South Africans’ Attitudes and Behaviors Regarding Customer Citizenship: The Paradoxical Comparison of the Primary and the Secondary Data

<em>The current study compares the extant literature regarding South Africa to a current assessment using primary data to measure the same green phenomenon, namely customer citizenship. Secondary data were used to develop a profile of how external sources perceive South Africa. For the primary data, a sample of 513 consumers in South Africa responded to an invitation-only, Internet-based questionnaire that focused on attitudinal and behavioral issues germane to the five constructs commonly related to customer citizenship within the context of green purchasing and green consumption. The constructs in focus were green mindset, anti-consumption behavior, consumer coaching behavior, green advocacy, and customer helping behavior. A multi-item scale for each construct shown to produce a high degree of reliability in prior research was gleaned from the literature. High degrees of reliability were in evidence for four of the five scales. The secondary data place South Africa in a relatively negative position. However, the primary data paints a somewhat different picture. Based on the sample results, it appears that South Africans possess a much greener demeanor than that which is portrayed by the secondary data.</em>