Green or Dirty?: A Consumer Journey on the Sustainability Image of Imported Products

Öz

Purpose: As sustainability-oriented consumption practices become more widespread, environmental factors influencing consumers’ perceptions, attitudes, and risk evaluations toward imported products are gaining importance. This study aims to comparatively examine consumers' attitudes and perceived risks regarding imported products within the frameworks of “environmental import bias” and the “pollution haven hypothesis.” Method: Structural equation models based on both theoretical frameworks were developed and analyzed using the AMOS software. Findings: Environmental import bias was found to have a significant effect on attitudes toward imported products but showed no significant effect on perceived risk dimensions, except for time risk. Attitudes, however, significantly affected all dimensions of perceived risk. In the analysis of the pollution haven hypothesis, it was observed that this perception did not significantly influence attitudes but had a significant impact on all perceived risk dimensions except financial risk. In this model as well, attitude had a significant effect on all perceived risk dimensions. Conclusion: Consumer decisions are influenced not only by product features but also by environmental perceptions associated with the country of origin. In this context, local producers more effectively communicating their environmental sensitivity to the public could help prevent the association of eco-friendly product perception exclusively with imported goods.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Environmental Sustainability
• Sustainable Consumption
• Environmental Import Bias
• Pollution Haven Hypothesis
• Consumer Attitudes
• Perceived Risk

Yeşil mi, Kirli mi?: İthal Ürünlerin Sürdürülebilirlik İmajı Üzerine Bir Tüketici Yolculuğu

Öz

Amaç: Sürdürülebilirlik odaklı tüketim pratiklerinin yaygınlaştığı günümüzde, tüketicilerin ithal ürünlere yönelik algı, tutum ve risk algılarını etkileyen çevresel faktörler önem kazanmaktadır. Bu çalışmada, “çevresel ithalat yanlılığı” ve “kirlilik cenneti hipotezi” çerçevesinde tüketicilerin ithal ürünlere yönelik tutumlarının ve algıladıkları risklerin karşılaştırmalı olarak incelenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Yöntem: Araştırmada, her iki kuramsal çerçeveye dayalı yapısal eşitlik modelleri oluşturulmuş ve analizler AMOS programı aracılığıyla gerçekleştirilmiştir. Bulgular: Çevresel ithalat yanlılığının, ithal ürünlere yönelik tutum üzerinde anlamlı etkisi olduğu ve risk algısı boyutlarından sadece zaman riski boyutu üzerinde anlamlı etkiye sahip olduğu belirlenmiştir. Tutumun ise tüm risk boyutları üzerinde anlamlı etkisi tespit edilmiştir. Kirlilik cenneti algısının tutum üzerinde etkisi gözlenmezken, finansal risk dışındaki tüm risk boyutları üzerinde anlamlı etkisi olduğu görülmüştür. Bu modelde de tutumun tüm risk algısı boyutları üzerinde anlamlı etkisi vardır. Sonuç: Tüketici kararları, yalnızca ürün özelliklerinden değil, ürünün menşe ülkesine dair çevresel algılardan da etkilenmektedir. Bu bağlamda, yerli üreticilerin çevresel duyarlılıklarını kamuoyuna daha etkin biçimde yansıtmaları, çevre dostu ürün algısının sadece ithal ürünlerle sınırlı kalmasını önleyebilir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Çevresel Sürdürülebilirlik
• Sürdürülebilir Tüketim
• Çevresel İthalat Yanlılığı
• Kirlilik Cenneti Hipotezi
• Tüketici Tutumları
• Algılanan Risk

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