Green Product Consumers Segmentation Using Self-Organizing Maps in Iran

International Journal of Agricultural Management and Development

مقاله 8، دوره 7، شماره 3، آذر 2017، صفحه 347-356   

نوع مقاله: Research Article

نویسندگان

Narges Delafrooz^{* 1}؛ Sina Siavash Moghaddam²

¹Assistant Professor, Department of Business Management, Rasht branch, Islamic Azad University, Iran

²Assistant Professor, Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran.

چکیده

This study aims to segment the market based on demographical, psychological, and behavioral variables, and seeks to investigate their relationship with green consumer behavior. In this research, self-organizing maps are used to segment and to determine the features of green consumer behavior. This was a survey type of research study in which eight variables were selected from the demographical, psychological, and behavioral dimensions. Data were gathered through researcher-made questionnaire and distributing it among the statistical population (Supermarket Chains in Rasht city). The sample size was 392. The result showed that among the demographical variables, age, sex, and education had a direct contribution with green consumer behavior, whereas income had an adverse relationship with that. Psychological and behavioral variables including personal values, religiosity, environmental knowledge and attitudes, and personal habits are key predictors of green consumer behavior. The results identified four segments, which were called intense greens, potential greens, selfish darks, and intense darks. Green product marketers and producers can determine the target market using the results and employ an appropriate combined marketing strategy for consumers' based on their respective features.

کلیدواژه‌ها

green product؛ Green Consumer Behavior؛ Market segmentation؛ self-organizing maps

مراجع

Abbasi, G., & Enaiati, Gh.R., & Rahbari, M. (2012) Factors affecting the behavior of green purchasing Iranian Students (Case Study: Islamic Azad University of Qazvin). Research Management Journal, 27, 35-49.

Azevedo, S.G., Carvalho, H.., & Machado,V.C. (2011). The influence of green practices on supply chain performance: A case study approach. Logistics and Transportation Review, 47(6), 850–871.

Boztepe, A. (2012). Green marketing and its impact on consumer buying behavior.  European Journal of Economic and Political Studies, 5(1), 5- 14.

Chattopadhyay, M.K., Dan, P., Majumdar, S., & Chakraborty, P. (2012). Application of artificial neural network in market segmentation: A review On recent trends. Management Science Letters, 2(2), 425‐438.

Diamantopoulos, A., Schlegelmikch, B., Sinkovics, R., & Bohlem, G. (2003). Can Socio-demographics still play a role in profiling green consumers? Review of the evidence and an empirical investigation. Journal of Business Research, 56 (6), 465-480.  

Do Paco, A.F., & Raposo, M.B. (2010).Green consumer market segmentation: Empirical findings from Portugal. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 34(4), 429-436.

Delafrooz, N., Taleghani, M., & Nouri, B. (2014). Effect of green marketing on consumer purchase behavior. QScience Connect, 5, 1-9

Ferrell, O.C., & Hartline, M. (2011). Marketing Strategy, 5th ed. South Western Cengage Learning, Mason: Ohio, 743 p.

Goyat, S. (2011). The basis of market segmentation: A critical review of literature. European Journal Business Management, 3, 45-54.

Hanafizadeh, N., & Rastkhiz, P. (2012). a data mining model for risk assessment and customer segmentation in the insurance industry.  International Journal of Strategic Decision Sciences, 4(1), 51-77.

Hosseini,S.Y., & Ziaei-bideh, A.S. (2013). Segmentation and profiling green consumers with using self-organizing maps. Management Research in Iran, 2 (80), 43-68.

Jansson, J., & Marell, A. (2010). Green consumer behavior: determinants of curtailment and eco-innovation adoption. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 27 (4), 358–370.

Jansson, J., Marell, A., & Nordlund, A. (2010).Green consumer behavior: Determinants of curtailment and eco-innovation adoption.  Journal of Consumer Marketing, 27(4), 358-370.

KavoosiKalashami, M., Heydari, M., & Kazerani, H. (2012).  Investigating consumers' willingness to pay for organic green chicken in Iran (Case Study: Rasht City). International Journal of Agricultural Management and Development, 2(4), 235-241.

Kaufmann, H.R., Panni, M., & Orphanidou,Y. (2012). Factor’s affecting consumers‟ green purchasing behavior: an integrated conceptual framework. Amfiteatru Economic Journal, 15(31), 50-69.

Kim, Y., & Choi. S.M.  (2005). Antecedents of green purchase behavior: An examination of collectivism, environmental concern and PCE. Advances in Consumer Research, 32, 592-599.

Maniatis, P. (2015). Investigating factors influencing consumer decision-making while choosing    green products. Journal of Cleaner Production, 132,215-228.

Mostafa, M.M. (2009). Shades of green: A psychographic segmentation of the green consumer in Kuwait using self-organizing maps. Expert Systems with Applications, 36 (8), 11030–11038.

Mostafa, M.M. (2010). Clustering the ecological footprint of nations using Kohonen’s self-organizing maps. Expert Systems with Applications, 37, 2747–2755.

Mostafa, M.M. (2011). A Psycho-cognitive Segmentation of Organ Donors in Egypt Using Kohonen’s self-organizing maps. Expert Systems with Applications, 38, 6906–6915.

Peattie, K., & Charter, M. (2003). Green Marketing. In: Baker, M.J. (Ed.), Book Chapter: the Marketing Book. Elsevier, Worldwide.

Sandu, R.M. (2014). Green: Marketing, Products and Consumers. Practical Application of Science, 3 (5), 555-562.

Shahlaee Bagheri, J. (2014). Green marketing and its impacts on consumer behavior in sports shops. Annals of Applied Sport Science, 2 (2), 75-82.

Schwartz, S. H. (1992). Universals in the content and structure of values: Theory and empirical tests in 20 countries. In M. Zanna (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology. New York: Academic Press, 25, 1-65.

Tan, B.C. (2011). The roles of knowledge, threat and perceived consumer effectiveness on green purchase behavior. International Journal of Business and Management, 6(12), 14-27.

Wu, J.H., Wu, C.W., Lee, C.T., & Lee, H.J. (2015). Green purchase intentions: An exploratory study of the Taiwanese electric motorcycle market. Journal of Business Research, 68(4), 829-833.