Abstract:

Academics have primarily focused on how green marketing strategies, particularly product green transformation and upgrading strategies, influence consumers' value judgments and decision-making behaviors. Studies have shown that disclosing information about product green attributes can help emphasize the unique environmental characteristics that differentiate products from alternatives, thereby enhancing consumers' perceived green value and purchase preferences. However, some studies hold a contradictory view that green attributes may not only negatively impact the functional value of products but also lead to consumer skepticism, rejection, and resistance. Therefore, product green attributes are not always assets and can even be liabilities in the consumption decision process, a phenomenon referred to as the double-edged sword effect (positive and negative coexistence) of product green attribute information in this study. Sustainable consumption behavior has become a popular research topic in marketing in recent years, but research on the negative outcome effects of product green attribute information has only emerged since 2015, and there is a lack of a systematic research framework to reveal the mechanisms underlying this effect in the consumer decision-making process. However, correcting the deviation between green attitude-behavior and establishing a long-term mechanism to promote green consumption are not only essential for companies to enhance their green competitiveness, but also an important element for the transformation and upgrading of green and low-carbon consumption for society as a whole.
The purpose of this study is to address the research gap in the fragmented and inconsistent understanding of the double-edged sword effect of product green attribute information on consumers' decision-making behavior. To achieve this, the study proposes a multidimensional integrated model that incorporates three research perspectives, including perceived risk-benefit, cognitive balance, and hedonic-utilitarian motivation. The study systematically classifies the connotation structure of product green attribute information and standardizes the experimental paradigm to verify and measure the double-edged sword effect. Specifically, the study aims to analyze whether different content-oriented green attribute information stimulates different levels of consumers' perceptions of environmental utilitarian benefits, self-expression benefits, quality perceptions, and green authenticity perceptions, which lead to differentiated decision-making behaviors of consumers. Furthermore, the study suggests that green attributes information will promote consistency in consumer beliefs and facilitate consumer decisions for typical green products, while atypical green products will lead to negative attitudes, behavioral intentions, and product evaluations due to contradictory inherent perceptions. Moreover, the study concludes that consumers pursue hedonic goals by seeking pleasure and gain at the sensory and mental levels. Under the hedonic motivation, information on product green attributes can stimulate consumers' flow experience and promote consumption decisions. On the contrary, under the utilitarian motivation, green attributes with high relevance to the core function of the product are not compatible with the decision goal of maximizing the use value of the product, so it is difficult to stimulate the flow experience in the consumption process. Additionally, the study explores the moderating role and boundary mechanism of product green attribute information from both individual psychological representation factors and external contextual factors.
This study presents valuable insights that have significant practical implications for marketers and enterprises looking to improve the marketability and competitiveness of green products. The findings offer fresh ideas for developing targeted publicity and promotional strategies, as well as new strategic directions that can be leveraged to strengthen the position of environmentally-friendly products in the marketplace. Overall, this study offers valuable guidance to marketers and enterprises seeking to remain relevant and competitive in an ever-changing and increasingly environmentally-conscious marketplace. The insights gained from this study can serve as a roadmap for developing effective marketing and business strategies that align with consumer values and preferences, while also promoting sustainable and eco-friendly practices.

Key words: green attributes information of products, consumer decision, double-edged sword effect, boundary mechanism