3. Introduction:
Consumers are increasingly concerned about the environmental impact of their purchasing
decisions. This study aims to explore the aviation industry and specifically the interplay between
Environmental Consciousness, Greenwashing Skepticism, and Willingness to Pay a Premium
Price for Green Flights, considering also the mediation of Perceived Environmental Effectiveness
within these factors. As environmental issues become more prominent, understanding these
dynamics is crucial for marketers and policymakers alike.
4. Theory and Hypotheses Development
During our research we considered Enviromental consciousness and Greenwashing Skepticism as
independent variables.
Specifically, Environmental consciousness involves a heightened awareness and concern for
environmental issues, reflecting a deep understanding of the impact of human activities on the
natural world. It signifies a mindful and responsible approach to the well-being of the planet and its
ecosystems.
Considering Greenwashing Skepticism, we have to underline the componets of this variable.
Particularly Green skepticism prompts passengers to critically question climate change ideas,
fostering a fact-based understanding of environmental problems. Unwarranted doubt may impede
environmental efforts, emphasizing the need for questioning based on reliable scientific
information. Greenwashing skepticism, instead, involves a critical examination of industries' eco-
friendly claims, contributing to discourse on balancing environmental consciousness and economic
considerations. The potential correlation adds complexity, with legal implications emphasizing the
need for a transparent airline framework for genuine sustainability practices.
Following with the analysis of the mediator, which is the Perceived Environmental Effectiveness,
we considered this concept as consumers’ growing environmental awareness in airlines providing
green flights, prompting research into consumer perceptions of environmental care strategies'
effectiveness. This exploration is vital, as it influences consumers' willingness to pay a premium for
eco-friendly services. Recent studies highlight the dilemma faced by environmentally conscious
travelers, balancing personal benefits with the environmental impact of flying (Poetschke, 2019;
Udall et al., 2020; Higham et al., 2014; Olson, 2012).
Finally, we considered the dependent variable “Willingness to Pay Premiums for green flights” as
the amount individuals are willing to spend on eco-friendly flights, considering their environmental
consciousness, greenwashing skepticism, and perceptions of environmental effectiveness.
It represents a dynamic balance between personal values, environmental concerns, and perceived
benefits. This concept plays a central role in shaping strategies for pricing eco-friendly flights,
aligning them with consumer expectations and contributing to sustainable practices in the aviation
industry.
The study explores how these factors collectively influence consumers' WTP for green flights.
Drawing on the fact that traveler’s level of environmental consciousness and greenwashing
skepticism, combined with their perception of the environmental effectiveness of flight companies’
practices, can strongly impact consumers' intention to pay more to purchase eco-friendly flights, we
propose the following hypotheses:
Consumers with greater environmental consciousness may be more aware of the benefits of eco-
friendly flights, fostering a positive attitude toward their purchase, even if they apply a premium
price. This hypothesis shows that people with a deeper knowledge about environmentally friendly
activities are more likely to pay premiums while purchasing green flights.
5. H1: Higher environmental consciousness positively influences traveler’s willingness to pay
premium prices for eco-friendly flights.
Traveler´s Greenwashing Skepticism suggests that consumers are not fully convinced by
companies’ green practices implementation and communication impacting on their willingness to
pay more if they can state the real application of green practices from flight companies.
H2: Traveler’s Greenwashing Skepticism negatively influences willingness to pay premium prices
for eco-friendly flights.
Perception of Environmental Effectiveness related to practices implemented by flight companies
can mediate consumers' willingness to pay more for a green flight. Companies that effectively
communicate and implement genuine green initiatives building trust are more likely to attract
environmentally conscious consumers willing to invest in eco-friendly travel options.
H3: Traveler’s Perception of flight companies’ Environmental Effectiveness mediates Willingness
to Pay Premium prices for eco-friendly flights.
6. Methods
We recruited 285 people, but at the time of verifying the data, we excluded those respondents who
did not complete the survey, though, we considered 129 participants through convenience
sampling method. The data collection process was facilitated using the online platform “Qualtrics”.
Additionally, to gather data a Cross-Sectional design was used, enabling us to capture a diverse
range of perspectives at a specific moment in time. Specifically, respondents were asked to provide
information about their demographics, and Environmental Consciousness and Greenwashing
Skepticism levels.
Finally, as stated before, has been applied a quantitative method which helped us in reaching our
aim to understand both consumers’ behavior and attitudes that affect the willingness to pay for
green flights, as well as to show evidence of our results using statistical methods such as linear
regression and correlations studies in analyzing the variables.
Table 1: Characteristics of Respondents Measures:
Instrument of collecting data: We shared a survey with 14 questions, applied to individuals of both
genders, males, and females mainly within the 19-30 years age range. They belong to different
nationalities such as Morocco, Italy, México, the United States, Brazil, Germany, and France. The
ethic of this instrument was described at the beginning of the survey, to let participants build
confidence to receive trustworthy and valid answers for the research.
This survey had the objective of responding to the influential variables in considering the
Willingness to Pay a premium price to purchase green flights, such as Environmental
Consciousness, Greenwashing Skepticism, and Perceived Environmental Effectiveness.
The measurement conditions were as follows: Independent variables:
Environmental Consciousness & Greenwashing Skepticism: Likert scale from 1 (strongly
disagree) to 5 (strongly agree)
Mediator:
Perceived Environmental Effectiveness: Likert scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly
agree)
Dependent variable:
Willingness to Pay: Likert scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree)
Further information:
Demographics and habits: Mainly measured through multiple choices questions (MCQ).
Table 2: Correlations Between Variables
The correlation matrix shows the correlation coefficients between the independent variables EC
(Environmental Concern), GW (Greenwashing), the mediator PEE (Perceived Environmental
Effectiveness), and the dependent variable WTP (Willingness to Pay).
7. Specifically, strong positive correlations exist between WTP and EC (0.59204108), suggesting that
individuals with higher environmental consciousness are more likely to pay premiums. This data
indicates a positive linear relationship between the two variables.
As well as the previous data, we also detected a moderate positive correlation, and consequently a
linear relationship, between PEE and WTP (0.34320933), indicating that individuals with a higher
perception of environmental effectiveness express their willingness to pay more when purchasing a
green flight.
Finally, the correlation between GW and WTP is even smaller, with a coefficient of 0.06224402,
suggesting a very weak positive linear relationship or almost no linear relationship between GW
and WTP, meaning that the impact of GW on WTP is so small that a one-unit increase in GW
provokes an increase of almost 0.06 units of WTP, which is almost zero.
8. Results
Our analysis revealed that the correlation between the dependent variable and the independent ones
varies. Environmental Consciousness demonstrated a positive effect on the intention to pay more
for eco-friendly flights with a linear relationship among the variables considered. On the opposite, a
very weak linear relationship has been detected between Greenwashing and WTP.
Perceived Environmental Effectiveness exhibited a positive relationship in mediate WTP, showing
again a linear relationship among the studied elements.
The regression model suggests that EC and PEE are significant predictors of WTP, as indicated by
their low p-values. Detailed results are presented in Table 3.
Table 3: Regression Results
Intercept:
Represents the estimated value of the dependent variable (WTP) when all independent variables
(EC, GW, PEE) are zero. In this case, the intercept is -0.49904.
The intercept does not have a meaningful interpretation in this context.
Environmental Consciousness (EC):
The coefficient for EC is 0.83262, predicting an increase of 0.83262 units in the dependent variable
(WTP), holding other variables constant.
The coefficient is statistically significant (p<0.001), suggesting that environmental consciousness
has a significant positive effect on WTP.
Greenwashing Skepticism (GW):
The coefficient for GW is -0.07975, predicting a decrease of- 0.07975 units in WTP, holding other
variables constant.
This coefficient is not statistically significant (p=0.34690), suggesting that the effect of
greenwashing skepticism on WTP is not statistically supported in this model.
Perceived Environmental Effectiveness (PEE):
The coefficient for PEE is 0.26445, predicting an increase of 0.26445 units in WTP, holding other
variables constant.
The coefficient is statistically significant (p=0.00158), suggesting that perceived environmental
effectiveness has a significant positive effect on WTP.
9. Discussion
The study's findings affirm the first hypothesis (H1), indicating a significant connection between
higher Environmental Consciousness and a favorable impact on individuals' intention to pay
premium prices for eco-friendly flights. However, the data does not strongly support the second
hypothesis (H2), suggesting a negligible linear relationship between Greenwashing Skepticism and
Willingness to Pay premiums.
The study confirms the third hypothesis (H3), revealing a positive mediation of Environmental
Effectiveness on the intention to pay more for eco-friendly flights emphasizing its influence on
consumers’ behavior.
These results contribute to the broader body of research, emphasizing the need for aviation industry
initiatives to focus on genuine environmental efforts to effectively drive consumer preferences and
sustainable practices. Many managerial implications can be detected and analyzed in the future,
such as the technological applications that can enhance green practices and align the evolving
environmental regulations, and the investments related to the adoption of new technologies that
support green flights with less environmental impact in relation to the increasing demand of people
who fly every day.
These implications underscore the intricate interplay between consumer attitudes, corporate
practices, and the evolving landscape of eco-conscious travelers.
10. Conclusion
In conclusion, this study contributes to our understanding of the factors influencing consumers'
willingness to pay premiums when purchasing eco-friendly flights. The positive influence of
environmental consciousness and the mitigating effect of lower price sensitivity highlights
actionable insights for marketers and policymakers.
All statistical analyses were conducted using the “R” programming language, ensuring robust and
reproducible results. The correlation matrix and regression coefficients were derived through
advanced statistical functions within the “R” environment.
Recognizing the vital role of environmental consciousness and the link between perceived
environmental effectiveness and skepticism of greenwashing is a key factor for stakeholders who
want to contribute to a more sustainable aviation market.
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15. Title Lorem Ipsum
LOREM IPSUM DOLOR SIT AMET,
CONSECTETUER ADIPISCING ELIT.
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FUSCE EST. VIVAMUS A TELLUS.
PELLENTESQUE HABITANT MORBI
TRISTIQUE SENECTUS ET NETUS.
