Work

Building trust or fueling uncertainty: the effects of information clarity and ambiguity on sustainable fashion decisions

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Amidst escalating environmental concerns within the fashion industry, a prevalent "attitude-behavior gap" exists among consumers, where pro-environmental attitudes often fail to translate into actual purchasing behavior. This discrepancy is closely linked to ambiguous and often misleading communication strategies employed by brands. To investigate this phenomenon, the present study draws upon the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework to develop a theoretical model that elucidates the influence of brand information presentation on consumer purchase intention. The empirical analysis reveals that information clarity significantly enhances perceived credibility, which in turn positively influences purchase intention. Conversely, information ambiguity heightens perceived uncertainty, subsequently suppressing purchase intention. These findings suggest that establishing consumer trust through clear and transparent communication is a critical mechanism for bridging the consumer attitude-behavior gap and effectively fostering sustainable consumption.

Source: Journal of Applied Economics and Policy Studies

DOI: 10.54254/2977-5701/2025.28772

Authors: Shengjie Shui, Menghan Wang, Miaomiao Sheng

Institution: Henan University of Engineering

Language: English

Topic: Environmental Sustainability in Business

Subfield: Marketing

Field: Business, Management and Accounting

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Responsible consumption and production

Open Access status: hybrid

Funders: Henan Office of Philosophy and Social Science, Henan University, Jilin Office of Philosophy and Social Science