Does globalisation affect consumers' pro-environmental intentions? A multilevel analysis across 25 countries

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to empirically evaluate whether the process of globalisation, through which countries become increasingly interconnected, is related to pro-environmental intentions. Due to the hierarchical nature of the data, the study uses a multilevel modelling approach to cross-culturally test the impact of globalisation on pro-environmental intentions. Using an updated indicator of globalisation, the results from 25 nations show that economic, social and political openness are not related to pro-environmental intentions, as measured by willingness to sacrifice to protect the environment. This result implies that concern for the environment is a global phenomenon and not unique to the wealthy and more globalised nations. The findings of this paper highlight the importance of simultaneously assessing individual- and contextual-level variables in determining pro-environmental intentions across nations.

Keywords:

• globalisation
• consumer behaviour
• multilevel modelling