A Study On The Impact Of Green Purchase Emotion On Green Purchase Behavior

As Chinese economy has entered China’s New Normal, national government and the masses pay more and more attention on ecological environment issues and social sustainable development. However, the situation of residents’ current green purchase behavior is very negative, because most of the consumers are unwilling to change their daily brand into green brand as well as they won’t pay a higher price for the green attribution – not to mention the few consumers that specialize in green products. Based on the current studies of green purchase behavior, attitude is the variable which researchers always focus on. In consideration of the unstable impact of attitude on green purchase behavior in different studies which means the unreliable explanatory ability. So researchers have found more new independent variables and emotion is one of them. It is a very valuable research subject to explore the relationship and inner discipline between green purchase emotion and green purchase behavior when researchers take it more and more seriously which is the driving effect of emotion on behavior.This study took energy-efficient and pro-environmental white appliances(i.e. air condition, refrigerator and washing machine) as examples to analyze green purchase behavior through indepth interview and large sample research by questionnaires. Indepth interview provided raw material for qualitative research, we explored the inner structure of green purchase emotion, green purchase behavior and their relationship. Meanwhile, the primitive Two-factor Model of Emotion—Behavior in green purchase area has been constructed. The large sample questionnaire survey provided sufficient data for quantitative analysis, this study tested the scientificity and stability of Two-factor Model of Emotion—Behavior. To be specific:(1) During the qualitative research, this research has chose 9 consumers according to the theoretical sampling. Based on the procedure of Grounded Theory, This study defined the concepts and categories by using open coding, axial coding, and selective coding step by step.(2) During the quantitative research, this research got the data of 927 Hangzhou residents’ green purchase behavior through field questionnaire research. We tested the relationship between green purchase emotion and green purchase behavior based on quantitative data through the comprehensive application of covariance-based structural equation model and variance-based structural equation model.In a word, this research not only tested the green purchase Two-factor hypothesese of Emotion—Behavior through qualitative research and quantitative research but also verificated the Two-factor model of Emotion—Behavior. To a certain extent, it overcomes the deficiency of current researches.The empirical research has found that Two-factor model of Emotion—Behavior is true in the area of green purchase behavior. To be specific:(1) qualitative analysis found that “green purchase emotion” and “green purchase behavior” can be key concepts and the elements of story-line, the former one can motivate the latter one. Furthermore, green purchase emotion includes positive emotion and negative emotion as well as green purchase behavior includes purchasing green products and resisting non-green products.(2) Quantitative study further confirmed that both green purchase emotion and green purchase behavior have significant two dimensional features. That is, green purchase emotion can be subdivided into two parts which are positive emotion and negative emotion while green purchase behavior is constituted by the behavior of buying green products(to do something) and the behavior of resisting non-green products(not to do something).(3) Emotion has much more important and significant impact on green purchase behavior than recognition(affective motivation is better than rational notification).(4) Positive emotion plays a more important role than negative emotion when it comes to green purchase behavior.(5) Green purchase emotions(include positive and negative ones) are more correlated with "buying green products" than with "resisting non-green products".(6) The education and income are found that they could affect the emotion-behavior model as mediators.We suppose that government, enterprises and non-profit organizations should do those things during the green promotion:(1) Using poems, music, pictures, flashes and stories to transmit the affective information, rather than displaying facts, data and truth. It will strengthen consumers’ green purchase emotion then activate and promote their green purchase behavior.(2) To activate consumers’ positive green purchase emotion(pride and admire) by broadcasting model consumers. Only consumers agree with that green purchase behavior is a kind of benign behavior, can they change their purchase styles.(3)To activate consumers’ negative green purchase emotion(hate, guilt) by feeling and involving. Consumers’ shameness is featured by "feeling-- involving" in Chinese culture, so the relevant institutions can activate their guilt on purchasing non-green products by exhibition, holding relevant events, and lecturing.(4) To divide the market effectively, more effective and acceptable contents should be sent to specific consumers. For example, we need to activate low education consumers’ green purchase emotion(including positive emotion and negative emotion) to promote green purchase behavior, compare to high education consumers.