The relationship between green marketing strategies and consumers' purchasing intention of green products in Malaysia: moderating effect of self-identity

Consumers have started to realize that their purchasing behavior can cause a huge impact on the environment, as there is a worldwide concern on environmental degradation issues such as global warming and pollutions. "Green" is now in the mainstream of modembusinesses. Therefore, being socially responsible by offering green (environmentally friendly) products and services should be the practices of any companies that wish to sustain a competitive advantage in today's business world. This study demonstrates the adaptation of green marketing strategies to examine the factors influencing Malaysian consumers' purchase intention green products towards environmentally friendly products and how green-marketing strategies affect purchase intention green products. This study is to investigate the factors that would influence the subject of consumers' purchase intention of green products in Malaysia. The data collection was conducted in Kelang Valley in order to measure the level of intentional behaviour and identify the main marketing factors that enhance intentional behaviour. This study is limited only to Malaysia, specifically to Kelang Valley, and not covering any other area or country. Kelang Valley was chosen because the area has a variety of stores offering a green product. A self-administered questionnaire was designed using established scales. A survey of 384 respondents was conducted in Malaysia. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and Partial Least Square (PLS) was used to examine data analysis. Seven variables were used in this study including green marketing strategies (Eco-Labelling, packaging and branding, advertising, price premium, and eco-image), self-identity, and purchase intention. Variables are having positive relationships with the dependent variable of the study. The fmdings of the study suggested that Eco-Labelling, packaging and branding, advertising, price premium, and eco-im.age are having positive relations with purchase intentions. The research provides an in-depth understanding of Malaysian consumers' purchase intention toward environmental-friendly green products. The research fmdings can be used to formulate strategies for the distributor, marketer and manufacturer companies to create a good positioning strategy to enhance consumer perception of environmentally friendly green products and meet the consumers' needs and wants. In addition, policymaker and governmental bodies, which play an important role in influencing consumers' purchase intention, by, enforce green products and improve on promoting environmentally friendly products able to enhance the purchase of the environmentally friendly green product and to accelerate Malaysia economically.