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Introduction
Most researchers agree that human consumption has a significant, negative impact on the natural environment and contributes to environmental degradation ([83] Stern, 2000). This has not gone unrecognised by consumers who, globally, are purported to have increasing levels of environmental concern ([53] Kilbourne et al. , 2009; [78] Schultz et al. , 2005), and are increasingly seeking to integrate evnironmental factors into their decision-making and consumption ([70] Polonsky et al. , 2012). However, there is an argument that less environmentally harmful consumer behaviour will not truly occur as long as marketers focus on the creation of exchange which is embedded in consumers believing that the acquisition of material wealth (i.e. materialistic values) improves their wellbeing or quality of life ([93] Wang and Wallendorf, 2006). This is an even broader issue as the connection between materialism and happiness is tenuous, that is, consumers in the wealthiest countries are far from the happiest ([36] Haller and Hadler, 2006).
Examining consumption generally or in regard to environmentally focused consumption, must take into consideration the broader societal, political and economic environment. How these factors are institutionalised within societal, political and economic structures, has been referred to as the dominant social paradigm (DSP) ([52] Kilbourne et al. , 1997). The DSP and other underlying values such as materialism, therefore, influence how consumers perceive the natural environment and thus their environmental concern. This concern, in turn, shapes consumers' intentions to behave more responsibly and, theoretically, their intentions to consume in a less environmentally harmful fashion which should then shape alternative types of consumer behaviour ([70] Polonsky et al. , 2012; [89] Thøgersen and Ölander, 2006). However, a number of authors have reported that there is a gap between intentions and action ([21] Davies et al. , 2002; [87] Thøgersen, 2004).
This research seeks to model the relationships between the dominant social paradigm, materialistic values, environmental concerns, intentions to behave more responsibly and more environmentally responsible behaviours, using data from consumers in four Asian economies that have strong Confucian and Taoist backgrounds. Given we are exploring the underlying instutional forces, limiting cultural variations is important ([81] Steenkamp, 2001). Asian economies were selected because of the accelerating economic growth within this region (covering over 60 per cent of the world's population) and...