Marketing and Sustainability
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Editor
Prof. Dr. Colin Michael Hall
Prof. Dr. Colin Michael Hall
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Collection Editor
Department of Management, Marketing and Entrepreneurship, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
Interests: tourism and human mobility; regional development and social/green marketing; human dimensions of global environmental change and conservation; environmental history, especially national park history & wilderness conservation; the use of tourism as an economic development and conservation mechanism
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Topical Collection Information
Dear Colleagues,
Marketing is often portrayed in terms of its contribution to over-consumption rather than sustainability, yet the discipline has a long tradition of research that aims at seeking to encourage pro-environmental consumer behaviours and production. Usually operating under the headings of sustainable, green or environmental marketing, there is now a substantial body of marketing knowledge engaged with issues of sustainability and consumer behaviour, the marketing of sustainable and green products, product design, and green branding, labelling and advertising. In addition, the marketing subject also has several sub-fields with a strong focus on sustainability. Social marketing has a strong stream of work on the development of behavioural interventions at both individual and community levels that look to influence consumption practices as well as corporate behaviour. Similarly, the field of macro-marketing has looked to the means by which changes to the marketing system can contribute to improve sustainability. There is also a tradition of more critical and radical marketing theory and analysis that seeks to fundamentally critique and question the role of commercial marketing, the implications of marketing practices for consumption and identity as well as how marketing education may influence the outlook of marketers toward sustainability.
Yet despite the potentially rich vein of marketing knowledge and insights for sustainability research there is a relative lack of engagement between marketing studies and the wider body of research on sustainability. The purpose of this Topical Collection is to therefore highlight the potential contributions of marketing to promoting sustainable consumption and production as well as to gain a better understanding of the ways in which sustainability research can lead to a new orientations and trajectories of business and marketing practices, including with respect to education.
Prof. Dr. C. Michael Hall
Collection Editor
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 collection 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.
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Keywords
- sustainable consumer behaviour and social practices
- marketing interventions for sustainability
- branding and sustainability, including eco-labelling
- sustainability and service-dominant logic
- sustainability and co-creation
- sustainability, innovation and product life cycles
- critical perspectives on marketing and sustainability
- upstream social marketing and sustainability
- community-based social marketing and sustainability
- short supply chains and alternative marketing practices
- sustainable marketing practices within particular industries and sectors, such as tourism, food and agriculture
- sustainability and logistics
- consumer activism and sustainability
- marketing and environmental change
- marketing, product design and waste minimization
- sustainability and marketing education
Published Papers (29 papers)
Open AccessArticle
The Role of Value in Extending the Lifetime of Products: An Analysis of Perceived Value and Green Consumption Values on Pro-Circular Behaviors of Repair and Reuse
by
Claudia Arias, Javier Bernardo Cadena Lozano and Miguel Angel Bello Bernal
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1634
Abstract
Promoting circular business models is a clear path to tackling current environmental and social issues. The success of these models depends not only on companies in charge of creating new products, processes, and models that include circular strategies but also on consumers and
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Promoting circular business models is a clear path to tackling current environmental and social issues. The success of these models depends not only on companies in charge of creating new products, processes, and models that include circular strategies but also on consumers and their choices. Thus, fully understanding consumers and the factors that influence accepting and adopting practices towards circularity is imperative. One of these factors is the relationship that consumers have with the products they purchase and their assessment of these products through the concept of perceived value. This research aimed to explore the relationship between the dimensions of perceived value (i.e., functional, emotional, and social) and pro-circular behaviors of repair and reuse, as well as the role of green consumption values in this relationship. A representative sample of 417 people was surveyed in Medellín (Colombia). Using an Ordinal Logit model, we tested the hypotheses proposed. Findings reveal that functional value is a primary starting point to encourage behaviors aiming to extend the lifetime of products. Moreover, the interaction between sources of value (perceived value and green consumption values) increases the probability of reusing and repairing. Based on these and other relevant results, managerial implications and opportunities for future research are proposed.
Full article
Open AccessArticle
Environmental Communication on Twitter: The Impact of Source, Bandwagon Support, and Message Valence on Target Audiences
by
Min Xiao
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2160
Abstract
The goal of the research is to empirically examine how different factors affect the dissemination of environmental protection messages on social media. The theoretical foundation of the research is based on the literature on heuristics. Perceived bandwagon support, valence of message framing, and
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The goal of the research is to empirically examine how different factors affect the dissemination of environmental protection messages on social media. The theoretical foundation of the research is based on the literature on heuristics. Perceived bandwagon support, valence of message framing, and source of information (i.e., source credibility) were examined as the independent variables. The dependent variables were perceived information credibility, intention to share the message, and intention to read the article attached to the message. Four online experiments were conducted, and college students were sampled. Overall, the findings suggest that the impact of source, bandwagon support, and message valence affect behavioral intentions and perceived information credibility in various ways, and the extent of such impacts is context-dependent. The findings of the study would advance our theoretical understanding of how we use psychological heuristics to process information related to environmental communication. The findings would also help environmental organizations and activists to better communicate with their potential audiences.
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Open AccessArticle
Systemic Risk Contributions of Financial Institutions during the Stock Market Crash in China
by
Miao He and Yanhong Guo
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2234
Abstract
This paper investigates the systemic risk contributions of each financial institution during the stock market crash in China using systemic risk beta. Based on the FARM-Selection (Factor Adjusted Regularized Model Selection) approach, we calculate the systemic risk beta, implying the importance of each
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This paper investigates the systemic risk contributions of each financial institution during the stock market crash in China using systemic risk beta. Based on the FARM-Selection (Factor Adjusted Regularized Model Selection) approach, we calculate the systemic risk beta, implying the importance of each financial institution during the stock market crash. We find that security firms are the main contributors to systemic risk. In addition, some macro variables have a significant influence on systemic risk, including changes in March Treasury rates and the AAA-rated bond and 10-year Treasury credit spreads. This paper provides an important perspective to identify the SIFIs (Systemically Important Financial Institutions) during the stock market crash.
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Open AccessArticle
Integrating the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Norm Activation Model to Investigate Organic Food Purchase Intention: Evidence from Vietnam
by
Manh Hung Le and Phuong Mai Nguyen
Cited by 45 | Viewed by 9425
Abstract
Ample research has been conducted in the organic food market and researchers have investigated factors affecting the purchase behavior of consumers in many countries. However, the studies on organic food that integrate the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Norm Activation Model (NAM)
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Ample research has been conducted in the organic food market and researchers have investigated factors affecting the purchase behavior of consumers in many countries. However, the studies on organic food that integrate the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Norm Activation Model (NAM) in a transition country like Vietnam are limited. Thus, the purpose of this study is to investigate factors affecting the organic food purchase intention in the Vietnamese context. We combined the TPB and the NAM to propose an integrated research framework with attitude and personal norms as two mediators. Through a self-administered questionnaire survey, we collected 611 valid responses from the three biggest cities in Vietnam. Data were put into SPSS 22.0 and SmartPLS 3.0 for analysis. The structural equation modeling (SEM) technique was employed to test both direct and indirect relationships among factors of TPB and NAM in the research model. Our findings indicated that attitude plays the most critical role in explaining the organic food purchase intention of Vietnamese consumers, followed by social norms and personal norms. Notably, attitude also remarkably mediated the impact of environmental awareness and knowledge of organic food on purchase intention. Meanwhile, personal norms played the mediating role in the NAM that intervene the connection between social norms and purchase intention. Based on our analysis, we suggested policymakers, manufacturers, marketers, and sellers of organic food change their actions for the growth of the organic food market in Vietnam.
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Open AccessArticle
“Why Do We Buy Green Products?” An Extended Theory of the Planned Behavior Model for Green Product Purchase Behavior
by
Piyanoot Kamalanon, Ja-Shen Chen and Tran-Thien-Y Le
Cited by 74 | Viewed by 20890
Abstract
Many consumers are concerned about environmental issues and have expressed interest in purchasing green products. However, actual sales of green products are still not as high as expected. Therefore, marketers of green products may need to investigate the factors driving green purchase behaviors.
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Many consumers are concerned about environmental issues and have expressed interest in purchasing green products. However, actual sales of green products are still not as high as expected. Therefore, marketers of green products may need to investigate the factors driving green purchase behaviors. In this study, we proposed an extended theory of planned behavior (TPB) model that links consumers’ environmental concerns, perceived image of the company, consumer innovativeness, and environmental knowledge with green product purchase behavior. We applied a quantitative approach to collect the data via online questionnaires through Amazon MTurk. With 974 useable samples, the data were analyzed with structural equation modeling (SEM) using Smart PLS. The results showed that green purchase intention positively and significantly affects green purchase behavior. Moreover, the multigroup analysis revealed that the direct influence of green purchase intention on green purchase behavior is higher in developing countries than in developed countries. Regarding the direct effect on green purchase intention, attitude toward green products, perceived consumer effectiveness (PCE), environmental concern, and company’s perceived green image are significant antecedents of the intention to purchase, with attitude toward green products being the most robust antecedent among the three. However, subjective norms do not act as a direct antecedent of purchase intention. For the indirect effect on green purchase intention, four main antecedents (attitude toward green products, subjective norms, PCE, and environmental concerns) indirectly impact purchase intention via the mediating role of the perceived green image of the company. This study contributes to existing literatures via extending the TPB model. Regarding attitude-intention-behavior model, we found that environmental concern complements the model as an antecedent of green purchase intention. Moreover, a company’s perceived green image mediates the relationship between four antecedents and green purchase intention. Therefore, marketers of green products may also enhance future purchases by promoting the green image of the company. Particularly, we found that environmental knowledge positively moderates the relationship between environmental concern and a company’s perceived green image. We added on the empirical evidence that PCE plays a crucial role in stimulating green purchases as its direct positive influence on green purchase behavior is larger than that of green purchase intention. Moreover, consumer innovativeness positively moderates the relationship between PCE and green purchase intention.
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Open AccessArticle
Blind Obedience to Environmental Friendliness: The Goal Will Set Us Free
by
Bohee Jung and Jaewoo Joo
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2602
Abstract
In the past, researchers focusing on environmentally friendly consumption have devoted attention to the intention–action gap, suggesting that consumers have positive attitudes toward an environmentally friendly product even though they are not willing to buy it. In the present study, we borrow insights
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In the past, researchers focusing on environmentally friendly consumption have devoted attention to the intention–action gap, suggesting that consumers have positive attitudes toward an environmentally friendly product even though they are not willing to buy it. In the present study, we borrow insights from the behavioral decision making literature on preference reversal to introduce an opposite phenomenon—that is, consumers buying an environmentally friendly product even though they do not evaluate it highly. We further rely on the research on goals to hypothesize that choice–evaluation discrepancies disappear when consumers pursue an environmentally friendly goal. A two (Mode: Choice vs. Evaluation) by three (Goal: Control vs. Quality vs. Environmentally friendly) between-subjects experimental design was used to test the proposed hypotheses. Our findings obtained from 165 undergraduate students in Korea showed that, first, 76% of the participants chose an environmentally friendly cosmetic product whereas only 49% of the participants ranked it higher than a competing product, and, second, when participants read the sentence “You are now buying one of the two compact foundations in order to minimize the waste of buying new foundations,” the discrepancy disappeared (64% vs. 55%). Our experimental findings advance academic discussions of green consumption and the choice–evaluation discrepancy and have practical implications for eco-friendly marketing.
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Open AccessArticle
“Worse Than What I Read?” The External Effect of Review Ratings on the Online Review Generation Process: An Empirical Analysis of Multiple Product Categories Using Amazon.com Review Data
by
Young Joon Park, Jaewoo Joo, Charin Polpanumas and Yeujun Yoon
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3638
Abstract
In this paper, we study the online consumer review generation process by analyzing 37.12 million online reviews across nineteen product categories obtained from Amazon.com. This study revealed that the discrepancy between ratings by others and consumers’ post-purchasing evaluations significantly influenced both the valence
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In this paper, we study the online consumer review generation process by analyzing 37.12 million online reviews across nineteen product categories obtained from Amazon.com. This study revealed that the discrepancy between ratings by others and consumers’ post-purchasing evaluations significantly influenced both the valence and quantity of the reviews that consumers generated. Specifically, a negative discrepancy (‘worse than what I read’) significantly accelerates consumers to write negative reviews (19/19 categories supported), while a positive discrepancy (‘better than what I read’) accelerates consumers to write positive reviews (16/19 categories supported). This implies that others’ ratings play an important role in influencing the review generation process by consumers. More interestingly, we found that this discrepancy significantly influences consumers’ neutral review generation, which is known to amplify the effect of positive or negative reviews by affecting consumers’ search behavior or the credibility of the information. However, this effect is asymmetric. While negative discrepancies lead consumers to write more neutral reviews, positive discrepancies help reduce neutral review generation. Furthermore, our findings provide important implications for marketers who tend to generate fake reviews or selectively generate reviews favorable to their products to increase sales. Doing so may backfire on firms because negative discrepancies can accelerate the generation of objective or negative reviews.
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Open AccessArticle
Marketing Clues on the Label Raise the Purchase Intention of Genetically Modified Food
by
Dan Jiang and Guangling Zhang
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3641
Abstract
As more and more genetically modified foods (GMFs) must be labeled, adding more information to increase the willingness to buy genetically modified food has become the focus of scholars and enterprises. Most current studies have confirmed that the consumer attitudes and purchase intention
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As more and more genetically modified foods (GMFs) must be labeled, adding more information to increase the willingness to buy genetically modified food has become the focus of scholars and enterprises. Most current studies have confirmed that the consumer attitudes and purchase intention toward GMFs are not good. This study aims to match consumers’ different information-processing mechanisms by adding marketing information clues and regulating their purchase intentions by contradictory attitudes towards GMFs. According to the interest demands of GMFs, the marketing clue information was divided into functional information and environmental information. Through two studies, we find that consumers are more inclined to environmental information than heuristic. Functional information is more attractive to males, and the young generation prefers ecological information. Consumers with high ambivalence towards genetically modified foods are more inclined to choose environmental attribute information.
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Open AccessEditorial
Marketing and Sustainability: Business as Usual or Changing Worldviews?
by
Joya A. Kemper, C. Michael Hall and Paul W. Ballantine
Cited by 56 | Viewed by 16311
Abstract
Marketing, and the business schools within which most marketing academics and researchers work, have a fraught relationship with sustainability. Marketing is typically regarded as encouraging overconsumption and contributing to global change yet, simultaneously, it is also promoted as a means to enable sustainable
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Marketing, and the business schools within which most marketing academics and researchers work, have a fraught relationship with sustainability. Marketing is typically regarded as encouraging overconsumption and contributing to global change yet, simultaneously, it is also promoted as a means to enable sustainable consumption. Based on a critical review of the literature, the paper responds to the need to better understand the underpinnings of marketing worldviews with respect to sustainability. The paper discusses the concept of worldviews and their transformation, sustainability’s articulation in marketing and business schools, and the implications of the market logic dominance in faculty mind-sets. This is timely given that business schools are increasingly positioning themselves as a positive contributor to sustainability. Institutional barriers, specifically within universities, business schools, and the marketing discipline, are identified as affecting the ability to effect ‘bottom-up’ change. It is concluded that if institutions, including disciplines and business schools, remain wedded to assumptions regarding the compatibility between the environment and economic growth and acceptance of market forces then the development of alternative perspectives on sustainability remains highly problematic.
Full article
Open AccessArticle
Why Buy Free? Exploring Perceptions of Bottled Water Consumption and Its Environmental Consequences
by
Paul W. Ballantine, Lucie K. Ozanne and Rachel Bayfield
Cited by 36 | Viewed by 14198
Abstract
This exploratory study examines the consumption motivations of those consumers who choose to buy bottled water, while at the same time exploring the perceptions they hold about the potential environmental consequences of their actions. Based upon a sample of sixteen participants aged from
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This exploratory study examines the consumption motivations of those consumers who choose to buy bottled water, while at the same time exploring the perceptions they hold about the potential environmental consequences of their actions. Based upon a sample of sixteen participants aged from 19 to 56, our findings revealed five main themes as to why people purchase bottled water, including: (1) Health, comprising the two subthemes of personal health and cleanliness, (2) the bottle, (3) convenience, (4) taste, and (5) self-image. Our findings also highlighted the perceptions held about the environmental consequences of bottled water consumption and the considerable challenges marketers have to address if they are to persuade consumers to consider alternatives to this consumption practice.
Full article
Open AccessArticle
Assessing the Potential of Sustainable Value Chains in the Collaborative Economy
by
Myriam Ertz and Emine Sarigöllü
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4484
Abstract
The current business paradigm entails a narrow, profit-centered and managerially-focused nature. This article proposes that the study of the collaborative economy necessitates an inevitable shift in the conventional business paradigm and suggests that the institutional school of marketing thought, in general, and the
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The current business paradigm entails a narrow, profit-centered and managerially-focused nature. This article proposes that the study of the collaborative economy necessitates an inevitable shift in the conventional business paradigm and suggests that the institutional school of marketing thought, in general, and the electric theory of marketing, in particular, offers a useful theoretical framework for investigating the theoretical impact of the collaborative economy on the value chain. Uber is used as an illustrative case, on which the electric theory of marketing is applied, to demonstrate how the archetype of the collaborative economy theoretically impacts the value chain and contributes to sustainability in the value chain in the transportation services industry. The study provides further insights in the form of suggestions and propositions for ensuring sustainability in the value chain of collaborative systems.
Full article
Open AccessArticle
Synthesizing Sustainability Considerations through Educational Interventions
by
Maaike Mulder-Nijkamp, Bjorn De Koeijer and Robbert-Jan Torn
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3774
Abstract
This study addresses the synthesis of sustainability-related considerations in packaging design curricula by means of educational interventions. The core of the research revolves around an educational module for students in packaging design and development. This research targets the current late-stage integration of sustainability
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This study addresses the synthesis of sustainability-related considerations in packaging design curricula by means of educational interventions. The core of the research revolves around an educational module for students in packaging design and development. This research targets the current late-stage integration of sustainability considerations in product-packaging development processes. The combination of the front-end involvement of sustainability considerations with the focus on educational interventions in product-packaging development is lacking in currently available research. The educational interventions which are tested in representative educational environments—as presented in this article—address the required focus on the balance in decisions and criteria, trade-offs, and team dynamics within multidisciplinary product-packaging development teams. The educational framework targets five perspectives of packaging sustainability: (1) managerial decision making, (2) life cycle assessment (LCA), (3) consumer purchase behavior, (4) recycling efficiency and effectiveness, and (5) plastic recycling chain redesign. This research’s main contribution is bridging the gap between implementing new scientific insights in the field of sustainable packaging from various perspectives, and practicing by applying the relevant knowledge in this field, by means of a design synthesis approach. This research derives findings from both an extensive introspective analysis and expert analysis of the results of the educational module.
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Open AccessArticle
The Easier the Better: How Processing Fluency Influences Self-Efficacy and Behavioral Intention in Pro-Social Campaign Advertising
by
Hee Jin Kim and Jung Min Jang
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 5589
Abstract
This study examines how processing fluency influences people’s behavioral intention to perform a pro-social behavior. In particular, we predict that high processing fluency enhances self-efficacy perception which, in turn, increases behavioral intention to participate in a pro-social campaign. Study 1 tested the proposed
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This study examines how processing fluency influences people’s behavioral intention to perform a pro-social behavior. In particular, we predict that high processing fluency enhances self-efficacy perception which, in turn, increases behavioral intention to participate in a pro-social campaign. Study 1 tested the proposed effect in the context of a pro-environmental campaign. Results showed that individual’s subjective feeling of processing fluency affects the degree of self-efficacy and intention to engage in recycling behavior. Study 2 replicated study 1 in the context of organ donation. In addition, we manipulated the degree of conceptual fluency by differently pairing message framing (gain vs. loss) and background color (blue vs. red). As predicted, participants exposed to campaign advertising with conceptually matching framing-color pairs (blue—gain framing and red—loss framing) expressed a greater level of self-efficacy than those who were exposed to mismatched pairs. In addition, self-efficacy mediated the influence of the color–framing match on the intention to donate organs. Our research contributes to the existing literature by identifying critical drivers that promote actions toward pro-social campaigns. It also provides useful guidelines for marketers who design and implement pro-social campaign communications.
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Open AccessArticle
An Exploratory Study on Local Brand Value Development for Outlying Island Agriculture: Local Food System and Actor–Network Theory Perspectives
by
Jia-Wei Tang, Ming-Lun Chen and Tsai-Hsin Chiu
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 5799
Abstract
Due to the sweeping influence of capitalism, most food processing is now done through standardized production workflows in order to quickly replicate and churn out a large quantity of products. This has led to an increasing number of homogenized and delocalized products flooding
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Due to the sweeping influence of capitalism, most food processing is now done through standardized production workflows in order to quickly replicate and churn out a large quantity of products. This has led to an increasing number of homogenized and delocalized products flooding the market and a disconnection between consumers and local food producers. Penghu outlying island is rich in unique local agricultural products but seriously lacks brand images and channel strategies, as manifested in an unstable demand and supply, a high degree of homogeneity (in products) and the majority of farmers producing and selling their products autonomously. This study applies the local food system and actor–network theory as the basis of theoretical frameworks as well as agricultural practices in Penghu as the research object. We used field investigation, in-depth interview and the means–end chain method to examine important contextual factors’ influence on the local agricultural food system, important actors and challenges and key influential factors for local brand value that affect the development of the local agricultural food system in Penghu outlying island. The actor–network perceptual map of local brand value proposed in this study can help agricultural practitioners when making decisions and can formulate strategies for their products to increase the product visibility and recognition. This perceptual map can also facilitate the expansion of the target customers and channel distributions suitable for individual agricultural products. Our study presents the following recommendations: increase the manpower of agricultural practices through the working holiday approach; local government should provide support enabling agriculture producers to gain professional knowledge in marketing; and agriculture producers should form cooperatives which focus on the unique local agricultural products that are produced and marketed locally in Penghu.
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Open AccessArticle
Building Sustainability into Services Marketing: Expanding Decision-Making from a Mix to a Matrix
by
Alan Pomering and Lester W. Johnson
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 6114
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to develop a framework that will provide the services marketing manager a systematic, holistic and transparent means of enhancing sustainability performance through the marketing function. We review the literature dealing with the confluence of services marketing and
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The purpose of this study is to develop a framework that will provide the services marketing manager a systematic, holistic and transparent means of enhancing sustainability performance through the marketing function. We review the literature dealing with the confluence of services marketing and sustainability, identify gaps in current sustainability-services marketing literature and inductively develop a conceptual framework for Sustainability Services Marketing (SSM). We describe services marketing practice examples in order to uncover the implications of a sustainability focus for services marketing and illustrate how to operationalise the framework. The resulting framework, (i) ensures that sustainability is incorporated into the strategic services marketing planning process, (ii) adapts and expands the traditional concept of the services marketing mix, by adding Partnerships to the traditional mix elements, and (iii) cross-references services marketing mix decision-making with the triple bottom line to describe the marketing task in terms of a matrix rather than a mix. This permits sustainability benchmarking and planning across the triple bottom line, and across the range of activities the services marketing manager might be expected to manage in order to enhance sustainability performance. We shift services marketing management attention to a broader and more sustainability-responsible whole-of-business approach. This research provides timely and effective guidance for the services marketing manager seeking to enhance his or her business’s sustainability performance in a systematic, holistic, and transparent way.
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Open AccessArticle
The Environmental Attitudes and Behaviours of European Golf Tourists
by
Jesús Manuel López-Bonilla, María Del Carmen Reyes-Rodríguez and Luis Miguel López-Bonilla
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 5431
Abstract
Environmental attitudes and behaviours have received relatively little attention in golf tourism, compared to other tourism research areas. Golf tourism provides products and services based on nature, and they should focus on the environment. Golf has become increasingly important in the development of
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Environmental attitudes and behaviours have received relatively little attention in golf tourism, compared to other tourism research areas. Golf tourism provides products and services based on nature, and they should focus on the environment. Golf has become increasingly important in the development of European tourism within the last decade. Moreover, golf is one of the primary motivations for European tourists in the sports tourism sector. This study is based on a sample of 431 golf tourists, from different nationalities, who visit Andalusia, Spain. This research examines the relationship between environmental attitudes and behavioural intentions for three subsamples of European nationalities: British, German, and Spanish. This relationship was corroborated in the three subsamples. However, the national citizenship of European golf tourists was not a moderator effect on the relationship between environmental attitudes and behavioural intentions.
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Open AccessArticle
Psychosocial Traits Characterizing EV Adopters’ Profiles: The Case of Tenerife (Canary Islands)
by
Maria Gracia Rodríguez-Brito, Alfredo J. Ramírez-Díaz, Francisco J. Ramos-Real and Yannick Perez
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4077
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to analyze Rogers-system categories of electric vehicle adopters in Tenerife (Canary Islands) to highlight the psychological factors defining each category. The paper runs a model to calculate willingness to change and willingness to pay for an electric
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The aim of this paper is to analyze Rogers-system categories of electric vehicle adopters in Tenerife (Canary Islands) to highlight the psychological factors defining each category. The paper runs a model to calculate willingness to change and willingness to pay for an electric vehicle following the contingent valuation methodology. A survey performed in Tenerife Island collected data from 444 private cars drivers. The survey contained a set of questions on psychological and car-features issues, as well as other items querying the socioeconomic factors and mobility characteristics of the drivers. This paper brings key contributions to the literature. First, it uses two theoretical frameworks to define the categories of innovators from a psychosocial standpoint. Second, the results will usefully inform both policymakers and automaker marketing departments on specific actions to accelerate the uptake of electric vehicles. Our results confirm that electric vehicle adopter categories are similar in proportion and characteristics to those of Rogers’ diffusion of innovation theory, and can be collapsed into two macro-groups of adopters distributed in a 50%–50% split in our sample, i.e., the earlier adopters and the later adopters.
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Open AccessArticle
Evaluating the Potential Business Benefits of Ecodesign Implementation: A Logic Model Approach
by
Vinícius P. Rodrigues, Daniela C. A. Pigosso, Jakob W. Andersen and Tim C. McAloone
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 6588
Abstract
The business benefits attained from ecodesign programs in manufacturing companies have been regularly documented by several studies from both the academic and corporate spheres. However, there are still significant challenges for adopting ecodesign, especially regarding the evaluation of these potential business benefits prior
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The business benefits attained from ecodesign programs in manufacturing companies have been regularly documented by several studies from both the academic and corporate spheres. However, there are still significant challenges for adopting ecodesign, especially regarding the evaluation of these potential business benefits prior to the actual ecodesign implementation. To address such gap, this study proposes an exploratory and theory-driven framework based on logic models to support the development of business cases for ecodesign implementation. The objective is to offer an outlook into how ecodesign implementation can potentially affect key corporate performance outcomes. This paper is based on a three-stage research methodology with six steps. Two full systematic literature reviews were performed, along with two thematic analyses and a grounded theory approach with the aim of developing the business case framework, which was then evaluated by seven industry experts. This research contributes to the literature of ecodesign especially by laying out an ecodesign-instantiated logic model, which is readily available to be adapted and customized for further test and use in practice. Discussions on the usefulness and applicability of the framework and directions for future research are presented.
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Open AccessArticle
Green Product Development with Consumer Heterogeneity under Horizontal Competition
by
Bing Xu, Qingyun Xu, Qiushi Bo and Qifan Hu
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3042
Abstract
In this paper, we explore the pricing and greenness issues of two competitive firms without and with consumer heterogeneity. We derive and compare the optimal solutions and profits employed by firms under different scenarios. Then, we identify the effects of consumer heterogeneity under
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In this paper, we explore the pricing and greenness issues of two competitive firms without and with consumer heterogeneity. We derive and compare the optimal solutions and profits employed by firms under different scenarios. Then, we identify the effects of consumer heterogeneity under different competition intensities. The analytical results reveal that if market competition is at a relatively low level, we find that: (i) when the greenness sensitivity of consumers with no preference is sufficiently small, more consumers have high environmental awareness, and companies easily achieve their environmental goals as well as economic goals; (ii) when the greenness sensitivity of consumers with no preference is at a medium level, as the fraction of consumers with high environmental awareness increases, and the firm might achieve economic goals at the cost of reducing environmental goals; and (iii) when the greenness sensitivity of consumers with no preference is at a high level, the fraction of consumers with high environmental awareness increases, but firms might have more difficulty achieving their environmental and economic goals. On the other hand, if the market competition is at a relatively high level, the presence of consumer heterogeneity can help improve environmental goals, but make achievement of economic goals difficult.
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Open AccessArticle
Inclusion of Life Cycle Thinking in a Sustainability-Oriented Consumer’s Typology: A Proposed Methodology and an Assessment Tool
by
Anna Lewandowska, Joanna Witczak, Pasquale Giungato, Christian Dierks, Przemyslaw Kurczewski and Katarzyna Pawlak-Lemanska
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4187
Abstract
Characterizing consumers in terms of their propensity to practice sustainable consumption represents an interesting research challenge in which a crucial role is played by the questionnaire in terms of its structure and classification criteria. Various classification rules have been proposed in the literature,
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Characterizing consumers in terms of their propensity to practice sustainable consumption represents an interesting research challenge in which a crucial role is played by the questionnaire in terms of its structure and classification criteria. Various classification rules have been proposed in the literature, which can be used to identify consumer types and signify their propensity to practice the principles of sustainable development in daily life. In this paper, we based our approach in designing a classification tool on a combination of two elements: the concept of voluntary simplicity as a pillar for consumer characteristics and the idea of assessing consumers by using filters, in a modified form introducing many new aspects of life-cycle thinking. The tool proposed provides insight into the relationship between the consumer’s typology and behavior during purchasing decisions in daily life. The main function of the proposed tool is to assign respondents to one of the proposed consumer types distinguished and characterized in terms of many aspects of life cycle thinking. A pilot survey has been performed in order to verify the proposed tool, and the survey results have been presented in the paper, as well.
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Understanding Consumers’ Sustainable Consumption Intention at China’s Double-11 Online Shopping Festival: An Extended Theory of Planned Behavior Model
by
Shuai Yang, Lei Li and Jiemin Zhang
Cited by 72 | Viewed by 13261
Abstract
Double-11 shopping festival has become the largest national shopping festival in China. This study investigates the effect of the atmosphere during the Double-11 shopping festival on Chinese people’s sustainable consumption by extending the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). A survey on a sample
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Double-11 shopping festival has become the largest national shopping festival in China. This study investigates the effect of the atmosphere during the Double-11 shopping festival on Chinese people’s sustainable consumption by extending the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). A survey on a sample of 404 Chinese consumers showed that the atmosphere specific to China’s Double-11 shopping festival was negatively associated with consumers’ purchase intention toward sustainable consumption. Moreover, the negative relationship was mediated by consumers’ attitude toward sustainable consumption, the subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control.
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Open AccessArticle
Consumers’ Behavior Concerning Sustainable Packaging: An Exploratory Study on Romanian Consumers
by
Gheorghe Orzan, Anca Francisca Cruceru, Cristina Teodora Bălăceanu and Raluca-Giorgiana Chivu
Cited by 103 | Viewed by 32092
Abstract
The paper analyzes the Romanian consumer’s behavior concerning sustainable packaging through quantitative research among 268 consumers. The aim of the study is to determine the perception of the Romanian consumer regarding the role of eco-packaging in the formation of sustainable behavior. The research
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The paper analyzes the Romanian consumer’s behavior concerning sustainable packaging through quantitative research among 268 consumers. The aim of the study is to determine the perception of the Romanian consumer regarding the role of eco-packaging in the formation of sustainable behavior. The research has as main objectives: assessing consumer preferences for the types of ecological packaging, knowing the reasons for purchasing green packaging, and the role of the information about eco-packaging in promoting sustainability. Most respondents are aware of the impact of packaging on the environment, the main reasons for purchasing are environmental protection, recycle and the feeling of being responsible. Packaging preferences include paper, glass and cardboard and, to a lesser extent, plastic and wood. The reasons why consumers are not willing to pay more for green packaging are the price of products correlated with the low consumer budget and the lack of information and these are the main barriers to adopting sustainable behavior.
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What is Different about Volunteers? A Study on Factors of Buying Decisions of Products with Recycled Content
by
Claudia Stoian (Bobâlcă), Oana Țugulea, Liviu-George Maha and Claudia-Ioana Ciobanu
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3390
Abstract
Volunteering is a way to express civic behavior, including pro-environmental behavior such as buying products with recycled content. The purpose of this research is to understand the differences between individuals involved in volunteering activities and individuals who have never been involved in volunteering
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Volunteering is a way to express civic behavior, including pro-environmental behavior such as buying products with recycled content. The purpose of this research is to understand the differences between individuals involved in volunteering activities and individuals who have never been involved in volunteering activities. In order to do this, dimensions are analyzed by categories of public: the general public, individuals involved in volunteering activities (volunteers), and individuals who have never been involved in volunteering activities (non-volunteers). Qualitative methods, based on in-depth interviews; and quantitative methods, based on Anova, Independent Samples T tests, factor analyses, and regression analyses have been combined. The sample included 469 respondents. The general dimensions of buying decisions are: product features, social values, promotions, low risk, uniqueness, and affordable price. The volunteers’ dimensions of buying decisions are product features, social values, uniqueness, benefits, and promotions. The non-volunteers’ dimensions of buying decisions are product features, uniqueness, credibility support, promotions, and low risk. In the conclusions section, implications are presented using specific communication for each of the three public categories, based on important resulting dimensions for each public.
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Willingness to Pay for Environmentally Friendly Products among Low-Income Households along Coastal Peninsular Malaysia
by
Abdullah Al Mamun, Syed Ali Fazal, Ghazali Bin Ahmad, Mohd Rafi Bin Yaacob and Mohd. Rosli Mohamad
Cited by 44 | Viewed by 9958
Abstract
In an attempt to promote the mass consumption of environmentally friendly products in Malaysia, this study presents an investigation of the effects of several selected factors upon willingness to pay and purchase behavior of environmental-friendly products. This study employed a cross-sectional design, in
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In an attempt to promote the mass consumption of environmentally friendly products in Malaysia, this study presents an investigation of the effects of several selected factors upon willingness to pay and purchase behavior of environmental-friendly products. This study employed a cross-sectional design, in which quantitative data were gathered from a total of 380 low-income household heads from 38 coastal districts in Peninsular Malaysia. The outcomes of this study revealed the positively significant effects of eco-literacy and environmental concern upon attitudes towards environmental-friendly products; normative beliefs and perceived behavioral control on willingness to pay for environmental-friendly products; as well as willingness to pay for environmental-friendly products and perceived behavioral control on payment behavior for environmental-friendly products, among low-income households in coastal Peninsular Malaysia. Programs and policies should therefore focus on promoting environmental awareness and knowledge concerning the relative advantages that are expected to improve willingness among consumers to pay for environmentally friendly products.
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Antecedents and Consequences of Ecotourism Behavior: Independent and Interdependent Self-Construals, Ecological Belief, Willingness to Pay for Ecotourism Services and Satisfaction with Life
by
Kumju Hwang and Jieun Lee
Cited by 36 | Viewed by 7539
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to investigate the antecedents related to why tourists engage in ecotourism and the consequences of ecotourism behavior. This study examined the concept of self-construal as a social aspect of self that influences different levels of ecological beliefs,
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The purpose of this study is to investigate the antecedents related to why tourists engage in ecotourism and the consequences of ecotourism behavior. This study examined the concept of self-construal as a social aspect of self that influences different levels of ecological beliefs, which, in turn, affect ecotourism behavior. To address the unsatisfactory predictive power of the belief/attitude-behavior model, this study included the willingness to pay (WTP) for ecotourism between the ecological belief and ecotourism behavior relationships. Finally, this study examined the impact of ecotourism on tourists’ satisfaction with life as a result of ecotourism behavior. A structural equation model was constructed to test the proposed model. We found significant impacts of self-construals in explaining ecological beliefs. Significant relationships were found between ecological belief and WTP for ecotourism services which influenced ecotourism behavior, and between ecological belief and ecotourism behavior which affected satisfaction with life. The moderating effect of gender was only found on the path between WTP and ecotourism behavior. The findings of this study offer some implications for industry and policymakers to develop effective ecotourism programs.
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The Effect of Regulatory Focus on Individuals’ Donation Behavior
by
Kikyoung Park and Gangseog Ryu
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 4493
Abstract
We examine how individuals’ regulatory focus affects their donation behavior and how personal events experienced before the donation moderate this relationship. In this research, regulatory focus refers to the basic motivational orientation that affects how individuals pursue their goals. We propose that donors
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We examine how individuals’ regulatory focus affects their donation behavior and how personal events experienced before the donation moderate this relationship. In this research, regulatory focus refers to the basic motivational orientation that affects how individuals pursue their goals. We propose that donors will judge potential rewards and risks associated with making a donation when deciding whether to donate and that regulatory focus and personal events will have a significant influence on this judgment. The results from both the survey and the experiment confirmed that participants with promotion focus were more likely to donate than those with prevention focus. In addition, the experimental results revealed that compared to those experiencing no personal event, the donation likelihood of prevention-focused participants increased significantly after experiencing a positive personal event but did not change after experiencing a negative personal event. In a similar vein, experiencing a negative event decreased the donation likelihood of promotion-focused participants whereas experiencing a positive event did not. Our research contributes new findings and insights to both regulatory focus and donation literature and provides useful guidelines for nonprofit organizations to design and implement donation programs.
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The Bidirectional Causality between Country-Level Governance, Economic Growth and Sustainable Development: A Cross-Country Data Analysis
by
Cristina Boţa-Avram, Adrian Groşanu, Paula-Ramona Răchişan and Marius Dan Gavriletea
Cited by 51 | Viewed by 5958
Abstract
In the context of contemporary society, characterized by the information users’ growing and differentiated needs, the way country-level governance and social responsibility contribute to the ensuring of sustainable economic development is a concern for all the actors of the economic sphere. The aim
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In the context of contemporary society, characterized by the information users’ growing and differentiated needs, the way country-level governance and social responsibility contribute to the ensuring of sustainable economic development is a concern for all the actors of the economic sphere. The aim of this paper is to test the causal linkages between the quality of country-level governance, economic growth and a well-known indicator of economic sustainable development, for a large panel of world-wide countries for a period of 10 years (2006–2015). While there are some prior studies that have argued the bidirectional causality between good public governance and economic development, this study intends to provide a new focus on the relationship between country-level governance and economic growth, on one hand, and between country-level governance and adjusted net savings, as a selected indicator of economic sustainable development, on the other hand. Four hypotheses on the causal relationship between good governance, economic growth and sustainable development were tested by using Granger
non-causality tests. Our findings resulting from Granger
non-causality tests provide reasonable evidence of Granger causality from country-level governance to economic growth, but from economic growth to country-level governance, the causality is not confirmed. In what regards the relationship between country-level governance and adjusted net savings, the bidirectional Granger causality is not confirmed. The main implication of our study is that improving economic growth and sustainable development is a very challenging issue, and the impact of macro-level factors such as country-level governance should not be neglected.
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Consumers’ and Retailers’ Attitudes Towards a Mexican Native Species of Aztec Lily as an Ornamental Plant
by
Yesica Mayett-Moreno, Jennie Sheerin Popp, Mauricio Sabogal-Salamanca, Sandra Rodríguez-Piñeros, Edith Salomé-Castañeda and Daniel Alberto Flores-Alonso
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 4747
Abstract
The use of native ornamental plants in urban landscapes and ornamental consumers’ designs is one strategy to preserve biodiversity.
Sprekelia formosissima (L.) Herb., known as Aztec lily (ALY), is one of the nearly 4000 species of native ornamental plants of Mexico. However, its
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The use of native ornamental plants in urban landscapes and ornamental consumers’ designs is one strategy to preserve biodiversity.
Sprekelia formosissima (L.) Herb., known as Aztec lily (ALY), is one of the nearly 4000 species of native ornamental plants of Mexico. However, its domestic market is not yet developed and is virtually unknown. The objectives of this study were to: (1) compare consumers’ and retailers’ knowledge of ALY, and (2) to identify potential clusters of consumers and retailers based on their knowledge and preferences, such that marketing of the ALY could be best tailored to different market segments, leading to its sustainable commercialization. There were 464 interviews conducted in four nurseries in Mexico. Results showed only one consumer knew about the ALY; additionally, we found different behaviors in consumers and in retailers: those not interested in the ALY, but when they know it is Mexican they will acquire it; those interested no matter the ALY origin, and those who dislike the ALY because it is Mexican. Those answers suggest that improving consumers/retailers knowledge about this native flower could lead to a sustainable commercialization in Mexico, helping to ensure its conservation as well.
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A Comparative Study of Green Purchase Intention between Korean and Chinese Consumers: The Moderating Role of Collectivism
by
You Kyung Lee
Cited by 72 | Viewed by 13340
Abstract
This study aims to examine the impacts of the new ecological paradigm, environmental collective efficacy, environmental knowledge, and collectivism on the green purchase intention of Korean and Chinese consumers. Although some studies have researched the relationship between cultural influences and green purchase behaviour,
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This study aims to examine the impacts of the new ecological paradigm, environmental collective efficacy, environmental knowledge, and collectivism on the green purchase intention of Korean and Chinese consumers. Although some studies have researched the relationship between cultural influences and green purchase behaviour, a study on the moderating effect of collectivism on the formation of green purchase intention is rarely found. Therefore, based on 357 consumers in Korea and 398 consumers in China, this study proposes a new model of green purchase intention and empirically tests a model using moderated regression analysis (MRA). The results show that the new ecological paradigm, environmental collective efficacy, environmental knowledge, and collectivism are direct antecedents of green purchase intention in China. In particular, collectivism positively moderates the relationship between environmental collective efficacy and green purchase intention in China. However, the results from Korean consumers show that collectivism has neither a direct impact nor moderating impact on green purchase intention. However, it was found that environmental collective efficacy and environmental knowledge have direct impacts on green purchase intention in Korea. Finally, this study discusses the theoretical and managerial implications of these findings.
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Planned Papers
The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these
manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers
submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.
