Abstract
The aim of this paper was to analyze the influence of feelings of guilt and pride in the intention of buying green products by consumers considered sustainable. Guilt and pride are two constructs that shapes people’s actions to avoid guilt-making behaviors and keep those proud, making it important to assess how these two constructs act when it comes to sustainability-related actions, in this case for green products. For this purpose, a descriptive quantitative research was used, with the survey of data performed through a survey and analyzed through multivariate statistics through the SPSS. The results showed that the emotion of guilt was identified as a stimulus factor for the purchase of green products, as a variable that would prevent the consumer to develop unsustainable behaviors, and the feeling of pride was not identified in the respondents, when researching the influence that exerts in the intention of consumers to buy green products. The result contributes to researches in sustainability field by corroborating and at the same time contrasting with research considered incipient that relate emotions to sustainable consumer behavior, opening opportunities for further research on the influence of emotions in consumers behavior in sustainability area.
Highlights
Consumption growth, especially due to population increase, has had negative consequences for the environment, such as the increase in the use of natural resources and the production’s waste
Green products are considered as products that have in their production chain ways of preserving natural resources, such as water reuse, clean energy use, product redesign to reduce material use and disposal (Lopes & Pacgnan, 2014)
Part of the change in consumer behavior has been related to information provided by the media, showing the negative consequences for the environment caused by consumption, providing greater knowledge about consumers actions and what they can do for the environment (Vicente -Molina, Fernández-Sáinz & Izagirre-Olaizola, 2013)
Summary
Consumption growth, especially due to population increase, has had negative consequences for the environment, such as the increase in the use of natural resources and the production’s waste. Authors such as Kuwer and Fonseca (2012) and organizations such as The United Nations (UN, 2018) argue for changes in consumption patterns as an important element in achieving sustainable development. Following Dolan's (2014) arguments, it cannot be pointed out that consumers who are aware of the problems caused by consumption behaviors are seeking to change their consumption patterns
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.