Digging Deeper into Green Consumers within Emerging Markets Insights through the Lens of The Big Five Model and the Moderating Effect of Social Appeal

This research aims to combine both personal and social factors, to examine the effect of personality traits and the moderating effect of the social appeal on green purchase behaviour within an emerging market. This research conducted a quantitative research design. The number of valid survey responses was 290, and data was analysed Using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). Results of this study confirm that agreeableness and openness to experience have a positive and significant effect on green purchase behaviour, while neuroticism has a negative and significant effect. The results show an insignificant relationship between conscientiousness, extraversion and green purchase behaviour. Under the effect of social appeal as a moderating variable, extraversion has a positive and significant effect, while neuroticism remains to have a negative and significant effect on green purchase behaviour. This research enriches current literature of the Big Five Personality Theory, through expanding it into green consumer behaviour and applying it in emerging economies as well. Companies will directly benefit from the findings of this research as it suggests that instead of considering green consumers as a whole group; it is recommended to divide them and target each personality segment with specialised tactics to communicate about green consumption.