Environmental concern as a green stimulus:  An S-O-R approach to sustainable fashion purchase intention in Indonesia

Fatullah  Razi

doi:10.55942/pssj.v6i2.1315

Authors

Fatullah Razi LSPR Institute of Communication and Business https://orcid.org/0009-0001-9001-1592

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55942/pssj.v6i2.1315

Keywords:

Stimulus-Organism-Response, Environmental Concern, Sustainable Fashion, Purchase Intention, PLS-SEM, Indonesia

Abstract

Despite the increasing global awareness, sustainable fashion consumption remains inconsistent. This study applies the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) model to examine the process through which environmental concern acts as a green stimulus influencing consumers’ internal psychological activation and purchase intention. Using data from Indonesian consumers analyzed through structural equation Modeling based on Partial Least Squares (PLS-SEM), incorporating 5,000 bootstrap resamples, the findings indicate that environmental concern has a statistically significant positive effect on purchase intention (β = 0.738; t = 18.756; p < 0.001; R² = 0.545; f² = 1.196; SRMR = 0.067). All reliability and validity criteria were met (α > 0.80, CR > 0.85, and AVE > 0.56). The findings confirm that environmental concerns function as psychological and emotional stimuli that shape sustainable purchase behavior. This study broadens the application of the S-O-R framework in sustainability research and offers practical guidance for eco-fashion marketers to design emotionally engaging green messages targeting emerging market consumers.

Author Biography

Fatullah Razi, LSPR Institute of Communication and Business

Fatullah Razi is a researcher affiliated with the Faculty of Global Business Communication Management at the LSPR Institute of Communication and Business, Jakarta, Indonesia. His academic background is in communication science, with research interests focusing on sustainability communication, consumer behavior, digital influence, and environmental psychology. His recent work applies quantitative approaches such as PLS-SEM to examine sustainable fashion consumption and pro-environmental behavioral intention in emerging markets. He is particularly interested in integrating communication theory with sustainability-driven marketing and social change.

References

Bick, R., Halsey, E., & Ekenga, C. C. (2018). The global environmental injustice of fast fashion. Environmental Health, 17(1), 92. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12940-018-0433-7

Bhatia, R., & Jain, A. (2023). Understanding green consumer behaviour through environmental concern and green perceived value. Journal of Cleaner Production, 383, 135417. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.135417

Dangelico, R. M., Fraccascia, L., & Nastasi, A. (2022). Green consumer behavior and sustainability: A systematic review. Journal of Cleaner Production, 367, 133046. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.133046

Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2021). A primer on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.

Henninger, C. E., Alevizou, P. J., & Oates, C. J. (2016). What is sustainable fashion? Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, 20(4), 400–416. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFMM-07-2015-0052

Henseler, J., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2015). A new criterion for assessing discriminant validity in variance-based structural equation modeling. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 43(1), 115–135. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-014-0403-8

Henseler, J., Hubona, G., & Ray, P. A. (2016). Using PLS path modeling in new technology research: Updated guidelines. Industrial Management & Data Systems, 116(1), 2–20. https://doi.org/10.1108/IMDS-09-2015-0382

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). (2023). AR6 synthesis report: Climate change 2023. IPCC. https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/syr/

Jaiswal, D., & Kant, R. (2018). Green purchasing behaviour: A conceptual framework and empirical investigation of Indian consumers. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 41, 60–69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2017.11.008

Lee, K. (2008). Opportunities for green marketing: Young consumers. Journal of Cleaner Production, 16(6), 573–579. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2007.01.003

Mehrabian, A., & Russell, J. A. (1974). An approach to environmental psychology. MIT Press.

Niinimäki, K., Peters, G., Dahlbo, H., Perry, P., Rissanen, T., & Gwilt, A. (2020). The environmental price of fast fashion. Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, 1(4), 189–200. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-020-0039-9

Pandey, S., & Yadav, R. (2023). Understanding sustainable consumption behavior: The role of environmental concern and perceived consumer effectiveness. Journal of Cleaner Production, 385, 135652. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.135652

Patel, J. D., Trivedi, R. H., & Yagnik, A. (2020). Self-identity and internal environmental locus of control: Comparing their influences on green purchase intentions in high-context versus low-context cultures. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 53, 102003. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2019.102003

Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., & Podsakoff, N. P. (2012). Sources of method bias in social science research and recommendations on how to control it. Annual Review of Psychology, 63, 539–569. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-120710-100452

Rausch, T. M., & Kopplin, C. S. (2021). Bridge the gap: Consumers’ purchase intention and behavior regarding sustainable clothing. Journal of Cleaner Production, 278, 123882. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.123882

Rasheed, R., Aslam, M. W., & Raza, A. (2024). The impact of environmental concern on green purchase intention: The moderating role of eco-label knowledge. Sustainable Production and Consumption, 45, 107–120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2024.01.019

Schiaroli, V., Fraccascia, L., & Dangelico, R. M. (2024). How can consumers behave sustainably in the fashion industry? A systematic literature review of determinants, drivers, and barriers across the consumption phases. Journal of Cleaner Production, 483, 144232. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2024.144232

Shirvanimoghaddam, K., Motamed, B., Ramakrishna, S., & Naebe, M. (2020). Death by waste: Fashion and textile circular economy case. Science of the Total Environment, 718, 137317. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137317

Wang, Y., Li, J., & Zhang, L. (2023). Stimulus–organism–response framework for green fashion consumption: The mediating role of green trust. Journal of Cleaner Production, 382, 136768. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.136768

Wijaya, S. G. T., & Paramita, E. L. (2021). Purchase intention toward sustainable fashion brand: Analysis on the effect of customer awareness on sustainability on willingness to pay. Diponegoro International Journal of Business, 4(1), 49-57. https://doi.org/10.14710/dijb.4.1.2021.49-57

Yadav, R., & Pathak, G. S. (2016). Young consumers’ intention towards buying green products in a developing nation: Extending the theory of planned behavior. Journal of Cleaner Production, 135, 732–739. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.06.120

Yadav, R., Balaji, M. S., & Jebarajakirthy, C. (2024). Determinants of sustainable consumption behavior: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Business Research, 171, 114319. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2023.114319