Virginie P. Khare

At the beginning of 2024, Sephora, a French luxury beauty retailer, had yet to react to social media posts from employees and shoppers complaining about the behavior of tweens in their US stores. This new group of consumers, Generation Alpha, was born after 2010. They had grown up in a digital world and were technologically savvy. Many were interested in beauty products, often responding to social media influencers. When visiting stores, these young consumers were seen destroying product displays, screaming at their parents, and fighting for the last high-end product. Some of them had suffered from the effects of harsh ingredients that were not generally suited for young skin. The #SephoraKids social media posts had created obstacles for Sephora, its shoppers, and its employees. The protagonist was a twenty-year-old Sephora customer who was upset by such misbehavior and wondered whether she would continue shopping at Sephora stores.

This study first examines the influence of educational factors on a consumer’s willingness to buy green products and on building a brand’s green image. Second, it explores the effects of environmental concern and perceived consumer effectiveness in mediating the relationships between educational factors and green buying behavior. Third, it takes a cross-country perspective by investigating green buying behavior under distinct cultural contexts (collectivism versus individualism). The hypothesized model was tested with data collected in the United States and Brazil and using structural equation modeling analysis. Findings reveal that sustainability education, whether initiated by the consumer or by the organization, contributes positively to promote a brand’s green image. Environmental concern and perceived consumer effectiveness both mediate the relationships between educational factors and green buying behavior. Lastly, the moderating effects of culture highlight the importance of environmental concern in a collectivist country and perceived consumer effectiveness in an individualist country.

This study first examines the influence of educational factors on a consumer’s willingness to buy green products and on building a brand’s green image. Second, it explores the effects of environmental concern and perceived consumer effectiveness in mediating the relationships between educational factors and green buying behavior. Third, it takes a cross-country perspective by investigating green buying behavior under distinct cultural contexts (collectivism versus individualism). The hypothesized model was tested with data collected in the United States and Brazil and using structural equation modeling analysis. Findings reveal that sustainability education, whether initiated by the consumer or by the organization, contributes positively to promote a brand’s green image. Environmental concern and perceived consumer effectiveness both mediate the relationships between educational factors and green buying behavior. Lastly, the moderating effects of culture highlight the importance of environmental concern in a collectivist country and perceived consumer effectiveness in an individualist country.

PurposeThis study compares the impact of three drivers of sustainability behavior (perceived quality, social influences, and online education) and three transformative mediators (price value, attitude, and environmental knowledge) in influencing green buying behavior in a developed versus a developing country.Design/methodology/approachData was collected through a self-administered online survey in the United States (n = 195) and in Brazil (n = 209). The hypothesized model was tested using structural equation modeling software. Multi-group analysis was conducted to compare the impact of drivers and mediators on consumers' intention and willingness to buy green products and services between the two country groups.FindingsThe direct effects of price value, attitude, online education, and environmental knowledge, together with the indirect effects of perceived quality, social influence, and online education explain a significant amount of variation in driving consumer sustainability behavior in both countries. Differences between countries indicate that cultural and country's level of economic development moderate some relationships in the model. Affordable prices and social influences are stronger in Brazil.Practical implicationsOrganizations must educate consumers on relevant socio-ecological issues and communicate the positive aspects of their sustainable offerings as a proactive way to change consumers' attitude toward sustainability behavior, while recognizing the influence of family and friends in collectivist societies and price value in emerging markets.Originality/valueThis study is unique in drawing from three theories of green buying behavior and for empirically demonstrating the importance of distinct drivers and mediators under the context of countries in different stages of economic development (developed and developing). It provides a more global perspective on the topic and highlights the influential power of the key transformative mediators in the model.

Purpose This study compares the impact of three drivers of sustainability behavior (perceived quality, social influences, and online education) and three transformative mediators (price value, attitude, and environmental knowledge) in influencing green buying behavior in a developed versus a developing country. Design/methodology/approach Data was collected through a self-administered online survey in the United States (n = 195) and in Brazil (n = 209). The hypothesized model was tested using structural equation modeling software. Multi-group analysis was conducted to compare the impact of drivers and mediators on consumers' intention and willingness to buy green products and services between the two country groups. Findings The direct effects of price value, attitude, online education, and environmental knowledge, together with the indirect effects of perceived quality, social influence, and online education explain a significant amount of variation in driving consumer sustainability behavior in both countries. Differences between countries indicate that cultural and country's level of economic development moderate some relationships in the model. Affordable prices and social influences are stronger in Brazil. Practical implications Organizations must educate consumers on relevant socio-ecological issues and communicate the positive aspects of their sustainable offerings as a proactive way to change consumers' attitude toward sustainability behavior, while recognizing the influence of family and friends in collectivist societies and price value in emerging markets. Originality/value This study is unique in drawing from three theories of green buying behavior and for empirically demonstrating the importance of distinct drivers and mediators under the context of countries in different stages of economic development (developed and developing). It provides a more global perspective on the topic and highlights the influential power of the key transformative mediators in the model.

This case was prepared by the authors and is intended to be used as a basis for class discussion. The views presented here are those of the authors based on their professional judgment and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Society for Case Research. Copyright [c] 2022 by the Society for Case Research and the authors. No part of this work may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means without the written permission of the Society for Case Research.

This case was prepared by the authors and is intended to be used as a basis for class discussion. The views represented here are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Society for Case Research. The views are based on professional judgment. Copyright [C] 2021 by the Society for Case Research and the authors. No part of this work may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means without the written permission of the Society for Case Research.

Our study addresses the limited attention paid to the role of indigenous institutional environments in framing the legitimate forms of governance used to shape buyer-supplier exchanges. Drawing on institutional theory and marketing channel literature, the study suggests that the emphasis in buyer-supplier exchanges on communication modalities and norms has much to do with the effectiveness of legal systems in a buyer's country. Three contexts for legitimacy are conceptualized from an examination of exchanges in developed economies with strong formal institutions and transitioning economies with underdeveloped institutions. Using surveys of US buyers to represent strong formal institutional environments, we conclude that buyers heavily influenced by regulative enforcement place a relatively greater emphasis on formal information sharing in their partnership efforts to build trust and enhance supplier performance. From surveys of buyers in India and China, we conclude that buyers place a relatively greater emphasis on informal information sharing when their legitimacy derives from the endogenously enforced moral codes of their private networks. Finally, surveys administered in Brazil and Russia revealed that buyers in environments pressured by the familial loyalty practices of their private networks place a relatively greater emphasis on the norm of solidarity to build trust in their suppliers. •This research paper is targeted for the special issue entitled: “Managing B2B Relationship with Emerging Market Partners.”.•The empirical examination of the US and BRIC nations led to a proposed buyer-supplier exchange framework examined in the context of indigenous institutional effects as observed from the lens of emerging and developed economies.

Purpose This paper aims to explore the effects of institutional environments across developed and emerging markets on buyer–supplier cooperation. It empirically examines a Business-to-Business relational exchange model of trust-building, commitment and cooperative behaviors within firms in the USA and countries such as Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC). Design/methodology/approach A conceptual model and accompanying research hypotheses are tested on a sample of buyers from the USA (n = 169), Brazil (n = 110), China (n = 100), Russia (n = 100) and India (n = 100). Structural equation modeling is used to test the relationships in the model. Findings Findings suggest that approaches to achieve successful cooperation vary across countries and depend on the interaction between formal and informal institutions present in each country. Results show that buyers from India and China place relatively greater emphasis on conflict resolution and commitment, whereas buyers from Brazil and Russia rely more on trust in their efforts to create cooperative relationships. For US buyers, formality and quality of communication and functional benefits are key factors in fostering trust, commitment and cooperation. Practical implications A conceptual framework is advanced that extends traditional westernized and China-only perspectives of relational exchanges to a more universal context. Results suggest that suppliers understand how their buyers’ country-level institutional environment shapes their partnership legitimacy and relational motivations at the transaction level. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to examine buyer–supplier relational exchanges through the lenses of transaction cost, social exchange and institutional theories using the USA and BRIC nations as proxies for examination of institutional effects.