How greenwashing, greenhushing and transparent communication affect purchase intention- a literature review : A semi-systematic literature review

Date: 2025-06-03 Level: Bachelor in Business Administration, 15 cr Institution: School of Business, Society and Engineering, Mälardalen University Authors: Emilia Eklund, Monika Stepanyan, Elin Wallén Title: How do greenwashing, greenhushing and transparent communication affect purchase inention- a literature review Supervisor: Madelen Lagin Keywords: Greenwashing, greenhushing, transparent communication, purchase intention Research questions: How can the combination of previous research on greenwashing, greenhushing and transparent communication clarify how consumers’ purchase intention is affected by the chosen communication strategy? Purpose: The aim of the study is to combine the concepts of greenwashing, greenhushing and transparent communication and study the impact on the purchase intention, based on previous research. The study also aims to discuss differences in results based on demographfic, characteristics, countries, industries and methods. Method: This study is a semi-systematic literature review where scientific articles have been examined and analyzed to answer the research question. Conclusion: The results showed that greenwashing has a negative impact on consumers’ purchase intention. It was shown that there was no difference between greenhushing and transparent communication for the impact on purchase intention. However, greenhushing can have consequences in the long term, therefore transparent communication is the best strategy for a positive effect on purchase intention.