직접 경험한 거짓말, 멀리서 관찰한 거짓말: 소비자 입장 차이에 따른 패션기업 그린워싱에 대한 반응 매커니즘 분석

Abstract

This study explored consumers’ responses to greenwashing by fashion firms, focusing on how perceived cor- porate greed influences emotional appraisals (rumination, distraction, and positive reappraisal) and their subsequent effects on behavioral outcomes, including brand avoidance, forgiveness, and relationship retention. It also examined the moderating role of consumer position by comparing direct experiencers and observers of greenwashing incidents. A sce- nario-based online survey was conducted with 414 Chinese consumers, and the data were analyzed using structural equa- tion modeling (SEM) and multi-group analysis (MGA). SEM revealed that higher perceived greed increased rumination while reducing distraction and positive reappraisal. Rumination led to greater brand avoidance and lower forgiveness, whereas positive reappraisal led to lower brand avoidance and promoted forgiveness and relationship retention. Dis- traction showed mixed effects, increasing brand avoidance and enhancing forgiveness and relationship retention, high- lighting the multifaceted nature of distraction. The MGA revealed that direct experiencers exhibited stronger negative emotional responses and a lower tendency to engage in emotional appraisal strategies to restore brand relationships than observers. These findings will help crisis managers understand differential consumer perceptions, even toward the same incidents, based on position, and offer practical insights for coping strategies.