Do religion and religiosity affect consumers’ intentions to adopt pro‐environmental behaviours?

Abstract

Abstract This study attempts to explore the relationship between religion and pro‐environmental consumption in terms of the consumers’ willingness to pay premium prices and additional taxes and lower their living standards in South Korea. Data were obtained from the 2014 Korean General Social Survey. The survey participants were initially classified into religious and non‐religious groups; the religious group was further classified into the following two groups: community‐based (Protestants and Catholics) and individual‐based (Buddhists) religious groups. The differences between the religious groups in their intentions to make pro‐environmental choices were verified. First, religious consumers showed a more positive attitude towards paying premium prices and lowering their living standards than non‐religious consumers. Second, the community‐based religious group, a group characterized by low‐internal and high‐external religiosity, showed a greater intention to adopt pro‐environmental behaviours, whereas opposite results were obtained for the individual‐based religious group. The results showed that community‐based religious consumers exhibited higher intentions when actively interrelated with a religious community, even though they may have lower internal religiosity. This study provides meaningful implications for the relationship between religion and consumer behaviour, an important factor in shaping intrinsic consumer values and constructing a subculture and community extrinsically.

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