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A novel integrated structural model of green consumer purchasing behavior: A systematic literature review with COM-B framework perspective

  • Marcin Żemigała*
  • , Agnieszka Wiśniewska
  • , Katarzyna Liczmańska-Kopcewicz
  • , Zoritza Kiresiewa
  • , Hannamaija Tuovila
  • *Corresponding author for this work
  • University of Warsaw
  • Nicolaus Copernicus University
  • Ecologic Institute

Research output: Contribution to journalReview Articlepeer-review

Abstract

Research background:Research on Green Consumer Purchasing Behavior (GCPB) has been conducted in many product contexts. However, even though the role of green non-food products and the bioeconomy is significant and continuously expanding with the growing demand for non-food (nF), bio-based products, GCPB analyses in these sectors remain fragmented and require systematization to effectively utilize existing knowledge. The COM-B (capability, opportunity, and motivation) model provides an interesting framework for such research. Purpose of the article: The purpose of this paper is to map research tendencies and systematically analyze and synthesize existing research on the factors influencing GCPB-nF to provide a comprehensive understanding of the drivers of sustainable consumption and to offer foundation for building conceptual structural model as well multi-research-grounded justification for practical implications. Methods: A systematic literature review (SLR) and bibliometric analysis were conducted on 199 peer-reviewed articles sourced from the Scopus database. The selection followed rigorous criteria, including article quality, relevance, and methodological clarity. The Antecedents-Decisions-Outcomes (ADO) and COM-B model were utilized as frameworks. Findings & value added: The study offers a comprehensive synthesis of green consumer purchasing behavior (GCPB) in the non-food sector (nF), revealing that psychological capabilities, particularly environmental knowledge or reflective motivation including green attitude are well-established predictors, whereas physical capabilities and automatic motivations remain underexplored. Importantly, the analysis underscores that external opportunities, such as social norms, green branding, and credible communication substantially influence consumer decision-making. The proposed integrated structural model, grounded in the COM-B and ADO frameworks, systematically maps key behavioral drivers and their interrelations. This framework not only contributes to theory-building by unifying fragmented insights, but also provides a robust theoretical foundation for future structural modeling, hypothesis formulation, and necessary condition analysis (NCA). The findings generate actionable implications for marketers aiming to promote sustainable consumption and enable researchers to test causal mechanisms driving green behavior in the bio-based non-food product domain.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)745-801
Number of pages57
JournalEquilibrium: Quarterly Journal of Economics and Economic Policy
Volume20
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 30 Jun 2025
MoE publication typeA2 Review article in a scientific journal

Funding

Horizon Europe, HORIZON-CL6-2022-GOVERNANCE-01-04 — Con-sumer-focused labelling options for bio-based products, grant number: 101086086. Project Title: Concise Consumer Communication Through Robust Labels For Bio-Based System.

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

  1. SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth
    SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
  2. SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production
    SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production
  3. SDG 17 - Partnerships for the Goals
    SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals

Keywords

  • ADO
  • COM-B
  • consumer behavior
  • green consumer
  • green purchasing

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