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Determinants of Organic Cotton Apparel Purchase: A Comparison of Young Consumers in the U.S.A. and South Korea

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  • Tae-Im Han

    (Fashion Merchandising, STEM Education & Professional Studies, 4129 Education Building, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23529, USA)

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to examine consumers from distinct cultural groups and identify similarities and differences in their green purchase behaviors. The sample consisted of consumers from the U.S.A. and South Korea and the theory of planned behavior was used as a theoretical framework to test the influence of diverse constructs on consumers’ purchase intentions toward organic cotton apparel. For both countries, perceived behavioral control (PBC) and descriptive norms were strong predictors of purchase intentions and injunctive norms strongly influenced attitude formation. However, the study also found different results between the two groups. For example, while attitude was the strongest predictor of purchase intentions in the U.S.A. group (strength of influence on intentions: attitude > descriptive norms > PBC > injunctive norms), it had an insignificant effect in the South Korea group. For the South Korea group descriptive norms and PBC had strongest effects on consumers purchase intentions (strength of influence on intentions: descriptive norms = PBC > injunctive norms > attitude). South Koreans were more affected by the social pressure: their purchase intentions were strongly influenced by both injunctive norms and descriptive norms in contrast to the findings from American consumers. Injunctive norms were an insignificant predictor of purchase intentions in the U.S.A. group. This result is consistent with previous research that suggest conformity is a crucial factor for people belonging to a collectivistic culture. Exposure of others’ purchasing behavior is particularly important in motivating consumers’ buying in collectivistic culture. Marketers of organic cotton apparel may consider using diverse formats of media to display consumers’ ethical buying behaviors or creating product design or packaging that can directly reveal the ethical features of the product to display greater exposure in the market.

Suggested Citation

  • Tae-Im Han, 2018. "Determinants of Organic Cotton Apparel Purchase: A Comparison of Young Consumers in the U.S.A. and South Korea," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-13, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:6:p:2025-:d:152664
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Osmud Rahman & Dingtao Hu & Benjamin C. M. Fung, 2023. "A Systematic Literature Review of Fashion, Sustainability, and Consumption Using a Mixed Methods Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(16), pages 1-37, August.
    2. Selma Saracevic & Bodo B. Schlegelmilch, 2021. "The Impact of Social Norms on Pro-Environmental Behavior: A Systematic Literature Review of The Role of Culture and Self-Construal," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-21, May.
    3. Sher Jahan Khan & Saeed Badghish & Puneet Kaur & Rajat Sharma & Amandeep Dhir, 2023. "What motivates the purchasing of green apparel products? A systematic review and future research agenda," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(7), pages 4183-4201, November.
    4. Lin, Shu Hsu & Lee, Hsing-Chen & Chang, Ching-Ter & James Fu, Changjui, 2020. "Behavioral intention towards mobile learning in Taiwan, China, Indonesia, and Vietnam," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).

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