| dc.description.abstract | Concern for the environment is on the increase and businesses today are now facing
greater demands from consumers in relation to their environmental impact and
sustainability practices. Consumers are now engaging in ‘ethical living’, adapting their
lifestyles and shopping habits in line with environmental impacts (Clark, 2006). Given the
increasing market for eco-friendly products and services, this has given rise to the
practice of green marketing in many industries (Chen & Chai, 2011). Companies have
begun to use green marketing in the hope of incentivising consumers to purchase their
products and services. Lee (2008) notes that through green marketing practices, marketers
hoped to increase goodwill, market share, and sales. Additionally, government regulation
regarding the environment has forced many companies to adopt greener practices.
However, research has shown that, in an effort to gain market share, many companies
have engaged in claims of environmental friendliness that are false or misleading,
otherwise known as greenwashing. Dahl (2010) states that the term “greenwashing” can
be used to describe the ads and labels that promise more environmental benefit than they
deliver. It refers to the practice of making unwarranted and inflated claims of
environmental friendliness and sustainability in order to gain market share. The purpose
of this dissertation is to investigate whether or not consumers in Ireland have experienced
greenwashing across selected industries and if so, what impact, if any, this has on their
perceptions of green marketing.
While much research has been conducted in the area of green marketing and how it
relates to both consumer perception and purchasing power, this has largely been confined
to Asia, the Americas, and Southern Europe. Therefore generalisations made for one
culture and geographic demographic may often be considered meaningless if applied to
another (Rahbar & Wahid, 2011). If marketers are to understand their consumers in
Ireland, further research is needed to discover how these consumers perceive green
marketing and how this impacts on their green purchase behaviour. Furthermore, no study
has examined consumer perceptions of green marketing across the three industries
included in this study and in particular, with a focus on the act of greenwashing.
This study used both secondary and primary research in an effort to gain an in-depth
analysis into this area. A review of the current literature was conducted to identify current
theories and key concepts related to the area of marketing ethics and more specifically,
green marketing. These key concepts included the attitude-behaviour gap present in green
purchase behaviour and the negative impact of greenwashing on consumer scepticism of
environmental claims. Following this primary research was conducted in three forms:
surveys, focus groups, and in-depth interviews with marketers in each of the industries
that is under examination in this study. There were a number of key findings as a result of
this research, among which included the high levels of price sensitivity among consumers
in Ireland, regardless of income or environmental values; the impact of age, income, and
environmental values on attitudes and behaviours; the lack of experience with
greenwashing among consumers resident in Ireland; and the negative impact that would
be incurred if consumers were to experience greenwashing. Interestingly, this negative
impact was not confined solely to the company engaging in greenwashing practices, but
could also have an impact on companies within the same sector and potentially across
sectors (although not to the same extent).
Ultimately, the aim of this dissertation is to provide marketers in industry with a
knowledge of the attitudes and behaviours of consumers in Ireland in relation to green
marketing and to apply the knowledge gained to make recommendations for Irish
marketers in their use of green marketing. | en |
