How Cultural Values Shape Green Consumption: Effects on Consumer Attitudes and Purchase Intentions
This study investigates how cultural values influence consumers' green purchase intentions by addressing a critical gap in the measurement of Hofstede's cultural dimensions at the individual level. While prior research highlights the role of culture in shaping environmental attitudes, most studies rely on national-level scores, which may lead to ecological fallacy and overlook within-country cultural variation. To overcome this limitation, the study examines three cultural dimensions—collectivism, long-term orientation, and indulgence—measured at the individual level, thereby providing more precise insights into how personal cultural values shape attitudes toward green products and subsequent purchase intentions. Grounded in the Theory of Planned Behavior, the research also examines the moderating role of perceived value for money, thereby clarifying the conditions under which positive attitudes translate into purchase intentions. Using survey data from 724 consumers in Portugal and Brazil, structural equation modeling and multi-group analysis reveal that collectivism and long-term orientation positively influence attitudes toward green products, whereas indulgence has a negative effect. Positive attitudes toward green products significantly enhance green purchase intentions. An exploratory multi-group analysis further indicates that the strength of selected relationships differs between Portugal and Brazil, while several hypothesized relationships remain consistent across the two samples. The findings advance theory by clarifying individual-level cultural effects, underexplored cultural dimensions, and cost–benefit considerations, while offering practical insights for international green marketing and sustainability strategies.
Authors
- Marcelo Curth (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9361-8373)
- Jefferson Marlon Monticelli (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1605-7090)
- Cátia Fernandes Crespo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2886-7370)
- Susana Rijo
- Maria Alexandrina Noá
- Alcina Gaspar Ferreira
Institutions
- Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos (BR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Journal of International Consumer Marketing
- Published
- 2026-10-16
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1080/08961530.2026.2745953
- Primary Topic
- Environmental Sustainability in Business
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia