Investigating the role of environmental concern, green perceived knowledge, and green trust on green purchase intention in ho chi minh city

Finally, the findings are in line with those of Chairy & Alam, confirming the positive and direct impact that customers' perceived knowledge of eco-friendly activities and environmental

UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS AND LAW

FACULTY OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

-

NGUYEN YEN BINH

INVESTIGATING THE ROLE OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN, GREEN PERCEIVED KNOWLEDGE, AND GREEN TRUST ON GREEN PURCHASE INTENTION

IN HO CHI MINH CITY

MAJOR: BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

MAJOR CODE: 7340101

GRADUATION THESIS

THESIS ADVISOR: DR LE THI HAI YEN

HO CHI MINH CITY, MARCH 12th 2024

UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS AND LAW

FACULTY OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

-

NGUYEN YEN BINH

INVESTIGATING THE ROLE OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN, GREEN PERCEIVED KNOWLEDGE, AND GREEN TRUST ON GREEN PURCHASE INTENTION

IN HO CHI MINH CITY

MAJOR: BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

MAJOR CODE: 7340101

GRADUATION THESIS

THESIS ADVISOR: DR LE THI HAI YEN

HO CHI MINH CITY, MARCH 12th 2024

TABLE OF CONTENT

LIST OF TABLES _ iii LIST OF FIGURES iv ABSTRACT v OVERVIEW _ 1

1 Reason for choosing the topic: _ 1

2 Overview of the research situation of the topic: 3

3 Research object: _ 11

4 Research scope: 12

5 Research purposes: _ 12

6 Research Methods: _ 13

7 Main content of the topic: _ 13

8 Limitations of the topic and future research directions: 13

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION _ 15

1.1 Overview of the situation: 15 1.2 Green consumption: 16

CHAPTER 2: THEORETICAL BASIS AND RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS 19

2.1 Theory of reasoned action (TRA): _ 19 2.2 Green purchase intention: _ 19 2.3 Factors of green purchase intention: _ 20

2.3.1 Environmental concern: _ 20 2.3.2 Green perceived knowledge: 22 2.3.3 Green trust: _ 25

2.4 Theoretical framework 26

CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHOD _ 28

3.1 Research Design: _ 28 3.2 Sample and Data Collection Method: 28 3.3 Data Analysis Method _ 29 3.4 Pilot study _ 31

CHAPTER 4: DATA ANALYSIS & DISCUSSION: 32

4.1 Sample description: _ 32

4.2 Assessing the reliability of the scale: 34 4.3 Exploratory factor analysis (EFA): _ 36 4.4 Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA): 38 4.5 Structural Equation Modeling - SEM: 39

4.5.1 Evaluate Regression Coefficient (Regression Weight): _ 39 4.5.2 Evaluate Standardized Regression Weights: 39 4.5.3 Evaluate the role of mediating variables: _ 40 4.5.4 Data conclusion: 41

4.6 Extensive analysis: 42

CHATER 5: CONCLUSION, THEORETICAL CONTRIBUTION &

MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS _ 45

5.1 Data conclusion: 45 5.2 Managerial implications: _ 46 5.3 Theoretical contribution: _ 47 5.4 Limitations & Future research: _ 47

LIST OF TABLES

Table 3 1: Table of questionnaires 66 Table 3 2: Details of the thesis’s scale 68 Table 3 3: Pilot test’s Cronbach Alpha coeficient Source: Analysis results using SPSS software 68

Table 4 1 Sample description Source: Result from Excel analysis 71 Table 4 2: results of Cronbach's Alpha reliability test for independent variables,

intermediate variables and dependent variables Source: Analysis results using SPSS software 73 Table 4 3: KMO coefficient and Bartlett's test Source: Analysis results using SPSS software 75 Table 4 4: Total Variance Explained Source: Analysis results using SPSS software 76 Table 4 5: Results of running Pattern Matrix for the last time Source: Analysis results using SPSS software 78 Table 4 6: Evaluate the model's fit index Source: Author's Amos 20.0 processing results 80 Table 4 7: Results for testing convergent validity discriminant validity and composite reliability (Critical Ratios) Source: Author's Amos 20.0 processing results 81 Table 4 8: Results of SEM analysis of direct relationships Source: Author's Amos 20.0 processing results 82 Table 4 9: Results of Standardized Regression Weights Source: Author's Amos 20.0 processing results 82 Table 4 10: Results of SEM analysis of indirect relationships Source: Author's Amos 20.0 processing results 83 Table 4 11: Degree of direct, indirect and total influence of variables in the model Source: Author's Amos 20.0 processing results 83 Table 4 12: Summary of results for each hypothesis Source: Author’s analysis 84

Table 4 13: Frequency of mention of individual words in four categories Source: Author’s analysis 84

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 2 1: Conceptual framework Source: Chairy &Alam (2019) 27

Figure 4 1: Results of testing the CFA model Source: Author's Amos 20.0 processing results 86 Figure 4 2: SEM (standardization) results Source: Author's Amos 20.0 processing results 87

ABSTRACT

In the backdrop of an acute awareness of the pressing environmental issues and the extensive impact it exerts on society as a whole, this thesis offers a thorough examination of the elements influencing the intention to engage in environmentally friendly purchasing and plays an active role in fostering a sustainable environment This study, which was done in Ho Chi Minh City, had 279 customers who had previously made green purchases Besides, it made use of conventional sampling and quantitative techniques to examine the impacts of green perceived awareness of environmentally friendly behaviors and environmental concern, is inspired by the research model used in Indonesia by Chairy & Alam (2019) This thesis also examines how green trust functions

as a mediating factor in the relationship that these factors have with customers' propensity to buy ecologically friendly goods and services To find out more about the local context-specific elements impacting green purchase intentions, a brief investigation is also included in this thesis Finally, the findings are in line with those of Chairy & Alam, confirming the positive and direct impact that customers' perceived knowledge of eco-friendly activities and environmental concerns have on their intents

to purchase environmentally friendly products, with green trust acting as a mediating factor Interestingly, pricing is determined to be the main factor influencing purchase intentions, contributing significantly to existing theories and providing a solid theoretical framework

OVERVIEW

1 Reason for choosing the topic:

In addition to concerns about the economy, healthcare, unemployment, and crime, environmental challenges are the most pressing issues facing modern civilization (Paetz et al., 2012) Along with the issues of population increase and social consumption, Vietnam alone is presently dealing with serious issues related to environmental preservation and sustainable development Global environmental groups have supplied information showing Vietnam has consistently ranked among the top 5 nations with the highest amount of rubbish thrown into the sea since 2016 Especially in

Ho Chi Minh City, there are significant issues with environmental contamination, particularly with water pollution In particular, data from the Thong Nhat Environment newspaper indicates that in 2022, the daily average of around 40 tons of rubbish and 70,000 m3 of wastewater was dumped into this river system Moreover, a major obstacle that both Vietnamese people and those around the Asia facing is the marked loss in natural resources

Waste from daily activities is thought to be one of the main contributing factors

to this condition among its causes According to Jaiswal & Kant, (2018) one of the causes of serious environmental problems, including global warming, water, air and soil pollution, is unsustainable consumption This is supported by statistics showing that 30-40% of environmental degradation is due to the consumption activities of private households (Grunert, 1993) Furthermore, data indicates that Vietnamese consumers' demands have grown significantly over time In 2022, retail sales of consumer products are expected to rise by 9.5%, outpacing the country's economic development (6.5%), making it challenging to stop the garbage and plastic packaging boom that is seriously polluting the environment As a result, numerous experts have identified green consumerism as a practical means of resolving this issue and safeguarding the environment for future generations This is also the driving force why both producers and consumers need to prioritize green products, in which consumers play an important role in protecting the environment Besides, in reality, environmentally friendly

manufacturing and consumption practices, as well as green consumption, are gaining increasing attention in Vietnam Vietnamese consumers are becoming more and more interested in the topic of "green" and "clean" consumption, as evidenced by the government's adoption of laws and implementation of several initiatives and programs aimed at improving public knowledge of green consumption Simultaneously, the national plan on green growth for the 2021–2030 timeframe mentions green consumption as an essential topic

Within the realm of academic inquiry, researchers show considerable interest in the subject of green consumption Research directions are very diverse with many topics such as motivation, the gap between attitude-actual behavior, the impact of branding and advertising, challenges and risks when using green products and services, etc Therefore, this is also an orientation for this thesis to develop based on inheriting research theories

of research gaps However, while originating and having been popular in the West for many years, research on consumer behavior towards green products is still limited, especially in developing countries (Tan et al., 2019) Therefore, there is a need for comprehensive research on the aspects of green consumption using different framework approaches, such as economics, psychology, sociology, and culture

Based on the positive effects of advocating environmentally conscious consumption, this becomes the foundation for the need of investigating factors that influence green purchase intention However, developing greener consumption patterns requires cooperation from consumers, communities, and civil society The purpose of this essay is to investigate how different factors affect the intention to consume sustainably In order to design strategies, initiatives, and plans to promote a green lifestyle for the entire community, green product marketers, public officials, and other stakeholders will benefit from these understanding of the elements that impact consumers' intentions to make green purchases It is also particularly advantageous in emphasizing the importance of educating consumers to enhance their environmental awareness, deepen their comprehension of sustainable practices, and foster stronger convictions in green matters

2 Overview of the research situation of the topic:

2.1 Theories used in research:

Commonly used theories in green consumerism and newly formed theories include the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) by Fishbein, M., & Ajzen, I (1975) – widely applied; the related Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) proposed by Ajzen (1991); Stern and colleagues' Attitude-Behavior-Context (ABC) model (2000); Ölander and Thøgersen's Motivation-Opportunity-Ability model (1995); Schwartz's Norm Activation Theory (1977), and others These intricate models aim to depict a comprehensive overview of the factors influencing and limiting consumer choices Additionally, they propose significant areas that warrant thorough investigation for promoting changes in environmental behavior

The two most used theories in research articles on green consumption are TPB (Theory of Planned Behavior) and TRA (Theory of Reasoned Action) Firstly, one of the theories widely used in many empirical studies to explain customer behavioral intentions is TPB (Theory of Planned Behavior) proposed by Ajzen (1991) This theory aids in elucidating the reasons behind individuals' engagement or non-engagement in a specific behavior, relying on their intentions and the determinants influencing those intentions Within this framework, three key constructs are identified: attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control, all influencing an individual's intention However, this theory has a main limitation in assuming that intentions strongly predict behavior, but intentions do not always accurately predict behavior because there are many external factors that impact this process Another model that is also widely applied in research on green consumer behavior is the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA), developed by Fishbein and Ajzen (1975) TRA focuses on explaining human behavior based on attitude and subjective norms These two factors together form intention - the most important predictor of human behavior However, similar to the TPB theory above, this theory still has some limitations, because there are cases where intentions are inaccurate or insufficient to predict actual behavior In addition, TRA theory focuses mainly on awareness of positive consequences of behavior, ignoring the

influence of awareness of negative or undesirable consequences At the same time, this theory also ignores the important factor of Perceived Behavioral Control, because in reality, the ability to control intention can greatly affect the ability to perform behavior

In general, these theories have tried to generalize the factors that influence customers' consumption intentions and behavior, but in practice the gap between intentions and behavior is still a difficult and difficult problem that requires in-depth research with many other influencing factors

1.2.2 Researches on factors influence on green purchasing intention:

The concept of green consumption has garnered significant interest from researchers both domestically and internationally On this topic of green consumption, after analying through 25 research articles in Vietnam on this issue, and 30 research articles conducted abroad on the same topic, the author has suggested a synthesis that combines the evolution and various research directions concerning behavior in sustainable or green consumption

2.2.1 Domestic research:

In Vietnam, one of the main research trends is studies rooted in marketing as these studies are conducted to study the motivations leading to customers' purchasing intention and behavior as well as the gap between intention-actual purchasing behavior:

For gen Z subjects, Trong Luan Nguyen, Huynh, Ho, Le, Doan, (2021) discovered 4 factors that can affect green consumption intention: green knowledge, perceived environmental responsibility, green product value, and green attitude This research paper employs the survey form approach along with a questionnaire developed through the assistance of an online platform known as Google Forms, garnering a total

of 1040 responses Although not showing the full picture of the problem, the findings indicate that all these factors have a positive impact on purchasing intention

In addition, research by Nguyen To Nhu, Dang, Ngo, (2019) has shown other factors affecting green purchasing intention including: Eco-labelling, Trust, Perceived

value, Environmental concern, Attitude In addition, the author highlights eco-labelling

as one of the several elements that continue to be novel in Vietnamese enterprises' marketing plans A survey of more than 800 customers was conducted, and the findings showed a clear correlation between green consumption intention and attitude, with the partial least squares method being used to evaluate the data

Moreover, the research article by author Ha Nam Khanh Giao (2020) studied the impact of three external factors: green promotional activities, information sources, and price on green purchasing intention By enlisting a sample of 297 individuals actively utilizing green products in Vietnam, the outcomes indicate that the influence of these three factors on purchasing behavior is sequentially ranked as follows: green promotion activities, followed by information sources, and finally prices However, the article encountered some limitations in ignoring factors such as environmental awareness, green product characteristics, etc Therefore, it can be seen that to comprehensively research green purchase intention, it is necessary to pay attention to both consumer internal factors and external factors

In addition, Thi Bich Diep Le (2021) presented a model that takes into account four variables: price sensitivity, social influence, environmental knowledge, environmental concern, and attitude toward the desire to purchase green items After gathering data from a sample of 369 customers, the study concluded that attitudes toward green products, intentions to make green purchases, and indirectly, green purchasing behavior are most significantly influenced by environmental concern and environmental knowledge Additionally, it was shown that although price sensitivity has

no direct impact on customers' sentiments about green products, it does influence their purchasing intentions Simultaneously, the article recognizes its limitations in disregarding product variables, particularly quality, which is a significant element influencing customers' purchase decisions It is evident that the product itself has an impact on consumers' purchase decisions in addition to elements derived from customers and outside events

Dinh Toan Nguyen, Dinh Chien Truong, (2021) have researched two main groups of factors affecting the intention to purchase organic foods: psychological and environmental factors Specifically, three psychological factors—concerns about health, environmental awareness, and consumer awareness—and seven environmental factors—opinions from sources like family, friends and colleagues, experts, influence

of celebrities, social status, mass media, and encouragement from the government This article was conducted with a survey of 396 consumers in Hanoi The results show that among the group of psychological factors, health concerns have the most significant and positive influence on consumers' attention to purchasing organic food In addition, among environmental factors, the opinions of friends and colleagues have the most obvious influence on green purchasing intentions This research has shown a series of other factors that can affect consumers' purchasing intentions, including reference sources and the buyer's social status

Additionally, research on the attitude-behavior gap in green consumption is on the rise Nguyen, Tran, and Nhu Ty Nguyen (2020) investigated the attitude-behavior gap that exists among young Vietnamese consumers regarding FMCG green packaged products The article specifically highlights two major categories of factors that influence attitude and purchase behavior: contextual factors (product attributes and odesired green packaging availability) and psychomotor factors (environmental concern, environmental knowledge of green packaging, and green trust) The findings demonstrate that context-specific factors, such as the availability of desired environmentally friendly packaging and product attributes, are prioritized when predicting customer buying behaviors Attitude, on the other hand, serves as a motivator for young consumers to opt for products with green packaging These psychological elements influence a positive attitude toward green packaged products with heightened levels of environmental worries, knowledge, and green trust Notably, green trust has the potential to impact both attitude and purchasing behaviors, underscoring perceived environmentally friendly attributes as criteria for sustainable choices This research has added a new aspect related to availability of desired green packaging, one of the external factors that also has a significant influence on purchase intention

2.2.2 Foreign research:

The topic of green consumption has also attracted much attention from foreign researchers Specifically, many articles have analyzed factors affecting green consumption:

Gilg et al., (2005) summarized these factors into 3 main groups affecting green buying intention as follows: Firstly, demographic factors: age, gender, marital status, education, income, social class, and educational attainment - noted as the most important demographic factor Secondly, psychological factors: they comprise elements like environmental awareness, which is the primary driver of green consumer behavior, self-efficacy, social responsibility, perceived consumer effectiveness (PCE), and the impacts

of price, quality, and brand loyalty Thirdly, environmental and social values, such as the ecologically conscious consumer scale, the theory of post-materialism, the self-transcendence model (SVN), conservation (CVN), and self-enhancement values (SEVN), among others This research paper has demonstrated that certain demographic groups are participating in sustainability in a variety of ways, with corresponding behavioral traits and attitudes Overall, this study has a comprehensive view of the impact of all three groups of demographic factors, psychological, and environmental & social values on green However, it still has limitations in ignoring the role of products attribute in stimulating green consumer demand

Besides, Carfora et al (2019) carried out a study with Italian customers based on the Theory of Planned Behavior, elements such as confidence in supply chain actors and consumer self-identity The findings demonstrate how the Theory of Planned Behavior may be used as a predictive model to explain the intentions and actions of people who buy organic milk However, none of the forms of trust—aside from farmer trust—have

a substantial effect on intentions This study has shown a new aspect in green consumption motivation factors - trust from the supplier, adding to the research theory

on customers' green consumption motivation

Using 195 university students as the sample, Lasuin, C A., and Ng, Y C (2016) conducted study in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia Examining the relationship between the desire to buy environmentally friendly products and social influence, self-image, and demographic traits (gender and ethnicity) in moderating role is the aim of this study The results show a significant positive relationship between the desire to make green purchases, environmental concern, and self-perception The results also demonstrate that the best predictor of the willingness to make green purchases is environmental concern This study made a significant contribution to the body of knowledge on this issue by examining demographic aspects in the green purchasing process

Researchers Soyer, M., and Dittrich, K (2021) looked at the three stages of the consuming process and how to influence Netherlands consumers to adopt sustainable behaviors The factors used in the model are sensation, anticipation, social evaluation, simplicity and triggers such as spark, facilitator, reminder The findings indicate that, while social motivation is not a factor during the using phase, it is the most reliable predictor of sustainable actions in the buying and disposal stages The ability component has a significant effect in the disposal stage but has no effect in the other phases In conclusion, it appears that the trigger reduces customers' ability to make decisions during the purchase phase while increasing the primary motivator—social evaluation—during the disposal phase The study is limited because the research object focuses on GenZ, so it cannot be generalized to all consumers of different ages

In particular, Chairy, C., & Alam, M E N (2019) also built a model similar to factors affecting green purchase intention such as perceived environmental knowledge, environmental concern, green trust The research was conducted in Bangladesh with 213 customers of the hotel industry Through researching this impact model in the field of hotel services, the author has shown the positive impact of perceived green knowledge and green trust on customers' hotel visiting intention, along with the role of author Indirect positive impact of green trust variable between perceived environmental knowledge, environmental concern and green visit intentions However, this research was only conducted in the service sector, so testing in the product sector is an urgent research requirement

Besides, there are also many research articles about the gap between intention - purchasing behavior of green consumption:

Published study indicates that there is a glaring discrepancy between the favorable opinions that customers express and their real purchase behavior In particular, just 4% of customers actively purchase organic food, despite the fact that 67% of consumers have positive sentiments about doing so (Birch et al., 2019; Costa et al., 2021; Zhao et al., 2021) The mismatch between consumer attitude and purchasing behavior can be attributed to a number of reasons, including societal influences, product availability, and pricing High prices and inconvenience when acquiring green products are the primary barriers impacting customers' green purchasing habits

Wang, J., Shen, M., & Chu, M (2021) gathered empirical data from Chinese consumers and examined the relationship between attitude and intention, and therefore behavior, in green consumption By adding the concepts of reasons and values, this study builds on the traditional Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and applies Behavioral Reasoning Theory (BRT) By taking into account attitudes, environmental ideals, and arguments in favor of and against green consumption, BRT allows for an investigation of the relationships and impacts on intentions Customers who were at least eighteen years old and from cities, counties, villages, and rural regions made up the survey subjects The study was carried out in the Chinese provinces of Jiangsu and Anhui The findings indicate that whereas arguments against green consumption have a direct impact on intentions through avoidance of attitudes, arguments in favor of green consumption only have an indirect impact on intentions through avoidance of attitudes

These research papers collectively investigate various factors influencing green consumption intention among consumers Based on the study papers mentioned above,

it is evident that there are many ways to look at the elements influencing purchase intention, especially 2 dimensions: internal and external aspects Studying internal elements involves looking at things like accountability, awareness, values, attitude, worry, feeling, and expectation, among other things But in addition to internal factors,

an individual's conduct is also influenced by external factors The following external

influencing elements were examined: label, advertising campaigns, cost, accessibility, and packaging, among others These studies encompass diverse aspects such as individual perceptions, attitudes, and external influences In dividing factors affecting intention, each author has a different way of dividing groups of factors Notably, factors like perceived environmental responsibility, environmental concern, green knowledge, green attitude, and green product value positively impact the intention to engage in green consumption In particular, there are research articles on marketing factors such as promotion activities, information sources, and price to purchase intention of green consumer goods Besides, the authors have also conducted studies showing factors that negatively affect green consumption intentions such as greenwash and green skepticism Besides, it can be seen that there are many factors that cause the gap between attitude and actual purchase behavior This is influenced by factors such as: psychomotor and contextual factors, environmental engagement, willingness to pay more, government promotions, and eco-friendly product availability Various reasons are put forth to account for the disparities noted in these gaps Some pertain to consumers directly, where habits, financial limitations, or lifestyles serve as limiting factors Meanwhile, others stem from particular types of acquisitions, where existing brand loyalties, uncertainties, or perceived trade-offs among various ethical considerations discourage engagement in pro-environmental behaviors These studies have attempted to generalize the factors that stimulate consumers' green lifestyles However, it still faces limitations such as: (1) it can only represent a few aspects in the impact model, (2) differences in culture will lead to different research results, and (3) how the sample is selected affects the representativeness of the population the author wants to target

2.3 Research on the same topic in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam:

It can be said that green consumption in recent years has attracted a lot of research attention, especially research based on green consumers in Ho Chi Minh City From

2018 onwards, most studies focused on factors affecting customer intention, and researched the gap between intention and actual purchasing behavior These research articles are diverse in research methods: quantitative, qualitative, mix of both methods However, most of these studies use quantitative methods The research subjects are all

consumers in general, there are 2 articles that emphasize young consumers Besides, factors that play a role in motivation are studied such as: green promotion activities, information sources, price, ease of purchase, perceived usefulness, product availability, animal welfare, and some demographic factors such as education and marital status However, assuming factors that influence consumers' purchasing intentions and building models based on these factors is still subjective and does not fully reflect the complexity

of consumers' desires Therefore, this thesis aims to, in addition to testing the model, delve into the factors that make customers want to buy green consumer products 2.4 Summary:

Previous research articles in this field have provided a comprehensive overview

of the factors affecting customers' green consumption, from internal factors of customers, external factors, the product itself, and convenience, etc It can be said that green consumption is not new but has great potential to be explored in many different aspects However, it can be seen that most of these research articles emphasize quantitative methods and research tools based on self-reported consumer intentions and behavior Besides, making assumptions based on researchers' superficial constructs makes it difficult to understand real, complex consumers purchasing behavior Therefore, this is still a very potential topic for further research This thesis employs quantitative method to gather opinions from consumers regarding factors influencing their intention to purchase green consumer goods and retest the model of authors Chairy Chairy and Meilisa Eka Nur Alam (2019) Environmental concern, perceived green knowledge, and green trust are factors that influence the desire to consume green products in this model

3 Research object:

The research subjects selected for this article are people of all ages who have used green products living in the Ho Chi Minh City area

as rural consumer behavior and influences external to the defined time frame, will be intentionally excluded from the study This exclusion is designed to maintain a targeted and manageable research scope

Data collection for this research occurred between January 2024 and February

2021 This timeframe is chosen to capture a comprehensive snapshot of consumer behaviors and preferences toward green consumption habits

5 Research purposes:

This thesis aims to determine the primary factors influencing the green buying intentions of the participants by testing the model of Chairy Chairy and Meilisa Eka Nur Alam (2019) in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnamese context The factors that impact on green intention are Environmental Concern, Green Perceived Knowledge, and Green Trust Simultaneously, a survey technique based on questionnaires was implemented to examine and measure the proposed hypothesis:

“What factors affect customers' green purchasing intention?”

“What is the impact of Environmental Concern, Green Perceived Knowledge, and Green Trust on consumers' green purchase intentions?”

“Which factor has the strongest impact on customer purchasing intention?”

Firstly, the thesis's findings aid in examining how these three elements—Environmental Concern, Green Perceived Knowledge, and Green Trust—affect consumers' intentions to use green products and identify the components that have the

most influence As a result, the thesis adds to the body of knowledge about the factors influencing green consumers' purchase decisions Secondly, it offers an enhanced comprehension of the elements influencing the intention and real conduct of environmentally conscious customers in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam It allows marketers to tailor their strategies and messages more effectively by aligning their products and marketing efforts with the identified influential factors These findings offer insights into the specific drivers behind green consumer behavior in the local context which can inform the development of targeted policies and initiatives that encourage sustainable practices and green consumption

6 Research Methods:

The thesis uses quantitative methods to evaluate hypotheses of the model and give suggestions for further research in this topic In particular, the author uses SPSS 20

to perform Conbach's Alpha, EFA, and uses Amos 20 to analyze CFA and CB-SEM

7 Main content of the topic:

The thesis's main objective is to analyze how various factors affect consumers' intentions to make green purchases Furthermore, the primary distinction is in a small open-ended question aimed at delving further into the unique elements influencing customers' inclinations to buy within the confines of the Ho Chi Minh City region These findings are significant because they add to the body of knowledge about this subject both globally and in the Ho Chi Minh City region of Vietnam

8 Limitations of the topic and future research directions:

The research paper acknowledges that its focus on explaining intention to buy green products may not fully capture the complexities of green consumption Among the listed limitations are: The cross-sectional architecture makes it more difficult to determine causality Therefore, in order to gain a deeper knowledge of how green consumption changes over time, longitudinal studies are advised Besides, the use of conventional sampling method might not be universally representative The study

suggests using a Random Sampling method in future studies Furthermore, acknowledging the possible variations in environmentally conscious consumer behavior

in rural regions, which include a substantial section of the populace, offers a new avenue for investigation Given the importance of price in influencing purchase intention, Future studies are encouraged to consider price alongside other variables Furthermore,

it is advised for a more thorough understanding to look at other mediating or moderating variables including self-identity, consumption values, and green image

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Overview of the situation:

Vietnam has adopted the green consumerism trend in recent years, and it has seen some success People are now progressively becoming more aware of the need to adopt

a green lifestyle The majority of families are aware of environmental degradation, climate change, and green products In addition, individuals are becoming more conscious of the need to preserve the environment by reducing their use of plastic bags, turning off lights after usage, and other practices Last year, over 70,000 volunteers participated in Ho Chi Minh City government-organized green consumption programs This campaign then led to a 40–60% rise in the consumption of green products at Coopmart alone In particular, the COVID-19 epidemic significantly increased public knowledge of green foods Besides, customers are becoming more interested in "green" and "clean" concerns and are prepared to pay extra for them (79% of customers are prepared to pay extra for items that do not include ecologically hazardous compounds, and up to 80% of consumers are concerned about the long-term negative impacts of artificial components) (Anh, 2021) Simultaneously, modern customers exhibit greater concern for their well-being and a more optimistic outlook towards environmental conservation while making purchases as believe that they ought to take a more proactive stance in safeguarding, maintaining, and conserving the environment According to some trade reports, sales of environmentally friendly products have increased sharply These data demonstrate that Vietnamese consumers prioritize eco-friendly purchasing practices and are becoming more conscious of the environment

Nonetheless, many studies show that while green consumption is no longer a novel concept in Vietnam, it is still not fully integrated into daily life There are many types of “green living” activities on websites and social media However, people often question if these were truly fleeting acts because everything was happening so

“massively” at once In addition, the Vietnamese government has signed and published several papers on sustainable production and consumption, including Decision No 1393 and Law No 50/2010/QH12 Even yet, there is still a limit to their real efficacy when it

comes to implementation (Hoang Thi Bao Thoa, 2016) Moreover, due to the difficulty

of implementing green technology and the absence of economies of scale, the operational and manufacturing costs of green products are also expensive (Kirmani & Khan, 2016) Statistics show that producing green products often costs 50% more than producing conventional items

It can be seen that encouraging environmentally friendly purchasing is crucial to resolving pressing social and environmental issues However, there is a pressing need

to comprehend why consumers make green purchases given the constraints on cost, pricing, and the viability of green initiatives Once the factors influencing consumers' decisions to pay more for eco-friendly products are determined, it provides a platform for offering information to governments, legislators, marketers, and other stakeholders

1.2 Green consumption:

Peattie K (2010) claims that when environmental problems started to come up

in social marketing in the 1970s, that's when the term "green consumption" was first

used in the US Several scholarly publications under numerous names explain and reference this term Green consumption is associated with "pro-environmental",

"responsiblity for the society", "ecologically conscious consumption", "environmentally responsible", etc (Welsch and Kuhling, 2009; Antil, 1984; Fraj and Martinez, 2006; Gupta and Oden, 2009) More precisely, green is synonymous with "environmental" or

"ecological"; Recycling is synonymous with "renewable", "toxic-free", or

"biodegradable"; etc

There are many methods used to analyze green consumption, most notably derived from marketing (examining consumer intentions and behavior) (Jackson, 2005) What consumers choose to do – buy products and services – has a specific impact on the environment, directly and indirectly According to Gilg et al., (2005), green consumption has many aspects, especially through green purchasing: recycled paper products, purchasing healthy products, using less packaging, etc In Vietnam, green consumption is still a fairly new concept and attracts much attention from scholars, marketers and policymakers (Nguyen et al., 2019; Yagi & Kukobo et al., 2020; Vu et

al., 2021, pp 1–19) Depending on the context, the concept of green consumption can also be construed in a wide variety of intricate and nuanced ways in both theory and practice In addition, it shares many additional ideas with sustainable, ethical, and responsible consumption, which are all related to green consumption

Besides, the concept of "Green products" also has many different definitions It

can be seen that in general, green products are defined by researchers based on factors such as: production materials, impact on the environment throughout the life cycle, packaging and design Besides, three criteria must be met for a product to be labeled as green, according to Zhao and Chen (2019); Azevedo et al., (2011); Kivimaa and Mickwitz, (2006); Sabaghi et al., (2016): entirely safe for the environment and remarkably energy-efficient; cause little to no environmental harm after disposal; adhere

to international environmental protection regulations regarding the production process and supply chain management This concept emphasizes a product's impact on the environment throughout its life cycle, from production to disposal Besides, green goods emphasize minimizing environmental harm throughout the life cycle while putting more

of an emphasis on design, characteristics, and materials: A product is considered "green"

if its design, features, manufacturing process, and/or marketing approach all make use

of recyclable resources (biodegradable, renewable, and toxic-free) and enhance or lessen environmental harm over the course of the product's life cycle (Durif et al (2010), p 27) Green products are defined as those with a low environmental effect made of easily recyclable and disposed of materials and packaging (Chen and Chai, 2010; Fraccascia

et al., 2018)

Also, there are several interpretations of what is meant by a "green consumer" Green customers, according to Tekade & Sastikar (2015), are those that avoid using items that have a harmful impact on the environment or human health Simultaneously, they are those that choose environmentally conscious behaviors and/or choose to buy green items over conventional ones (Boztepe, 2012) Furthermore, green consumers are now both a research topic and a commercial product with enormous development potential As a result, a lot of study has been published in the last several years

examining the factors—such as psychology—that impact consumers' intentions and behavior while making purchases

Apart from that, though, a plethora of research continues to indicate that customers may be considered green without necessarily purchasing or utilizing eco-friendly goods and services According to Ginsberg and Bloom's (2004) thesis, a considerable proportion of customers still seem to have the capacity to buy environmentally friendly items but choose not to do so This is further demonstrated by the statistical findings of Koning et al (2015), which show that 96% of Vietnamese consumers have made an effort to conserve energy and that 80% of them emphasize the importance of quality above everything else when making food purchases This indicates that customers' behavior and purchase patterns are reflective of their environmentally sensitive beliefs

There are many ways to segment green customers according to marketers Ginsberg and Bloom, (2004) suggested how to group customers based on their level of concern for the environment According to Roper's survey, there are five levels of green consumers: “true blue-green”, “greenback greens”, “sprouts”, “grousers” and “basic browns” People who try to create positive changes for the environment are rated in the

“True blue-green” group In addition, a subset of the population known as “Greenback greens” is ready to pay more for environmentally friendly goods than the typical person, even while they do not engage in political activism Moreover, although "Sprouts" care about the environment, they are cautious and often do not want to spend additional money on green items “Grousers” would be another group that is ill-informed on environmental issues and has doubts about how their environmentally good acts would affect the environment For them, price issue is also very sensitive, green products are believed to be more expensive than other, and also do not work well The last group, besides being concerned about everyday issues, is also concerned about environmental and social issues These people are classified as “Basic browns”

CHAPTER 2: THEORETICAL BASIS AND RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

2.1 Theory of reasoned action (TRA):

The theory of reasoned action (TRA) serves as the foundation for this thesis' theoretical framework According to this theory, a person's actions are determined by their intentions, and these intentions are mostly shaped by their attitude and preconceptions about the conduct in question In addition, rational actors according to this theory are those who systematically consider all of the information at their disposal before deciding whether or not to engage in a certain conduct

2.2 Green purchase intention:

Purchase intention according to Tarabieh, (2021); Wong et al., (2020) is defined

as a mental determination or decision to purchase a product or service that can satisfy a personal need or desire through personal experience Green is understood in the manner

of Ken Peattie, (2010) which refers to environmental issues, but these issues are subtly linked to the economic and social aspects of sustainable development The phrase

“Green purchase intention” has been understood in many different meanings, depending

on the purpose of each research article But in general, these concepts all target factors such as (1) willingness to pay, (2) environmental friendliness, (3) and brand priority

Ramayah et al (2010); Ali & Ahmad (2012) provided a concept of green consumption intention as the willingness and preference to buy green products when making purchasing decisions compared to other traditional products Moisander, (2007); Aman et al., (2012); Rashid, (2009); Ali & Ahmad, (2012); Chen and Chang (2012) emphasize environmental responsibility when defining it as purchase intention with special attention to consumer products, focusing on green, environmentally friendly products Additionally, there is a different definition that is more focused on brands choice: Ramayah et al (2010) characterize green purchase intention as the inclination

to give brands priority when purchasing environmentally friendly goods and services However, this is a complicated process that requires ethical decision-making models

that represent responsible conduct in order to result in consumers wishing to acquire green consumer goods and services

Numerous studies on the variables influencing the desire to make green purchases have been published since 2000 Joshi & Rahman (2015) divided the variables influencing the inclination to make green purchases into two categories: situational factors and individual factors Specifically, individual aspects encompass influencing elements including trust, knowledge, lifestyle, and so on The following are listed as situational factors: cost, product availability, reference groups and subjective/social norms, product quality and characteristics, and so on These factors have a distinct impact on purchase intention, and they have also been utilized to examine motivation in other research studies Furthermore, based on the Theory of Reasoned Action, the study

by Aman et al (2012) shown that environmental knowledge and environmental concern both had a substantial effect on the purchase intention of green items In his study paper,

Le, T B D (2021) further supported this, stating that attitudes toward green items, intentions to make green purchases, and actual green purchases are mostly influenced

by environmental knowledge and concern (indirectly) This suggests that consumers are more likely to buy and use eco-friendly items when they have increased environmental awareness and expertise

2.3 Factors of green purchase intention:

2.3.1 Environmental concern:

Previous 20th-century studies have shown the importance of environmental concern in environmental and related research Hines et al (1987) pointed out that an individual's interest in the environment is the essential basis of environmental research Grunert (1993) also shown the importance of environmental concern when it was looked

at as the main factor in the choice to buy organic and ecologically friendly food

There are many ways to define environmental concern, depending on the context and purpose of the research Both Alibeli and Johnson (2009) and Lasuin, C A., & Ng,

Y C (2014) seek to define environmental concern as the degree of consumer knowledge

of environmental concerns and their readiness to take action to address such problems People's dedication to preserve the environment and their care for it are highlighted in this term Crosby, Gill, and Taylor's (1981) findings support the idea that a strong attitude toward environmental conservation stems from environmental concern The effect of this awareness in promoting behavioral change is highlighted in Seguin, Pelletier, and Hunsley's (1998) definition, which states that environmental concern has

a major influence on people's motivation to alter their behavior in order to address environmental concerns Another definition provided by Newton et al (2015) assesses environmental concern as a consumer's subjective assessment of the environment, which turns into a motivating factor that influences the desire to make green purchases as well

as the choice of goods and services from environmentally conscious businesses In general, the definitions of the above research articles all refer to environmental concern with aspects such as: (1) environmental awareness, (2) commitment to solving environmental problems Furthermore, it can be seen that consumers' environmental concerns are related to the benefits of the biophysical environment As a result, it is acknowledged that environmental consciousness is a crucial component that has the power to mold cultural norms, which in turn influences people's spending habits in an indirect manner

The correlation between environmental concern and trust in environmentally friendly practices has been substantiated in various research articles Three aspects of environmental concern are identified by Schultz (2000): biospheric (connection with living things), altruistic (connection with others), and egoistic (individualistic sentiments) There is a strong correlation between these qualities and how people behave

in their daily lives Customers who express any of these worries about the environment are more inclined to believe in and choose green products Moreover, based on the influence of customers' emotional states on consumption behavior, Gil and Jacob (2018) demonstrated that it is possible to create trust in green products or services, (especially green hotels) based on customers' environmental awareness and concern These studies provide the basis for this thesis to come up with this hypothesis:

H1: Environmental concern (EC) has a positive impact on green trust (GT)

Furthermore, those who understand the importance of protecting the environment are more likely to select environmentally friendly items Thus, a greater desire to make ecologically responsible purchases is correlated with a higher level of environmental concern Hines, Hungerford, and Tomera (1987) shown in their study article that there

is a clear correlation between environmental concern and pro-environmental conduct Furthermore, the significance of environmental worry on this intention is demonstrated

by a study of Aman et al (2012) to investigate the effect of environmental awareness and concern on green purchasing intention Besdies, according to Laroche et al (2001), consumers who have a higher degree of environmental awareness are also more likely

to participate in environmentally responsible consumption This demonstrates that customers' desire to purchase environmentally friendly items is fueled by their concern for the environment (Zameer & Yasmeen, 2022) These studies demonstrate how environmental concerns affect consumers' intentions to consume sustainably The intention to purchase environmentally friendly products will be positively impacted by environmental concern at greater levels Customers will actively choose to utilize environmentally friendly items if they understand how important it is to safeguard the environment These provide the basis upon which this research piece bases its hypothesis:

H3: Environmental concern (EC) has a positive impact on green purchase intention (GPI)

2.3.2 Green perceived knowledge:

According to Joshia and Rahman (2015), the variable that most extensively examined in research on the intention to make environmentally friendly purchases is knowledge Knowledge is described as information that has been retained in the memory

of consumers and serves as the foundation for their assessment of how to understand information, their preferences and actions when making green product purchases Chen

& Deng (2016) state that another way to think about knowledge is customers' familiarity with the product and their capacity to gather, process, and analyze the data they need to make judgments about what to buy

The concept of "green perceived knowledge" is limited to the field of "green consumption" and involves consumers using their abilities to understand ecological symbols and labels, and at the same time demonstrate expressed through actions aimed

at protecting the common environment Fryxell & Lo, (2003), p 45 has added more specificity to this concept, emphasizing the breadth of understanding of the basic knowledge, issues and relationships associated with the natural environment and ecosystems This term covers all of the information that is known about the environment and places a strong emphasis on our shared responsibility for preserving the environment The degree of consumers' perceived green knowledge may be measured

in a variety of ways, for instance by looking at factors like general and specialized knowledge, consumer awareness, and environmental regulations Especially, Tan (2011) proposed another measurement of this term as objective and subjective knowledge Siddiq (2013) later added the experience-based knowledge factor to measure this concept

As can be seen, there have been many articles talking about the connection between green perceived knowledge and green trust Balaji et al., (2019) in their research

on Green hotels pointed out that it is possible to build trust among the customers in return through providing information about the environmental policies for them Furthermore, research by Wang, H., Ma, B., & Bai, R (2019) demonstrates a clear correlation between product comprehension and the quantity of information available about it It can be seen that the more information they have about a product, the more they will understand about the functions and environmental protection properties of that green product Understanding a product's characteristics, advantages, and possible disadvantages helps people choose whether or not it is a good fit for their requirements and preferences At that point, customers will be more accepting of green products and will have greater faith in the sustainability of such items' abilities to preserve the environment Thus, this serves as the foundation for the subsequent hypothesis:

H2: Green perceived knowledge (GPK) has a positive impact on green trust (GT)

Perceived understanding of environmental issues and purchase intentions are related Because they may consider a variety of variables, including quality, usefulness, and value for money, informed customers can make decisions with more confidence As

a result, knowledgeable customers are more likely to make decisions about what to buy that are in line with their needs and expectations, which increases the number of green items that consumers may purchase Chen and Deng (2016) provide a clearer explanation for this relationship, pointing out that customers' intents to purchase green products are greater with the more product and its features information they have Moreover, Azizan and Suki (2013) show that customers who are both knowledgeable and have a greater level of environmental consciousness are more likely to choose environmentally friendly items, even if they are more expensive Heo and Muralidharan (2019) and Huang et al (2022) specifically state that environmental awareness is significantly more important for green buying intention than other environmental elements Besides, customers starting to buy eco-friendly items in reaction to environmental worries, environmental awareness, and consumer efficacy helps to explain this Consequently, customers' trust in the benefits of utilizing green products grows with their level of product knowledge because they think that each person's green purchasing practices may either decrease environmental concerns or enhance environmental performance At the same time, buyers evaluated the features and environmental advantages of green items using product knowledge before making a purchase

However, there is still disagreement and lack of clear evidence about the relationship between the intention to acquire environmentally friendly products and one's perceived understanding of green activities This is because some research suggests that product awareness may not always be a required characteristic that directly influences the intention to make green purchases According to Malik & Singhal (2017),

pp 152-161, people who have a strong grasp of environmental issues may also be strongly inclined to uphold family values and the traditional values of their society association As a result, there may be a correlation between perceived environmental knowledge and long-term orientation Through their research, Zhao, H H., Gao, Q., Wu,

Y P., Wang, Y., & Zhu, X D (2014) even demonstrated that there is no significant correlation between product awareness and intention to make green purchases In addition, even though customers are aware of product life cycle analysis, Tadajewski and Tsukamoto's (2006) qualitative study results demonstrate that consumers do not exhibit expressiveness in their regular purchasing behavior This is demonstrated by the fact that, although while Vietnamese consumers are aware of the benefits of using green products and exhibit environmental concern, their actual purchase patterns are still very restricted Moreover, there is variation in the actual consistency of data and information

on the environment and green products Customers can therefore be ignorant of all the details about the veracity of these statements Moreover, Hoang, V H., & Nguyen, P

M (2013) added to this view by stating that although Vietnamese consumers' awareness

of ecological products is still restricted, their comprehension of them is still limited Only consumers with a good education may use this This study is to investigate the relationship between consumer awareness about the environment and the desire to make environmentally friendly purchases in light of the contradictory findings in the literature currently in publication Specifically, this is shown through the following hypothesis:

H4: Green perceived knowledge (GPK) has a positive impact on green purchase intention (GPI)

2.3.3 Green trust:

In a transaction, trust is defined as a commitment made with the understanding that the other parties would carry out the terms of the agreement as previously agreed upon Based on this, the intention to trust a product, service, or brand because one expects it to be welcomed based on trustworthiness, good acts, and care for environmental success is specifically characterized as "green trust" by Chen and Chang (2013) and Chen (2009) Chen (2010) also offers an alternative definition that emphasizes the readiness to rely on something when one has faith in it with reference to environmental actions Besides, according to McKnight et al.'s (2004) research, trust consists of two primary components: believing (benevolence, integrity, competence) and intending (willingness to depend, subjective probability of depending)

Due to the theory of reasoned action (TRA), behavior is predicted by intention, which is predicted by attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control As

a result, high levels of green trust among customers will increase their propensity to make purchases and increase their likelihood of doing so Moreover, numerous research studies have demonstrated the significance that green trust plays as an intermediate element that influences consumers' intentions to use green products Several studies have shown that when consumers lack basic confidence and trust during the purchasing and consumption process, their purchasing behavior toward green products is likely to

be negatively impacted (Gupta and Ogden, 2009; Vermeir and Verbeke, 2008) Konuk, F.A et al (2015) also emphasized the positive impact of this factor on customers' intention to go green Besides, this direct relationship between those variables has also been proven through research articles, mainly emphasizing the important and positive role of green trust as a driving force for shaping green beliefs, forming customers' intention to live green (Lam et al (2016); Chen and Chang (2012); Harris & Goode (2010)) At the same time, in the research article by authors Karatu and Mat (2015), Lal

et al (2017), and Rahardjo (2015), this factor becomes an intermediary variable, connecting other motivations to the formation of purchase intention Base on these information, it is evident that green trust either directly influences green purchasing intention or functions as an intermediary variable that favorably influences this intention

in the majority of study studies Specifically, green trust is considered as a mediating factor in this study, and from those the author propose thefollowing hypothesis:

H5: Green trust (GT) has a positive impact on green purchase intention (GPI)

2.4 Theoretical framework

Based on the above analysis, it can be seen that consumers' green perceived knowledge is an important attribute that affects green beliefs and purchase intentions Besides, environmental concern is also a driving force influencing green beliefs and purchasing intentions In this study, environmental concern (EC) and green perceived knowledge (GPK) are the independent variables, whereas green purchasing intention (GPI) is the dependent variable Additionally, Green Trust (GT) is a mediating variable

in the middle The elements are included into queries to obtain essential information The conceptual model of this thesis is based on the suggested theoretical model of a study on the same subject by Chairy & Alam, (2019), according to the explanation

provided:

Figure 2 1: Conceptual framework Source: Chairy &Alam (2019)

CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHOD

In this chapter, the basic elements of research type, data analysis methods, sample selection, software used, etc expressed specifically and clearly in each item

3.1 Research Design:

This research uses quantitative methods and cross-sectional analysis Furthermore, the article also collects data through an expansion question at the end of the article for further recommendations

3.2 Sample and Data Collection Method:

The consumers who have utilized green products and services in the Ho Chi Minh City region are the research subject for this study The individuals who have utilized green goods in this region are the research subject for this study The reason for choosing this area as the survey location is because: (1) being one of the most populous cities with 50.44% of Southeast Asia's population (2) increasing demand for green goods due to high monthly income, with approximately 6 million VND per person (The General Statistical Office data, 2021)

Regarding sample size, Hair et al., (1995) said that it should be more than 5 times the number of observed variables in the model, or specifically greater than 100 (Hair et

al 2010) In this model, together with the time and budget limitations, and the 36 observable variables in this model, it is predicted that a minimum of 180 samples would

be suitable In reality, the number of samples collected in this article is 290 Moreover, this thesis uses an online questionnaire on Google's forms platform to collect data for further analysis The reason for using questionnaires in the article is because: (1) extensively utilized instruments for gathering data in social science research; (2) aids the researcher in obtaining pertinent information in a dependable and valid manner Consequently, the precision and uniformity of the survey questionnaire contributes to a specific level of validity and reliability, making it suitable for use as analytical data (Taherdoost, 2018) Along with that, a small open-ended question at the end of the

questionnaire is used to collect consumers' opinions on factors affecting their purchasing intentions in order to provide useful insight for future research directions

There are two sections in the questionnaire The participants' green buying practices and personal information are included in the first section Customers are asked

to respond to questions on how much they agree with the claims in the second section Within the scope of research in the field of social sciences, this thesis uses a 5-level Likert scale - an effective tool to assess basic human psychology (Joshi et al 2015) Specifically, levels from 1 to 5 are equivalent to from "strong dissent" to "strong agreement" Using this scale will help the author explore the hidden motives of the intention to live green in an objective and comprehensive way The specific questionnaire is attached in the appendix, table 3.1

The measurement scale used in this thesis is extracted from the research articles

of Lam et al., (2016); Chen et al., (2015), tested in Malaysia Besides, this study also uses a number of scales in other research articles, specifically: Deepak Jaiswala, Rishi Kant (2018); Chen (2010), Nhu, N.T., My, D.V., & Thu, N.T.K (2019); Chanda, R.C., Isa, S.M and Ahmed, T (2023) To make it easier for respondents to answer the questionnaire, the scales have been converted into Vietnamese Details of the scale are presented in appendix - table 3.2

3.3 Data Analysis Method

After collecting and cleaning data using Excel, the thesis performs descriptive analysis to describe the characteristics of respondents, in terms of demographic factors and provides the foundation for the analysis behind it The article uses indicators such

as percentage, mean, and frequency to have an overview of the research object and research context

Then, the thesis performs Cronbach's alpha test to evaluate the internal consistency and reliability of the scale This is explained because the scale in this thesis was adopted based on many different research sources and converted from English to Vietnamese to create convenience and ease of understanding for respondents According

to Hair, Sarstedt et al (2014), Cronbach's Alpha need to be at least 0.7, the closer Cronbach's Alpha coefficient gets to 1, the more reliable the scale is However, if it exceeds 0.95, it needs to be reconsidered Because then the phenomenon of

"coincidence" can occur - it can happen in cases where many observed variables in the scale are too similar in meaning At the same time, according to Cristobal et al (2007), Corrected item - Total correlation must be at least 0.3, the higher this value, the stronger correlation with other variables in the scale

Then, the study performs EFA exploratory factor analysis to eliminate less important variables and simplify the model through finding the hidden structure of the data, identifying latent factors that the measured variables share in common, and test the scale’s convergent validity and discriminant validity The thesis uses SPSS 20 software

to analyze data use some indicators such as: Factor loading, KMO coefficient, Sig value

in the Bartlett test, Cumulative % of variance, Eigenvalues index In particular, the Eigenvalue of each variable indicates that the factor retains a significant amount of information from the data Factor loading coefficient indicates the strength of the relationship between observed variables and factors The KMO coefficient is used to evaluate whether the data has enough correlation to perform factor analysis effectively The sig value in the Bartlett test is used to check the assumption about the covariance matrix of the measured variable Because often when studying the relationship between measured variables, the covariance matrix is often not a uniform matrix, to show the fluctuations and correlations between variables Cumulative % of variance is used to evaluate the explanatory quality of the factor analysis model and helps decide the number of factors that should be retained in the model Variables that do not satisfy the specific conditions of each coefficient will be eliminated and need to rerun the EFA analysis Each condition will be presented in detail in the data analysis section

Then, the thesis uses AMOS software to performs Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) to check some indicators such as: CMIN/df; GFI index; CFI index; TLI index; RMSEA, etc in order to know whether the data structure matches the theoretical model

or not Specific acceptance levels are detailed in the data analysis section

This thesis analyzes the use of CB-SEM (Covariance-Based SEM) using AMOS

20 software According to Anderson & Gerbing, 1988, pp 411–423, structural equation methods (SEM) were employed to examine the associations among variables outlined

in the conceptual framework This is consistent with the purpose of the thesis, which is

to focus on testing the hypotheses established above At the same time, the data collected after cleaning are packaged according to a standard distribution, because the author chose this method At the other end of the spectrum, writing focuses on checking the fit between images and survey data, focusing instead on anticipation

The thesis also performs data analysis of an open-ended question After collecting theses information, the author will filter and group into characteristics and groups of factors that affect consumers' purchasing intention

3.4 Pilot study

To assess the internal consistency and reliability of the scale, the study performed

a preliminary survey in the Ho Chi Minh City region with 80 participants After performing the Cronbach's Alpha test, the results showed that the Cronbach's Alpha if Item Deleted of the variable GPK9 (0.941) > Cronbach's Alpha of the GPK group (0.935), so the author removed this variable After re-running the Cronbach's Alpha test, the new Cronbach's Alpha coefficient of the GPK group is 0.941 At this time, the variable GPK2 has a Cronbach's Alpha if Item Deleted is 0.943 The Cronbach's Alpha coefficient of the EC group is 0.963, in which the Cronbach's Alpha if Item Deleted of the variable EC5 is 0.965 Although the two variables GPK2 and EC5 both have Cronbach's Alpha if Item Deleted is larger than the group's Cronbach's Alpha, most of them are insignificant At the same time, both of these variables have Total Correlation

of 0.637 and 0.709 respectively, both greater than 0.3 And because the preliminary survey only used a small sample size (80 samples), the author still retains these two variables for subsequent analysis later The results of Cronbach's Alpha test are shown

in the table 3.3 in appendix

CHAPTER 4: DATA ANALYSIS & DISCUSSION:

In this chapter, the article presents detailed results obtained from data analysis, including descriptions of respondents' profiles, Cronbach's Alpha, EFA, CFA and CB-SEM analysis processes At the same time, the information obtained from the open-ended question at the end of the article serves as the basis for recommendations for future research

4.1 Sample description:

After the process of collecting data from the market, the author collected a total

of 290 samples, of which 11 samples were invalid due to not being the right target survey object, the remaining 279 samples were valid and met the classification requirements for inclusion in official quantitative analysis For more information, please have a look

at Table 4.1 in the appendix

Regarding gender, the survey sample collected had a large difference in gender ratio The collected sample had about 1.5 times more women (169 people, accounting for 60.7% of the sample) than men (110 people, accounting for 39.3%) The difference

in this ratio may be due to chance or due to the sample collection process, which may lead to errors in the quantitative analysis results but is not too large At the same time, this shows that both men and women are interested in protecting the environment and are gradually shifting their shopping habits to green products

Regarding age, age is an important characteristic that can affect many variables and quantitative analysis results In this survey sample, age groups are not evenly distributed The 21-25 year old group accounts for the highest proportion with 115 people (41.2%), while the 31-35 year old and over 36 year old groups account for a much lower proportion with 28 people (10.0%) respectively and 24 people (8.6%) of different age groups often have distinct characteristics, needs and behaviors The wide age spectrum is an advantage that will help the quantitative analysis results to be more objective and applicable to a large customer group

Regarding educational level, the proportion of the university and college group

is the highest with 178 people, accounting for 63.8% of the sample The highschool group accounts for 17.92% with 50 people Besides, the master's group also accounts for a high proportion with 40 people (14.34%), while those with the highest degree, doctorate, are very few with 11 people (3.94%) This outcome indicates a notably high educational background among the survey respondents, consistent with the scope of this study Consequently, it can be inferred that the data collected from the survey is entirely dependable The participants possess extensive education, having attended high schools, colleges, and universities, which assures the quality and reliability of the knowledge they contribute

Regarding income, in general, income groups are unevenly distributed The group with income of 2-5 million VND accounts for the highest proportion with 102 people (36.6%), the group with income under 2 million also accounts for a relatively large proportion, while the group with income over 30 million is very small, only 15 people (5.4%) Significant differences in the proportion of income groups will clearly affect the results of quantitative analysis Groups with different income levels often tend

to shop, spend, and choose different entertainment, tourism, and service products and services This result corresponds to age, as people under 25 years old accounted for 60%

of the survey population

Regarding family members, The survey sample has a rather disproportionate distribution in terms of household size Specifically, the number of households with 2-

3 members accounts for the highest proportion with 116 households (41.6%) This is considered as the average household size in Vietnam However, the proportion of larger households is quite high, with 85 households (30.5%) having more than 8 members On the contrary, the number of households with only 1 member accounts for the lowest proportion with 44 households (15.8%)

Regarding job status, in the survey sample, occupational groups are distributed quite differently The student group accounts for the highest proportion with 182 people (68.82%), followed by the business group with 40 people (14.34%) Meanwhile, the