GREEN BUILDINGS MARKETING AND PURCHASE INTENTION OF MALAYSIAN CONSUMERS: EXAMINING THE MODERATING EFFECT OF GREEN MARKETING: GREEN WORD-OF-MOUTH

As recognised, green building development is one of the solutions to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change and global warming. However, the green building development is still in the initial stage in Malaysia and is not widely accepted by its consumers. While environmental characteristics, location and public transportation system are generally considered important for property value, several studies revealed that these factors alone do not significantly influence the purchase decision of green buildings. To effectively promote green building adoption, it is crucial to understand the factors that both hinder and encourage the purchase of green buildings. Therefore, this study aims to examine the moderating effect of green marketing (green word-of-mouth) on the relationship between independent variables (environmental characteristics, location and public transportation system) and the dependent variable (purchase intention of Malaysian consumers). The study adopted the extended Theory of Planned Behaviour, incorporating EGB, LGB, PTS and GWOM, to get better predictability of the results. Quantitative approach was used in this study, together with a non-probability convenience sampling method. To test the hypotheses in this study, data were collected from 387 respondents in Malaysia in 2023, using questionnaires divided into the demographic profile of respondents and the variables. Data analysis method includes descriptive analysis (respondents’ profiles), reliability analysis (the internal consistency of the variables) and hierarchical multiple regression analysis (moderating effect of GWOM). The findings show that GWOM had a significant moderating effect on the relationship between LGB and PTS, and the purchase intention of Malaysian consumers, while EGB did not moderate. The managerial implications of this study suggest that developers, marketers and managers can consider green marketing (GWOM) in promoting green buildings among consumers, as this tool is the cheapest among other marketing strategies, and it provides a buying experience that the peers could share with potential buyers. Marketers and managers can benefit from the results of this research to achieve better green marketing results with massive green building consumption. When green buildings become the norm in society, they will not only sustain the domestic real estate industry but also help mitigate the negative impacts of climate change and global warming.