The influence of social media influencers on Generation Z's sustainable consumer behavior

Abstract

In this research, the purpose was to examine the effect of social media influencers on sustainable consumer behavior among Generation Z. Specifically, the study investigates the relationship between the factors associated with influencer features, such as credibility and authenticity, and sustainable purchase intention and WTP, together with variables from the TPB theory. Quantitative research method was employed in this study, and data were gathered by using an online questionnaire survey conducted among Generation Z customers in Finland. The findings indicate that attitude towards sustainable consumption is the strongest predictor of purchase intention, while subjective norms show a positive but weaker association. Influencer credibility showed a positive association with purchase intention in earlier stages of the analysis, but this effect did not remain significant after attitude was included in the model. In contrast, authenticity remained positively associated with purchase intention. Altogether, this means that these influence factors play a supportive role in sustainable consumption behavior, especially in shaping willingness to pay for sustainable products. The study contributes to the literature by integrating influencer marketing constructs into the TPB framework and by distinguishing between purchase intention and willingness to pay in the context of Generation Z’s sustainable consumer behavior.