Understanding Normative Influence on Green Consumption Behavior: The Moderating Role of Self-construal and Self-regulatory Resources

The purpose of this paper is to address how and when social influences shape green consumption behaviors. The results of research in social influences on consumer's green consumption behaviors have been mixed. This paper focuses on descriptive normative influences and proposes two moderating factors: self-construal and self-regulatory resources. Past literature has identified these factors as moderators of susceptibility to social influences in different domains. It is expected that people with interdependent (independent) self-construal would be more (less) susceptible to social influence, and self-regulatory resources depletion would render people more susceptible to social influences. Interestingly, the impact of social influences on behavior can be reversed when these two factors are considered together. Contrary to past literature, the results show that independent people are not susceptible to normative influence once they are depleted, yet, interdependent people become more susceptible to normative influence once they are depleted.