Factors influencing green purchasing inconsistency of Ecuadorian millennials

Purpose This study aimed to identify whether attitudes and subjective norms influence green purchase intentions of university millennials, based on the Theory of Planned Behavior. It also analyzed whether purchase intentions resulted in actual purchases and the factors that influenced green purchasing inconsistencies. Design/methodology/approach This was a cross-sectional quantitative study with 710 millennial participants, who were university students of the four most populated cities of Ecuador; however, only 126 (18%) participants were found to frequently consume organic products during the last months. The results were tested by the Cronbach's alpha coefficient to determine the instrument's internal consistency. Subsequently, an exploratory factor analysis was developed to verify if the questions were grouped into their corresponding constructs. Finally, the proposed research model's validity was verified through a confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. SPSS 20 and AMOS 24 were used for the abovementioned statistical analyses. Findings Attitudes and subjective norms influence green purchase intentions. Although university millennials have high purchase intentions, the majority (82%) did not result in actual purchases. It was determined that consumption habit is the main factor influencing green purchasing inconsistencies. Originality/value This is the first study to measure green purchasing inconsistencies in developing countries in South America (Ecuador), exposing that purchase intention is not the best predictor of actual purchases in developing economies. It also provides answers to previous studies that suggested determining levels of inconsistency and attitude-behavior gaps.