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Assessing Sustainability Marketing From Macromarketing Perspective: A Multi-Stakeholder Approach
Abstract
Purpose - The topic of sustainability marketing and its relation with macromarketing has vastly developed and gained attention by many researchers. The purpose of the current study is gaining a better understanding of the relationship between macromarketing and sustainability marketing and how it cascades on different stakeholders.
Methodology - Concurrent research study is applied, where qualitative and quantitative research methods are conducted at the same time for different purposes with equal weights.
Findings - The results showed that companies are taking serious and effective steps in transforming their marketing strategies into sustainable marketing ones. Regarding the government role, up till this moment there are no strict laws and regulations that force companies and factories in Egypt to develop sustainability marketing strategies. However, the government is working on rising Egyptian consumers’ awareness to sustainable development through campaigns that educate both children and adults. For quantitative results, firms’ sustainable practices and subjective norms are found to be the most significant predictors of consumers’ purchase intentions of sustainable products.
Originality/value - There are no studies that combine the main three stakeholders; which are consumers, firms and government, and their impact on each other in the Egyptian context. The study highlights the impact of government role and firms’ role on consumers’ attitudes and purchase intentions towards sustainable products; especially convenient products. This is will be done through the adoption of the theory of planned behavior.
Keywords: Sustainable Development, Macromarketing, Sustainability Marketing, Theory of Planned Behavior.
... Nowadays, both academics and marketing experts are looking for a real direction towards sustainability, through theories and approaches such as the Servicedominant logic (SDL), value co-creation and the service ecosystem (Vargo and Luch, 2017) at the same time as the ecosystems of the economy are emerging with the circular economy and Kotler's H2h model (Kotler, et al., 2021). These emerging marketing theories and approaches seek the construction and development of sustainable relationships with the environment, (Abutaleb and El-Bassiouny, 2020;DeQuero-Navarro, et al., 2021;Shapiro, et al., 2021), the co-creation of value through the integration of environmentally friendly technologies (Smit and Melissen, 2018;Rakic and Rakic, 2018) and the drive for responsible consumption and ethical customer-company interaction (Chamberlin and Boks, 2018;Sheth and Parvatiyar, 2021). ...
... Several studies have pointed out the strong relationship between sustainability, open innovation, and value co-creation (Davies et. al. 2020;Abutaleb and El-Bassiouny, 2020;DeQuero-Navarro, et al., 2021;Peterson, 2021;Sirgy, 2021;Wooliscroft, 2021). The authors state research on sustainability and sustainable development by soliciting contributions across marketing and management disciplines, as well as interdisciplinary research that includes sustainability practices. ...
Esta investigación pretendía descubrir cómo se ha desarrollado el concepto de marketing sostenible desde la perspectiva de la Lógica Dominante del Servicio (SDL) y la co-creación de valor en los ecosistemas económicos. Paralelamente, esta revisión pretendía analizar las principales premisas del SDL, como estrategia de intercambio basada en el servicio, la co-creación de valor en las empresas, y los actores del ecosistema económico, bajo un enfoque de sostenibilidad. Para lograr estos objetivos, se planteó una revisión bibliográfica sistemática siguiendo la metodología PRISMA, basada en artículos publicados entre 2018 y 2022. De un conjunto inicial de 34 artículos extraídos de WoS y de la base de datos en el periodo analizado, se analizaron efectivamente 14. Los resultados revelan 4 temas centrales que representan los principales temas de investigación en los campos de Marketing, Turismo, Servicios de Salud, Innovación en Ecosistemas de Servicios, Mercados de la Base de la Pirámide y Comunidades Virtuales. Las principales conclusiones sugieren que los siguientes temas de investigación parecen estar poco explorados. Este documento proporciona información a académicos, profesionales, responsables políticos, empresarios y otros actores del ecosistema económico para que se comprometan con la sostenibilidad. También puede ayudar a estos últimos a desarrollar estrategias para potenciar la cocreación de valor en las prácticas empresariales sostenibles, contribuyendo a ampliar los conocimientos en este campo de investigación.
... Since health consciousness and sustainable consumption are mutually supportive of sustainable development, consumption fosters a healthy and sustainable future [71]. Previous studies found a link between health consciousness and sustainable products [73,75]. Hence, as a sixth hypothesis, we propose the following: ...
... During COVID-19, customers were more concerned about their food. This finding is not consistent with a past study by Abutaleb and El-Bassiouny [75], which found that FSC has a positive and significant link with sustainable products. The reason behind H5 not being supported may be caused by COVID-19 and because customers are concerned about their health, and they are afraid of everything around them. ...
The purpose of this research is to examine the impact of supply chain integration (SCI), demand for halal products (DHP), halal marketing (HM), process quality improvement (PQI), food safety concerns (FSCs), and health consciousness (HC) on sustainable product performance (SPP) in the halal food industry in Malaysia. A survey was conducted with 212 respondents from Malaysian halal-certified companies, and the partial least squares (PLS-SEM) method was used for the data analysis. The findings indicate a positive and significant link between SCPI, HC, PQI, and SPP. In contrast, the findings show no significant link between HM, FSC, and SPP. DHP was found to have a negative, non-significant association with SPP. This paper concludes by discussing the implications of the findings and opportunities for future research.
... Sustainable marketing can be conceptualized as a corporate philosophy that aligns marketing practices with sustainable development goals. This perspective emphasizes the importance of embedding sustainability within a company's core values and mission, thereby influencing the marketing mix elements product, price, place, and promotion (Abutaleb & El-Bassiouny, 2020). For instance, companies that adopt sustainable marketing practices often see enhanced brand loyalty, as consumers increasingly prefer brands that demonstrate a commitment to environmental and social responsibility (Khandai et al., 2022;" Neha, & Joshi, Pradeep & Kumar, Nishant, 2024). ...
Growing global concerns over environmental issues, such as climate change and pollution, have heightened the demand for sustainable business practices, particularly in the banking sector. Financial institutions support environmental sustainability through green finance by offering eco-friendly products like green loans and bonds. This study examines how BNI's Go-Green initiative enhances SME customer loyalty by incorporating the sustainable marketing mix, focusing on people, profit, and planet. A quantitative approach was used to assess the impact of the sustainable marketing mix on SME performance and customer loyalty within BNI's Go Green movement in Bukittinggi, Indonesia. A stratified random sample of 303 SMEs was selected from a population of 1,239. Data were gathered through structured questionnaires using a five-point Likert scale and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling-Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS). Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) validated the measurement model, and the structural model assessed direct and indirect effects. The variable had the highest Average Variance Extracted (AVE) 0.873. Discriminant validity showed a strong correlation between business sustainability and customer loyalty (0.768). Place and Business Sustainability had significant positive effects on customer loyalty, while People and Planet had more limited impacts. This study introduces the expanded marketing mix people, profit, and planet into the green finance framework and highlights the underexplored mediating role of business sustainability in fostering SME customer loyalty. The findings emphasize the importance of aligning green banking products with SME needs to enhance loyalty and support global sustainability goals, including the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
... Firms benefit from collaboration with external partners like scientific partners, suppliers, and customers, which increases the likelihood of eco-innovation and sustainability (Acebo et al., 2021). The roles of consumers, companies, and policymakers are interconnected, with companies' sustainable practices and government regulations significantly influencing consumer attitudes and purchase intentions toward sustainable products (Abutaleb & El-Bassiouny, 2020). Organisations must engage in collaborative partnerships for sustainability, considering how stakeholders affect and are affected by their efforts, to drive meaningful changes in organisational practices (Fobbe, 2020). ...
Integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) with sustainable marketing provides a transformative approach to fostering responsible business practices. This examination covers green, social, and critical marketing theories, illustrating how AI improves efficiency and personalisation in promoting sustainability. By leveraging AI, companies can better address consumer demands for eco-friendly products and services. The exploration includes practical applications such as predictive analytics, targeted marketing, and automated customer interactions, emphasising AI deployment's ethical considerations and challenges. The impact on corporate strategies and AI's contribution to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals are also highlighted. The complexities of merging AI with sustainable marketing are thoroughly evaluated, providing valuable insights into theoretical advancements and practical implications. Future research directions are suggested further to enhance the synergy between AI and sustainable marketing practices.
... For instance, they increase the awareness of the selection and recyclability of products to protect the environment (Hartmann and Siegrist, 2017;Peyer et al., 2017). In a similar vein, other scholars have emphasized that consumers are more and more aware of the importance of buying low-impact, organic, healthy and natural products (Abutaleb and El-Bassiouny, 2020;Kautish et al., 2020). ...
Purpose
The aim of this study was to empirically examine how much traditional attributes and green attributes characterize products within design-oriented firms. Further, we explored how these attributes relate to the perceived level of innovation of the firms.
Design/methodology/approach
An exploratory research was carried out in 86 Italian manufacturing companies that are members of the Industrial Design Association. Using the questionnaire method, the entrepreneurs’ perceptions have been analyzed. Data have been treated with hierarchical cluster analysis.
Findings
The analysis shows that environmental sustainability is the least important attribute of a design product and four clusters of highly design-oriented firms differ by design-product attributes. Further, the least green firms are also the least innovative in terms of incremental and general innovation.
Research limitations/implications
The small size of the sample and the provenance of firms from a single country imply limited generalizability, and further research on the topic is recommended.
Practical implications
Design-driven innovation based on traditional design attributes provides many competitive advantages to firms. However, given the growing concern about environmental challenges, investing in green attributes in design products allows for remaining competitive and more effective in innovation.
Originality/value
This study, for the first time, reveals the heterogeneity among design-oriented firms, particularly regarding the presence and assortment of traditional design attributes, as well as the incorporation of environmentally friendly attributes in their products. Moreover, the study uncovers the relationship between varying levels of green attributes in the offerings and the perception of the firm’s innovativeness.
... Corporate strategies, as well as marketing practices (Rudawska, 2019) have to adapt towards holistic, sustainable business missions rather than simply apply seemingly green techniques, which sometimes include greenwash (Nguyen et al., 2019). An honest ecological management strategy has to comply to actual sustainability goals, such as reduction of emissions, energy, water and waste (Abutaleb and El-Bassiouny, 2020). In addition, competitive ecological offerings to meet sensitive consumers' needs and wants are required (Delistavrou et al., 2021). ...
This paper presents parts of an exploratory, mix-methodology study that concerns the innovative technology of carbon capture and utilization (CCU) in the production of chemical oxo-products. Experts with 13 European CPGs industries were surveyed. It was found that recycling and conservation of energy and water technologies are carried out in all factories, while green applications that concern the composition of products are implemented by half of the industries. All executives hold positive attitudes towards innovative technologies that concern carbon neutrality. Half of them were found willing to include the new, green oxo-products (Glycolic acid, n-Valeraldheyde and LimoxalTM) in their production process of their GPCs, stating prerequisites that concern quality and actual contribution to neutrality. The reservations that were expressed by the other half of the respondents concern the low level of awareness about the recycled CO2 oxo-products and the early stages of CCU implementation.
... This may explain the lack of research undertaken to study proenvironmental behaviors in the MENA region. Egypt is a typical example of a developing country that is vulnerable to climate change and confronts significant economic, social, and environmental concerns (Abutaleb and El-Bassiouny, 2020). Despite these challenges, Egypt has made a concerted effort to contribute to international initiatives to promote sustainable development. ...
Purpose
The main aim of this study is to integrate the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to examine consumers' intention to advocate for sustainable brands, whilst incorporating the moderating role of pro-environmental self-identity. Consumer sustainability orientation is also added as an antecedent for attitudes to determine the degree to which consumers' personal convictions and attitudes toward sustainability impact their attitude toward sustainable brands. The importance of using the TPB to study online brand advocacy lies in the accumulated evidence that shows that this theory is useful in explaining most kinds of social behaviors.
Design/methodology/approach
Quantitative research with the use of web-surveys is employed to test the research hypotheses with a total sample size of 536 respondents. Millennials have been chosen for the current paper to be studied.
Findings
Results of the study showed that attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control (PBC) were positively related to consumers' advocacy intentions. The findings of this study demonstrated that the TPB is applicable to measuring consumers' advocacy intentions. In addition, the results indicated that two dimensions of sustainability orientation, economic and social orientation, are significant predictors of attitudes. The study also found that pro-environmental self-identity does not moderate the relationship between the TPB core components and online brand advocacy.
Originality/value
This study is considered the first to employ the TPB as a theoretical foundation to test the antecedents of online brand advocacy (OBA) in relation to sustainable brands with the inclusion of consumer sustainability orientation as a predictor of attitudes with respect to the three dimensions of sustainability and the moderating effect of pro-environmental self-identity.
... Performance and Preservation (Tudu, 2019) Saathi Sanitary Pads: Eco-friendly pads which will make you go bananas! Performance (Yngfalk, 2019) Subverting sustainability: market maintenance work and the reproduction of corporate irresponsibility Public and Performance (Abutaleb & El-Bassiouny, 2020) Assessing sustainability marketing from macromarketing perspective: a multistakeholder approach Public and Performance (Beatson et al., 2020) Green consumption practices for sustainability: an exploration through social practice theory Public, Performance and Preservation (Burt et al., 2020) (Hepner et al., 2020) Competitive advantage from marketing the SDGs: a luxury perspective Public and Performance (Kazibudzki & Trojanowski, 2020) Examination of marketing mix performance in relation to sustainable development of the Poland's confectionery industry Public and Performance (Kemper et al., 2020a) The role that marketing academics play in advancing sustainability education and research Public and Performance (Kemper et al., 2020b) Sustainability worldviews of marketing academics: A segmentation analysis and implications for professional development Public, Performance and Preservation (Kowalska, 2020) The impact of stakeholder market orientation on sustainability performance at tourism destinations Public (Weber et al., 2021) Connecting consumers to producers to foster sustainable consumption in international coffee supplya marketing intervention study Public (Whittaker et al., 2021a) 'Go with the flow' for gamification and sustainability marketing Public (Whittaker et al., 2021b) Reward-based or meaningful gaming? A field study on game mechanics and serious games for sustainability To date, most of the research on sustainably in the fashion industry is devoted to sustainable supply chain management issues (Strähle, 2017). ...
Sustainability marketing in the fashion industry is the subject of this theoretical synthesis. This conceptual essay entails dissecting the conceptual underpinnings and construction components of sustainability marketing derived by current scholarly perspectives to offer an updated articulation of sustainability marketing as a flourishing interdisciplinary research area. As a result of our theory synthesis approach, this paper developed a sustainability marketing model, referred to as the new 3Ps of sustainability marketing-Preservation (Environment), Public (Society) and Performance (Economy) which add to the traditional 4Ps-"Product, Price, Place, and Promotion." The paper further examines the role of these new 3Ps of sustainability marketing in fashion, considering the COVID-19 pandemic. The model offers a uniquely integrated framework for designing marketing strategies in the fashion industry consistent with sustainability marketing and aims to promote, communicate, and educate consumers who are either existing or potential customers of sustainable fashion brands. The framework encompasses segments of the fragmented fashion industry whilst mapping strategies for marketing sustainability and presenting new post-pandemic opportunities across all value-creation stages. Finally, we offer implications and directions for further research.
... No. Authors Title of conference paper 1 ...
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.
The fashion industry is one of the world's most polluting sectors, as highlighted by the United Nations. It consumes vast amounts of water, uses harmful chemicals, and generates a significant carbon footprint, mainly due to production occurring far from key markets. Fast fashion, driven by consumerism and psychological obsolescence, worsens the problem by promoting impulse buying of low-cost garments with short lifespans. To mitigate this environmental impact, the industry must adopt circular economy principles, including reducing, reusing, recycling, and redesigning. While 22 many fashion brands claim to implement sustainable practices, it raises concerns about potential greenwashing. However, some companies, like Ecoalf, offer a genuine model for sustainable fashion. Ecoalf's eco-design approach uses recycled materials, such as plastics and fishing nets, to create clothing, demonstrating a true commitment to environmental sustainability. This chapter explores the progress of these strategies and examines the fine line between true eco-friendly practices and greenwashing.
This research explores marketing approaches and actions related to Commons using a (macro)marketing perspective. Acknowledging the vital role of marketers in addressing Commons issues, it emphasises the need for innovative solutions to protect the Commons. This research adopts a qualitative and explorative approach based on macromarketing literature and the Laudato si’ encyclical letter. Relying on the insights from 36 interviews with members of the Economy of Francesco (EoF) community, it identifies three communication approaches (namely, Cautious, Responsible, and Collaborative), along with corresponding actions (namely, Them, I, and US) and nine tactics toward the care of the Commons. Through the innovative context EoF represents, the research offers theoretical and practical insights for decision-makers and businesses. In a societal context where companies are expected to address wicked problems, this article advocates for advancing marketing communication-actions to promote Commons care grounded in the Circular Subsidiarity and, more broadly, the Civil Economy paradigm.
This study aims to investigate the correlation between food safety and purchase intentions while also examining the mediating role of information quality. A quantitative approach will be utilized for this research. Descriptive and various statistical analyses, including Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with Smart PLS, will be employed. The distribution of questionnaires will be organized and facilitated by enumerators. The sample will be selected using a purposive sampling approach. We hold the expectation that this study will yield the anticipated outcomes.
Purpose
The paper aims to make a contribution by providing a comprehensive understanding of the scope of the implementation of sustainable marketing tools in SMEs operating in the food and drink industry in Europe. The focus will be put on the identification of differences between companies operating in business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-customer (B2C) context.
Design/methodology/approach
The empirical basis is a survey of 770 European SMEs, of which 369 operate in Western European countries (including UK, Germany and Spain) and 401 in Central and Eastern Europe (including Poland, Croatia and Russia). The respondents in the particular countries were stratified according to company size, measured by the number of employees. The research covered 316 micro companies, 5 small companies and 209 medium ones. The questionnaire was completed by the managing directors of the enterprises (CEOs) or heads of the marketing departments (CMOs). The research was conducted between April 2016 and January 2017. An in-depth analysis of the findings helped to identify differences between the two groups of SMEs, i.e. operating in the B2B and B2C context, in terms of the extent of sustainable marketing implementation. The non-parametric U Mann–Whitney test was used to examine the significance of the differences between the two groups of companies.
Findings
The research results suggest that both groups of B2B and B2C companies implement sustainable marketing tools to some extent. However, in most cases, B2B organizations do it to a significantly greater extent. Nevertheless, these activities relate mainly to those tools, which are directly visible to customers, both institutional and individual, such as packaging, product ingredients or certificates. To a lesser extent, they involve marketing activities of an internal nature, such as production process and the level of energy, water or resources used.
Originality/value
To the best knowledge of the author, this is the first empirical research study on the implementation of the sustainable marketing concept in SMEs operating in European countries. The study is a comparative analysis of the phenomenon between B2B and B2C companies, which has not been previously researched.
In recent years, there has been a significant shift towards greater collaboration in various spheres of society, in which the creation of value from shared resources while balancing self-interest and community well-being is emphasized. Consumption has ceased to be characterized exclusively by the purchase and possession of goods; instead new collaborative initiatives represented by exchanges, loans, renting, and other forms of sharing that allow consumers access to a good or service only in the time they are necessary have appeared. However, few studies have attempted to measure the reasons that lead consumers to practice collaborative consumption. Therefore, the main objective of this article is to propose a scale that measures the motivators, facilitators, and constraints for this mode of consumption. For this, a study was conducted among carsharing users in Brazil, which aimed to purify and validate the proposed scale. The results indicate that collaborative consumption applied to a carsharing setting is composed of six dimensions and confirm the validity and reliability of the studied construct. The discussion highlights the study findings and offers suggestions for further research into this topic.
Socially responsible consumption is an important prerequisite to successful voluntary conservation programs. This article reviews past research describing the socially responsible consumer and provides a more comprehensive profile of these consumers. Implications for the formation of public policy are discussed.
PurposeThis paper reviews recent developments in marketing-related sustainable business practices (SBP) that macromarketing scholars have researched and debated for four decades. Such SBPs should be regarded as positive steps toward a future where business does more good than harm in society.
Methodology/approachUsing the approach of a literature review, this paper highlights the actions of entrepreneurs and firms to implement SBPs resulting from analysis of the interplay between markets, marketing and society. Such analysis is in the tradition of macromarketing scholarship.
FindingsThe study identifies important developments about an important shift toward adopting SBPs among many firms, as well as among consumers − especially, in developed countries of the world.
Research implicationsThe study suggests that taking a macromarketing view offers scholars a broad lens on current complex marketplace phenomena that will prove effective in better understanding sustainability issues.
Practical implicationsThe results of the study underline the value of macromarketing scholarship through the last four decades. By being daring enough to consider other stakeholders other than marketers and owners of firms, macromarketers have provided scholars a more holistic understanding of business’ role in society.
Originality/valueToday, enlightened practitioners who utilize knowledge from macromarketing scholarship can gain a competitive advantage as they navigate markets increasingly influenced by a wider set of stakeholders. Such influential stakeholders include partner firms, employees, society and local communities, NGOs, media, government, as well as the environment and future generations. Scholars can gain perspective on the phenomena they investigate with such a macromarketing lens.
The Egyptian cities have faced various challenges over the time, and such challenges had negative impacts on the development efficiency and performance of these cities, producing series of dangerous problems. Therefore, it became necessary to find out effective systems and technologies to address such problems.
This paper tries to attract decision maker’s attention to apply sustainable development fundamentals and approaches of Green and Eco cities in planning and developing cities in Egypt, not only to deal with the Egyptian cities’ structural problems and challenges, but also to help in improving the effective and efficiency of the existing strategy of new communities in Egypt.
This paper will introduce the first practice in planning and developing Green and Eco new city in Egypt (located at Eastern Desert, Sohaj governorate, on the corridor of Upper Egypt⧹Red Sea), including elaboration of its urban structure, land use and its green systems which produce most of its needed infrastructure (specially electricity power network, integrated sewage and solid waste management systems) without making any pressures on the national and local existing infrastructure systems. Finally, the paper will conclude lessons learned from the introduced practice, and present recommendations to improve Egyptian cities and make it more sustainable.
The last three decades have seen a progressive increase in worldwide environmental consciousness due to rising evidence of environmental problems. Environmental protection is increasingly becoming a necessity and part of a bigger agenda in the urbanising world of developing countries. Given the increasing deterioration of the environment, Egypt as in most developing countries should prevent pollution and preserve its natural resources. Egyptian consumers are just at the stage of green awakening. The Egyptian government and companies should respond to the green challenge by knowing whether or not Egyptian citizens are concerned about green issues. Environmental attitudes constitute a significant part of environmental consciousness. Therefore, this paper empirically investigates the attitude of Egyptian consumers towards the environment in general. A survey was developed and administered across Egypt. A total of 122 Egyptian consumers responded and completed the questionnaire. Results contradict the traditional wisdom that environmental concern is a luxury afforded by only the wealthy and shed a light upon the possibility of going green in Egypt. This will help the Egyptian government better understand consumers' level of concern about the environment, develop effective environmental policies required to achieve sustainability and reinforce green purchase through legislation. Moreover, companies will have insight about how to profile green consumers in Egypt, and better develop green marketing messages that will functionally and emotionally appeal to their target customers.
Keywords: Pro-environmental Attitude, Green Marketing, Environmental Consciousness
This study explores the phenomenon of postpurchase product evaluations primarily by comparing consumers' recalled postpurchase evaluation experiences with their recalled prepurchase evaluation experiences. Personal interviews and retrospective verbalizations were employed so that respondents could describe the phenomena in their own experiences and words. A secondary comparison was also made between consumers' postpurchase evaluation experiences in general versus those specifically cued by the terms ''satisfaction'' and ''dissatisfaction.'' While some similarities exist, the results show important differences between respondents' postpurchase thoughts versus those f rom both prepurchase and satisfaction. Significant implications of these results for theory, measurement, and future research are discussed.
Research dealing with various aspects of* the theory of planned behavior (Ajzen, 1985,
1987) is reviewed, and some unresolved issues are discussed. In broad terms, the theory is
found to be well supported by empirical evidence. Intentions to perform behaviors of different
kinds can be predicted with high accuracy from attitudes toward the behavior, subjective
norms, and perceived behavioral control; and these intentions, together with perceptions of
behavioral control, account for considerable variance in actual behavior. Attitudes, subjective
norms, and perceived behavioral control are shown to be related to appropriate sets of salient
behavioral, normative, and control beliefs about the behavior, but the exact nature of these
relations is still uncertain. Expectancy value formulations are found to be only partly
successful in dealing with these relations. Optimal rescaling of expectancy and value
measures is offered as a means of dealing with measurement limitations. Finally, inclusion of
past behavior in the prediction equation is shown to provide a means of testing the theory*s
sufficiency, another issue that remains unresolved. The limited available evidence concerning
this question shows that the theory is predicting behavior quite well in comparison to the
ceiling imposed by behavioral reliability.
This study aims to examine the determinants of urban Generation Y intentions in consuming halal food in Malaysia. Ajzen's Theory of Planned Behavior is used as a theoretical framework postulates three components which are attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control. Data were collected from 425 Muslims respondents through self-administered questionnaires. The respondents were between 15 to 30 years old residing in Klang Valley Malaysia. Findings of this study demonstrates that the intentions of urban Generation Y consumers in consuming halal food is predominantly influenced by attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control towards halal food. This study extends the insights of the Muslim consumers' behaviors particularly on urban generation Y Muslims behaviors. The practical implication of this study contributes knowledge to the manufacturers in expanding their market and for governmental organizations to stimulate halal consumption in the country.
Perceived value is a subjective and dynamic construct that varies among different customers and cultures. Although perceived customer value has been studied by many researchers, no research has been done into the measurement of Muslim Tourist Perceived Value (MTPV) where Muslim tourist evaluates both traditional and religious aspects of value. By means of a multidimensional procedure, the authors developed a scale of measurement of MTPV through 24 items grouped into six dimensions: quality, price, emotional, social, Islamic physical attributes, and Islamic nonphysical attributes. The importance of the proposed constructs was theoretically justified. Using a sample of 537 Muslim tourists, the constructs were tested and validated. The results supply tourism companies with a number of operative factors that may be essential if they are to remain competitive in the dynamic marketplace. This study is probably the first to provide an integrative perspective of MTPV constructs in the hospitality and tourism industry.
Time has witnessed the different phases of marketing strategy. Out of which, sustainability is the key issue which has emerged in marketing strategy over the time. In earlier phase of 1970s, ecological issues have emerged as a new paradigm in marketing strategy. Then in next decade, social issues picked up the lime light and emerged along with ecology. Reassessment of the issues resulted in evolution of green or environmental issues in marketing strategy and now the sustainability in marketing strategy has become the focus of attention of the researchers. Therefore, the objectives of this paper are, first, to review and understand concepts of marketing strategy and sustainability, secondly, to discuss evolution of sustainability in marketing strategy and lastly, to discuss the future of sustainability marketing strategy.
Teaching sustainable marketing practices requires that curricula advocate a “triple bottom line” approach to personal and marketing decision making, emphasizing requirements for a sustainable lifestyle, company, economy, and society. These requirements include environmental/ecological stewardship (maintenance and renewal of “natural capital”), social stewardship (equitable distribution of resources, human, and community well-being), and economic stewardship (valuing financial continuity over profit). In this article, the authors suggest how marketing educators might incorporate these sustainability principles into marketing pedagogy. Toward that end, the authors (a) offer a formal definition of the term sustainability, (b) examine the current role of sustainability in marketing strategy at the firm level, (c) present a brief history of academic literature relevant to this topic and review current initiatives at academic institutions, (d) offer resources for integrating sustainability into marketing curricula, and (e) propose and describe the implementation of an MBA-level marketing elective dedicated to the topic of sustainability.
Research indicates that the environment has had a definite impact on consumer behaviour whereby suggesting to target consumers according to their environmental beliefs. This study investigated the consumers' green purchase behaviour using price and quality attributes as contributors to the formation of purchase intention. It attempts to construct a model that may facilitate the better understanding of green consumers' market segments through the use of an intelligent soft computing model. The model is designed to incorporate knowledge, beliefs, demographic profiles and situational variables. This potentially provides a more direct method for companies to gauge consumers' intention to purchase green products. The results showed strong preference for companies to place higher priority on reducing pollution than on increasing profitability. It highlighted different clusters that demonstrate various levels of the strength of intention to purchase and market segment profiles.
Examines the determinants that influence consumers’ intention to buy environmentally friendly products. Ajzen’s theory of planned behaviour (TPB) provides the conceptual framework of the research and the appropriateness of the theory and is tested in two distinct market conditions (UK and Greece). Although the findings offer considerable support for the robustness of the TPB in explaining intention in both samples, there is some indication that the theory is more appropriate in well established markets that are characterised by clearly formulated behavioural patterns (i.e. the model fitting elements of the UK sample are superior to the corresponding ones obtained from the Greek sample). The results are consistent with previous research on moral behaviour.
Purpose
Food safety is an important issue facing consumers, the food industry and the government. Since consumers cannot themselves easily assess food safety risks, their perception of food safety is, in part, a matter of trust in the food chain. This study seeks to focus on livestock farmers and to investigate the causal relationship between the factors that determine consumer trust, regarding food safety and in turn their purchase likelihood.
Design/methodology/approach
By integrating theories developed in several disciplines, six factors, namely: providing information, competence, integrity, benevolence, credibility, and reliability were adopted for this study. The conceptual model was tested with a sample of 194 individuals in the form of a structural equation model using LISREL 8.30.
Findings
The research confirms that livestock farmers could draw benefit from strategies to increase their trustworthiness through provision of information, show their benevolence and integrity to consumers, and in turn positively influence consumers' purchasing decision.
Practical implications
Livestock farmers should understand more specifically what consumers want to know and provide accurate and reliable information.
Originality/value
This exploratory study provides a useful insight into the potential benefit from trust building that could be derived by livestock farmers, food safety regulators and the food supply chain as a whole, as well as the ways in which this might be achieved.
While perceived consumer effectiveness (PCE) has consistently been linked to socially conscious attitudes, the concept appears to have been confounded with other related constructs in the empirical studies measuring its effects on behavior. In addition, the few studies which have considered the effects of PCE on reported behavior have done so only in aggregate. This research demonstrates that PCE is distinct from environmental concern and contributes uniquely to the prediction of certain pro-ecological behaviors. In addition, differences in PCE are shown to be associated with differences in demographics and political affiliation. The results suggest that motivating consumers to express their concern through actual behavior is to some extent a Junction of increasing their perception that individual actions do make a difference.
Concerns related to the environment are evident in the increasingly ecologically conscious marketplace. Using various statistical analyses, investigats the demographic, psychological and behavioral profiles of consumers who are willing to pay more for environmentally friendly products. Finds that this segment of consumers were more likely to be females, married and with at least one child living at home. They reported that today’s ecological problems are severe, that corporations do not act responsibly toward the environment and that behaving in an ecologically favorable fashion is important and not inconvenient. They place a high importance on security and warm relationships with others, and they often consider ecological issues when making a purchase. Managerial implications for green marketers and suggestions for future research are discussed.
The adoption of different food quality assurance schemes by the EU, such as the organic label, has been a response to the growing demand for certified quality food products among the European consumers. Several useful benefits have been claimed for these schemes, including their value as marketing strategies. The present study develops at a two-fold level: first, it attempts to offer more insights into the Greek organic consumer profile, using a nationally representative sample of 1,612 households. Second, the study examines the effectiveness of the organic label as a marketing strategic orientation, given that addressing the highly motivated, quality conscious consumer is the core objective of any food quality assurance policy. The use of conjoint analysis in exploring organic buyers' Willingness to Pay (WTP) for a variety of organic products (olive oil, raisins, bread, oranges and wine from organic grapes) is selected as the most appropriate approach to that target.
Measures of attitudes of health care consumers toward their own health behaviors and health care institutions reveal the overall pattern of their views as well as their segmented views. Results suggest that some consumers may take a more scientific approach to health care and prevention than others and that demographics, health status, and health consciousness are partial predictors of that consumer approach. Policy makers for health care should formulate and target programs with different segments of the population in mind.
The current rapid growth in the economy and the patterns of consumers' consumption and behavior worldwide are the main cause of environmental deterioration. As the environment continues to worsen, it has become a persistent public concern in the developed countries and has recently awakens developing countries to the green movement. This paper is essentially exploratory in nature and has two objectives. The first objective is to compare gender with attitudes towards the environment and green products. The second objective is to investigate the relationship between attitude towards the environment and green products. Result from the independent sample t-test shows that there were no significant differences between gender in their environmental attitudes and attitudes on green products. The rotated factor matrix validated the underlying dimensions of environmental attitudes into three major dimensions (environmental protection, government's role, and personal norm). Results from the multiple linear regression analysis revealed that consumer attitudes on the government's role and their personal norm towards the environment contributed significantly to their attitude on green product. Further investigation revealed that personal norm was the most important contributor to the attitude towards green product. However, environmental protection did not contribute significantly to consumers' attitudes on green product.
For beginners, analysing data using the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM),
interpreting the SEM output or even trying to understand SEM results in the research
articles can be very stressful. Thus, this book is written to provide an introduction to
Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) at a very basic level. With many other excellent
SEM references available, this book should be considered as an additional reference,
especially for students who attending SEM training courses at Universiti Pendidikan
Sultan Idris (UPSI). Even if this book is prepared for students attending the SEM
course, it may as well serve a broad audience, including both statistical and non-
statistically trained researchers. This book is written using simple terms and sentences
and employed a verbal approach. Hence, the basic concepts of SEM and its
procedures are explained in a very simple and step-by-step manner for easy
understanding, together with simple exercises to test the understanding. This book
may not cover every aspect of SEM, but rather provide a basic knowledge to enable
the students and researchers to start doing analysis using SEM and interpret the
outputs with ease. For better understanding, examples are discussed in connection
with potential solutions.
Stakeholder engagement is vital for corporate sustainability for various reasons from securing legitimacy to spurring innovation. While stakeholder engagement is well established in academic discourse, recent studies have examined the effects of customer segments on this engagement for corporate sustainability. Initial empirical analyses indicated that business-to-consumer companies are more frequently scrutinized on their sustainability activities than business-to-business companies, and subsequently they are more likely to report on sustainability activities. Nevertheless, further approaches of stakeholder engagement, including stakeholder engagement tools, environmental management standards, and various activities, have not been investigated thus far. This paper compares various approaches of stakeholder engagement according to customer segment based on a 2012 empirical study of large German companies. The results show that customer segment has no major significant influence on stakeholder engagement, but rather value-oriented aspects of firms, including family-run operations and sustainability values in a company's business, make a difference to these activities.
Link to the article: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/csr.1484/abstract
Addressing strategic marketing's identity problem, several highly complementary works have clarified the field's theoretical foundations, nature, and scope by (1) specifying its domain, (2) defining its central concept, "marketing strategy," (3) proposing the field's foundational premises, and (4) positing its fundamental explananda. Furthermore, the works have shown how resource-advantage (R-A) theory (5) grounds major theories of marketing strategy, (6) illuminates, informs, extends, and grounds the field's foundational premises, (7) identifies three fundamental strategies ("superior value," "lower cost," and "synchronal"), and (8) explains how the three fundamental strategies promote societal welfare. However, a major unresolved issue concerns the second fundamental explanandum of strategic marketing. Specifically, Varadarajan (AMS Review, 5, 78-90, 2015) expands his second fundamental explanandum from "marketplace and financial performance" to explaining triple bottom line (TBL) performance. That is, strategic marketing theory and research should answer: "What explains differences in [social, environmental, and financial] performance of competing brands/product lines/businesses?" This article provides a background discussion on how "sustainability" and the TBL relate to marketing in general and strategic marketing, in particular. Next, it (1) examines the nature of the TBL, (2) shows how the TBL concept and certain issues regarding its measurement parallel those in the "corporate social responsibility" literature, (3) re-examines the value of the TBL framework, (4) makes clear how R-A theory accommodates the TBL, and (5) shows how R-A theory provides seven potential explanations of differences in firms' TBL performance.
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present a conceptual framework that provides insights into major environmental and organizational forces underlying greater levels of organizational responsiveness to the environmental sustainability imperative by a growing number of firms, worldwide.
Methodology/approachThe paper is conceptual in its focus, and the proposed framework builds on extant literature from multiple literature streams.
FindingsSocietal progress toward environmental sustainability is a shared responsibility of consumers, corporations, and the government at various levels. A potential avenue for societal progress toward environmental sustainability is fostering a macroenvironment that is conducive to the elimination of consumption certain products, reduction in consumption certain other products, and redirection of consumption of still other products from ecologically more harmful to ecologically less harmful substitute products (and relatedly, demand elimination, demand reduction, and demand redirection).
Research and practical implicationsAn implication for corporate sustainability responsibility is that firms while planning and formulating strategies for increasing their market footprint must also concurrently plan and formulate strategies for decreasing their environmental footprint. An implication for government sustainability responsibility is that even under conditions of high levels of commitment by a large and growing number of firms and consumers to engage in environmentally sustainable behaviors, in the absence of supporting infrastructure for engaging in such behavior, they may find it necessary to engage in environmentally unsustainable behaviors.
Originality/valueIssues relating to environmental sustainability have been the focus of a large body of recent research in a number of academic disciplines including marketing. A cursory examination of numerous articles published in scholarly journals on issues pertaining to environmental sustainability, and in the business press pertaining to the myriad environmental sustainability initiatives of firms worldwide is indicative of its growing importance.
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present a new conceptualization of sustainability. The authors adopt a macromarketing perspective based on Islamic traditions while delving into divine attributes ( Asmaa ’ Allah-ul-Husna ) as an extension to the foundational principle of God-consciousness that lies at the heart of Islamic theology and jurisprudence.
Design/methodology/approach
This approach relies on identifying and extending the conceptual overlaps between the literature domains of sustainability, Islamic macromarketing and Islamic theology.
Findings
Through adopting an Islamic lens, the authors identify that relating to divinity empowers the Muslim faithful to mediate between the transient and transcendent, and to make judgments according to the attributes of their creator Allah (the Abrahamic monotheistic God).
Research limitations/implications
The paper adopts a conceptual approach that expands the concept of sustainability from an Islamic perspective to take on a holistic systems approach.
Practical implications
By making these links, the implications are fivefold: the imperative to strive for sustainable activities has greater resonance; the remit of sustainability is wider; the time horizon for accountability is extended; greater risk-tasking is encouraged; and, finally, sustainability is embedded and diffused throughout business activities – as opposed to being an upstream strategic objective.
Social implications
The merge in conceptualization between sustainability and Islamic macromarketing can prove relevant to scholars delving into the new realm of Islamic macromarketing, as well as to both Muslim and non-Muslim communities in their quest for sustainable development.
Originality/value
The paper is original in identifying an unprecedented perspective on sustainability, namely, “Islamic-macromarketing sustainability”, which warrants further future research related to the different stakeholders involved in the Islamic macromarketing system.
Sustainability marketing is a provocative area of research. Through an integrated knowledge inquiry approach, the conceptual article aims to provide answers to the feasibility of a joint application of sustainability and marketing and a blueprint for future sustainability marketing studies and practices. Five issues pertaining to the credibility and ambiguity of sustainability marketing are addressed—namely, the controversial debate between the incompatibility of marketing and sustainability, what sustainability offers marketing, what marketing offers sustainability, the feasibility of adopting the sustainability concept in marketing, and sustainability marketing myopia. Then, the article identifies a set of dimensions that characterize sustainability marketing, including economic, environmental, social, ethical, and technological dimensions. Unlike previous studies that often focus on only selected dimensions, the current article makes the case to consider the five identified dimensions as a whole to achieve greater sustainability. The article is also the first to incorporate two new dimensions into the sustainability marketing model: (1) the ethical dimension, in which a proposed synthesis among consequentialism, deontology, and virtue ethics is argued to contribute to the sustainability agenda and (2) the technological dimension, in which the innovation and use of technology is argued to enable communication and education of sustainability and the creation or cocreation of alternatives or solutions that contribute to greater sustainability. Remarks on the proposed blueprint and suggestions for further research conclude the article.
Sustainability is an elusive concept and many have tried to define the idea of what it is. This book relies on the classical interpretation from the Brundtland report, "Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs", but rather than trying to frame the concept, it develops a supporting structure, following a natural set of steps to reach an established goal. This book provides the tools to navigate this Road to a Better Future by explaining concepts, giving ideas, proposing methods, and suggesting actions. To illustrate the utilization of techniques there are many examples, applied to a variety of activities, and to wrap up concepts, the last chapter is dedicated to the analysis of a community in search of a sustainable environment. A thematic index has been designed to help a person quickly find information on relevant topics. Consequently, this book follows a very practical approach, illustrating many different real life paradigms, thus clarifying the use of sustainable resources, including such novel applications as energy from fuel cells and extracting energy from the sea. It also comments on sixteen actual case studies that comprise different activities, including energy generation from wastes, novel transportation schemes, industrial integration, selection of urban indicators, water reuse, energy from renewable energy sources, etc., and touches on people's participation in the decision-making process. Each chapter concludes with a comprehensive list of Internet references. Most of these references include comments on their content to facilitate further searching on related topics of interest. Audience: This book will help decision makers, stakeholders, politicians, students and the public in general to blend the use of sustainability concepts, tools and ideas with their current projects, in order to best attain a sustainable environment.
Purpose – The theory of planned behavior (TPB) served as a framework for identifying major antecedents of everyday green purchasing behavior and for determining their relative importance.
Design/methodology/approach – The German market research institute GfK provided data (n = 12,113) from their 2012 household panel survey. A two-step structural equation modeling approach was applied to test both the measurement and the structural model.
Findings – Willingness to pay (WTP) was the strongest predictor of green purchasing behavior, followed by personal norms. The impact of attitude is insignificant. This implies an attitude – behavior gap.
Research limitations/implications – Individuals overestimate their self-reported WTP and behavior, which suggests that the share of explained variance is in reality lower. It has to be doubted whether consumers are objectively able to judge products by their environmental impact. Even if consumers are willing to buy a “greener” product, their subjective evaluation might be incorrect. Further research should be based on actual purchasing data. In addition, the attitude – behavior gap should be scrutinized by further research to identify further barriers to green consumption.
Practical implications – Consumers need to be aware that their consumption behavior can make a difference. They have to value the benefits of green products and understand why these are priced higher. Firms can apply pricing and promotional strategies addressing personal norms and
inducing a higher WTP to capitalize on the opportunities of the green market segment.
Originality/value – The study integrates WTP and personal norms as critical predictors into the TPB and furthermore expands the extant literature on green purchasing behavior to cover daily consumer goods extending beyond organic food. This enhances understanding of the structure of the constructs and determines their relative importance.
Quite often companies are guided with short term goals and by the desire to achieve immediate profit. In such cases companies usually neglect activities that have positive impact on environment and society. Such thinking represents a type of business myopia and does not represent the possibility for the achievement of long term competitive advantage. In the last few years, public appeals that are oriented on activities of preserving environment and increasing the level of sensibility about social issues are growing rapidly. In 1980's, the term sustainable development was introduced and the first guidelines for its implementation in business strategy were created. Marketing, as a main connection between companies and consumers, has a great role in the creation of consumers' habits and in the change of global thinking. As the concept of sustainability has been implemented in business strategy, the need for adoption of new marketing forms and new strategy formation in conformity with sustainability requirements has occurred. Thereby, many companies began to dedicate their attention and effort to new forms of marketing, evolution of which has brought to the creation of sustainability marketing. The goal of this paper is to examine best practices among Croatian companies that distinct themselves from others by implementing sustainability in their everyday business practices and provide managerial suggestions that can help in sustainability implementation.
Marketers in the past have based their strategies on the assumption of infinite resources and zero environmental impact. With the growing recognition of finite resources and high environmental costs, marketers need to reexamine their theory and practices. They need to revise their policies on product development, pricing, distribution, and branding. The recent financial meltdown has added another layer of concern as consumers adjust their lifestyles to a lower level of income and spending. Companies must balance more carefully their growth goals with the need to pursue sustainability. Increased attention will be paid to employing demarketing and social marketing thinking to meet the new challenges.
The primary goal of this research is to conceptualize and develop a scale of green consumption values, which we define as the tendency to express the value of environmental protection through one’s purchases and consumption behaviors. Across six studies, we demonstrate that the six-item measure we develop (i.e., the GREEN scale) can be used to capture green consumption values in a reliable, valid, and parsimonious manner. We further theorize and empirically demonstrate that green consumption values are part of a larger nomological network associated with conservation of not just environmental resources but also personal financial and physical resources. Finally, we demonstrate that the GREEN scale predicts consumer preference for environmentally friendly products. In doing so, we demonstrate that stronger green consumption values increase preference for environmentally friendly products through more favorable evaluations of the non-environmental attributes of these products. These results have important implications for consumer responses to the growing number of environmentally friendly products.
The scarcity of research on the public's responses towards corporate social responsibility (CSR) in developing countries has inspired this research. The research is aimed at studying the consumers' awareness of, their attitude and behavioural intentions towards socially responsible companies in the Egyptian market. The relevant CSR literature was recapitulated into a conceptual framework, and an empirical study was conducted through a mixed research design. Exploratory qualitative interviews were conducted with corporate managers of a sample of five companies in the Egyptian market. Then, a descriptive quantitative research was conducted through a survey on a non-probability sample of consumers. The results revealed that consumers in Egypt are actually aware of the CSR concept and even tend to develop positive attitude towards socially responsible companies. Yet, when it comes to the evaluative purchasing criteria that consumers value the most, economic criteria are apparently still given a priority over the social criteria.
A 9-item Likert-type scale was developed to measure consumer skepticism toward advertising Skepticism toward advertising, defined as the general tendency toward disbelief of advertising claims, was hypothesized to be a basic marketplace belief that vanes across individuals and is related to general persuasability. A nomological network was proposed, unidimensionality and internal consistency of the scale were established, and a series of studies were conducted to establish the scale's validity and to investigate the effects of ad skepticism.
Twenty-five years of conceptual and empirical research in macromarketing can be synthesized in three fundamental, complementary principles: that markets are systems, that markets are heterogeneous, and the actions of market participants have consequences far beyond the boundaries of firms. Together, these principal findings form the foundation of a theory of macromarketing. The authors argue that macro-marketing, in contrast to micromarketing and microeconomics, is uniquely positioned to address many market-related questions of the coming century.
Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to raise for debate among marketers the issue of the relationship between marketing and sustainability.
Design/methodology/approach
– An opinion piece, that presents the views of four authors on the current state of the debate in this field.
Findings
– There is little consensus on these matters. There are those who believe that marketing and sustainability simply cannot be reconciled, while there are others who argue that marketing can contribute to the development of sustainable consumption.
Originality/value
– The paper opens up the debate on a subject that is clearly going to be high on the agenda for years to come.
Purpose
“Business sustainability” refers to the total effort of a company – including its demand and supply chain networks – to reduce the impact on the Earth's life‐ and eco‐systems. The objective of this paper is to describe a business sustainability model based upon a case study of a European manufacturer.
Design/methodology/approach
A case study approach was applied describing the efforts of business sustainability in the demand and supply chain networks of a Norwegian office chair producer. It is based upon a series of semi‐structured in‐depth interviews with top executives of the company as well as observations and content analyses of internal and external documents about the company's efforts of business sustainability.
Findings
The case study shows that business sustainability is not about doing just one thing, but that a multitude of simultaneous efforts (e.g. actors, resources and activities) should be in place. Furthermore, business sustainability is not only about a company's own business operations, but its whole demand and supply chain networks which need to be included and taken into consideration.
Research limitations/implications
The case study in focus is limited to just one company's effort of business sustainability and its demand and supply chain networks. It provides a business sustainability model that offers opportunities for further research.
Practical implications
Focusing on the corporate impact of the natural environment can be highly profitable. Business sustainability and by extension the carbon footprint of demand and supply chain networks is becoming a criterion in the decision‐making process of customers across industries. Business sustainability is a concern to everybody in society as the indicatives of climate change and global warming become more evident and troublesome. No one can have missed the fact that the weather is becoming more extreme, causing damage around the globe.
Originality/value
The authors argue that research into business sustainability needs at this stage of development to be inductive rather than deductive – it may be an irreversible mistake to try to re‐package existing theory into business sustainability, as climate change prediction and the poor condition of the Earth have not been fully understood or comprised in previous theory.
Importance attached to purchase criteria, beliefs about the characteristics of eco-labeled alternatives of some food products, and prescriptive norm strength to purchase such products were examined as potential predictors of purchasing eco-labeled products. It is argued that the purchase of ordinary food products is a behavior often guided by habits. This implies that to purchase eco-labeled alternatives often require a change of habit. Data were obtained from a questionnaire mailed to 480 individuals. Attaching importance to the purchase criteria environmental consequences and human health, expressing positive beliefs about eco-labeled products, and experiencing a strong prescriptive norm were positively correlated with a high relative frequency of choicing eco-labeled alternatives. Environmental values in particular may create a predisposition to change purchase habits.
In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in the value construct among both marketing researchers and practitioners. Despite a growing body of research, it is still not clear how value interacts with related marketing constructs. Researchers have called for an investigation of the interrelationship between customer satisfaction and customer value to reduce the ambiguities surrounding both concepts. Investigates whether customer value and satisfaction represent two theoretically and empirically distinct concepts. Also addresses whether value is a better predictor of behavioral outcomes than satisfaction in a business marketing context. Two alternative models are developed and empirically tested in a cross-sectional survey with purchasing managers in Germany. The first model suggests a direct impact of perceived value on the purchasing managers’ intentions. In the second model, perceived value is mediated by satisfaction. This research suggests that value and satisfaction can be conceptualized and measured as two distinct, yet complementary constructs.
Purpose
Using the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to examine the effects of consumer values and past experiences on consumer purchase intention of organic personal care products, this study aims to consider further the moderating effect of perceived behavioral control on the attitude‐intention relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
An online survey was conducted with 207 online panel members, and multiple regression analysis was used to test the relationships among the variables.
Findings
The results indicate that environmental consciousness and appearance consciousness positively influence attitude toward buying organic personal care products. The addition of past experiences as a predictor of purchase intention and perceived behavioral control as a moderator of the attitude‐purchase intention relationship yielded an improvement on the TPB model.
Practical implications
This study suggests that retailers can develop effective marketing strategies emphasizing ecological beauty, product safety, and affordable prices to increase consumers' intentions to buy organic personal care products.
Originality/value
This study provides valuable insight into US consumer behavior regarding organic personal care products by examining the factors that influence consumers' attitudes toward buying organic personal care products and consumers' purchase intentions for the products. Furthermore, this study extends an application of the TPB by examining the moderating influence of perceived behavioral control on the attitude‐intention relationship.
Variables that predict “green buying” (i.e., buying products that are environmentally beneficial) were investigated. Predictor variables included awareness about environmental impacts of products, specific environmental beliefs of consumers, several general environmental attitude scales, demographic variables, and several proenvironment behaviors other than buying behavior. A written questionnaire, mailed to randomly selected residents of 8 middle-class communities in the Los Angeles area, was answered by 201 respondents. The results of hierarchical multiple regression analyses supported the hypotheses under study: Specific consumer beliefs predicted several green-buying variables as well as general environmental attitudes, whereas general environmental attitudes predicted only one aspect of green buying. Women were significantly higher than men on two aspects of green buying and on the environmental attitude scales. Home ownership was positively related to recycling behavior.
The article develops understanding of the factors that influence the sustainable marketing (SM) behavior of marketing managers in an emerging-country context, using the lens of the theory of planned behavior (TPB). Data were collected from 145 senior marketing managers from a range of industrial sectors in Bangladesh. The data were analyzed using partial least squares (PLS). The findings reveal that TPB is an adequate model for investigating marketing managers’ intentions and actual engagement in sustainable marketing. The structural paths indicate that attitude and subjective norms, other than perceived behavior control, positively affected intention to practice SM. Finally, future research and practical implications are suggested.
Studies of green consumer behaviour, in particular purchasing and disposal, have largely focused on demographics and/or socio-demographics, with mixed and frequently contradictory results. To move the debate forward, we investigated a wide range of 40 sustainability activities with 78 consumers, who placed each activity on a matrix according to perceived effort and perceived difference to the environment. Patterns both across respondents and between certain pairs of activities were identified, and we suggest that this model increases our understanding of how consumers view sustainable activities. Marketers can use this information to consider marketing strategies that positively influence consumers' perceptions of such activities. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.
Consumers are increasingly interested in sustainability and more sustainable production methods but, especially in Europe, they have been quite critical toward particular applications of genetic modification (GM). While there is little doubt that the sustainability issue entails substantial opportunities for biorenewables, the GM issue –posing either a threat or an opportunity –is less straightforward. Although initial findings suggest that European consumers feel positive about biotechnology applications for biofuel production, consumer attitudes toward and acceptance of GM, specifically in the production of biorenewables, have not been investigated in depth, leaving numerous questions unresolved and calling for further social sciences research in this area. A particularly interesting path to explore is to what extent the consumer's belief that GM is tampering with nature, and therefore is ethically wrong, might be outweighed by the perception that GM in biorenewables production contributes to re-establishing the balance in nature and therefore is beneficial overall. Further challenges pertain to communication, providing tangible benefits to consumers, and monitoring consumer acceptance and adoption of biorenewables. © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd