The influence of greenwashing on green purchasing intentions in the electric motorbike sector: the mediating role of green brand trust and green word-of-mouth of GenZ

Abstract

This research investigates the influence of greenwashing on green purchasing intentions among GenZ consumers in the electric motorbike industry, focusing on the mediating role of green brand trust and green word-of-mouth. Drawing upon the legitimacy theory and signaling theory, a questionnaire-based survey was conducted with 462 respondents selected through cluster random sampling in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The study reveals that while greenwashing negatively impacts green purchase intention, it significantly affects green trust and green word of mouth. Moreover, information and knowledge moderate the relationship between greenwashing and green purchase intention, amplifying its adverse effects. This study pioneers the examination of green brand trust and green word-of-mouth as mediators and information and knowledge as moderators in the context of greenwashing's influence on green purchase intention, contributing to a deeper understanding of consumer behavior in the emerging market of electric motorbikes in Vietnam. These findings expand the existing literature on green marketing and contribute to a unified theory of green purchase intention