Do Snow-Based Sport Participants Intend to Purchase Products from Environmentally Friendly Companies?

ABSTRACT

To extend the literature on consumer pro-environmentalism, this study explores the relationships between individuals’ participation in outdoor, snow-based sport; their pro-environmental behavioral intentions (PBIs); and their intentions to purchase from environmentally friendly companies (PI-EFCs). Participants were recruited from an international ski resort in Japan (N = 286). The results indicate that snow-based sport involvement influences PI-EFCs through PBIs when associated actions were perceived to be directly relevant to the outdoor sports environment (i.e. PBI to reduce CO₂ emission). Conversely, the relationship was not mediated by PBIs when environmental issues were less relevant to a snow-based sport environment (i.e. air pollution, water pollution). The findings imply that pro-environmental marketing efforts can be an effective approach to increase PI-EFCs when corporations focus on sport-specific environmental issues germane to snow-based sport participants such as global warming.

雪上运动参与者有从注重环保的公司购买产品的意识吗?

为拓展消费者环保主义相关文献, 本次研究探讨了个人户外雪上运动的参与情况、参与者环保行为意识和参与者从注重环保的公司购物的意识之间的关系;研究的参加者来自日本一家国际滑雪圣地 (N = 286)。结果表明, 当相关行动被认为与户外运动环境直接相关时 (即参与者环保行为意识减少二氧化碳排放), 雪上运动参与情况通过参与者环保行为意识影响参与者从注重环保的公司购物的意识。相反, 当环境问题与雪上运动环境不太相关时 (即空气污染、水污染), 雪上运动参与情况和参与者从注重环保的公司购物的意识之间的关系并不以参与者环保行为意识为中介。研究结果意味着, 当企业重点关注如全球变暖等和雪上运动参与者相关的体育专项环境问题时, 环保营销工作可以有效提高参与者从注重环保的公司购物的意识。

KEYWORDS:

• Environment
• involvement
• balance theory
• outdoor sport
• green marketing

关键词:

• 环境
• 参与
• 平衡理论
• 户外运动
• 绿色营销

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments. We also sincerely appreciate Mr. Seiya Kakuta for his help in data collection.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Shintaro Sato

Shintaro Sato (PhD, University of Florida) is an assistant professor in the Department of Marketing at Montclair State University. Dr. Sato's research interests include endorsement and advertising in sport. He has published his research in highly respected journals such as Journal of Sport Management and European Sport Management Quarterly.

Yong Jae Ko

Yong Jae Ko (PhD, The Ohio State University) is an associate professor in the Department of Tourism, Recreation, and Sport Management at University of Florida. Dr. Ko's research interests include sport marketing and consumer behavior.

Timothy B Kellison

Timothy B. Kellison (PhD, Florida State University) is an assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Health and director of the Sport and Urban Policy Initiative at Georgia State University. His research interests include sport, environmental sustainability, and public policy.

Munehiko Harada

Munehiko Harada (PhD, Pennsylvania State University) is a professor in the Graduate School of Sport Sciences at Waseda University. Dr. Harada is an active scholar in the field of sport and tourism management. His research interests include sport tourism and consumer behavior.

Yoshifumi Bizen

Yoshifumi Bizen (PhD, Waseda University) is an associate professor in the Department of Health and Physical Education at Kokugakuin University. Dr. Bizen is an active scholar in the field of Sport Management. His research interests include sport consumer behavior, company sport, and sport policy.