State of green marketing research over 25 years (1990-2014)

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a literature survey on, and classification for, green marketing research. Design/methodology/approach – Suitable keywords were used to search peer-reviewed journal articles published in marketing, business and management journals in duration 1990-2014. The articles identified were screened for titles, abstracts, keywords, frameworks, headings and sub-headings that resulted in 161 relevant articles. These articles were classified across thematic categories and their distribution was also presented for year of publication, publication outlets, location of authors, key contributing authors. Findings – The articles were classified across four thematic categories: eco-orientation, green marketing strategy, green marketing functions and green marketing consequences. It outlined the contribution of the earlier work under each theme, illustrated upon their implications for green marketing practice and research and provided directions for future research. Research limitations/implications – This literature survey provides a source for understanding current state of research on green marketing and to stimulate further interest of researchers in the domain. Originality/value – The paper provides a comprehensive review of green marketing literature on green marketing, distinctly adding to the contributions made by earlier literature reviews in the domain. It outlines the classifications of the literature, and key concepts and themes related to green marketing that intend to shape future research directions.