The influence of spirituality, ethics and religiosity on green buying behavior: a cross-cultural study of Chinese and Pakistani consumers

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between spirituality, ethics, and intrinsic and extrinsic religiosity as antecedents of green buying behavior, addressing a gap in the literature despite increasing sustainability challenges faced by Pakistan and China. Design/methodology/approach This research has developed a conceptual model based on the value belief norm (VBN) theory, examining the effects of religiosity, ethics and spirituality on the green buying behavior of Chinese and Pakistani consumers. The enumerators collected 415 valid samples from China and 410 from Karachi business universities, using convenience sampling, and analyzed reliability, validity and convergent validity using smart partial least square-structural equation modelling. Findings Results suggested a significant association between ethics and green buying behavior for Chinese and Pakistani consumers. Results also indicated that both intrinsic religiosity and spirituality positively influence the green buying behavior of Chinese and Pakistani consumers. In contrast, this study found a significant association between extrinsic religiosity and green buying behavior for Pakistani consumers, but the same relationship was insignificant for Chinese consumers. Originality/value The study extends the model based on the VBN theory, moving beyond the commonly used theory of reasoned action and theory of planned behavior, thus contributing to theoretical diversity in the field.