Consumers’ perception of green brand attributes and its outcomes: a sustainable perspective

The resurgence of green marketing engrossed the phenomenon of greenwashing, misleading and deceiving consumers with false claims about the firms' environmental practices. Drawing on attribution theory, this study examines the direct relationship between perceived greenwashing (PGW) and brand credibility (BC) and indirect relationship through green skepticism (GSP). The study also examines the moderating effect of environmental concern (EC) based on contingency theory in both direct and indirect relationships. Data were collected through self-administered questionnaires from consumers and 508 usable responses were analyzed. The study's hypotheses were tested using PROCESS macro for SPSS. The results show that PGW is negatively related to BC both directly and indirectly via GSP, whereas EC moderated, directly and indirectly, the relationships between PGW and BC, suggesting that the relationship between PGW and BC is fostered when EC is high. This study helps managers to understand how overstated/deceptive green claims may lead to destructive consequences for the company.