Consumers’ Biospheric Values and Purchasing Intentions of Organic Products

Abstract (250 Word Limit)

Generally, firm-focused business strategy and sustainability issues may not be successful without the conscious effort to create responsible consumers who would embrace the idea of sustainable consumption. This is mainly because the consumer is believed to be at the end of all production processes. The motivation of this paper was to contribute to bridging the gap between firm-oriented strategies and measures against consumer-based measures that are meant to lead to a holistic fight against sustainable development or environmental sustainability. The study sought to understand how desirable goals guide consumers' lives (Schwartz, 1992) toward the environment. Thus, the biospheric values of consumers affect their purchasing intentions for organic products. A questionnaire was designed, and a quantitative method was employed for the study. This survey used valid data from 408 student participants in Ghana, administered through social media, specifically WhatsApp platforms. The study used the structural equation modelling analytical tool using the computer software Mplus version 8.2. The key finding was that the Ghanaian student consumer had strong biospheric values which contributed to the indirect influence of perceived inconvenience towards buying intentions of organic products. This finding has several implications for marketing practitioners, prospective investors or strategic marketers, policymakers and academic researchers. It contributes to the seemingly limited literature on green consumption which is seen as a gap between developed and developing countries.