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Sustainable Business Models: Implications for Consumer Marketing

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Economic and Business Aspects of Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 November 2022) | Viewed by 14935

Special Issue Editors


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Chief Guest Editor
Department of Retail, Hospitality, and Tourism Management, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
Interests: sustainable business model; mobile shopping; digital retailing; user experiences; influencer marketing

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Assistant Guest Editor
Department of Retail, Hospitality, and Tourism Management, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
Interests: sustainable consumption; branding; cultural and ethnic influences; consumer experiences

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Assistant Guest Editor
Merchandising & Digital Retailing Department, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76203, USA
Interests: consumer behavior; retail trade; employee development

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Assistant Guest Editor
Department of Hospitality and Tourism ManagementHospitality and Tourism Management, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76203, USA
Interests: hospitality management; hospitality finance and accounting; casino management; consumer behavior; tourism economics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Business models are defined as the “fundamental structures for how companies create, deliver, and capture value” (Osterwalder and Pigneur, 2010). By incorporating sustainability into core business processes, companies can generate sustainable business models that create, deliver, and capture sustainable value across all production and consumption stages (Yang, Vladimirova, and Evans, 2017). Such examples may include companies that modify their manufacturing processes, design sustainable product life cycles, or improve supply chain practices with the end goal of creating sustainable value.

In light of growing interest and awareness of sustainability issues in consumer markets, consumers have been increasingly turning to companies taking sustainable actions and stewardship of ecosystems. Companies successfully leveraging sustainability as a core value in their business model can be at a greater competitive advantage as they invite consumers to co-create values around sustainability. This role reversal converts consumers from passive users to responsible agents in the development and implementation of sustainable business models. Sustainable business models can be implemented into consumer marketing to motivate consumers to proactively participate in companies’ sustainable marketing efforts.

Although emerging sustainable business models have been gaining momentum across business sectors, little research has addressed the impact of these models on consumer marketing. As sustainability becomes our daily practice and more companies embrace sustainability, there is a critical need for academic research that can shed light on sustainable business models in practice and provide a roadmap for consumer marketing professionals. To this end, we are seeking theoretical and empirical research addressesing topics including, but not limited to, the following:  

  • Consumer values driving sustainable business models;
  • Sharing economy with sustainable business practices;
  • Consumer perceptions and attitudes toward sustainable business models;
  • Sustainable brands in consumer marketing;
  • Consumer responses to corporate social responsibility/cause marketing;
  • Consumer value co-creation behaviors to support sustainable business models;
  • Sustainable consumer behavior.

References

  1. Osterwalder, A.; Pigneur, Y. Business Model Generation; A Handbook for Visionaries, Game Changers, and Challengers, John Wiley & Sons: Hoboken, NJ, 2010.
  2. Yang, M.; Vladimirova, D.; Evans, S. Creating and capturing value through sustainability. Research-Technology Management 2017, 60(3), 30-39, DOI: 10.1080/08956308.2017.1301001

Prof. Kiseol Yang
Prof. Youn-Kyung Kim
Prof. Christy Crutsinger
Dr. Jihye Min
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • sustainable business models;
  • sustainable value;
  • sustainable consumer behavior;
  • sustainable brands

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

31 pages, 1121 KiB  
Article
The Unraveling Loyalty Model of Traditional Retail to Suppliers for Business Sustainability in the Digital Transformation Era: Insight from MSMEs in Indonesia
by Mujianto Mujianto, Hartoyo Hartoyo, Rita Nurmalina and Eva Z. Yusuf
Sustainability 2023, 15(3), 2827; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15032827 - 3 Feb 2023
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 5387
Abstract
The development of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCGs) retail has demonstrated an evolution of buyer–seller interactions. In the era of digital transformation, FMCGs and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) can easily use website applications to shop for various products from suppliers, make payments, [...] Read more.
The development of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCGs) retail has demonstrated an evolution of buyer–seller interactions. In the era of digital transformation, FMCGs and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) can easily use website applications to shop for various products from suppliers, make payments, and access a wider variety of products with more efficient delivery. However, empirical studies on loyalty drivers on B2B relationships for business sustainability in the retail industry have not received much attention. This research aimed to examine the factors that influence loyalty and analyze the mediating role of MSME loyalty by discussing a new conceptual framework designed based on the buyer–seller relationship theory and relational marketing. Data were collected from 500 owners or managers of FMCG retail stalls in various provinces in Indonesia and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results showed that merchandising, website quality, commitment, and satisfaction have a positive effect on loyalty, as opposed to service quality and trust. There are also different roles in the mediating variables of trust, commitment, and satisfaction on retail store loyalty. These findings were useful for policymakers, managers, and practitioners to clarify the influence of service quality, merchandising website quality, and the role of relationship quality on loyalty in the era of digital transformation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Business Models: Implications for Consumer Marketing)
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13 pages, 1482 KiB  
Article
Towards a Korean Sustainable Business Model at National Level: The Influence of Cultural and Political Perceptions of National Image on Consumers’ Behavior
by Seongwon Yoon and Sungsoo Kim
Sustainability 2021, 13(12), 6698; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13126698 - 12 Jun 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2959
Abstract
Despite the increasing uptake of the term sustainable business model (SBM), the concept has mainly focused on business strategies. However, integrating the SBM into a longer-term and macroscopic framework would make it more sustainable. This article explored the SBM as a national strategy [...] Read more.
Despite the increasing uptake of the term sustainable business model (SBM), the concept has mainly focused on business strategies. However, integrating the SBM into a longer-term and macroscopic framework would make it more sustainable. This article explored the SBM as a national strategy that operates beyond a corporate level. In this respect, the study examined the ways in which cultural and political perceptions of a nation can influence consumers’ choices. This article particularly examined the explanatory power of two ideational driving forces: perceptions of cultural heritage, and perceptions of politics and foreign relations. By assessing a dataset of the views of 223 African students studying in Korea, this study confirmed that national image meaningfully affects consumer behavior (intention to recommend). Furthermore, the study provided new evidence that cultural and political perceptions of a nation have a significantly positive effect on national image. It was also found that national image played a role as a mediating variable relating to cultural/political perceptions and intention to recommend. By extending the concept of the SBM to a national level, this article lays the foundation for a win–win situation between decision makers in both business and political sectors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Business Models: Implications for Consumer Marketing)
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13 pages, 270 KiB  
Article
The Relationship between Well-Being and Knowledge Sharing
by Kei Aoki
Sustainability 2021, 13(9), 4978; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13094978 - 29 Apr 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2518
Abstract
This research studies the relationship between well-being and knowledge sharing. While user innovation has garnered greater attention in recent years, the market has failed to properly incentivize the diffusion of user innovations. This study proposes that this shortcoming could be resolved through a [...] Read more.
This research studies the relationship between well-being and knowledge sharing. While user innovation has garnered greater attention in recent years, the market has failed to properly incentivize the diffusion of user innovations. This study proposes that this shortcoming could be resolved through a consumer-to-consumer (C-to-C) marketplace and sheds light on non-financial benefits for the contributors, specifically, how knowledge sharing impacts contributor well-being. This research consists of two online survey studies. In both studies, the level of well-being was compared between knowledge sharing contributors and a control group using a scale developed in positive psychology. This study empirically shows that participation in knowledge sharing has a significant positive impact on contributor well-being. In a C-to-C marketplace, contributors diffuse and monetize their creations themselves, resulting in increased well-being. Contributing to knowledge sharing may be a sufficient incentive for user innovators to diffuse their innovations. The findings of this study will gain significance as the utilization of personal knowledge increases due to the expansion of the C-to-C business and the paradigm shift in work style. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Business Models: Implications for Consumer Marketing)
9 pages, 643 KiB  
Article
Understanding Credit Card Usage Behavior of Elderly Korean Consumers for Sustainable Growth: Implications for Korean Credit Card Companies
by Kwon Jung and Moon Young Kang
Sustainability 2021, 13(7), 3817; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13073817 - 30 Mar 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2683
Abstract
The Republic of Korea is the fastest aging country in the world, and its silver market, which is the market segment broadly defined as senior citizens, began to emerge in 2008 as Korean baby boomers started to retire. Given that the assets of [...] Read more.
The Republic of Korea is the fastest aging country in the world, and its silver market, which is the market segment broadly defined as senior citizens, began to emerge in 2008 as Korean baby boomers started to retire. Given that the assets of households headed by individuals 55 years of age and over are much higher than those of average Korean households, it is essential for Korean financial institutions targeting elderly consumer groups to understand their credit card usage behavior, as it can be very attractive and provide the potential to lead to sustainable growth for institutions, while the market targeting for this group has not been well developed yet. This study examined elderly Korean consumers’ credit card usage behavior in terms of key demographic variables. In this study, we found that the number of cards owned was negatively related to age and positively related to income level. In addition, those who were not retired owned more credit cards than those who were. Although the average monthly expenditure by credit cards was positively related to income, it was not significantly different in terms of age or retirement status. The findings from this research provide significant implications for marketers of credit card companies when searching for key target groups, particularly elderly consumers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Business Models: Implications for Consumer Marketing)
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