Abstract:
Orientation: Environmentally friendly consumption behaviour is one of the topical issues in
contemporary marketing discourse. However, this subject has received considerable research
attention mostly in middle- and high-income markets at the expense of developing world
contexts.
Research purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore if there is a dichotomy between
gender groups on the following consumer attributes: green attitude, green personality, green
values and green purchasing intention. Producers and retailers of environmentally friendly
products need to understand the profile of their customers if they are to effectively segment
and target them.
Motivation for the study: The study is motivated by a need to understand any potential
differences in customer attributes in green markets. An appreciation of such differences will
supply marketers of environmentally products with critical information which can help them
to design and position their value propositions.
Research design, approach and method: An exploratory and cross-sectional survey design
was used. Data were collected from a total of 284 respondents using a self-administered,
structured questionnaire. The student’s t-test and multiple regression analyses were used for
data analysis.
Main findings: The study unveiled significant gender-based disparities in social altruistic
values, but none in green personality, green attitude and green purchasing intention. Moreover,
it was discovered that green attitude, green values and green personality had different levels
of influence on the green purchasing intention of different gender groups, with a stronger
impact observed among the sample of male respondents. The implication is that marketers of
green products should consider gender-informed disparities in various psychographic
attributes of consumers of environmentally friendly products.
Practical/managerial implications: The findings of this study can assist producers and
marketers of environmentally friendly products to develop value propositions that are
appropriate for young consumers who belong to different gender groups.
Contribution/value-add: Very little research in the Zimbabwean context exists with specific
reference to how gender affects the green attributes of young, college-level consumers. This
article adds value by unravelling some of the factors that influence the green purchasing
intention of college students in Zimbabwe.
