The empowered consumer

Abstract

The sphere of Consumer Social Responsibilty is of particular relevance considering the increasing environmental problems connected to consumers’ irresponsibility. Nevertheless, even responsible consumers often show a high divergence between attitude and behaviour regarding responsible consumption, the so-called Attitude-Behaviour-Gap. In this context, this article aims to advance the understanding of the social responsibility of consumers and the related Attitude-Behaviour Gap with its influencing factors. The review serves as the basis for a single source, cross-sectional survey which aims to assess the Attitude-Behaviour Gap affecting plastic bag consumption. The study reveals the existence of the gap and a statistically significant impact of various influencing factors. Based on the theoretical and empirical context, it can be concluded that the gap between attitudes towards sustainability and unsustainable behaviour is a crucial and complex area of research, which suggests the need for further and more extensive study.