Greenwashing and green purchase intention: The moderating role of responsibility

Thuc Ngoc Nguyen; Uyen Thi Thu Doan; Lan Duy Nguyen

doi:10.29333/ejosdr/18715

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Thuc Ngoc Nguyen ¹ ^* , Uyen Thi Thu Doan ¹ , Lan Duy Nguyen ¹

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¹ Faculty of Business Administration, Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh, VIETNAM^* Corresponding Author

Abstract

This research is based on the theory of planned behavior and theory of perceived risk (PR) where the impact of perceived greenwashing (PG) on purchase intention (PI) is assessed, as well as the mediating roles of green brand image, brand trust, PR, and attitudes towards green products. The research broadens the theoretical frame by checking the moderating impact of personal environmental responsibility (ER). Data were gathered from 502 Vietnamese consumers who had bought green products and thought a brand had used greenwashing practices. Structural interrelationships were analyzed through partial least squares structural equation modeling using SmartPLS 4. Results show that PG has a statistically significant but not major direct influence on PI and can indirectly affect it through mediators. Moreover, ER acts as a moderator between PG, PR, and PI. These results offer insights into consumer responses to greenwashing in Vietnam.

Keywords

greenwashing
purchase intention
environmental responsibility
perceived risk

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This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Research Article

EUR J SUSTAIN DEV RES, Volume 10, Issue 3, 2026, Article No: em0409

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejosdr/18715

Publication date: 01 Jul 2026

Online publication date: 04 Jun 2026

Article Views: 12

Article Downloads: 7

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How to cite this article

APA

Nguyen, T. N., Doan, U. T. T., & Nguyen, L. D. (2026). Greenwashing and green purchase intention: The moderating role of responsibility. European Journal of Sustainable Development Research, 10(3), em0409. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejosdr/18715

Vancouver

Nguyen TN, Doan UTT, Nguyen LD. Greenwashing and green purchase intention: The moderating role of responsibility. EUR J SUSTAIN DEV RES. 2026;10(3):em0409. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejosdr/18715

AMA

Nguyen TN, Doan UTT, Nguyen LD. Greenwashing and green purchase intention: The moderating role of responsibility. EUR J SUSTAIN DEV RES. 2026;10(3), em0409. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejosdr/18715

Chicago

Nguyen, Thuc Ngoc, Uyen Thi Thu Doan, and Lan Duy Nguyen. "Greenwashing and green purchase intention: The moderating role of responsibility". European Journal of Sustainable Development Research 2026 10 no. 3 (2026): em0409. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejosdr/18715

Harvard

Nguyen, T. N., Doan, U. T. T., and Nguyen, L. D. (2026). Greenwashing and green purchase intention: The moderating role of responsibility. European Journal of Sustainable Development Research, 10(3), em0409. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejosdr/18715

MLA

Nguyen, Thuc Ngoc et al. "Greenwashing and green purchase intention: The moderating role of responsibility". European Journal of Sustainable Development Research, vol. 10, no. 3, 2026, em0409. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejosdr/18715