Addressing femininity in green consumption : an experimental study on how degrees of feminine communication affect purchase intention for green products

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate how different degrees of feminine communication can have an impact on purchase intention for green products and whether this can be mediated by perceived effectiveness. The thesis addresses femininity as a potential barrier for green consumption, and seeks to eliminate this barrier by using masculine communication to enhance a preference for green products. An artificial field experiment is conducted to gather primary data for the analysis. The study aims to explain how different degrees of feminine communication presented on a drain opener would impact the purchase intention towards a green product. The model seeks to explain whether this causal relationship is mediated by perceived effectiveness, and if this indirect relationship is moderated by gender. An indirect effect was found between highly masculine communication and feminine communication, through perceived effectiveness, affecting the purchase intention for the green product. The study did not succeed to manipulate the stimuli presented to being sufficiently different in perceived femininity, and cannot determine whether the findings exist as a result of different degrees of femininity. Keywords: Green Products, Environmentally Friendly, Greenness, Feminine Communication, Masculine Communication, Effectiveness, Gender, Brand Gender, Green Product Attributes.