How cultural values influence green consumption intentions among Chinese consumers: a PLS-SEM-ANN approach

Green consumption is a key pathway to achieving sustainability. The primary goal of this study was to investigate the factors influencing Chinese consumers’ green consumption intentions. This study integrates the extended theory of planned behavior and norm activation theory to develop a comprehensive framework of direct and indirect green consumption intention antecedents.

Survey data were collected from 420 consumers and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation Modelling-Artificial neural network (PLS-SEM-ANN). The findings indicate that both environmental attitudes and personal norms significantly enhance consumers’ green consumption intentions. Furthermore, collectivism, face consciousness subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and green self-identity were significantly related to environmental attitudes.

Awareness of consequences, ascription of responsibility, subjective norms, and perceived consumer effectiveness positively influenced personal norms. Our findings suggest ways to influence green consumption intentions and have practical implications for policymakers and marketers. The authors acknowledge that AI-assisted tools, including Paperpal, ChatGPT, and QuillBot, were used solely for language editing and proofreading.

These tools were employed to improve grammar, clarity, readability, and overall writing quality. No AI tools were used to generate, analyze, or interpret the research data, develop the study's methodology, or draw scientific conclusions. All intellectual contributions, study design, data analysis, interpretation of findings, and the final content of the manuscript remain the original work and responsibility of the authors.

This work was supported by the International Collaborative Science and Technology Finance (Jinan) Innovation Laboratory (Grant No. JNSX2023078) , the Jinan Philosophy and Social Science Project (Grant No. JNSK2026C183) and the construct program of the key discipline in Zhengzhou Institute of Technology.

School of Economics, Shandong Women’s University, Jinan, China Business School, Zhengzhou University of Technology, Zhengzhou, China Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia Faculty of Tourism, Van Hien University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation (APU), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia University College, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea Norwich Business School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK Correspondence to Wen-jie Li or Tat-Huei Cham. The authors declare no conflicts of interest. This study received ethical approval from the Research Ethics Committee of the School of Economics at Shandong Women’s University (Study No. 2024–12-05) and was conducted in accordance with the principles outlined in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its subsequent amendments, as well as other applicable ethical standards.