Abstract
The first essay extends Cronin, Brady and Hult’s (2000) model of quality, satisfaction and purchase intentions to include the antecedent of environmental responsiveness. The findings support those of Cronin, Brady and Hult (2000) in that there is a positive, direct relationship between quality, satisfaction and purchase intentions. The findings also suggest that environmental responsiveness leads to positive assessments of satisfaction and quality. It is thereby suggested that environmentally responsive organizations’ products lead to high quality assessments because “green” products are viewed as being technologically advanced and quality is defined as having technological excellence. Therefore, “green” products, by definition, are perceived to be of high quality. Also, it is suggested that environmentally responsive organizations’ products lead to greater customer satisfaction because of individuals’ intrinsic motivations to act in the least detrimental way possible. Therefore, “green” products are preferred because they fulfill this response to engage in beneficial activities.
The second essay considers the effects of four promotional types (i.e. advertising, public relations, word of mouth and expert testimonials) on the relationships between environmental responsiveness, quality, satisfaction and purchase intentions. The findings suggest that environmental responsiveness has positive affects on quality and purchase intentions, but that the relationships are not highly effected by the different forms of promotion. Advertising, public relations and word of mouth promotions suggest a weak relationship between environmental responsiveness and satisfaction, whereas expert testimonial is the sole promotion to strengthen this relationship. A possible explanation to this finding is the high level of credibility associated with expert testimonials that is not associated with the other forms of promotion. This high level of credibility eases the skepticism consumers’ associate with environmental claims, which increases their level of satisfaction with the “green” product.
|
