Boycott reaction to greenwashing according to consumer profile: a survey in Brazil
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Abstract
Not all responsible or sustainable organizational claims reflect genuine practices, but rather are characterized as greenwashing, a misleading communication strategy in which organizations exaggerate their environmental practices to improve their image in the market. With the current scenario of greenwashing proliferation, aggravated by the continued absence of effective regulatory mechanisms, the responsibility for regulating greenwashing practices is shifted to consumers. In this way, this study aimed to understand consumer reactions to the practice of greenwashing, particularly in terms of knowledge, judgment, and boycott motivation behavior, by investigating differences derived from consumer profiles. As a methodological procedure, a quantitative survey was conducted with a sample of 1,251 Brazilian consumers, performing a general descriptive analysis, followed by parametric analysis of variance (ANOVA). This made it possible to observe the high criticality of the sample in judging the practice of greenwashing, with a considerable self-declared predisposition in behavior motivating boycott. In addition, differences were identified in relation to all consumer profile variables in virtually all metrics investigated, such as gender, education, age, income, and professional management experience, with a greater reaction attributed to female consumers, those with high income and education, elder consumers, and also those with management experience. As a consequence, this study contributes to the understanding of consumer reactions to greenwashing based on their profiles.
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