Responsible Consumer Behavior Research Articles

Fostering Environmentally Responsible Consumer Behavior: A Hierarchical Approach Toward Smartphone Recycling

Previous studies have explored consumers’ environmentally responsible intentions regarding many industries and products; however, research on the sustainability of smartphones is limited. This article develops an integrated cross-level model to assess the factors that foster environmentally responsible consumer behavior, which is demonstrated by the willingness to recycle smartphones. Data from 358 consumers were collected and analyzed using hierarchical linear modeling and the decomposed theory of planned behavior, which take into account antecedent factors. The outcomes of this article may provide a better understanding of consumer attitudes on smartphone recycling, such that expedient engineering and public policies can be put in place to facilitate it.

Marketing 4.0- Enhancing Consumer Experience Moving from Traditional to Digital

The new consumer exhibits socially responsible buying and consumption behaviour. As this is a demanding and informed consumer, he/she has more power for the company, sometimes being able to participate actively in the development of certain business processes. Marketing evolves in parallel with technology. During the last five years, this behaviour is determined by the desire which the individual demonstrates to know whether the products are produced efficiently, or if the company is sustainable in terms of economic, social and environmental terms. Much has been speculated, but academic journals have published little about Marketing 4.0. Maybe, because the total understanding of Marketing 4.0 requires: firstly, a depth knowledge about the evolution of marketing, especially about Marketing 3.0, predecessor. The main purpose of the paper is to open a discussion where is a need for new marketing organization as well as does it possible to change the existing marketing or to evolve it. Marketing 3.0 has become the most innovative marketing approach, but of growing, is research focusing on Marketing 4.0 in parallel with technology and How Marketing 4.0 scan be to apply it to any brand today and gives you the edge you need to reach them more effectively than ever before.

Firms enabling responsible consumption: a netnographic approach

PurposeThis study explores enablers that firms could use to motivate consumers toward responsible consumption behavior. Completing the loop of responsible consumption – linking firms and consumers –helps firms to attain responsible consumption targets as part of the sustainable development goals (SDGs).Design/methodology/approachThe study uses netnography as the qualitative research methodology.FindingsThe important enablers of responsible consumption behavior are choice editing, design intervention, addressing consumers' environmental identity, brand assurance, promoting innovation mindset and consumer empowerment – at the level of consumers and at the crosslevel of interaction between firms and consumers. Such enablers can help the firms in nudging their consumers toward responsible consumption.Research limitations/implicationsUsing the lens of the expectancy–value theory of achievement motivation, this study extends the theoretical domain of responsible consumption.Practical implicationsThe enablers of responsible consumption behaviors found here serve as a useful guide for the strategies to attain the SDGs.Social implicationsThe SDG goal 12 of responsible consumption is the focus of this study. The entire fabric of responsible consumption is woven around anthropocentric views, and hence the findings of this study have clear social implications.Originality/valueThis is a first study to explore how firms can facilitate consumers to consume responsibly, to attain the SDGs. This is also one of the first studies on responsible consumption, using netnography as the research methodology. Additionally, it also extends the applicability of the expectancy–value theory of achievement motivation to the context of responsible consumption behavior.

Consumers' Mobility, Expenditure and Online-Offline Substitution Response to COVID-19: Evidence from French Transaction Data

This paper investigates a number of general phenomena connected with consumer behaviour in response to a severe economic shock, using billions of French card transactions measured before and during the COVID-19 epidemic. We examine changes in consumer mobility, anticipatory behaviour in response to announced restrictions, and the contrasts between the responses of online and traditional point-of-sale (off-line) consumption expenditures to the shock. We track hourly, daily and weekly responses as well as estimating an aggregate fixed-period impact effect via a difference-in-difference estimator. The results, particularly at the sectoral level, suggest that {recourse} to the online shopping option diminished somewhat the overall impact of the shock on consumption expenditure, thereby increasing resiliency of the economy.

Responsible Tourism Consumption in Thailand: eWOM’s Role

This paper examines the effects of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) on responsible tourism consumption behavior, based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and empirical investigation. A three-pronged approach (a cross validation technique involving a literature review, expert interviews, and an exploratory field study) was employed to obtain reliable and valid results. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was utilized to confirm the conceptual framework and hypotheses. Findings revealed a positive relationship between perceived behavioral control (PBC) and intention. Intention’s mediating role in responsible tourism consumption was also supported. eWOM’s positive, indirect effect on responsible tourism consumption emerged apart from the literature. The outcomes provide useful information for governments, the private sector, and civil society in planning and implementing sustainable consumption activities to achieve overall development for sustainable tourism. By proposing a conceptual framework based on TPB and utilizing the three-pronged approach, eWOM’s effects emerged as a valid extension of TPB. This study is among the first to be conducted in developing country and in the context of tourism in Thailand, where the primary focus is Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) #12: responsible consumption and production.

The Tipping Point in the Status of Socially Responsible Consumer Behavior Research? A Bibliometric Analysis

Looking at the impact of society on the environment or, as we write this manuscript in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, the scenes of consumers hoarding products, we wonder if consumers really do exhibit socially responsible consumer behaviors (SRCB). An initial literature review showed that few studies have addressed this issue, which creates opportunities for the development of new research lines. Furthermore, no study had examined the conceptual evolution or whether SRCB is a developed or fragmented theme from an exhaustive compilation of all previous academic research. To address the proposed research questions, we conducted a bibliometric analysis applied to a corpus of manuscripts on SRCB indexed in the Web of Science (WoS) bibliographic database, from its inception in 1991 up to 2019. Co-word analysis provided a structure of conceptual sub-domains classified based on their density and centrality. In addition, thematic networks were extracted that showed the important associations between the main issues that the SRCB community has addressed, which enabled the authors to examine the subject’s intellectual structuring over almost three decades. The findings showed that the research, over time, has focused most on corporate social responsibility (CSR), this being a motor theme between 2013 and 2016. In general, SRCB has been a very fragmented field of study, however in the last three years, it has developed into a distinct entity; in the past, it was basically addressed through CSR. The most productive thematic areas during the last 30 years have been: (a) Research into consumer attitude, (b) research on CSR, and (c) research on social and sustainable consumption behavior. In response to calls for greater theoretical clarification of the SRCB discipline, the authors providing experts and novices with a better understanding of the current state of the art and suggest future research directions.

Signaling socially responsible consumption among millennials: an identity-based perspective

PurposeUsing identity theory, this paper aims to explore differences in socially responsible signaling behavior based on the salience of a personal or social identity.Design/methodology/approachStructural equation modeling was used to study the relationship among identity commitment, salience, and signaling behavior.FindingsFindings revealed personal identity salience mediated the relationship between socially responsible commitment and socially responsible social-signaling consumption behavior.Practical implicationsThe results of the study suggest that Millennials engage in socially responsible activities as a result of a salient personal identity. Millennials use socially responsible behavior to signal their benevolence to themselves and others.Originality/valueThis is the first research that has examined the relationship between Millennials’ socially responsible consumption behavior and a salient personal or social identity.

Framework for responsible (sustainable) marketing

Corporates and consumers are aware of the environmental consequences of consumption. However, forty per cent of environmental degradation is known to have been caused by human consumption behaviour while marketing has been blamed for promoting materialism (irresponsible consumption). Literature suggests that adopting responsible marketing strategies would not only promote responsible consumption (Abutaleb & El-Bassiouny, 2020) but also build long-term competitive advantage (Agrawal, Kumar, & Rahman, 2017) and help companies financially (Eccles, Ioannou, & Serafeim, 2011). Building responsible marketing strategies would, however, require changes at both, the organisational and the marketing level (Rudwaska, 2019). This paper, using a theory-building methodology, proposes a framework that identifies the organisational values (necessary condition) and the responsible marketer’s role (sufficient condition) for responsible marketing that ensures responsible consumer behaviour for all the different stages of the marketing planning process. Themes from papers presented in an International Conference on Responsible Marketing were analysed to suggest how corporates could develop responsible marketing strategies and promote responsible consumption. Applicability, limitations, and areas for future research are identified.

Change in Responsible Consumer Behaviour Through Generations?

In our accelerated world, in the era of over-consumption, decisions and choices have got more and more emphases than before. In spite of the fact, that conscious and responsible behaviour did not draw as much attention as it does nowadays, the whole society suffers the consequences of decisions independently from which generation can be blamed. However, the education for responsible behaviour has started and become more important than ever, the real change in the attitude and the approach to responsibility still needs a lot of time. The research conducted among Hungarian consumers aims to reveal the differences between the generations’ consumer behaviour with special focus on the FMCG market. In the analysis of the factors influencing consumer decision-making, the corporate marketing communication as well as the environmental and social aspects get central role.

Moral Licensing and Socially Responsible Investment Decisions

Does an individual's (un)conscious consumer behavior reveal his appreciation of a socially responsible investment? To explore how socially responsible behavior as consumer and investor relate to each other, I combine 287 investors' portfolio data with proxies evaluating their responsible consumer behavior derived from a one-year consumption record. I observe inconsistent behavior, finding that conscious consumers are not socially responsible investors. Rather than mistrusting socially responsible investments (SRI) or refusing to delegate investment decisions to fund managers in the first place, conscious consumers' moral credits seem to best explain these results. Assuming that an individual's morality and accompanying willingness to pay a price-premium are limited, conscious consumers can draw on moral credits when optimizing their portfolio under purely financial considerations. Less conscious consumers, on the contrary, purchase a letter of indulgence by complementing their portfolio with an SRI fund. This paper aims to improve the understanding of socially responsible investors' non-financial motives.

Corporate social responsibility signaling, evaluation, identification, and revisit intention among cruise customers

Improvements in customer knowledge and interest in cruise tourism have facilitated the growth of the cruise industry. However, the cruise industry has limited research attention from tourism and hospitality scholars. Furthermore, in the cruise setting, although a large number of corporate social responsibility (CSR) messages are sent to customers, it seems reasonable to suspect that not all CSR activities are effective to achieve the sustainable growth of the company. Therefore, this study aims to expand the existing knowledge of cruise CSR by examining the impact of customers’ perceived value of socially responsible consumption behavior on brand-related outcomes. Data from 292 cruise customers in the United States are collected through online surveys. Findings support the evidence that CSR signaling influences customers’ positive evaluation and identification with a cruise brand, but no direct impact on their behavioral intention is observed. Also, the mediating role of evaluation and identification in the relationship between CSR signaling and revisit intention is examined. In this study, the signaling and social identity theories are supported by an empirical study to addresses the importance of customers’ socially responsible consumption trait in sustainable growth.

In Fair Markets, There Is No Unfair Business! And No Responsible Consumption? (WITHDRAWN)

Even though there is a visible development towards more responsible consumer behavior, many consumers seem to neglect their responsibility within markets. We argue that this neglect might be based ...

Taking stock of consumer returns: A review and classification of the literature

AbstractCoincident with the rapid growth of consumer returns and their corresponding importance in the retail marketplace, academic interest in the area of consumer return policy design has significantly increased. In fact, the growth in academic publications has been tremendous, with almost half of the published works appearing within the past 6 years. The influx of new and evolving research spans across multiple disciplines and various methodologies. To provide clarity for the continued evolution of the field, we provide a comprehensive review and classification of the literature predicated on a holistic conceptual framework. The scope of the review includes all peer reviewed journal articles published prior to the end of 2018, along with any working papers cited therefrom, that specifically address (a) managerial decision‐making related to return policies or (b) consumer behavior in response to such decision‐making. Examining the state of the literature and practice on return policy design through the lens of a unified conceptual framework—a framework that spans both analytical and empirical research—reveals numerous managerial and theoretical opportunities for future research.

Environmentally Responsible Apparel Consumption and Convertible Dresses

Among the many methods to make sustainable garments, convertible garments have the potential to change style and function that allow consumers to keep and use garments longer with the possibility of enhancing sustainability. This research analyzes consumer preferences in changeable design options for convertible dresses and the consumers'' influence on environmentally responsible apparel consumption (ERC) behaviors on their preferences regarding changeable design options of dresses, which are popular items. An online survey collected data from a convenient sample of 321 female college students from four universities in the United States. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS through descriptive analysis, cluster analysis, and independent samples t-test. There were significant differences between high and low ERC groups in design preferences that considered important aspects of purchasing, using convertible dresses, and purchase intentions. Detailed differences among sub-groups were analyzed. Designers are encouraged to make tying/folding/wrapping dresses with changes of size/fit, dress length, or color/pattern. The results are beneficial for apparel designers when developing convertible dresses with the guidance of consumers'' design preferences and differences according to ERC levels.

Healthy eating and sustainable nutrition through mindfulness? Mixed method results of a controlled intervention study

Mindless eating is at the core of many ecological and social problems associated with modern nutritional behavior. Mindfulness training has been proven to be an efficient means for improving healthy nutrition. First, it enables reconnection with internal hunger and satiety cues, instead of external cues. Second, it supports making deliberate choices against unconscious eating patterns. It is less clear whether training in mindfulness can be similarly effective for sustainable nutritional habits, defined here as socially and ecologically responsible consumption behaviors over the whole consumption cycle. A controlled mixed method intervention study employed an adapted mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) to investigate such potential effects in a healthy, adult student population (n = 76/n = 11). Results from both qualitative and quantitative data indicate that the MBI exerts strong effects on mindful eating, whereas effects on sustainable nutritional behaviors are limited and only appear in the qualitative data as content concerning pre-behavioral stages of consumption, such as attitudes and intentions. First follow-up results suggest a slower process for changing nutritional behaviors toward more sustainable food choices. Based on the integrated mixed method results, we conclude that MBIs are an effective way to change unhealthy, mindless eating habits. To obtain stronger effects on sustainable nutritional behaviors, we suggest MBIs with a specific focus on sustainable nutritional behaviors and openly advertising the aim of the intervention in order to create a common intention in target groups who are looking for ways to put their altruistic intentions into practice, e.g. in sustainable consumption education programs.

How consumers respond to social norms: an evidence from pay-what-you-want (PWYW) pricing

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate consumer behaviour in response to social norms under pay-what-you-want (PWYW) pricing. Specifically, it explores the critical role of social norms such as norm priming and consumer prior trust in the retailer on consumers’ perceived price fairness, trust, willingness to pay, purchase intentions and intentions to spread negative word of mouth about the retailer.Design/methodology/approachData on dependent measures were collected through the scenario-based online experimental approach and assessed using MANOVA analysis.FindingsResults confirm the significance of norms by indicating the critical role of norm belief on consumer responses. Also, increasing the salience of norms by priming them usually intensifies negative behaviour, and pre-existing trust in the retailer serves as an imperfect cushion against consumer negative reactions to norm violation, but this effect is observed to be decreasing with increase in prior trust.Research limitations/implicationsFurther research should consider the contextual (time, place, media) influences and assumptions to increase the generalizability of the findings.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper to explicitly examine the effects of social-norm compliance by sellers on consumer behaviour in the context of PWYW pricing.

To Trust or Not to Trust? Consumer Responses to Cause-Related Marketing

The purpose of this study is to understand if company trustworthiness and the type of cause-related marketing (CRM) campaigns (strategic vs. tactical) affect purchase intention and company image of a yogurt producer, under the control of socially responsible consumer behavior, general trust, income, attitude toward the CRM campaign, and initial company image. The study applies a quantitative (experimentation) research to test the proposed model. MANCOVA was applied with data obtained from 600 respondents who were selected by a two-stage cluster sampling method. The research model is partially supported. Company trustworthiness and CRM type are found to affect only company image and without any interaction effect. Being a highly trustworthy company applying a CRM campaign has more positive influence on company image than a less trustworthy one. Additionally, a strategic CRM campaign creates more positive influence on company image than a tactical one. The findings are further deliberated with the managers of the two selected companies with focus group discussions.

Game theory modelling of retail marketing discount strategies

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to use the game theory combined with Monte Carlo simulation modelling to support the analysis of different retail marketing strategies, in particular, using payoff matrices for modelling the likely outcomes from different retail marketing strategies. Design/methodology/approach Theoretical research was utilised to develop a practical approach for applying game theory to retail marketing strategies via payoff matrices combined with Monte Carlo simulation modelling. Findings Game theory combined with Monte Carlo simulation modelling can provide a formal approach to understanding consumer decision making in a retail environment, which can support the development of retail marketing strategies. Research limitations/implications Game theory combined with Monte Carlo simulation modelling can support the modelling of the interaction between retail marketing actions and consumer responses in a practical formal probabilistic manner, which can inform marketing strategies used by retail companies in a practical manner. Practical implications Game theory combined with Monte Carlo simulation modelling can provide a formalised mechanism for examining how consumers may respond to different retail marketing strategies. Originality/value The originality of this research is the practical application of game theory to retail marketing, in particular the use of payoff matrices combined with Monte Carlo simulation modelling to examine likely consumer behaviour in response to different retail marketing approaches.

Measuring responsible financial consumption behaviour

AbstractSound consumption decisions determine individuals’ well‐being; responsible financial consumption behaviour (RFCB) affects not only their finances but also their societal status and emotional state. The failure to manage personal finances responsibly may result in serious long‐term consequences for individuals and society overall. In order to evaluate the concept of RFCB, this study combines two established theoretical frameworks—the family management system and the theory of planned behaviour. The paper investigates the relationships among RFCB, responsible financial attitudes, financial literacy and behavioural control. Its theoretical model is tested on a random sample of 494 respondents and analysed using PLS‐SEM. The results confirm the formation of responsible consumption behaviour by six formative elements: self‐control in spending, planning for the future, seeking information, education, rational decision‐making and solvency. The findings also indicate that all three focal variables have a direct effect on RFCB.

New insights into socially responsible consumers: The role of personal values

AbstractGiven increasing interest in both socially responsible consumption behavior (SRCB) and socially responsible corporate practices in marketing, this study addressed the effects of several personal traits on SRCB (i.e., personal values, collectivism, age, and gender). Findings from an online survey revealed that consumers who valued self‐transcendence (e.g., benevolence and universalism) were more likely to engage in socially responsible consumption (e.g., recycling, avoiding, or reducing usage of products that do long‐term damage to the environment) than those who valued social status and prestige, social power, authority, and wealth. Furthermore, the findings show that older adults and women tended to engage in more SRCB than younger adults and men. Findings also indicate that age and gender were antecedents to the values of self‐transcendence and self‐enhancement.