Consumer intentions to purchase remanufactured products: a behavioral reasoning theory approach

Abstract

Purpose - The 12th sustainable development goal, responsible consumption and production, includes increasing awareness of circular economy practices. In this context, the authors base their study on remanufactured electronic products, a circular economy practice. The current research aims to examine the relationships between collectivistic values, reasons for purchasing remanufactured products (RPs) (product knowledge, perceived benefits, perceived awareness), reasons against purchasing RPs (perceived risk), attitude toward RPs and the intention to purchase RPs. Design/methodology/approach - The authors conducted quantitative research on 259 consumers in an emerging market-Turkey. The authors benefited from structural equation modeling for data analysis. Findings - This study shows that perceived awareness, attitude and product knowledge affect purchase intention. Perceived benefits, perceived risk, perceived awareness and product knowledge predict attitude. Collectivistic values affect product knowledge. Furthermore, attitude acts as a mediator between reasons and purchase intention in our model. Originality/value - The escalating problem of electronic waste demands a shift toward sustainable consumer behavior with the help of social marketing. Hence, exploring the acceptance of remanufactured electronic products based on circular economy principles aligns with the goal of reducing waste generation. The remanufacturing literature on consumer behavior, which mainly benefits from the theory of planned behavior, overlooked the reasons for and against behavior. The authors base their study on behavioral reasoning theory, highlighting that reasons for and against behavior are critical in decision-making.