Statistiska Centralbyrån (2020), the Swedish population 18 years or older, was
8.189.892 million in 2020. These figures were those taken into regard when calculating the
sample size. The results equaled 156 persons, which is the number of respondents acquired in
order to represent the Swedish consumers at a 92% confidence level. The final number of
respondents amounted to 175, in which only 158 of these were usable, as 17 of these did not
have Swedish nationality.
Slovin’s Formula: n = N / (1 + N*e2 )
24
Furthermore, generalizing this data might seem impossible if there is no information regarding
who this sample group truly represents. As the respondents were available through Luleå
University of Technology and through SNS channels, there is no certainty that they represent
the Swedish population in its entirety. To ensure whether the respondents were clustered in a
certain city or not, as mentioned, a question regarding which city they live in was formed in the
questionnaire, which enables it to conclude whether the data is generalized or not. The
respondents were from 20 different Swedish cities, in which a majority lived in Stockholm,
Luleå and Gothenburg, hence could it therefore be argued to be considered as generalized.
3.6 Data Analysis
The data was analyzed with the help of the Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS)
version 25.0. One should, with a statistical tool, be able to test the hypotheses with assistance
from the analysis of the collected data (Bryman & Bell, 2015). The data was analyzed with
inferential statistics through various techniques. The technique used to analyze the collected
data was Multiple Linear Regression.
The Multiple Linear Regression enables it to estimate whether there is any relationship between
the dependent variable and two or more independent variables (David & Sutton, 2011). It also
measures if there is any statistical difference between them at a certain significance level
(Moore et al., 2017). The method gave a sufficient foundation for the hypotheses testing, as the
hypotheses could be answered with assistance from the obtained data. The retrieved data that
was taken into account was descriptive statistics, significance, correlations, and model
summary. These results gave a solid foundation for answering the research questions. The
remaining retrieved data from the Multiple Linear Regression was inserted in Appendix 2.
3.7 Credibility
Validity and reliability are two quality criteria that need to be taken into consideration when
ensuring that a method has high credibility (David & Sutton, 2011). Theoretical validity
concerns whether the measurement tool really measures what it is indented to do (David &
Sutton, 2011). It can be a rather complex matter to analyze as validity can be broken down into
Calculation: n = 8.189.892 / (1 + 8.189.892*0.082 ) ≈ 156
25
various subdivisions. Reliability concerns whether the results from the data collection would
result in being the same if one would proceed with the exact same procedure once again. The
purpose of reliability is to understand if measurements are consistent or temporary (Bryman &
Bell, 2015). So, validity is to measure what is indented right, and reliability refers to doing it in
the right way (David & Sutton, 2011).
3.7.1 Validity
High validity for this thesis was ensured through different means. Face validity is a means
which aims to explore, with the help of experts, whether the measurement is reflected by the
purpose of the research (Bryman & Bell, 2015). It was acquired through consulting with the
supervisor that has expertise in the field of marketing and several publications within the
research area as well. Hence, are the face validity considered as high.
The validity was further increased by considering the construct validity, which demonstrates
whether the method was measuring what it was intended to, with reference to the research
purpose (Bryman & Bell, 2015). It can be rather challenging to ensure that a study has high
construct credibility, as the researcher’s subjectivity could influence the study. To avoid this,
the researcher had clearly defined each area that was intended to be measured, attitude,
knowledge and subjective norms. Additionally, to ensure that the measurement actually was
measuring each of these factors, the items had been adopted from a publication by
acknowledged researchers and had therefore been previously validated.
Additionally, convergent validity and discrimination validity are two subtypes of construct
validity that functions together. Through this means one can assure, with assistance from the
collected data, that there is high construct validity. The convergent validity refers to that one
can show, through the data, that the measures that theoretically are related are so in the actuality
as well. Whereas the discrimination validity is intended to show what theoretically are not
related, is not so in the actuality either (Bryman & Bell, 2015).
The construct validation was measured through the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) test, which
ensures whether the variables are measuring the concept that it is intended to measure (Williams
et al., 2010). The closer to 1 the KMO test is, the higher validity has the measures. As seen in
Table 2, the KMO was 0.863 which is considered as high (Bryman & Bell, 2015). Bartlett’s
26
test of sphericity was also measured as it tests whether the variances across samples are equal.
Significance levels below 0.05 indicates that there are equal variances, and that the data is
suitable for conducting statistical analyses (Williams et al., 2010). The significance level was
p < 0.05 (p = 0.001), and the data is therefore considered suitable.
Table 2
KMO and Bartlett’s Test
3.7.2 Reliability
Reliability refers to a measure’s consistency, conformity and trustworthiness, and there are
three important factors that must be considered when one is to suppose that a measurement has
high reliability (Bryman & Bell, 2015). These factors are test-retest reliability, internal
consistency and interrater reliability. The latter mentioned factor was not considered either, due
to it being too comprehensive as well.
Test-retest reliability refers to what extent that the construct of the measure and its outcome is
consistent over time. It means that a group of respondents proceeds with the questionnaire twice
on different occasions, in order to be able to analyze whether their answers are consistent. If
the reliability is high, the answers should between each occasion indicate that there exists a
correlation. If there is not any correlation, it indicates that the respondents’ answers are not
reliable. Due to the time frame, there was no possibility to examine whether the test-retest
reliability was high. Furthermore, it is a rather complex measure of reliability as the
respondents’ answers from the first occasion might affect the answers on the second approach.
Additionally, external circumstances might affect the respondents view of ecolabels between
the two occasions of answering the questionnaire, which also might affect the correlation.
The internal consistency refers to the measurements item’s reliability, and a good questionnaire
has high internal consistency, meaning that the items measuring the same construct such as
27
attitude or subjective norms should yield similar answers. As if the respondents are answering
differently on similar constructed questions, it indicates that the questions might be deficiently
formulated (Bryman & Bell, 2015). As earlier mentioned, the questions were adopted from
previous studies but to increase the reliability of this study the item was still measured with the
assistance of Cronbach’s alpha, seen in Table 3. This was also done as the researcher added a
measurement item that measures the buying intention, which was combined with the questions
measuring buying behavior.
Table 3
Cronbach’s Alpha Test
The Cronbach’s alpha is a statistical measure that measures the internal consistency, the alpha
coefficient results with a number between 0 and 1, and it increases if the items that measure a
construct correlate. As a general principle the alpha coefficient should be 0.7 or above for it to
indicate that the internal consistency is high (Bryman & Bell, 2015). As seen in the table above,
the internal consistency was high for the attitude, subjective norms and buying behavior
variables. However, the alpha coefficient was not 0.7 or above for the knowledge variable. This
indicates that the questions concerning knowledge did not have high internal consistency.
Knowledge as a variable was however retained, as a Chronbach's alpha value of 0.69 is
acceptable for instrument reliability when the measurement scale consists of limited items (Hair
et al., 2006). The overall reliability of the questionnaires’ design can be considered high, but
the knowledge questions could be further looked into (David & Sutton, 2011).
28
4. Data Analysis
This chapter presents the empirical data retrieved from the multiple linear regression, which
will be further presented. This data will enable it to answer the hypotheses and research
questions. This chapter will further present empirical analyses of the data, that will include
discussions based on earlier presented theories and the empirical data. Initially, will the sample
be analyzed and discussed. Henceforth, will this chapter be finished with an analysis of the
relationship between the dependent variable and each independent variable.
4.1 Analysis of Sample
Table 4 illustrates the demographic features of the 158 responses from the questionnaire. The
total number of respondents was 175 and 17 of these were not applicable as they had a different
nationality than Swedish. The results indicate that 66.5% of the respondents were females and
33.5% males, indicating that this study might not be as representative for Swedish male
consumers as it is for Swedish female consumers. The majority of the respondents were under
30 years of age, followed by 40 years and older. The loss of respondents within the ages 30-39
years is also arguing for the data to appeal as more representative for younger consumers. Luleå,
Stockholm and Gothenburg were the three cities in which the majority of the respondents were
from, with most being from Luleå. Even though a majority of the respondents lived in Luleå or
Stockholm, the fact that the respondents were from 20 different cities is good as it indicates that
the respondents were not clustered in a specific city. Most of the respondents were students,
65.8% in total, whereas most of the remaining respondents were employees. Hence, might the
data not be representative for all age groups or consumers within all life stages. This, as students
tend to have lower income compared to employees and might therefore have no incentives to
buy green, as ecolabelled food tends to be pricey hence not appealing for students’ budgets.
The sample analysis illustrates that 81.7% of the respondents spend between 1000-3999kr on
groceries, and that 60.1% of the respondents further believe that they spend between 100-699kr
on ecolabelled food per month.
30
4.2 Multiple Linear Regression
The following subsection presents data that is describing the relationship between the
dependent variable buying behavior and the independent variables knowledge, attitude and
subjective norms. The tables presented will include significance, correlations, descriptive
statistics variables and the model summary.
4.2.1 Analysis of Significances and Correlations
Table 5 illustrates the correlation coefficients between the dependent variable and independent
variables and the significance. The purpose of measuring correlations is to identify whether two
variables are linearly related, meaning that they have a statistical relationship (Moore et al.,
2017). For this thesis, the correlations play a significant role as the figures will create an
31
understanding that will enable the researcher to answer the hypotheses. The sig. (1-tailed)
illustrates whether the observed data reflects significance at a 98% confidence interval. Hence
must p < 0.02 if there are to exist a statistically significant relationship between the dependent
variable and independent variables.
It is observed that the p-value was 0.001 between each independent and dependent variable.
This indicates that there exists a correlation that is statistically significant between them and
that all hypotheses can be confirmed, see Table 6. Hence, does this imply that there is a
relationship between knowledge, attitude, subjective norms and buying behavior, as it is
unlikely that these figures would have occurred if it was the opposite. All hypotheses can
Table 6
Deduction of Hypotheses
32
therefore be confirmed, a positive relationship between the independent and dependent
variables exist.
Table 5 further illustrates retrieved figures that represent Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient (r).
The correlation between the variables knowledge and attitude and buying behavior indicates
that there is a medium positive correlation, as r is between 0.30 to 0.49 (Cohen, 1988). A
medium positive correlation indicates that knowledge, attitude and subjective norms are
positively associated with buying behavior of ecolabelled food, so when the independent
variable increases, so does the dependent variable. However, it must be noted that correlation
does not imply causation.
The deductions of the correlations are presented in Table 7. As there exists a medium positive
correlation of 0.471 between knowledge buying behavior, one can deduce that knowledge of
ecolabels has a positive relationship with the green buying behavior of ecolabelled food. It was
also shown that there exists a medium positive correlation of 0.471 between the variables
attitude and buying behavior. The data also presented that there exists a positive correlation of
0.528 between the subjective norms and buying behavior of ecolabelled food, indicating that
these variables have a positive relationship.
4.2.2 Analysis of Descriptive Statistics and Model Summary
Table 8 presents the descriptive data of the Swedish consumers’ knowledge, attitude, subjective
norms and their buying behavior towards ecolabels. The descriptive statistics describes the
mean, standard deviation and number of samples retrieved. As seen were the mean of the buying
behavior, on a 5-point Likert scale, 2.97 whereas the mean of the answers related to the
Table 7
Deduction of Correlations
33
knowledge were 3.91. The mean of the answers related to attitude were also 3.91, and the mean
of subjective norms resulted in being 2.55. The standard deviation representing the buying
behavior and subjective norms is high in relation to the mean and the 5-point Likert scale, it
therefore indicates that the answers had a high dispersion. The standard deviation obtained from
the set of values representing knowledge and attitude was lower, which in turn indicates that
there was a low dispersion of these observed values.
Knowledge
The data observed regarding the standard deviation of answers linked to knowledge indicates
that the respondents was mostly agreeing with the statements. There were sufficient knowledge
of being familiar with what ecolabelled food is and knowing that the food is organic and
environmentally friendly. Thus, can it be assumed that the respondents possess knowledge
about ecolabelled food.
According to Asiegbu et al. (2021) and Evans et al. (2009) consumers’ knowledge regarding a
certain attitude objects is linked to their buying behavior towards it, and as the knowledge
surrounding it was high one can assume It should be common for the consumers to actually buy
ecolabelled food. Evidently that is not the case for this instance, which is comprehensible as
there are various factors that may influence consumers buying behavior. Consumers may be
affected by extrinsic attributes such as price, and the amount of knowledge surrounding the
attitude object may therefore not matter (Peschel et al., 2016). However, it can still be deduced
that Swedish consumers’ knowledge and buying behavior of ecolabelled food have a positive
relationship.
Table 8
Descriptive Statistics
34
Attitude
The standard deviation linked to attitude indicates that the respondents’ answers were
fluctuating around the 4th point on a Likert scale. The respondents were mostly agreeing with
the statements and the dispersion was somewhat lower compared to the dispersion of the buying
behavior.
The buying decisions that consumers are making are a direct response of their attitude toward
the object, and the attitude itself is shaped by various aspects (Asiegbu et al., 2012; Litvin &
MacLaurin, 2001; Katona, 1967; Wild & Wild, 2020). If consumers tend to have a positive
attitude toward ecolabelled food, their willingness to buy the product increases (Sharma et al.,
2013). As seen through the observed values, the respondents had a low dispersion in their
answers regarding attitude and were mostly agreeing with the statements, hence can one assume
that they respondents predominantly had a neutral or positive attitude towards ecolabels.
As the respondents mainly had a positive attitude towards ecolabelled food, the correlation
between buying behavior and attitude could be expected to be higher than 0.471. However,
there are various aspects that must be considered when analyzing this data and one of them is
the sample. As earlier mentioned, 65.8% of the respondents were students and an accepted fact
is that students, as a whole, tend to have lower income compared to employees. Even though
the respondents had a positive attitude towards ecolabelled food, the prices, for instance, might
be inhibiting them from buying ecolabelled food as it is more expensive compared to
conventional ones (Peschel at al., 2016). Despite this, it can still be deduced that Swedish
consumers’ attitude and buying behavior of ecolabelled food have a positive relationship.
Subjective Norms
The data presenting the mean and standard deviation of answers linked to subjective norms
indicates that the respondents’ answers fluctuated around the 2nd point of a Likert scale and
had a somewhat high amount of dispersion, more precisely 0.99. Hence, the respondents were
mostly disagreeing with the statements. It also indicates that the respondents’ answers were
similar throughout the questions concerning subjective norms.
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When analyzing the results, it is shown that the Swedish consumers are not subject to subjective
norms concerning the consumption of ecolabelled food. One can therefore conclude that
Swedish young consumers’ environmentally friendly behavior, in terms of buying ecolabelled
food, is not influenced by significant others. Normative pressure seems not to exist according
to how the respondents answered the statements. Even though the environmental concerns
among the population in Sweden are growing (Ekholm, 2020; Gustafsson & Hultmann, 2020;
Hallgren, 2017; Åslund & Dahlgren, 2019), the subjective norms regarding consumption of
ecolabelled food seems not to be influenced by it. However, it can still be deduced that Swedish
consumers’ subjective norms and buying behavior of ecolabelled food have a positive
relationship. But as shown in the results, neither of these variables corresponding statements in
the questionnaire had a high number of agreements.
Model Summary
The model summary, Table 9, presents information retrieved from the observed values that
concern the coefficient of correlation and determination. The correlation, denoted by R,
measures the amount of linear association between two variables, as per above (Moore et al.,
2017). The R-squared value, denoted by R2, is the square of the correlation. It measures the
proportion of variation in the dependent variable that can be attributed to the independent
variable.
As seen in Table 9, R resulted as 0.585 which indicates that these independent variables had a
positive influence on the Swedish consumers buying behavior towards ecolabelled food. The R-
squared value, the coefficient of determination, resulted as 0.342. This indicates that 34.2% of
the variation in buying behavior towards ecolabelled food is explained by knowledge, attitude
and subjective norms.
Table 9
Model Summary
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6. Findings and Conclusions
This chapter summarizes the results and presents the conclusions. The purpose of this thesis
was to understand if knowledge, attitude and subjective norms influenced Swedish consumers’
green buying behavior. The three research questions posed in the first chapter will be further
discussed and answered. In addition, implications and limitations will be presented in the final
of this chapter.
6.1 Research Questions
The research questions were developed in accordance with the purpose of this thesis. Which
was to understand if factors such as knowledge, attitude and subjective norms influences
Swedish consumers’ green buying behavior of ecolabelled food. The aim was to enable a
greater understanding, which could be beneficial for business as they get to understand
consumers’ behavior. This information can hopefully be further taken into account when
developing green marketing strategies for ecolabelled foods.
RQ1. How does the Swedish consumers’ knowledge about
ecolabels influence their green buying behavior?
This study has shown a positive relationship exists between consumers’ knowledge about
ecolabelled food and their buying behavior towards it. However, the respondents had a high
amount of knowledge regarding ecolabelled food, but it was not as reflected in their
consumption of it. For businesses using ecolabels as a marketing tool, this might be useful
information as it enables them to reconsider their marketing approaches, and to ask themselves:
Consumers seem to have knowledge about ecolabelled food, is this information anything we
need to take into account when developing our marketing strategy?.
RQ2. How does the attitude towards ecolabels influence the Swedish
consumers’ green buying behavior?
A positive relationship between attitude towards ecolabelled food and the buying behavior
among Swedish consumers exists. In this case, just as in the case of the variable representing
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knowledge, the statements representing attitude towards ecolabelled food was mostly agreed
with, by the respondents. All statements concerning knowledge and attitude had a majority of
answers that corresponded agreement. Yet, the buying behavior of ecolabelled food was not
that high. So, Swedish consumers do have a positive attitude and sufficient knowledge about
ecolabelled food and its purpose. But despite the high amount of knowledge and levels of
attitude, it seems like Swedish consumers still do not have enough incentives to buy ecolabelled
products. But to answer the second research question, attitude and Swedish green buying
behavior have a positive relationship.
RQ3. How do subjective norms regarding ecolabels influence
Swedish consumers’ green buying behavior?
The Swedish consumers’ subjective norms and buying behavior towards ecolabelled food had
the strongest relationship compared to knowledge and attitude. However, it is shown that the
Swedish consumers are not subject to subjective norms regarding consuming ecolabelled food.
Therefore, it seems as subjective norms do not influence Swedish consumers’ green buying
behavior towards ecolabelled food.
6.2 General Conclusions
Companies implementing green marketing strategies do it for various reasons, it may be due
to wanting to increase value propositions, improving resource efficiency or gaining competitive
advantages (Kotler, 2011; Rezai et al., 2013; Solaiman et al., 2015). For companies producing
green products, they have a custom base demanding it, and they are consuming these products
most often for environmental purposes (Soon & Kong, 2012). There are several factors linked
to consumer buying behavior, and three of them all are knowledge, attitude and subjective
norms.
Regarding the stated hypotheses, they all were statistically significant and could therefore be
confirmed. These findings indicate that there is a positive relationship between the independent
variables and dependent variable. The Swedish consumers’ subjective knowledge about
ecolabelled food resulted in being relatively high with accordance to the retrieved data form the
questionnaire. Previous studies have found that subjective knowledge has great influence on
38
consumers’ environmental behavior and buying decisions (Brucks, 1985; Peschel, 2016).
Knowledge does also affect the consumers cognitive attitude, which is one of the three
components that composes attitude as a whole (Asiegbu et al., 2012; Evans et al., 2009). Hence
does not only knowledge influence the buying behavior, but also the attitude. In this study, it
was shown that, despite the high amount of knowledge about ecolabelled food, the incentives
to buy ecolabelled food was still quite low. For Swedish businesses, gaining information about
Swedish consumers’ knowledge surrounding a product segment might be of interest when
developing prospective marketing strategies.
Previous theories and constructs state that attitude is strongly linked to consumers’ buying
behavior, but it did not give any indications of it in this study. As attitude is influencing both
the third and fourth phase in the buying decision process, it can be of essence to understand
that for some reasons, the positive attitude towards ecolabelled food among Swedish
consumers is still not enough of a reason for them to proceed with buying it. According to
Sharma et al. (2013), if one does understand the consumers’ attitude towards ecolabelled food,
one can predict their willingness to buy it. If one solely analyzes the data retrieved surrounding
the attitude, one will argue, with relation to the study conducted by Sharma et al. (2013), that
the predicted willingness to buy the products may be somewhat high. This, as the positive
attitude towards ecolabelled was relatively high, but it seems to not be the case for this study.
Given this, it is shown that attitude is a factor that does not influence Swedish consumers actual
buying behavior of ecolabelled food.
Swedish consumers being influenced by each other when it comes to consuming ecolabelled
food seem to not be an actuality. There could be various reasons to why, such as individuals
being green in other ways than by buying ecolabelled food, perhaps by buying food that are
locally produced instead or by avoiding meat. Hence, Swedish individuals might perceive what
green buying behavior is differently. So, even though growing environmental concerns are
palpable among the Swedish population (Ekholm, 2020; Gustafsson & Hultmann, 2020;
Hallgren, 2017), it seems as they are not subject to social subjective norms of buying
ecolabelled food. If subjective norms concerning ecolabelled food was an actuality it would,
according to Ajzen (2002), influence the Swedish consumers buying behavior of it. As it is not
an actuality it should be the opposite, which in this case, it is.
39
In conclusion, the high levels of knowledge and the positive attitude towards ecolabelled food
seems not to influence the green buying behavior among Swedish consumers. Even though
theories are arguing for that it should influence it. Subjective norms were not common among
the Swedish population, and that was reflected in their buying behavior of ecolabelled food.
As this thesis only studied the relationship between the independent variables and dependent
variable, it may have left out other variables that could be worth looking into. For example,
extrinsic attributes such as prices of ecolabelled food, that might affect the answers of
respondents that are younger, students or with lower income. However, this study has still
contributed with information concerning Swedish consumers buying behavior of ecolabelled
food that might be worth looking more into.
6.3 Theoretical implications
The purpose of this thesis was to gain an understanding if the variables knowledge, attitudes
and subjective norms influences Swedish consumers’ green buying behavior towards
ecolabelled food. As there were no similar studies conducted on a Swedish basis, this study has
contributed with new insight about the Swedish consumers’ buying behavior towards
ecolabelled food.
The study has showed that knowledge has a positive relationship with buying behavior toward
ecolabelled food among Swedish consumers, which is aligned to previous research stating that
knowledge have a positive influence on buying behavior (Delafrooz et al., 2014; Hossain &
Lim, 2016; Thøgersen, 2010). However, the Swedish consumers’ buying behavior was not as
high as one would assume it to be, with reference to their high levels of knowledge. In
accordance with Peschel et al. (2016), the consumers might be affected by extrinsic attributes
that influences their buying behavior towards ecolabelled food. But more studies would need
to be conducted in order to understand why.
The study has further shown that attitude and buying behavior towards ecolabelled food among
Swedish consumers have a positive correlation between each other. These results confirm what
previous research has found, that buying decisions tend to be influenced by attitudes.
(Schwepker & Cornwell, 1991; Sharma et al., 2013). However, it was also found that the buying
behavior of ecolabelled food was not that common, even though the Swedish consumers had a
40
positive attitude towards it. Without analyzing this further, one will not understand why
Swedish consumers have a lower interest in consuming ecolabelled food. But this knowledge
has contributed to the understanding that, despite positive attitudes towards ecolabelled food,
Swedish consumers tend to not involve this segment of products in their buying decisions.
Lastly, this study has confirmed that existing subjective norms do not have an impact on
Swedish consumers’ intention to purchase ecolabelled food. However, it was confirmed that
these two variables had a positive correlation, which indicates that when subjective norms
increase, so does the buying behavior. But all in all, subjective norms regarding ecolabelled
food are not common among the Swedish population.
The theoretical contribution is therefore that knowledge and attitude toward ecolabelled food
does not have a great influence on Swedish consumers’ green buying behavior. Also, that
Swedish consumers are not subjects of subjective norms regarding ecolabelled food. This
contribution of knowledge has enabled it to begin with filling the gap of limited research within
this area in the context of Swedish consumers, which can be linked to the gap of this thesis.
6.4 Managerial Implications
This study has contributed with knowledge for Swedish businesses that are producing organic
food and are ecolabelling them. This information has given them insight in that Swedish
consumers’ have sufficient knowledge and a positive attitude towards their products. The
results suggest that there are positive relationships between the attitude, knowledge, subjective
norms and buying behavior. However, it was also suggested that the buying behavior of these
products was low in relation to the high levels of knowledge and positive attitude.
In conclusion, the managerial implications that this study has contributed with is that marketers
can be guided by this information when developing their marketing strategies. Perhaps by
decreasing the amount of information linked to increasing consumers’ knowledge in their
marketing campaigns or such, as Swedish consumers evidently already possess high knowledge
about ecolabelled food.
41
6.5 Limitations of Research
This thesis is subject to some limitations that should be noted. Firstly, as 65.8% of the
respondents answering the questionnaire were students the representativeness for “Swedish
consumers” can be questioned. As a major part were students, the data and results are more
representative for the Swedish students compared to Swedish consumers. The demographic
variable occupation in this thesis can therefore be seen as a restraint. A larger sample might
have prevented a majority of students answering the questionnaire, and more time would enable
it to gain more respondents.
Due to the limited time frame, the decision of excluding analyses of the demographic variables
in relation to the dependent variable buying behavior was made. This led to an exclusion of
relevant data that could have given information about buying behavior patterns of ecolabelled
food among ages, gender and occupation. Knowing this information could have given this study
a holistic view of the obtained data.
The reliability of the questions concerning knowledge should also be further questioned, as the
level of Cronbach’s alpha resulted as below 0.7, more specifically 0.69. This decreases the
reliability of the study, which could have been prevented by an increased sample size. However,
the researcher chose to include the questions about knowledge anyway as 0.69 is accepted in
literature due to it consisting of few measurement items, but it should be further examined (Hair
et al., 2006).
6.6 Future Research Suggestions
Upon the findings of this study, there are some future research suggestions. Further research
with focus on a sample that is representative for the whole Swedish population is suggested.
One could do so by increasing the sample size or by conducting this study with an even
distribution among, for instance, ages or occupations in order to obtain more representative
results.
As of writing this thesis in a pandemic, the decision of conducting this thesis with a quantitative
approach was most suitable. But conducting a qualitative study would enable it to get a more
in-depth overview of Swedish consumers’ buying behavior of ecolabelled food. This could be
42
done through focus groups or in-depth interviews. One could also study the buying behaviors
in-store, as one would obtain data of actual buying behavior. Hence, is it suggested to conduct
a study based on both a quantitative and qualitative approach in the future. Which would enable
one to gain a greater understanding and a holistic view of the relationship between knowledge,
attitude and subjective norms and buying behavior.
As the respondents had high levels of knowledge and a positive attitude towards ecolabelled
food but still not purchased it, one could investigate whether there is any reason to why. As of
right now, there is no information on a Swedish basis that can explain why knowledge and
attitude, that both have a great influence on buying behaviors according to theories, are not
“enough” for Swedish consumers to buy ecolabelled food. One could investigate this by
perhaps adding the factor price or by analyzing further between demographic variables.
43
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Appendix 1. Survey Questionnaire
Buying Behavior Towards Ecolabels
Form of consent You are being invited to participate in a research study titled "Are Ecolabels Attractive Enough?". This study is being done by Emilia Klintebjer Brecelj, studying Business Administration and Economics at Luleå University of Technology.
The purpose of this research study is to understand how Swedish consumers’ attitude towards ecolabels impact their green buying behavior. The aim is to better understand green consumer behavior when developing prospective green marketing strategies. I If you would like to participate in this study, please complete the anonymous questionnaire.
The questionnaire consists of 25 questions, in which approximately take 3-5 minutes to complete. The results of this survey will only be used for the purposes of this study.
Please, do not hesitate to contact me at [email protected] if there are any questions
By clicking " I agree to the terms and conditions" below you are indicating that you are at least 18 years old, have read and understood this consent form and agrees to participate in this study.
1. *
I agree to the terms and conditions I disagree
In the following section, questions 2 to 8, please choose one answer which most accurately indicates
your level of agreement.
2. Age *
18 - 24 25 - 29 30 - 34 35 - 39
≥ 40
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3. Gender *
Female Male Other
4. Nationality *
Swedish Other
5. City*
Stockholm Gothenburg Malmö Uppsala Luleå ……
6. Occupation *
Student Employee Unemployed
7. How much money do you usually spend on
groceries per month? *
≤ 999kr 1000 - 1999kr 2000 - 2999kr 3000 - 3999kr
52
≥ 4000kr 8. How much money do you believe you spend on
ecolabeled food per month? *
≤ 99kr 100 - 399kr 400 - 699kr 700 - 999
≥ 1000kr
In the following section, questions 9 to 17, please choose one option which most accurately
reflects your opinion.
9. I am familiar with ecolabelled food *
1 2 3 4 5
Strongly disagree Strongly agree
10. I know that ecolabelled food is organic *
1 2 3 4 5
Strongly disagree Strongly agree
11. I know that ecolabelled food is environmentally friendly*
1 2 3 4 5
Strongly disagree Strongly agree
12. I believe ecolabelled food is very useful for a sustainable living *
1 2 3 4 5
53
Strongly disagree Strongly agree
13. Ecolabelled food have higher quality than conventional ones *
1 2 3 4 5
Strongly disagree Strongly agree
14. I am convinced the consumption of ecolabelled food is good for the environment*
1 2 3 4 5
Strongly disagree Strongly agree
15. My close friends and family consume ecolabelled food *
1 2 3 4 5
Strongly disagree Strongly agree
16. It is expected from me that I buy ecolabelled food *
1 2 3 4 5
Strongly disagree Strongly agree
17. Many people persuade me that I should buy ecolabelled food in order to be
environmentally friendly *
1 2 3 4 5
Strongly disagree Strongly agree
54
In the following section, questions 18 to 21, please choose one option which most accurately
reflects your behavior.
18. I have been a regular buyer of ecolabelled foods *
1 2 3 4 5
Strongly disagree Strongly agree
19. I still buy ecolabelled food even though conventional alternatives are on discount*
1 2 3 4 5
Strongly disagree Strongly agree
20. I never mind paying premium price for ecolabelled food *
1 2 3 4 5
Strongly disagree Strongly agree
21. I will, the next time I am in a supermarket or similar, buy food with ecolabels on
them *
1 2 3 4 5
Strongly disagree Strongly agree