The Mediating Effect of Consumers’ Purchase Intentions: A Perspective of Determining Buying Behaviour for the Adoption of Green Eco-Label Products

Abstract

Growing environmental concerns such as climate change, pollution, and resource depletion have heightened consumer awareness regarding sustainable consumption. Eco-label products have emerged as reliable indicators guiding consumers toward environmentally responsible purchase decisions. However, research on the psychological mechanisms underlying eco-label adoption remains limited in emerging economies.This study investigates consumers’ buying behaviour toward eco-label products in Pakistan using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). It emphasizes the mediating role of purchase intention in linking psychological (attitudes, perceived behavioral control) and social (subjective norms) determinants with actual purchase behaviour.A quantitative research design was adopted. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered to 351 respondents from Southern Punjab (Multan, D.G. Khan, Khanewal). Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS for reliability tests and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) for mediation analysis.
Results confirm that attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control significantly influence consumers’ purchase intention, which in turn mediates the relationship with actual buying behaviour. Attitude emerged as the strongest determinant.The study provides theoretical contributions by validating TPB in the context of Pakistan and practical implications for marketers and policymakers to design awareness campaigns, promote eco-label certification, and encourage sustainable consumption practices.The research is limited by its cross-sectional design and convenience sampling. Future studies should employ longitudinal designs, larger probability-based samples, and cross-cultural comparisons to generalize findings.