ISSN: 2222-6990
Open access
The increased consumption of disposable glove in hospital industry post pandemic has led concern regarding sustainability and environment. To better understand the issue, it is crucial to investigate the factors influencing intention to purchase disposable gloves. The theory of planned behavior is proposed as a foundation for understanding the factors influencing the intention to purchase. This study’s exploration of the proposed conceptual framework highlights the effect of key behavioral determinants, namely subjective norms, quality, sustainability concerns and attitude towards the use of disposable on the intention to purchase disposable medical gloves in private hospitals. The study is expected to offer valuable insights for future research and sustainable procurement practices. It also will provide better understanding for stakeholder in healthcare industries on achieving their sustainability goals.
Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179–211. https://doi.org/10.1016/0749-5978(91)90020-T
Ajzen, I. (2005). Attitudes, personality and behavior (2nd ed.). Open University Press.
Ajzen, I. (2019). Theory of planned behavior bibliography. https://people.umass.edu/aizen/tpbrefs.html
Aziz, N. A., Tan, C. Y., & Nurul, S. (2024). Innovations and development of sustainable personal protective equipment: A path to a greener future. Environmental Systems Research, 13, 22. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40068-024-00350-x
Campion, N., Thiel, C. L., Woods, N. C., Swanzy, L., Landis, A. E., & Bilec, M. M. (2015). Sustainable healthcare and environmental lifecycle impacts of disposable supplies: A focus on disposable custom packs. Journal of Cleaner Production, 94, 46–55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.01.076
Chen, I.-C., Hsieh, T.-H., Lee, C.-H., & Chao, Y.-L. (1999). Evaluation of the quality of surgical gloves among four different manufacturers. Journal of Hospital Infection, 53(2), 123–129. https://doi.org/10.1053/jhin.2002.1346
Cordeiro, L., Gnatta, J. R., Ciofi-Silva, C. L., Price, A., de Oliveira, N. A., Almeida, R. M. A., Mainardi, G. M., Srinivas, S., Chan, W., Levin, A. S. S., & Padoveze, M. C. (2022). Personal protective equipment implementation in healthcare: A scoping review. American Journal of Infection Control, 50(8), 898–905. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajic.2022.01.013
Klink, M., & Demirel, P. (2025). Implementing reusable medical textiles in NHS operating theatres: Barriers and enablers. Journal of Cleaner Production, 491, 144852. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2025.144852
Fielding, K. S., McDonald, R., & Louis, W. R. (2008). Theory of planned behaviour, identity and intentions to engage in environmental activism. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 28(4), 318–326. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2008.03.003
Khatter, A. (2023). Challenges and solutions for environmental sustainability in the hospitality sector. Sustainability, 15(15), 11491. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151511491
Mousavi, S. S., & Dehestani, M. (2023). On the possibility of using waste disposable gloves as recycled fibers in sustainable 3D concrete printing using different additives. Scientific Reports, 13(1), 378039. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-378039
Oreffice, S., & Quintana-Domeque, C. (2021). COVID-19 information, demand, and willingness to pay for protective gear in the UK. Social Science & Medicine, 270, 113668. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.113668
Thiel, C. L., Woods, N. C., & Bilec, M. M. (2018). Strategies to reduce environmental impact of PPE in healthcare. Journal of Cleaner Production, 172, 2801–2814. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.11.023
Turner, P. J. (2022). An experimental study on the susceptibility of purchasing managers to greenwashing. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 1196882. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1196882
Uddin, M. A., Hasan, T., Carr, C., Novoselov, K. S., & Karim, N. (2021). Environmental impacts of personal protective clothing used to combat COVID-19. Sustainability, 13(3), 1250. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13031250
Xu, J., Li, Y., Chen, Z., & Zhang, H. (2020). Sustainable personal protective clothing for healthcare applications: A review. Sustainability, 12(20), 8678. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12208678
Yuriev, A., Dahmen, M., Paillé, P., Boiral, O., & Guillaumie, L. (2020). Pro-environmental behaviors through the lens of the theory of planned behavior: A scoping review. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 155, 104660. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2019.104660
Yusoff, S. H. M. (2025). Sustainability and Purchase Intentions for Disposable Medical Gloves: A TPB Based Conceptual Framework for Healthcare in Malaysia. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 15(7), 153–163.
Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s)
Published by HRMARS (www.hrmars.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode