環保商品理解層級之研究

環境的問題已是全人類所關心的議題，為了解決這個日益複雜的環境問題，並避免過度消費破壞生態環境，有識之士甚早提出「綠色消費」主張，強調以消費「低污染、可回收、省資源」的商品來減少對環境的傷害。綠色消費與環境保護已成為當今的普世價值，要如何提高資源的使用效率、減少整體能源的消耗，經濟發展與環境保護兩者兼顧，是現在人與下一世紀的人們必須共同面對的挑戰，也是使命。目前文獻資料對綠色消費的研究，大部分議題集中在單一產品（服務）的消費行為、或是其他環境和心理因素的影響，研究變數較多則是願付價格、購買意願、人格特質、綠色消費態度等，相形之下無法得知綠色產品在消費者的心目中理解層級為何？此外，傳統的「方法目的鏈」大多採用質性階梯法，有一些缺點難以克服，故近年開始有學者發展出結構化的方法目的鏈問卷進行量化研究，但研究的數量仍算少，也僅涵蓋少數幾種產品類型。故仍需利用量化研究的方式在其他產品類別上驗證方法目的鏈因果層級關係。因此，本研究想要利用大規模的量化研究來探討消費者對環保產品之理解是否具有屬性、結果、價值之方法目的鏈因果層級，以及產品知識與綠色消費態度如何影響理解層級。希望本研究結果能在龐大的綠色商機裡，提供企業經營及行銷方向的參考。本研究採立意抽樣方式進行一個半質性的研究與一個量化的調查。半質性的研究是為了解在消費者心中是否存有理解層級及其結構，並將消費者對環保產品的理解，以及其間關聯性的結果繪製成連結圖。量化的研究是為驗證「方法目的鏈」理解層級之間的因果關係，探究「結果」在「屬性」與「價值」間所具有的中介效果，以及了解消費者的在產品知識與綠色消費態度對理解層級的調節效果，並探討理解對與願付價格和購買意願之影響。研究結果顯示「結果」在「屬性」與「價值」間的確具有的中介效果，屬性只能透過結果對價值理解產生間接影響。此外，產品知識與綠色消費態度對理解層級並不具調節效果，但消費者的理解對於願付價格與購買意願有顯著正向影響。根據研究結果，本研究給予業者及政府提出兩項建議：(1)業者還是要讓消費者對於環保產品的屬性有深刻的瞭解與認識，讓消費者可以比較容易從產品的屬性連結到可帶來的結果及價值。(2)研究發現環保汽車的售價遠高過於消費者的願付價格，建議政府或企業可以給予降價、補助的空間，提高消費者對環保汽車的購買意願。

關鍵字

方法目的鏈；理解；環保產品

並列摘要

Environmental issues consider all human kind. In order to solve this ever complicating problem and prevent ecosystem destruction from over-consumption, the idea of eco-products has been proposed. Eco-products centralized the idea of low pollution, recyclable, and reduction of resource on product design in order to minimize the damage to our environment. Eco-products have became widely accepted. The challenge for the next generation is how to balance between economic development and environmental protection by increasing the efficiency of resource utilization and by reducing the overall energy consumption. From literature review, most of the research regarding eco-products focused on a specific product or service and the consumer psychology. The research variables included product price, consumers’ will to purchase, consumer personality, and attitude toward eco-products. However, these studies cannot investigate consumers’ degree of comprehension toward eco-products; furthermore, the traditional means-end chains were usually used for qualitative analysis which exist some limitations. In recent years, more structured quantitative methodology had been developed, although there was only small amount of publication available and only on small number of products. The aim of this study was to use quantitative method on other products in order to validate the cause-effect relation. This study investigated whether consumer’s comprehension toward eco-products have attributes, consequences, and value toward consumer behaviors. The result of the study could be used as references for cooperate management and marketing in the green economics. The study applied purposive sampling to conduct a semi-qualitative study and a quantitative survey. The semi-qualitative study was to understand whether there existed different degrees of comprehension toward eco-products and the relationship toward consumers’ behavior. The quantitative survey was used to validate whether the cause-effect relationship existed in means-end chains, and to study the intermediate effect of “result” between product “attributes” and “value”. In addition, the study investigated the modifying effect of consumers’ understanding and price toward consumers’ behavior. The study found that “result” did have an intermediate effect between product “attributes” and “value,” meaning product attributes can only have indirect influence on product value through the understanding of the result. The study also found that comprehension toward the green product did not have modifying effect and consumers’ comprehension toward the product had positive correlation toward the price they are willing to pay. According to the result of the study, two recommendations were made for relevant private and public sectors. First, the industry should increase consumers’ understanding and impression toward green products in order for consumers to link product property with its possible result and value. Second, the study found that the price for environmental-friendly automobile was way higher than the price consumers were willing to pay, therefore, it was recommended that the government or cooperation reduce the price or give reimbursement in order to increase consumers’ will to buy.

並列關鍵字

Means-end chains ； Comprehension ； Eco-Products

參考文獻

Aguilar, F. X., & Vlosky, R. P. (2007). Consumer willingness to pay price premiums for environmentally certified wood products in the U.S. Forest Policy and Economics, 9, 1100-1112. doi:10.1016/j.forpol.2006.12.001

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