Personal and environmental factors that influence the ecological behaviour of energy-efficient appliance purchases

Abstract

This study investigates the effects of personal and environmental factors on ecological beliefs and ecological behaviour and assesses the mediating and moderating influences in this model. This study utilises 592 questionnaire surveys among Malaysian consumers. A partial least squares technique (PLS) was utilised to analyse the data and to test the study hypotheses. The findings show that personal and environmental factors have a positive influence on ecological beliefs and ecological behaviour; ecological beliefs are positively related to ecological behaviour. Additionally, ecological beliefs mediate the relationship between personal factors and ecological behaviour, and the relationship between environmental factors and ecological behaviour. The present study is among the pioneers in including environmental factors and ecological beliefs in pro-environmental studies. In the context of energy-efficient appliance purchases, the findings elaborate on the existing knowledge of personal and environmental factors, and individual’s beliefs.