Cultivating sustainable consumption: The role of harmonious cultural values and pro‐environmental self‐identity

Abstract

AbstractThis paper investigates the connections between harmonious cultural values, pro‐environmental self‐identity and consumers' sustainable consumption behaviours spanning acquisition, usage and disposal. It evaluates the relevance of Chinese cultural values that purport harmony between humans, nature and society that is, man‐nature orientation, and horizontal/vertical dimensions of individualism collectivism. The results from the online survey with 503 urbanised Chinese reveals these values disparately influence this consumption. Despite the limited direct behavioural effect of these harmonious values, pro‐environmental self‐identity plays an important role in mediating their indirect effects on the five behaviours. This paper therefore extends theorisation of the values‐identity‐behaviour relationship from a cultural‐values orientation perspective. It offers new insights to understand urbanised Chinese consumers sustainable consumption behaviours.