New PIJM now accepts submissions exclusively via the Editorial Scholar portal — a dedicated submission & review system.
Go to Editorial Scholar →
Associated Management Consultants Pvt. Ltd. | COPE Member
Scopus Q2 UGC-CARE |
Prabandhan: Indian Journal of Management logo

Prabandhan: Indian Journal of Management

ISSN: 0975-2854 Frequency: Monthly Peer Review: Double-blind Published since: 2008 Language: English
A publication of AMCPL
amcon.co.in
New Delhi, India
Indexed in: Scopus Q2 UGC-CARE Group II Google Scholar J-Gate NISCAIR Crossref Cabell's Journalytics

Sustainable E-Commerce Adoption : Green Supply Chain Practices and Consumer Perceptions

Subscription Original Article

Sustainable E-Commerce Adoption : Green Supply Chain Practices and Consumer Perceptions

Shreepathy Ranga Bhatta1,  Dasharathraj K. Shetty2,  Sandeep S. Shenoy3,  Lewlyn L. R. Rodrigues4,  Md Obaidul Ola5

1 Research Scholar, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal - 576 104, Karnataka

2 Associate Professor , Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal - 576 104, Karnataka

3 Professor and Head, Manipal School of Commerce and Economics, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal - 576 104, Karnataka

4 Visiting Professor, Manipal School of Commerce and Economics, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal - 576 104, Karnataka

5 Assistant Professor, Department of Management Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi

Volume 19
Issue 2
Pages 8–26
Year 2026
Received: Aug. 25, 2025 Accepted: Jan. 28, 2026 Published: Feb. 15, 2026
Abstract

Purpose : The study examined the dynamics of e-commerce customers’ perceptions about green supply chain (GSC) practices and how these result in platform usage in the Indian context. The empirical research explored the combined influence of technology acceptance factors and GSC practices on perceived sustainability and usage behavior.

Design/Methodology/Approach : Based on the literature, a conceptual framework was developed to propose the hypothesized relations between the adopted constructs. A systematically validated questionnaire was used to collect 416 useful responses from e-commerce users. The analysis and tests were done using partial least squares structural equation modeling to make meaningful inferences.

Findings : It was found that green logistics, green packaging, and design had a positive influence on perceived environmental sustainability. However, most green practices did not directly influence behavioral intention to use e-commerce. Performance expectancy strongly influenced behavioral intention to use platforms. The research also pointed to a “usage-perception” gap, meaning that there was no enhancement in sustainability perception with continued platform use in the absence of observable feedback messages. Hedonic motivations had a marginal influence on behavioral intention.

Practical Implications : The findings suggested that e-commerce platforms may strengthen consumer sustainability awareness by incorporating visible sustainability cues, such as eco-labels, carbon tracking, or sustainability dashboards, during the shopping experience.

Originality/Value : This research introduced the concept of a “usage-perception gap,” which means that repeated platform use does not necessarily strengthen awareness of sustainability among users until visible sustainability signals are presented to customers to shape their positive perceptions.

Keywords e-commerce sustainability green supply chain practices behavioral intention perceived sustainability technology acceptance
How to Cite

Shreepathy Ranga Bhatta, Dasharathraj K. Shetty, Sandeep S. Shenoy, Lewlyn L. R. Rodrigues, Md Obaidul Ola (2026). Sustainable E-Commerce Adoption : Green Supply Chain Practices and Consumer Perceptions. Prabandhan: Indian Journal of Management, 19(2), 8–26. https://doi.org/10.17010/pijom/2026/v19i2/175042

References
  1. Adam, I. O., Alhassan, M. D., & Afriyie, Y. (2020). What drives global B2C e-commerce? An analysis of the effect of ICT access, human resource development and regulatory environment. Technology Analysis & Strategic Management, 32(7), 835–850. https://doi.org/10.1080/09537325.2020.1714579
  2. Agarwal, A., Chahar, B., & Bhati, N. S. (2021). Online impulse buying behaviour of Indian small town consumers : Scale development and validation. Indian Journal of Marketing, 51(5–7), 48–63. https://doi.org/10.17010/ijom/2021/v51/i5-7/161647
  3. Bhattacherjee, A. (2001). Understanding information systems continuance: An expectation-confirmation model. MIS Quarterly, 25(3), 351–370. https://doi.org/10.2307/3250921
  4. Bhatti, K. K., & Negi, A. (2018). Determinants of green marketing leading to sustainable competitive advantage for retailers within the Delhi region. Indian Journal of Marketing, 48(8), 53–66. https://doi.org/10.17010/ijom/2018/v48/i8/130540
  5. Carrington, M. J., Neville, B. A., & Whitwell, G. J. (2014). Lost in translation: Exploring the ethical consumer intention–behavior gap. Journal of Business Research, 67(1), 2759–2767. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2012.09.022
  6. Chandra, P., & Kapur, S. (2024). Study of the current scenario, challenges, and prospects of e-commerce in India. International Journal of Scientific Research in Engineering and Management, 08(05), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.55041/ijsrem35029
  7. Charalampidis, I., Xanthopoulos, A., Diamantidis, A., & Chatzoglou, P. (2023). Public perception of green supply chains and its impact on customer behavior: An empirical analysis. Sustainability, 15(23), 16345. https://doi.org/10.3390/su152316345
  8. Chaturvedi, N. (2024). Future of e-commerce in India 2024. International Journal of Scientific Research in Engineering and Management, 08(05), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.55041/ijsrem33146
  9. Chen, C.-W. (2024). Utilizing a hybrid approach to identify the importance of factors that influence consumer decision-making behavior in purchasing sustainable products. Sustainability, 16(11), 4432. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16114432
  10. Dahliani, L., Purnomo, B. L., Pattisahusiwa, S., Aryasari, D., Ilahi, N. A., Wursan, W., Yenny, S. R., & Rochmawati, N. I. (2023). Performance of green supply chain management: Investigating the role of reverse logistics and green procurement aspects in SMEs. Uncertain Supply Chain Management, 11(3), 867–874. https://doi.org/10.5267/j.uscm.2023.5.012
  11. Fernandes, S., Sathish, M., & Shrivastava, P. (2024). Effect of consciousness in sustainable consumption habits on purchase intention of green products : Comparison study between
  12. India and USA. Indian Journal of Marketing, 54(10), 8–24. https://doi.org/10.17010/ijom/2024/v54/i10/174602
  13. García-Salirrosas, E. E., & Rondon-Eusebio, R. F. (2022). Green marketing practices related to key variables of consumer purchasing behavior. Sustainability, 14(14), 8499. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14148499
  14. Gelmez, E., Özceylan, E., & Mrugalska, B. (2024). The impact of green supply chain management on green innovation, environmental performance, and competitive advantage. Sustainability, 16(22), 9757. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16229757
  15. Goswami, A., & Dutta, S. (2017). E-commerce adoption by women entrepreneurs in India: An application of the UTAUT model. Business and Economic Research, 6(2), 440–454. https://doi.org/10.5296/ber.v6i2.10560
  16. Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2017). A primer on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) (2nd ed.). SAGE Publications, Inc. https://www.scirp.org/reference/referencespapers?referenceid=2297757
  17. Haque, M. M., Hasan, R., & Kumar, A. (2025). Consumers' decision-making and role of social media influencers in the UK hotel industry. Indian Journal of Marketing, 55(10), 69–87. https://doi.org/10.17010/ijom/2025/v55/i10/175614
  18. Joshi, Y., & Rahman, Z. (2015). Factors affecting green purchase behaviour and future research directions. International Strategic Management Review, 3(1–2), 128–143. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ism.2015.04.001
  19. Jou, Y.-T., Lo, C.-Y., Mariñas, K. A., Saflor, C. S., Gutierrez, C. J., Sanchez, C., Songco, D., Redston, J., Devara, M. B., & Bucal, M. J. (2024). Assessing the e-commerce sustainability readiness: A green logistics study on online sellers. Sustainability, 16(7), 2954. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16072954
  20. Kar, B., Tripathy, A., & Pathak, M. D. (2022). What causes product returns in online purchases? A review and research agenda. Prabandhan: Indian Journal of Management, 15(4), 46–62. https://doi.org/10.17010/pijom/2022/v15i4/162837
  21. Kaur, S., Yadav, B., Goel, D., Devi, S., Ramachandaran, S. D., & Kumar, A. (2024). Exploring Indian students' perception, behavioral intentions, and motivation for learning with ChatGPT. Prabandhan: Indian Journal of Management, 17(12), 28–45. https://doi.org/10.17010/pijom/2024/v17i12/174055
  22. Kavas, E. (2020). Chapter 17: Effect and importance of green logistics towards purchase behaviours of consumer in e-commerce. In S. Grima, O. Sirkeci, & K. Elbeyoğlu (eds.), Contemporary studies in economic and financial analysis: Global Street economy and micro entrepreneurship (Vol. 103, pp. 147–157). https://doi.org/10.1108/s1569-375920200000103021
  23. Kawa, A., & Pierański, B. (2021). Green logistics in e-commerce. LogForum, 17(2), 183–192. https://doi.org/10.17270/j.log.2021.588
  24. Kumar, A., Mallick, S. S., Hota, S. L., Vasudevan, A., & Şimşek, S. A. (2024). Green marketing strategies: Enhancing brand image and consumer trust in sustainable development. Prabandhan: Indian Journal of Management, 17(12), 8–27. https://doi.org/10.17010/pijom/2024/v17i12/174054
  25. Kumar, P., Kaur, H., & Singh, G. (2023). MSMEs in emerging markets: An exploration of the stage model of e-commerce adoption. Prabandhan: Indian Journal of Management, 16(8), 8–23. https://doi.org/10.17010/pijom/2023/v16i8/173062
  26. Mahadevan, K., & Joshi, S. (2022). Impact of e-service quality dimensions on customer satisfaction and loyalty in online apparel shopping in India. Indian Journal of Marketing, 52(12), 20–38. https://doi.org/10.17010/ijom/2022/v52/i12/172560
  27. Mazanec, J., & Harantová, V. (2024). Gen Z and their sustainable shopping behavior in the second-hand clothing segment: Case study of the Slovak Republic. Sustainability, 16(8), 3129. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16083129
  28. Mustafa, S., Hao, T., Qiao, Y., Shah, S. K., & Sun, R. (2022). How a successful implementation and sustainable growth of e-commerce can be achieved in developing countries : A pathway towards green economy. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2022.940659
  29. Nadeem, W., Ashraf, A. R., & Kumar, V. (2025). Fostering consumer engagement with sustainability marketing using augmented reality (SMART): A climate change response. Journal of Business Research, 192, Article ID 115289. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115289
  30. Pahari, S., Manna, A., & Biswas, D. (2023). Pay with confidence: A thematic analysis of user intentions and perceptions on third-party and banking payment apps. Indian Journal of Finance, 17(5), 25–38. https://doi.org/10.17010/ijf/2023/v17i5/172735
  31. Pathak, S. K., & Kumar, R. (2024). Exploring consumer perceptions in online shopping for sustainable economic development. International Journal for Multidisciplinary Research, 6(2). https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2024.v06i02.16888
  32. Prajapati, D., Chan, F. T., Chelladurai, H., Lakshay, L., & Pratap, S. (2022). An internet of things embedded sustainable supply chain management of B2B e-commerce. Sustainability, 14(9), 5066. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095066
  33. Rita, P., & Ramos, R. F. (2022). Global research trends in consumer behavior and sustainability in e-commerce: A bibliometric analysis of the knowledge structure. Sustainability, 14(15), 9455. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14159455
  34. Sarin, I., & Srivastava, A. (2024). Investigating barriers in green supply chain management. The Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, 4(1), 41–46. https://doi.org/10.37022/tjmdr.v4i1.581
  35. Sarkar, M. (2023). Environmental sustainability under e-commerce: A holistic perspective. European Journal of Development Studies, 3(3), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.24018/ejdevelop.2023.3.3.252
  36. Sharma, D., & Panda, T. K. (2025). Consumer perceived value and decision outcome in multi-channel retail: A systematic literature review. Indian Journal of Marketing, 55(2), 8–32. https://doi.org/10.17010/ijom/2025/v55/i2/174746
  37. Shukla, B. N. (2023). E-commerce adoption and consumer behavior. Stallion Journal for Multidisciplinary Associated Research Studies, 2(1), 16–20. https://doi.org/10.55544/sjmars.2.1.4
  38. Sindakis, S., Showkat, S., & Su, J. (2023). Unveiling the influence: Exploring the impact of interrelationships among e-commerce supply chain members on supply chain sustainability. Sustainability, 15(24), 16642. https://doi.org/10.3390/su152416642
  39. Štofejová, L., Kráľ, Š., Fedorko, R., Bačík, R., & Tomášová, M. (2023). Sustainability and consumer behavior in electronic commerce. Sustainability, 15(22), 15902. https://doi.org/10.3390/su152215902
  40. Turkson, P. J., Amoah, F., & Amoah, L. N. (2026). An investigation into factors influencing consumer buying behaviour towards online shopping in Ghana. African Journal of Economic and Management Studies, 17(1), 55–71. https://doi.org/10.1108/ajems-11-2023-0419
  41. Venkatesh, V., Morris, M. G., Davis, G. B., & Davis, F. D. (2003). User acceptance of information technology: Toward a unified view. MIS Quarterly, 27(3), 425–478. https://doi.org/10.2307/30036540
  42. Venkatesh, V., Thong, J. Y., & Xu, X. (2012). Consumer acceptance and use of information technology: Extending the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology. MIS Quarterly, 36(1), 157–178. https://doi.org/10.2307/41410412
  43. Zerbini, C., Bijmolt, T. H., Maestripieri, S., & Luceri, B. (2022). Drivers of consumer adoption of e-commerce: A meta-analysis. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 39(4), 1186–1208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijresmar.2022.04.003
  44. Zhang, W., Wu, Y., Luo, R., & Wang, Y. (2023). Sustainable strategies for green supply chain within the platform economy consider subsidies and marketing efforts. PLoS ONE, 18(11), Article ID e0292349. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0292349
Editorial Scholar

Submit your Research to PIJM

Submit your Manuscript → Author Guidelines