Mapping Theories, Digital Predictors, and Asian Dominance in Green Purchase Intention Research

Abstract

Despite growing environmental awareness, consumers often fail to translate this interest into actual green purchases. This systematic review maps the theoretical and empirical evolution of green purchase intention research during the period of rapid digital transformation from 2020 to 2025. This study follows PRISMA guidelines and analyzes 56 empirical studies from five major academic databases, including Scopus and ScienceDirect. The analysis focuses on publication trends, geographical distributions, theoretical frameworks, and key predictors. The review reveals a significant geographical concentration of research in Asia, particularly China, India, and Vietnam, while studies from Western contexts remain limited. Theoretically, while the Theory of Planned Behavior remains the dominant framework, the Stimulus-Organism-Response model is gaining traction as researchers increasingly explore digital contexts. Key findings indicate that attitude and green trust are the most consistent psychological predictors, while social media influence has emerged as a powerful external stimulus. This review is timely, as it captures how digital marketing factors have reshaped traditional behavioral models in the post-2020 period, a shift that earlier reviews did not address. The main contributions include: (1) documenting the paradigm shift from static behavioral models to dynamic, digitally-integrated frameworks; (2) identifying the most robust predictors across diverse contexts; and (3) examining the implications of the geographical research concentration for global theory development. The study concludes by recommending that future research prioritize longitudinal designs, cross-cultural comparisons, and investigations into digital platform features to understand better how green intentions translate into actual sustainable consumption behaviors across different cultural and institutional contexts.