When morals collide : the role of moral identity and moral licensing effects in green consumption

Consumers buy green products not only because of price and quality preferences, but also norms and moral values. Drawing on theories of moral identity and moral licensing, the current study explores how moral identity (internalization vs. symbolization) predicts green consumption and the impact of moral identity and green consumption on individuals’ subsequent behavior. Data from this study indicate that individuals with high moral identity internalization have an equal chance of choosing the green product whether it is consumed privately or publicly, and these individuals are likely to maintain consistency of their behavior after the green consumption. Whereas, individuals with high moral identity symbolization favor more of the publicly consumed green product, and they are likely to license their prosocial behavior after the green consumption. Findings are discussed in terms of theoretical and managerial implications