RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOCIAL CAUSE, ENVIRONMENT CONSERVATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL ATTITUDE, TOWARDS PROMOTING GREEN PURCHASING BEHAVIOR

Irresponsible and imprudent usage of natural resources has presented a significant threat to the environment and its resources, contaminating them, and impeding their development. To mitigate this effect, responsible policies and practices must be adopted and implemented. One of the most successful strategies is to reduce our reliance on conventional items and replace them with green alternatives. However, insufficient information and expertise among consumers hamper their efforts to promote green products. Thus, it is critical to understand the factors influencing consumers' behavior and intentions toward green products to increase their acceptance. The purpose of the study is to learn more about how caring about the environment, having a desire to make a positive impact, and having a positive attitude towards the environment can help encourage people to buy eco-friendly products. 549 responses were collected using Google form from India, China, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. Structural Equation Modelling was used to test the forming assumptions. It was found that the study supports the hypotheses and the constructs of social issues, environmental conservation, and mindset, are significantly associated with the green buying behavior of the consumers. Additionally, it was found that environmental attitude should be further integrated to reinforce these relationships.

Humans' imprudent actions have a detrimental influence on the environment, destroying accessible natural resources, increasing climatic variability, global warming, and radiation, and having a severe impact on the world's ecological system Polonsky et al., 2012;Moravcikova et al., 2017). Fortunately, as a result of modern technology, people are becoming more aware of these impacts and are willing to improve the situation by substituting inexpensive or green items for traditional products (Leonidou & Leonidou, 2011;Dangelico & Vocalelli, 2017). This shift in consumer purchasing behavior resulted in a transformation in the techniques used by businesses and organizations to meet the needs of ecological product customers as well as to stay a step ahead of their competitors in the market (Barbulescu & Duteanu, 2017;Kirilova & Vaklieva-Bancheva, 2017).
Green Purchasing Behavior refers to the act of customers purchasing a product that is considered "green" or environmentally friendly. However, it does not stop there; it also includes purchasing domestically manufactured goods in order to reduce one's carbon impact and selecting products that are legally marketed to contribute to equity (do Paço et al., 2013b). Marketing and consumption of green products, according to Hasan & Ali (2015), are critical methods for protecting, improving, and conserving the environment and its natural resources. As a result, global consumption and marketing of green products are accelerating, enticing many customers to contribute to the sustainability and protection of the environment (Shabbir et al., 2020).
Apart from environmental concern, numerous other factors, such as the price of green products , green products and their packaging (Chen et al., 2017;Mishra et al., 2017;Yang & Zhao, 2019), lack of awareness among consumers, etc., influence their choice towards green products. "Green Marketing," which is an umbrella term for a collection of efforts aimed at marketing a particular commodity while stressing its minimal environmental impact (Moravcikova et al., 2017), refers to a holistic management strategy that identifies, anticipates, and links the needs of consumers and other businesses in an economically and environmentally sustainable manner (Peattie, K. 2001). Businesses believe that some environmental reserves are hard to offset, and do not help them achieve the best possible economic performance (Fraj et al., 2011). Nonetheless, green marketing is frequently oversimplified as the activity of outlining, enforcing, and supervising the advancement, pricing, and promotion of a commodity in a manner that satisfies the desires and requirements of customers while also completing the firm's purpose (Dangelico & Vocalelli, 2017). Due to the lack of a recognized definition of green marketing, businesses have developed their own expertise based on their aims, liability risks, and convenience. Ecological thinking is no longer just a matter of accountability for businesses; it has evolved into a materialistic opportunity and a new road for new business prospects and growth (Carroll, 1999).
According to numerous polls, environmental consciousness and knowledge are increasing, albeit slowly. Despite consumer concern for the environment and a favorable attitude toward green products, the market share of these goods is only 1-3 percent of the total market (Bray et al., 2011), implying that most consumers overlook the benefits of green products to the environment and their lifestyle. Consumer ignorance can result in incidents occurring because of difficulties encountered by these customers when adopting and eating green products, which occur as a result of a lack of understanding and awareness of the products (Polonsky et al., 2012). Yet, customeroriented studies such as the Harris Poll revealed that, while consumers are increasingly conscious of their responsibility to protect the environment, they face their own barriers to incorporating green products into their daily lives, such as economic limits and product availability (Polonsky et al., 2012). As several academics have noted, there is still a disconnect between customers' perceptions and their actual purchasing behavior. According to Hughner et al. (2007), over 67% of consumers expressed a favorable opinion toward green products, but just 4% purchased them. As a result, comprehensive analysis is required to ascertain the factors impacting customers' decisions to purchase green products.
The study seeks to understand more about how caring about the environment, the need to make a positive impact, and having a positive attitude towards the environment can help encourage people to buy ecofriendly products. Considering the above background, this research tries to achieve the following objectives, which would help in promoting green products on a large scale for consumers to incorporate them into their daily lifestyles: RO1. To understand whether social cause directly affects green purchasing behavior when purchasing green products.
RO2. Determine whether environmental conservation has a direct impact on green purchasing behavior when purchasing green products.
RO3. To understand the direct and indirect effects of environmental attitude on green purchasing behavior while purchasing green products. Overall, we contribute by building, testing, and empirically validating a framework that examines the influence of factors required for green purchasing behavior. First, this research contributes to establishing the significance of social cause and environmental conservation in improving green purchasing behavior. Second, it finds evidence to support the significant role of environmental attitude towards green purchasing behavior. Third, the research found that environmental attitude further strengthens the social cause and environmental conservation constructs towards green purchasing.
Our study is organized as follows: The next section covers the theoretical background, followed by a discussion that establishes the theoretical relationships between the constructs and hypotheses based on the relationships. Next, the findings are explained and analyzed, followed by a discussion of the findings from theoretical and practical perspectives. Finally, we close by discussing limitations and providing suggestions for future research.

THEORETICAL BACKGROUND AND CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
Green marketing comprises a broad range of elements that contribute to a sustainable environment, ranging from environmental conservation to customer satisfaction with environmental safety. As a result, industries and enterprises have been compelled to adapt to rapid environmental changes. It has developed into a tool for businesses to optimize their operations while simultaneously protecting the interests of their customers and the long-term viability of the environment (Juwaheer et al., 2012;Hasan & Ali, 2015;Papadas et al., 2017). While the concept of green marketing continues to increase in popularity as more businesses and consumers embrace it, a substantial portion of the market still lacks understanding and awareness about green products and their beneficial effects on the environment's sustainability. Over time, the number of researchers and their studies has increased, resulting in a more current and rigorous understanding of the critical nature of green products. Numerous studies are available that examine the critical factors influencing customers' purchasing decisions and attitudes toward green products. As a result, to better understand this, we'll discuss a few used in the study. In the conceptual framework (Figure 1), we suggest three components that operate in conjunction to promote green purchasing behavior. These three components are explained below.

Social Cause (SCAU)
The extent to which consumers and businesses are worried about the environment and campaign for its preservation and sustainability is referred to as "social concern" or "environmental concern" (Shabbir et al., 2020). While corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a phrase that refers to the extent to which corporations contribute to environmental safety through the production, promotion, reprocessing, and modernization of lowimpact products (Moravcikova et al., 2017). Instead of concentrating on green innovation created only from the managers' perspective, businesses should improve consumers' impressions of a green brand's innovativeness to increase brand loyalty (Lin et al., 2019). According to numerous research, social concern on the part of customers and businesses results in a more favorable attitude toward the environment (Cleveland et al., 2005;Moutinho et al., 2011;Nath et al., 2014;Guéguen & Stefan, 2016). This demonstrates the importance of social concern in fostering a favorable attitude toward the environment.

Environmental Attitude (EATT)
Consumers' motivation to purchase green products is determined by their environmental attitude or their (positive or Numerous studies have been published indicating that consumers' attitudes and beliefs influence their purchasing behavior (directly or indirectly) when it comes to green products (Laroche et al., 2002;Akehurst et al., 2012;Zuo & Zhao, 2014;Yang & Zhao, 2019). Environmental knowledge refers to a consumer's awareness and understanding of environmental issues and the potential environmental impact of specific products and actions. This gauges client perceptions of environmental safety and influences their purchasing behavior through promoting environmental consciousness. Different consumers have varying perceptions of environmental awareness, according to Bailey et al. (2016). This attitude heightens their urge to purchase further items (Barber, 2010;Zahid et al., 2018). According to Kaiser et al. (2007), and Kirmani and Khan (2016), customers' positive sentiments influence their purchasing behavior positively, making it a key factor to consider when assessing consumer purchasing behavior. According to available research, environmental information positively influences consumer attitudes and raises awareness. Consumers are becoming more aware of environmental challenges and their remedies. Lin et al. (2019) stated that organizations must also invest resources in raising consumer views of the innovativeness and value of green brands and in increasing consumer environmental literacy to foster brand loyalty. Panopoulos et al. (2023) stated Influencers have a beneficial influence on Generation Z's user-generated content, and environmental awareness has a strong positive impact on eco-labelling. Businesses are also focusing more on green operations due to rising consumer environmental awareness and due to responsibility towards environment (Wang et al., 2022).

Environmental Conservation (ECON)
Individuals who care about the environment are more likely to be motivated to conserve it because they are aware of their roles in its protection (Gadenne et al., 2011). Globally, individuals, businesses, and industries are accountable for environmental devastation and its protection (Papadopoulos et al., 2010). Green products, services, and marketing simplified the process for environmentally conscious consumers (Cleveland et al., 2005;Kardos et al., 2019). As a result, as consumers became more aware of the environmental and lifestyle benefits of green products, and they started switching from traditional to green products. According to research, only a small percentage of the global population is committed to environmental conservation, while the majority remain misinformed. According to Wang et al. (2022), Green Technological Innovation (GTI) is one of the most powerful ways for advancing the greening of the economy, and environmental restrictions from the government are a crucial tool for motivating businesses to implement GTI. It can be seen that customers' concern for the environment has a beneficial effect on their green purchasing behavior.

Green Purchasing Behavior (GPBE)
Consumers create success steps for firms and organizations in the market to stay ahead of others. Hence, they should be provided with the products and services that they need, which can be achieved by understanding their perceptions and the key factors responsible for their decisions. With globalization and industrialization there has been a massive change in the purchasing decisions of consumers, which determines their choices and behavior towards a product (Candan et al., 2008). Consumers' green shopping behavior demonstrates their concern for environmental sustainability and protection. This behavior is geared toward purchasing biodegradable, recyclable, and eco-friendly products, hence reducing pollution (do Paço et al., 2013a).
According to Kumar & Ghodeswar (2015), green purchasing behavior also involves adopting and encouraging ecologically friendly ways, sustainable consumption, assisting businesses that produce green products, and spending more on green products. Manufacturers and retailers should focus their efforts on building strategies that position environmentally friendly products with robust brand attributes that emphasize how they will benefit consumers (D'Souza et al., 2020). Numerous studies exist about the consumer's green shopping behavior, which explore the numerous aspects that influence the consumer's purchasing behavior (Tilikidou, 2007;Lee, 2008;Uddin & Khan, 2016). Understanding the factors inducing consumers to purchase green products, helps firms and organizations to influence the decisions of consumers in a decision-making process (Türk & Erciş, 2017). Moslehpour et al. (2021) stated that the producers must pay more attention to packaging and other novel forms of marketing to increase the customers' intent for purchasing green products. Studies have discovered that consumers' good behavior has a beneficial effect on their purchasing behavior.
We propose the below hypotheses based on the theoretical foundations of the constructs and the conceptual model: H1: Social cause has a positive effect on the green purchasing behavior of the consumers.
H2: Environmental attitude has a positive effect on the green purchasing behavior of the consumers.
H3: Environmental conservation have positive effect on the green purchasing behavior of the consumers.
H4: Environmental attitude mediates the relationship between social cause and green purchasing behavior.
H5: Environmental attitude mediates the relationship between environmental conservation and green purchasing behavior.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This study develops a conceptual model to explore how the consumers' green purchasing behavior are influenced by three types of constructs which are determined by social purpose, environmental conservation, environmental attitude. Around the conceptual model, a structured survey questionnaire was constructed. A total of 549 responses from various countries were received via Google Form (India, China, Sri-Lanka, and Bangladesh). The responders were primarily from several countries' capital cities. A convenience sample was used for the research which is frequently effective at gathering data from customers in a commercial or market setting. The efficient method of conducting research is to choose a sample of participants or responses from a community. Accessible people are included in this group. The instrument aids users in comprehending their thoughts and emotions. The research was done between March 2021 and December 2021. Tables A.1 and A.2 summarize the respondents' geographical area and demographic characteristics. The investigation into structural equation modelling was conducted using suitably cleansed and validated data.
To begin eradicating common method bias, participants were assured of complete confidentiality and informed that there were no correct or incorrect responses and that they were allowed to choose their own (Chang & Yang, 2010). A post hoc single component analysis found that it explained % of the variance in the dependent variable, which is less than the 50% which is acceptable as per Harman (1976).
The construct of social purpose has three attributes, the construct of environmental conservation has three attributes, the construct of environmental attitude has eight attributes, and the construct of green purchasing behavior has three attributes. Each survey attribute was calculated using a five-point Likert scale (from 1, i.e., strongly disagree, to 5, i.e., strongly agree) as proposed by (Cronin Jr & Taylor, 1992).
Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was conducted using SPSS and represents the attributes with similar characteristics and higher loadings or values, clubbed together as a construct, in a way that can be interpreted conveniently. AMOS was used to conduct CFA (Table A.4) and analyze the model. Readings from AMOS were used to determine the average variance extracted (AVE), composite reliability (CR), and convergent and discriminant validity of the items. The validity and reliability of the constructs are tested using: 1) convergent validity and 2) discriminant validity. Convergent validity of the latent variables is tested using the factor loadings and AVE (listed in Table 1). Discriminant validity was assessed based on the Fornell & Larcker (1981) test, using a pair of constructs and their AVE. The reliability of all the latent constructs is measured using CR and Cronbach's alpha, as shown in Table 1. The same was achieved while calculating the obtained convergent and divergent validity of the factors.

EFA, CFA and Model Fit
The association of extracted constructs to their attributes and the weighted values attained by these attributes are both shown in Table 1. As can be seen from the table, first eight attributes, representing perspective and attitude of the consumes towards environmental issues and its conservation, are pulled together to form construct 'Environmental Attitude'. Similarly, next three attributes representing social nature of the consumers to contribute towards the environment are pulled together to form construct 'Social Cause'. Further, another three attributes representing ways to protect and conserve environment are pulled together as 'Environmental Conservation'. Last three attributes representing intentions of the consumers to purchase green products are termed as 'Green Purchasing Behavior'.
The AVE of each construct exceeded 0.5, demonstrating sufficient convergent validity (Fornell & Larcker, 1981). The constructs were found to be distinctive since the square root of the AVE exceeded each correlation (Table 2) other than 0.81 between green purchasing behavior and environmental conservation. The difference in the values can be ignored, being low, and can be brought down further, but all the constructs and items are deemed important and hence kept in the model and not removed. The discriminant validity of these variables and factors was also assessed with the Henseler et al. (2014) test using HTMT at a threshold of 0.85. All the constructs were found to be within the threshold, resulting in support for discriminant validity in the model.
To test mediation, Sobel tests (Sobel, 1982;Baron & Kenny, 1986) were conducted, as given in Table 4, to test the effects of EATT as mediator across models on the relationship based on the hypotheses. Additionally, the indirect relationships were studied in the structural diagram using AMOS and separately as well. and their statistical significance noted and found to be similar for mediation as the Sobel test.
The model fit indices as per the measurement model in AMOS are reported in Table 2 and were all found to be acceptable. The Chi square for the model is less than 5 (Wheaton et al., 1977), and its p value is significant. GFI and CFI must be closer to 1 and more than 0.90 (Bentler, 1990). The model fit indices (RMSEA, SRMR, and CFI) meet the threshold requirements (Barrett, 2007). Values for the SRMR range from zero to 1.0, with wellfitting models obtaining values less than 0.05 (Diamantopoulos & Siguaw, 2000;Byrne, 2010). The values obtained for different models are close to 0.05 and hence are deemed acceptable. RMSEA is acceptable at 0.08 and is being considered as per the latest consensus (Hu & Bentler, 1999;Steiger, 2007) for a good fit, which is shown by the model.

Mediation
The structural relationships are shown in Table 3 and Figure 2. As per the Sobel tests conducted, there are positive mediation effects found between SCAU and GPBE, and ECON and GPBE by EATT. The statistical significance using AMOS were found to be similar to Sobel test for mediation. EATT is found to be positively mediating the relationship between SCAU and GBPE: SCAU → EATT→GPBE [H4: β=0.171 (p<0.01)]. EATT is found to be positively mediating the relationship between ECON and GPBE: ECON → EATT → GPBE [H5: β=0.202 (p<0.01)].

DISCUSSION
This study evaluates the relationship between social cause, environmental conservation, and environmental mindset, and their effect on consumers' green purchasing behavior. Many consumers are conscious of their environmental obligations and are willing to pay a premium for greener alternatives. The need to adhere to society's normal social conventions also compels people to purchase green items. Additionally, personal, independent values such as healthy eating habits and self-care frequently motivate consumers to switch to organic products.
The research is motivated by green purchasing habits altered consumers' lives due to the pandemic. Green Purchasing Behavior must be influenced by producers of green marketing products in the face of mounting environmental issues and other social causes. The results indicate that the hypotheses' relationships are supported. The model supports the direct association between social issues and green purchasing  Table 4. Test for Mediation behavior, as consumers, particularly those who live in metropolitan areas, have become more receptive to utilizing green products because of their increased concern for society. This is consistent with H1.
The structural model demonstrates a considerable association between environmental conservation and green shopping behavior. Understanding the environment and the variables that have a negative impact on it has a beneficial effect on Green Purchasing Behavior. Consumers opt for greener options in the sake of a clean future and the preservation of natural resources for future generations. As a result, H2 is supported.
The structural model demonstrates a significant association between environmental mindset and green purchasing behavior. The desire to transition to a more sustainable lifestyle has a beneficial effect on green shopping. As a result, individuals who previously purchased non-green products are now adjusting their routines and purchasing behavior to include green purchases. People frequently associate a healthy and happy lifestyle with environmentally conscious shopping behavior. As a result, the findings support H3.
The construct environmental attitude partially mediates the relationships between environmental conservation and green purchasing behavior, and social cause and green purchasing behavior, supporting H4 and H5. The structural model demonstrates that the existing relationships are strengthened further by inclusion of environmental attitude. The mediator further promotes environmental consciousness and urges the consumers to incorporate it in their lifestyle.
The constructs in this study, social cause, environmental conservation, and environmental attitude, are similar to constructs social norm, personal norm, perceived worth, attitude, trust, and information used in other studies on green purchasing behavior. Munerah et al. (2021) explored the intention to make non-green purchases by studying social and personal norm. Nguyen et al. (2019) studied how information and expertise affect consumers' intentions to make green purchases. According to Zhuang et al. (2021), the constructs of green perceived worth, attitude, and trust significantly impact the intention to make green purchases. The results of this study are in line with these studies on green purchasing behavior.

Managerial Implications
Natural resource depletion, unfavorable climate change, and other linked consequences have risen exponentially in response to population growth and the increasing need for basic requirements. In today's world, businesses are adopting more environmentally friendly techniques to deal with such situations. As a result, they began embracing and selling environmentally friendly practices, goods, and services to their clients to increase environmental consciousness. To thrive in a market that is always evolving to meet consumer needs and requirements, most businesses have embraced this sustainable strategy. This greater acceptance and understanding prompted researchers and academics to examine the potential implications and necessary adaptations to maximize benefits while ensuring environmental sustainability. Preserving the environment is one of the most important difficulties the world is going through, and the people are aware of it. Therefore, customers are willing to pay a higher price for a more sustainable and greener product as compared to a product that would pollute the environment even more. With the increase in awareness about environmental conservation, firms and industries that develop innovative and ecologically sound products will only succeed in the future. In the coming years, products from all sectors will be switched to a more sustainable and greener alternative. Consumers' and marketers' consciousness and actions today indicate their commitment to environmental conservation and to the development and long-term viability of the environment. As a result, it is critical for businesses and governments to express knowledge on environmental issues in a language that is easily understood by the public. Environmental awareness motivates consumers to purchase green products, enabling them to make decisions that benefit both themselves and the environment.

Theoretical Implications
From the study, positive associations between the factors and the purchasing behavior of the consumers towards green products emerged. Factors like social concern, environmental conservation, and environmental attitude were found to be significantly associated to the green buying behavior of consumers. Environmental attitude partially mediated the relationship between social concern and green purchasing behavior, and between environmental conservation and green purchasing behavior. From this, it can be deduced that social concern and environmental conservation are also strong constructs, and they have a healthy relationship with green purchasing behavior. Environmental attitude strengthens the relationship by mediating it and demonstrates that, despite the strength of the other two constructs, it can mediate and add value to the relationship. This demonstrates the nurturing approach and involvement of the consumers with respect to conservation and sustenance of the environment.

Limitations and New Direction of Research
Certain criteria must be considered to establish the study's limitations. While green purchasing behavior is a factor in the study, judgments can only be made based on verifiable factors. To assess the theoretical part of the investigation, accurate projections are required. This theoretical idea is necessary to distinguish planned data from actual data. Also, gathering data from five separate nations during a pandemic was difficult because many respondents were dealing with their own unique issues. This research needs to get further examined with identifying a new factor which is going to play a moderator role while studying green purchasing behavior with the existing constructs.

CONCLUSION
From the study, positive association between the factors and the purchasing behaviour of the consumers towards green products emanated. Factors like social cause, environmental conservation and environmental attitude found to be significantly associated to the green buying behaviour of the consumers. Environmental attitude partially mediated the association between social cause and green purchasing behaviour, and environmental conservation and green purchasing behaviour. It may be deduced from this that social cause and environmental conservation are both robust concepts with a positive association to green purchasing behaviour. Environmental attitude supports the relationship by mediating it and demonstrates that, despite the strength of the other two constructs, it can mediate the relationship and enhance its value. This demonstrates the nurturing approach and involvement of the consumers with respect to conservation and sustenance of the environment.