UNDERSTANDING IMPACT OF GREEN PERSUASION PARADOX ON GREEN PURCHASE INTENTION: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY
Keywords:
Green Advertising, Persuasion Knowledge Theory, Advertising Credibility, Greenwashing, Purchase Intention
Abstract
In today’s world, everything has been hyphenated with green, evolving from a specialised marketing tactic to an essential aspect of company rebranding. But it brought along the wave of greenwashing, raising concerns about its truthfulness in the minds of green consumers. The study, centred around the persuasion knowledge model, examines the cognitive mechanisms by which sustainable message characteristics impact consumer purchase intention. Data was collected from
117 consumers using a structured questionnaire. The findings of the study indicate that claim specificity and substantiveness can significantly reduce perceived manipulative intent and positively impact consumer purchase intention. Claim verifiability and green consumer Skepticism moderate this relation. The study contributes to the green advertising literature by elucidating how consumers evaluate green claims and providing guidelines to marketers for designing sustainable advertisement messages that can combat the rising Skepticism.
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References
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23. Newell, S. J., Goldsmith, R. E., & Banzhaf, E. J. (1998). The Effect of Misleading Environmental Claims on Consumer Perceptions of Advertisements. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 6(2), 48–60. https://doi.org/10.1080/10696679.1998.11501795
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25. Parguel, B., Benoît-Moreau, F., & Larceneux, F. (2011a). How Sustainability Ratings Might Deter ‘Greenwashing’: A Closer Look at Ethical Corporate Communication. Journal of Business Ethics, 102(1), 15–28. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-011-0901-2
26. Parguel, B., Benoît-Moreau, F., & Larceneux, F. (2011b). How Sustainability Ratings Might Deter ‘Greenwashing’: A Closer Look at Ethical Corporate Communication. Journal of Business Ethics, 102(1), 15–28. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-011-0901-2
27. Pierre, L., Wang, J. (Joy), & Zambrano Rodriguez, V. C. (2026). Exploring the influence of ‘artificial intelligence’ mentions in advertising and persuasion knowledge on brand skepticism, perceived manipulativeness, and purchase intention. Journal of Marketing Communications, 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1080/13527266.2025.2609808
28. Poulis, A., Theodoridis, P., & Zacharatos, T. (2026). Green Branding in the Digital Era: The Role of Influencer Credibility and Greenwashing in Shaping Brand Authenticity, Trust and Purchase Intentions. Sustainability, 18(1),
451. https://doi.org/10.3390/su18010451
29. Putra, A. R., & Kopot, C. (2026). The dynamics of environmental knowledge and skepticism in green footwear marketing. Journal of Global Fashion Marketing, 17(1), 75–93. https://doi.org/10.1080/20932685.2025.2562257
30. Qiu, H., Wang, X., Wu, M.-Y., Wei, W., Morrison, A. M., & Kelly, C. (2023). The effect of destination source credibility on tourist environmentally responsible behavior: an application of stimulus-organism-response theory. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 31(8), 1797–1817. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2022.2067167
31. Rana, Md. S., Sharmin, S., Amin, M. Bin, Mishad, N.-A.-A., & Oláh, J. (2026). Assessing the effectiveness of eco- labels on consumer purchase intentions in the food and beverage industry: A PLS-SEM approach. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 13, 102422. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2025.102422
32. Rani, P., Dadhich, A., Kochhar, K., & Jain, N. (2026). Decoding Greenwashing Effects on Consumer Behaviour: A TCCM-Based Systematic Review (pp. 259–277). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-10212-6_13
33. Salhieh, S. M. (2026). Does ‘green’ matter? Understanding consumer behavior toward low-involvement green products. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 88, 104497. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2025.104497
34. Verma, A., & Nayak, J. K. (2024). The power of perception: how persuasion knowledge and perceived deception in advertisement impact brand-related fake news adoption. Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication. https://doi.org/10.1108/GKMC-11-2023-0414
35. Wang, C., Yang, Y., & Liu, S. (2026). The moderating role of consumer knowledge structures in green advertising. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-04-2025- 0555
36. Wang, J., Ma, Y., Tang, B., & Wu, Y. (2026). Fret or overpay? How online review valence of green hotels influences consumers’ green purchase intentions: The moderating role of social media influencer type. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 133, 104419. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2025.104419
37. William O. Bearden, Richard G. Netemeyer, & Jesse E. Teel. (1989). Measurement of Consumer Susceptibility to Interpersonal Influence. Journal of Consumer Research, 15(9), 473–481. https://doi.org/10.1525/cmr.2011.54.1.64
38. Woodroof, P. J., Howie, K. M., Syrdal, H. A., & VanMeter, R. (2020). What’s done in the dark will be brought to the light: effects of influencer transparency on product efficacy and purchase intentions. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 29(5), 675–688. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-05-2019-2362
39. Xia, Z. (2025). The Impact of Green Marketing Strategies on Consumer Purchase Intentions Toward Eco-Friendly Products in Southeast Asia. International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, 16(1), 22–33. https://doi.org/10.32479/ijeep.21491
40. Yu, Z., Rosbi, S., & Amlus, M. H. (2024). Mechanisms of Media Persuasion and Positive Internet Word-of-Mouth Driving Green Purchasing Behavior: Evidence from China. Sustainability, 16(15), 6521. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16156521
2. Campbell, M. C. (1995). When Attention‐Getting Advertising Tactics Elicit Consumer Inferences of Manipulative Intent: The Importance of Balancing Benefits and Investments. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 4(3), 225–254. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327663jcp0403_02
3. Carlson, L., Grove, S. J., & Kangun, N. (1993). A content analysis of environmental advertising claims: A matrix method approach les carlson. Journal of Advertising, 22(3), 27–39. https://doi.org/10.1080/00913367.1993.10673409
4. Chen, Y., & Chang, C. (2012). Enhance green purchase intentions. Management Decision, 50(3), 502–520. https://doi.org/10.1108/00251741211216250
5. Chen, Y.-S., & Chang, C.-H. (2013). Greenwash and Green Trust: The Mediation Effects of Green Consumer Confusion and Green Perceived Risk. Journal of Business Ethics, 114(3), 489–500. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551- 012-1360-0
6. Darke, P. R., & Ritchie, R. J. B. (2007). The Defensive Consumer: Advertising Deception, Defensive Processing, and Distrust. Journal of Marketing Research, 44(1), 114–127. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkr.44.1.114
7. Delmas, M. A., & Burbano, V. C. (2011). The Drivers of Greenwashing. California Management Review, 54(1), 64–
87. https://doi.org/10.1525/cmr.2011.54.1.64
8. Foreh, M. R., & Grier, S. (2003). When Is Honesty the Best Policy? The Effect of Stated Company Intent on Consumer Skepticism. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 13(3), 349–356. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327663 JCP1303_15
9. Friestad, & Wright. (1994). The Persuasion Knowledge Model. In Schlüsselwerke für die Strategische Kommunikationsforschung (pp. 365–376). Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658- 45292-6_32
10. Ham, C.-D., Nelson, M. R., & Das, S. (2015). How to Measure Persuasion Knowledge. International Journal of Advertising, 34(1), 17–53. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2014.994730
11. Hernandez, J. M. da C., da Costa Filho, M. C. M., & Strano, M. P. V. (2023). When transparency pays off: Enticing sceptical consumers with two‐sided advertising. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 47(1), 317–333. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.12841
12. Kangun, N., Carlson, L., & Grove, S. J. (1991). Environmental Advertising Claims: A Preliminary Investigation. In Public Policy & Marketing , Fall (Vol. 10, Number 2).
13. Kirmani, A., & Zhu, R. (Juliet). (2007). Vigilant against Manipulation: The Effect of Regulatory Focus on the Use of Persuasion Knowledge. Journal of Marketing Research, 44(4), 688–701. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkr.44.4.688
14. Lee, J., & Cheong, H. J. (2024). Exploring the Relationship between Consumer Knowledge and Skepticism towards Pro-Environmental Advertising: An Empirical Investigation. KOME, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.17646/KOME.of.10
15. Lejealle, C., Rezaee Vessal, S., Khelladi, I., Damay, C., & Beulque, R. (2026). Closing the sustainability knowledge– action gap: a dual knowledge management framework combining SECI and the persuasion knowledge model. Journal of Knowledge Management, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1108/JKM-04-2025-0537
16. Lyon, T. P., & Montgomery, A. W. (2015). The Means and End of Greenwash. Organization & Environment, 28(2), 223–249. https://doi.org/10.1177/1086026615575332
17. MacKenzie, S. B., & Lutz, R. J. (1989). An Empirical Examination of the Structural Antecedents of Attitude toward the Ad in an Advertising Pretesting Context. Journal of Marketing, 53(2), 48. https://doi.org/10.2307/1251413
18. Main, K. J., Dahl, D. W., & Darke, P. R. (2007). Deliberative and Automatic Bases of Suspicion: Empirical Evidence of the Sinister Attribution Error. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 17(1), 59–69. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327663jcp1701_9
19. Malik, S. Z., & Qazi, A. (2017). Factors affecting green purchase intention and the role of consumer skepticism. Journal of Quality and Technology Management, 14(2), 93–111.
20. Malmelin, N. (2010). What is Advertising Literacy? Exploring the Dimensions of Advertising Literacy. Journal of Visual Literacy, 29(2), 129–142. https://doi.org/10.1080/23796529.2010.11674677
21. Mohr, L. A., EROǦLU, D., & ELLEN, P. S. (1998). The Development and Testing of a Measure of Skepticism Toward Environmental Claims in Marketers’ Communications. Journal of Consumer Affairs, 32(1), 30–55. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-6606.1998.tb00399.x
22. Moon, M. A., Sajid, A., Bashir, S. S., Saddiqi, A. , & Zeeshan, M. (2026). The Emotional Cost of Greenwashing: Airline Sustainability Advertising and Consumer–Brand Relationships. Journal of Management & Social Science, 3(1), 120.
23. Newell, S. J., Goldsmith, R. E., & Banzhaf, E. J. (1998). The Effect of Misleading Environmental Claims on Consumer Perceptions of Advertisements. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 6(2), 48–60. https://doi.org/10.1080/10696679.1998.11501795
24. Obermiller, C. (1995). The Baby is Sick/The Baby is Well: A Test of Environmental Communication Appeals. Journal of Advertising, 24(2), 55–70. https://doi.org/10.1080/00913367.1995.10673476
25. Parguel, B., Benoît-Moreau, F., & Larceneux, F. (2011a). How Sustainability Ratings Might Deter ‘Greenwashing’: A Closer Look at Ethical Corporate Communication. Journal of Business Ethics, 102(1), 15–28. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-011-0901-2
26. Parguel, B., Benoît-Moreau, F., & Larceneux, F. (2011b). How Sustainability Ratings Might Deter ‘Greenwashing’: A Closer Look at Ethical Corporate Communication. Journal of Business Ethics, 102(1), 15–28. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-011-0901-2
27. Pierre, L., Wang, J. (Joy), & Zambrano Rodriguez, V. C. (2026). Exploring the influence of ‘artificial intelligence’ mentions in advertising and persuasion knowledge on brand skepticism, perceived manipulativeness, and purchase intention. Journal of Marketing Communications, 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1080/13527266.2025.2609808
28. Poulis, A., Theodoridis, P., & Zacharatos, T. (2026). Green Branding in the Digital Era: The Role of Influencer Credibility and Greenwashing in Shaping Brand Authenticity, Trust and Purchase Intentions. Sustainability, 18(1),
451. https://doi.org/10.3390/su18010451
29. Putra, A. R., & Kopot, C. (2026). The dynamics of environmental knowledge and skepticism in green footwear marketing. Journal of Global Fashion Marketing, 17(1), 75–93. https://doi.org/10.1080/20932685.2025.2562257
30. Qiu, H., Wang, X., Wu, M.-Y., Wei, W., Morrison, A. M., & Kelly, C. (2023). The effect of destination source credibility on tourist environmentally responsible behavior: an application of stimulus-organism-response theory. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 31(8), 1797–1817. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2022.2067167
31. Rana, Md. S., Sharmin, S., Amin, M. Bin, Mishad, N.-A.-A., & Oláh, J. (2026). Assessing the effectiveness of eco- labels on consumer purchase intentions in the food and beverage industry: A PLS-SEM approach. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 13, 102422. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2025.102422
32. Rani, P., Dadhich, A., Kochhar, K., & Jain, N. (2026). Decoding Greenwashing Effects on Consumer Behaviour: A TCCM-Based Systematic Review (pp. 259–277). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-10212-6_13
33. Salhieh, S. M. (2026). Does ‘green’ matter? Understanding consumer behavior toward low-involvement green products. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 88, 104497. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2025.104497
34. Verma, A., & Nayak, J. K. (2024). The power of perception: how persuasion knowledge and perceived deception in advertisement impact brand-related fake news adoption. Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication. https://doi.org/10.1108/GKMC-11-2023-0414
35. Wang, C., Yang, Y., & Liu, S. (2026). The moderating role of consumer knowledge structures in green advertising. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-04-2025- 0555
36. Wang, J., Ma, Y., Tang, B., & Wu, Y. (2026). Fret or overpay? How online review valence of green hotels influences consumers’ green purchase intentions: The moderating role of social media influencer type. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 133, 104419. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2025.104419
37. William O. Bearden, Richard G. Netemeyer, & Jesse E. Teel. (1989). Measurement of Consumer Susceptibility to Interpersonal Influence. Journal of Consumer Research, 15(9), 473–481. https://doi.org/10.1525/cmr.2011.54.1.64
38. Woodroof, P. J., Howie, K. M., Syrdal, H. A., & VanMeter, R. (2020). What’s done in the dark will be brought to the light: effects of influencer transparency on product efficacy and purchase intentions. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 29(5), 675–688. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-05-2019-2362
39. Xia, Z. (2025). The Impact of Green Marketing Strategies on Consumer Purchase Intentions Toward Eco-Friendly Products in Southeast Asia. International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, 16(1), 22–33. https://doi.org/10.32479/ijeep.21491
40. Yu, Z., Rosbi, S., & Amlus, M. H. (2024). Mechanisms of Media Persuasion and Positive Internet Word-of-Mouth Driving Green Purchasing Behavior: Evidence from China. Sustainability, 16(15), 6521. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16156521
Published
2026-02-03
How to Cite
Sadhvi Sharma, & Prof. Rakesh Mohan Joshi. (2026). UNDERSTANDING IMPACT OF GREEN PERSUASION PARADOX ON GREEN PURCHASE INTENTION: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY. IJRDO - Journal of Business Management, 12(1), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.53555/bm.v12i1.6551
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