Professor Hamieda Parker lectures the Operations Management core course and the Global Supply Chain Management elective course on the MBA programme. She also lectures the Operations and Innovation Management Course on the Postgraduate Diploma in Management Practice programme.
With cost-consciousness being the primary factor in emerging market purchasing decisions, what makes a consumer choose an eco-friendly product over a cheaper, conventional one? Dr Hamieda Parker and her co-authors investigated this in a South African context, using the Theory of Consumption Values (TCV) to uncover the top five factors that motivate green purchases.
1. Environmental Concern: The Core Catalyst
It’s not just about preference; it’s about principle.
Among all variables studied, environmental concern emerged as the strongest predictor of green purchasing behaviour. Consumers who are genuinely worried about climate change, resource depletion, and pollution are far more likely to seek out eco-friendly products, even when those products require higher effort or cost.
Implication: Build campaigns that highlight environmental impact. Emotional appeals to environmental responsibility can activate deeper value-based behaviours.
2. Emotional Value: The Feel-Good Factor
Green purchases aren’t always rational; they’re emotional.
Dr Parker’s study shows that consumers associate green products with doing the “morally right thing.” Buying green makes them feel better about themselves: more responsible, more ethical, more aligned with their values.
In fact, emotional value not only drives purchases but also enhances environmental concern, creating a feedback loop that reinforces sustainable behaviours over time.
Implication: Showcase how green purchases contribute to the greater good. Position the consumer as a change-maker.
3. Social Value: Status and Approval
Going green is also about being seen.
Consumers in emerging markets are often influenced by what others think. Purchasing eco-friendly products can signal status, education, and social responsibility. Dr Parker found that when green choices were seen to carry social approval, consumers were more inclined to choose them.
Interestingly, this effect is fully mediated by environmental concern–meaning social pressure only leads to action if it’s underpinned by a genuine sense of environmental responsibility.
Implication: Make green visible. Encourage public displays of eco-consciousness through community challenges, social media sharing, or product endorsements.
4. Knowledge-Seeking: The Information Engine
Informed consumers are empowered consumers.
The study found that consumers who actively seek out information. Ingredients, eco-labels, production methods, and environmental impact: these are factors more likely to make green purchases happen. This knowledge-seeking also boosts emotional value, giving people a sense of confidence, influence and moral alignment in their buying decisions.
Implication: Don’t skimp on the details. Make green claims credible, transparent, and easily accessible, especially for price-sensitive markets where trust is hard-earned.
5. The Power of Perception: Value Over Sacrifice
Green choices often come with trade-offs such as higher prices, limited availability, or more effort. But Dr Parker’s research suggests that when consumers perceive high emotional and social value and feel their actions matter environmentally, they’re more willing to make those trade-offs. It’s about shifting the narrative from sacrifice to significance.
Implication: Frame green products as aspirational and high-impact – not just ethically correct, but smart, modern, and meaningful.
Based on Parker, H., Bhatti, W.A., Chwialkowska, A. & Marais, T. (2023). “Factors influencing green purchases: An emerging market perspective.” Sustainable Development, 31(2), pp.865–876.
