Investigating consumer’s purchase of energy efficient appliances : towards reducing carbon footprint /

Faculty of Industrial Management

Thesis (Doctor of Philosophy) -- Universiti Malaysia Pahang – 2024

Includes bibliographical references

This study aims to investigate the key factors influencing individuals in their purchasing decisions, focusing specifically on the determinants that drive consumers to choose energy-efficient appliances (EEA). Past studies have shown that there are barriers and obstacles among consumers to purchasing energy-efficient appliances, particularly because these products are expensive. The motivation for this study is to provide empirical input to the pro-environmental behavior literature by making an extensive contribution to sustainability and environmental subjects. This study adopts the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) as the underpinning theory by integrating environmental factors, internal factors, external factors, and product factors. A pre-test and pilot study have been conducted to ensure the reliability and validity of the survey instrument. The 412 usable responses collected from five regions in Malaysia through quota sampling were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with the support of Smart PLS version 3.0. The study found that nine out of 15 hypotheses were supported, including energy-efficient behavior towards purchasing behavior (H13), and energy-efficient behavior towards intention (H14). Intention to purchase was found to influence purchasing behavior as expected (H15). The implications of this study suggest prioritizing product quality over pricing, leveraging government initiative programs, and considering external factors in decision-making. Furthermore, by emphasizing environmental consciousness and offering high-quality products, manufacturers, marketers, and legislators can increase sales using insights derived from the expanded Theory of Planned Behavior model