JOURNAL OF APPLIED BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS
Look How Green I Am! An Individual-Level Explanation for Greenwashing
Author(s): Lorianne D. Mitchell, Wesley D. Ramey
Citation: Lorianne D. Mitchell, Wesley D. Ramey, (2011) "Look How Green I Am! An Individual-Level Explanation for Greenwashing," Journal of Applied Business and Economics, Vol. 12, Iss. 6, pp. 40 - 45
Article Type: Research paper
Publisher: North American Business Press
Abstract:
Greenwashing occurs when organizations misrepresent themselves as engaging in earth-friendly behaviors. In this paper, the authors explain greenwashing and discuss its implications for the consumer and the organization. Moreover, using the existing theoretical framework of competitive altruism theory (Barclay, 2004; Hardy & Van Vugt, 2006), the authors explain the consumer’s role in the increasing corporate displays of greenwashing.