Abstract
AbstractSustainable consumption obtains ever‐increasing importance due to pressing social, environmental and economic issues. Extensive research has proposed the use of social norm communication as an effective means to encourage various kinds of pro‐environmental behaviour, as well as sustainable consumption. However, although crucial to the development of effective social norm campaigns, tangible evidence for specific processes and conditions through which social norms foster sustainable consumption remains scarce. Thus, we aim to illuminate the underlying mechanisms and boundary conditions of social normative influences and clarify how to effectively communicate social norms. Study 1 examines personal norms as a mediator of social normative influences on consumers' purchase intention for an unsustainable product, including the interacting role of personal traits (i.e., self‐efficacy and self‐concept). The results reveal that personal norms fully mediate the effect of perceived social norms on purchase intentions. For participants expressing high generalized self‐efficacy, an additional direct effect of perceived social norms on purchase intentions arises. The same pattern appears for a strong collective but not for a strong relational self‐concept. Study 2 investigates sender‐specific (i.e., social distance) and recipient‐specific (i.e., gender and pro‐sustainability world view) factors impacting the relative influence of social normative message frames (i.e., injunctive vs. descriptive) on purchase intentions towards a sustainable product. The results reveal an interaction effect for social distance and for gender, but not for pro‐sustainability world view. This research proposes implications for researchers, as well as marketers, and emphasizes auspicious aspects as a springboard for future research.
Highlights
One of the most current pressing issues is the challenge to achieve a sustainable development of our societies
While humans are generally likely to adjust or even build personal beliefs in accordance with their desired goals (Kunda, 1990), we suggest one possible process to resolve the tension between personal norms and social normative expectation is that consumers incorporate the social normative content into their own belief system to strive for social approval and are, driven by their “motivated personal norms.”
In collecting responses to the items for personal norms and purchase intentions, we addressed the possibility that participants might be motivated to present themselves in a positive light since ethical issues are involved (Kruger & Gilovich, 2004)
Summary
One of the most current pressing issues is the challenge to achieve a sustainable development of our societies. Introducing sustainable consumption patterns is a central cornerstone for its achievement (United Nations, 2015). This means incorporating issues regarding ecological (e.g., conservation of natural resources), social (e.g., reduction of social tension) and economic (e.g., making economic issues consistent with ecological concerns) aspects into defining the various practices of consumption behaviour (Balderjahn et al, 2013; Geiger, Fischer, & Schrader, 2018; Glavi & Lukman, 2007). Numerous advocates of sustainable development (e.g., marketers of sustainable products or services and public policy agents) are concerned with finding means to motivate consumers towards more sustainable consumption
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