Factors Influencing the Purchasing Behavior of Organic Products in Chiclayo: The Mediating Role of Attitudes

Abstract

The study aimed to examine how green advertising, ecological concern, and perceived emotional value influenced organic purchase behavior among consumers in Chiclayo, while assessing the mediating role of attitudes toward organic products. A qua ntitative explanatory approach with a non-experimental, cross-sectional design was implemented. Data were collected from 168 recent organic-product buyers using a structured 5-point Likert questionnaire. PLS-SEM was employed, and the measurement model showed strong reliability and validity (outer loadings 0.753–0.920; Cronbach’s alpha 0.818–0.898; AVE 0.710–0.821; HTMT 0.640–0.884), with no problematic multicollinearity. The structural model demonstrated high explanatory power for attitudes (R2=0.727), which were drive n primarily by ecological concern (β=0.444; p<0.001; f2=0.405), followed by emotional value (β=0.337; p<0.001; f2=0.192), while green advertising contributed a smaller yet significant effect (β=0.200; p=0.031; f2=0.081). Attitudes, in turn, strongly predicted purchase behavior (β=0.747; p<0.001; R2=0.557) and significantly mediated the effects of all three antecedents on buying behavior. The findings indicated that strengthening attitudes was central to translating pro-environmental motivations and emotions into actual purchases, leading to recommendations focused on verifiable green communication, ethically framed emotional appeals, and future inclusion of situational barriers such as price, availability, and certification trust.