Linking Environmental Knowledge, Ethical Consumption, CSR Practices, and Green Marketing: An Empirical Analysis

Understanding elements that drive ethical consumer (EC) behaviors has emerged as a crucial field of research in the present context, dominated by raising the importance of environmental issues. The key role of this inquiry is to deepen the understanding of the complex factors that determine EC. Survey data collected from 537 respondents working in agricultural firms in China were used in order to analyze under which conditions an individual's perception of a firm's efforts toward green actions (like corporate social responsibilities (CSR) and green marketing) affects EC behavior. Moreover, the mediating role of CSR practices and the strengthening effect of green marketing for environmental knowledge (EK) and the EC link have also been tested. The results indicate a positive direction between EK and EC. Furthermore, CSR practices were found to mediate this relationship, and green marketing was found to strengthen the correlation. These findings enable the understanding of the intricate connections between the analyzed variables and add to the body of literature important insights about EC determinants. Findings highlight the significance of environmental learning, successful and visible CSR practices, and green marketing efforts as powerful tools to increase the EC of employees.