Drivers of Sustainable Purchase Intention in Malaysia: Integrating Social Media Engagement, Influencer Credibility, and Green Attitudes

Abstract

Social media sites have grown so quickly that they have completely changed how people make decisions, especially when it comes to buying things that are good for the environment. People in Malaysia are becoming more aware of the environment, but they don't always make purchases that are good for the environment. This conceptual paper clarifies the determinants influencing Malaysian consumers' intentions to make sustainable purchases by incorporating gender as a moderator, attitude towards green products as a mediator, social media engagement, influencer credibility, environmental awareness, and perceived trust. Using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the Stimulus–Organism–Response (S–O–R) model, the study gives a detailed conceptual framework that explains how digital stimuli affect internal mental processes that affect people's desire to buy green products. In the Malaysian context, characterized by a scarcity of integrative conceptual work, this paper synthesizes existing literature and delineates research gaps. The proposed framework provides valuable insights for marketers, legislators, and sustainability advocates while also making a theoretical contribution by connecting the literature on social media marketing and sustainable consumption. It is recommended that subsequent empirical validation be performed to evaluate the model across Malaysia's diverse demographic segments.