Going green through screens: Parasocial relationships, self-expansion, and online sustainable consumption

This study investigates the relationship between parasocial relationships developed in a digital environment and their relationship with green purchase intention and green purchase behavior. The study draws on Parasocial Relationship Theory and Self-Expansion Theory to explain how online relational influence may shape sustainable consumption through identity-related processes and relevant boundary conditions. The survey data were gathered from Chinese online consumers who had bought green products and were analyzed by partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings show that parasocial relationship (PSR) positively influences self-expansion (SE), which positively influences green purchase intention (GPI) and green purchase behavior (GPB). The results indicate the importance of identity-based processes in sustainable consumption. In addition, green purchase intention is also correlated positively with green purchase behavior, suggesting its role in linking the positive evaluation of sustainable consumption to reported purchase behavior. Further, environmental concern also serves to moderate the direct linkages between PSR and GPI and GPB; thus, the relationships appear to be stronger for consumers high on environmental concern.