Alumna Stephanie Bedard ’17 and Assistant Professor Carri Tolmie explore the role of social media in Millennials’ green consumption behavior.
Elon alumna Stephanie Bedard ’17 and Carri Tolmie, assistant professor of international business in the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business, co-authored a paper published in Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management.
The paper, Millennials’ green consumption behaviour: Exploring the role of social media, investigated the influence of social media usage and online interpersonal influence on green purchase intentions among millennials in the U.S. The authors also considered how the cultural dimensions of individualism–collectivism and masculinity–femininity moderate the relationship between social media usage, online interpersonal influence and green purchase intentions.
The research originated as the basis for Bedard’s undergraduate thesis. Tolmie, the Honors Fellow’s co-author and mentor, assisted her throughout the research process. During her senior year, Bedard presented the thesis at the Academy of International Business Southeast conference.
The paper’s abstract reads: “Several studies have investigated millennials’ perceptions of sustainable products, and the factors that make these products appealing. Yet insight into the green purchase intentions of this demographic and influencing factors is limited. This study investigates the influence of social media usage and online interpersonal influence on green purchase intentions among millennials in the USA. In addition, the study considers how the cultural dimensions of individualism–collectivism and masculinity–femininity moderate the relationship between social media usage, online interpersonal influence, and green purchase intentions. Results indicate that social media usage and online interpersonal influence have significant, positive relationships with green purchase intentions. Masculinity was found to exert a weakening effect on the relationships in the study, while the effects of individualism were found to be insignificant. Results have important managerial implications for firms’ sustainability strategy and provide a framework for investigating green purchase intentions in additional cultures around the world.”
A refereed journal, Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management focuses on research and practical advice for the development of tools, practical case studies and an assessment of the relative strengths and weaknesses of different approaches.
After graduating from Elon with a degree in international business, Bedard worked for EAB in Washington, D.C. She now lives in Canada.