From Green Consciousness to Purchase Intention: The Mediating Role of Environmental Attitude and the Moderating Effect of Green Self-Efficacy in Pakistan's FMCG Sector

Abstract

This study examined how green consciousness and perceived environmental consumer effectiveness are translated into green purchase intention through environmental attitude, while assessing whether green self-efficacy strengthens the attitude-intention relationship in Pakistan's fast-moving consumer goods sector. A quantitative, cross-sectional survey design was used with 810 usable consumer responses. Five focal latent constructs were measured with twenty-five reflective indicators on a five-point Likert scale, while the structural estimates were obtained from the integrated SmartPLS model developed for the broader study. Measurement assessment showed satisfactory indicator reliability, internal consistency, convergent validity, discriminant validity, and collinearity performance. Green consciousness strongly predicted environmental attitude (β = .422, p < .001), and perceived environmental consumer effectiveness also showed a significant positive association with environmental attitude (β = .333, p < .001). Environmental attitude predicted green purchase intention (β = .155, p < .001), whereas the direct effects of green consciousness and perceived environmental consumer effectiveness on purchase intention were negligible and statistically non-significant. The indirect effects through environmental attitude were significant for green consciousness (β = .066, p < .001) and perceived environmental consumer effectiveness (β = .052, p < .001), establishing an indirect-only mediation pattern. Green self-efficacy significantly strengthened the environmental attitude-green purchase intention path (β = .096, p = .001), indicating that positive evaluations become more motivational when consumers feel capable of identifying and selecting green FMCG products. The findings position environmental attitude as the central conversion mechanism between general environmental orientation and specific buying intention, while green self-efficacy operates as a conditional facilitator rather than a simple direct predictor.

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