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Sustainability and Consumer Behaviour

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2022) | Viewed by 64041

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Guest Editor
Langkawi International Tourism and Hospitality (LITH) Research Center, School of Tourism Hospitality and Event Management, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Sintok 06010, Malaysia
Interests: sustainability; tourism; CSR; environmental management; marketing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Consumer behaviour can have a significant impact on sustainability, especially in today’s age of rising population and dwindling resources. Yet, the complex nature of both constructs makes it challenging to understand them and how they interact. This necessitates a comprehensive approach, in which the concepts are examined from a variety of viewpoints and perspectives. Needs, wants and demands, as well as influencing factors, decision-making and competitiveness, are just a few of the angles and perspectives to consider in consumer behaviour studies. Similarly, the concept of sustainability requires an examination of various factors and settings, with the environment, community, and business being at the forefront. Hence, this Special Issue aims to understand consumer behaviour in the wider contexts of the three pillars of sustainable development (i.e., environment, society and economy). It seeks to bring together interdisciplinary perspectives on sustainability and consumer behaviour so that we as a society can get a little closer to understanding these two dynamic constructs as they affect our lives.

Prof. Dr. Azilah Kasim
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • consumer behaviour
  • sustainability
  • tourism
  • hospitality
  • event management
  • education business
  • business management
  • environmental management
  • community

Published Papers (13 papers)

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Research

24 pages, 565 KiB  
Article
Why Do(n’t) We Buy Second-Hand Luxury Products?
by Katharina Stolz
Sustainability 2022, 14(14), 8656; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14148656 - 15 Jul 2022
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 9053
Abstract
Global sales of second-hand luxury products are steadily increasing. To better understand key drivers for purchasing second-hand luxury products, a survey was conducted including 469 respondents. The study not only includes existing customers, but also non-customers and thus potential future clientele. Based on [...] Read more.
Global sales of second-hand luxury products are steadily increasing. To better understand key drivers for purchasing second-hand luxury products, a survey was conducted including 469 respondents. The study not only includes existing customers, but also non-customers and thus potential future clientele. Based on the theory of planned behavior, the components of attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and individual motivators (creative, economic, ethical, nostalgic, sustainable) were investigated. Using structural equation modeling, the results support the influence of attitude, past purchase experience, perceived behavioral control, and subjective norms on purchase intention. Attitude, in turn, is mainly impacted by economics and ethics as individual motivators. Further, subjects were asked to state their own definition of luxury and to name individual reasons for and against second-hand luxury products. Thereby, quality turned out to be double-edged: on the one hand, second-hand products were able to prove their quality, on the other hand, the fear of counterfeits and unhygienic products was cited. Overall, consumers of second-hand luxury goods are heterogeneous and have different buying experiences with one or more of the three categories: new luxury goods, second-hand luxury goods, and second-hand products. The study thus expands the understanding of the transformation within the (second-hand) luxury industry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability and Consumer Behaviour)
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27 pages, 779 KiB  
Article
The Market Disruption Path of Green-Oriented Trajectory-Transformed Technology Innovation: A Study of Consumer Lifestyles during the “Chasm” in China’s Electric Vehicle Market
by Hailin Xiao and Xiaocai Zhang
Sustainability 2022, 14(14), 8488; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14148488 - 11 Jul 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2468
Abstract
Green-oriented trajectory-transformed technology (GTTT) innovation is a strategic path that leads simultaneously to a comprehensive green transformation of national economic and social development and a disruption of corporate competition. However, this type of innovation is nonmarket-oriented and naturally results in a deeper and [...] Read more.
Green-oriented trajectory-transformed technology (GTTT) innovation is a strategic path that leads simultaneously to a comprehensive green transformation of national economic and social development and a disruption of corporate competition. However, this type of innovation is nonmarket-oriented and naturally results in a deeper and wider “chasm” more than any market-oriented innovation between the early market and the mass market, which is difficult to bridge; this leads to theoretical and practical difficulties with respect to the formulation of market strategies. To bridge such a “chasm”, this paper explores the paths that facilitate a market launch strategy that is capable of bridging the market “chasm”. The paper identifies electric vehicles as an example of a GTTT product, based on the hierarchical characteristic model, investigates the impact of lifestyle on consumers’ purchase intention, examines the mediating effect of interpersonal influence susceptibilities, uses data collected via consumer questionnaires to test the research model, and thereby identifies the various consumer groups that are present during the “chasm” period and the characteristics they exhibit. The results show that fashion consciousness, leadership consciousness, environmental consciousness, and informational interpersonal influence are the market strategy paths that lead to market disruption, and fashion leaders and price-conscious environmentalists are the key consumer groups during the “chasm” period. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability and Consumer Behaviour)
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22 pages, 725 KiB  
Article
Influence of Flow Experience, Perceived Value and CSR in Craft Beer Consumer Loyalty: A Comparison between Mexico and The Netherlands
by Cristobal Rodolfo Guerra-Tamez and María-Laura Franco-García
Sustainability 2022, 14(13), 8202; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14138202 - 5 Jul 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2961
Abstract
Craft beer production enterprises are categorized as micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Mexico and the Netherlands. As MSMEs, they encounter challenges to achieving consolidation; one main challenge is linked to deficient consumer-loyalty development. This work explores and compares the effects of [...] Read more.
Craft beer production enterprises are categorized as micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Mexico and the Netherlands. As MSMEs, they encounter challenges to achieving consolidation; one main challenge is linked to deficient consumer-loyalty development. This work explores and compares the effects of experience of flow, perceived value and CSR in the development of loyalty in two different population samples of craft beer consumers: Mexico and the Netherlands. In total, 452 surveys were collected during experiential events, and the data were analyzed using multivariate partial-least-square (PLS) structural equation modeling. Our model results indicate that attention, concentration and notion of time influence flow experience in the same way in both countries. Experiential factors are stronger for the Mexican population. For the case of the Netherlands, perceived value had a higher effect on loyalty development and a lower impact on experiential factors. The CSR variable was only significant for the Dutch sample. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability and Consumer Behaviour)
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18 pages, 663 KiB  
Article
Understanding the Consumers of Entrepreneurial Education: Self-Efficacy and Entrepreneurial Attitude Orientation among Youths
by Jenny Lukito Setiawan, Azilah Kasim and Elia Ardyan
Sustainability 2022, 14(8), 4790; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14084790 - 16 Apr 2022
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3249
Abstract
Sustaining youths interest in entrepreneurial education is important to cultivating future entrepreneurs. This study examines factors influencing entrepreneurial attitudes among youth using 334 respondents within the context of Indonesian institutes of higher learning. The findings show that in entrepreneurial education, both perceived educator [...] Read more.
Sustaining youths interest in entrepreneurial education is important to cultivating future entrepreneurs. This study examines factors influencing entrepreneurial attitudes among youth using 334 respondents within the context of Indonesian institutes of higher learning. The findings show that in entrepreneurial education, both perceived educator competency and perceived social support are important drivers for the creation of self-efficacy in youth. However, only perceived social support is directly related to increased entrepreneurial attitude orientation. On the other hand, when self-efficacy is introduced as a mediating variable, both perceived educator competency and perceived social support show influence on youths entrepreneurial attitude orientation. From these findings, the research proposed both its theoretical and managerial implications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability and Consumer Behaviour)
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17 pages, 934 KiB  
Article
The Importance of Community Perspectives on Hotel Community-Related CSR: A Position Paper
by Azilah Kasim, Bussalin Khuadthong, Noormala Jailani, Muhammad Fauzi Mokhtar, Jasmine Zea Raziah Radha Rashid Radha and Maebel Leong
Sustainability 2022, 14(8), 4636; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14084636 - 13 Apr 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3220
Abstract
The purpose of this position paper is to present an opinion on the importance of understanding host community perspectives in any community-based corporate social responsibility initiative. A host community is essentially the consumer of any community-based CSR, yet they each have unique cultures, [...] Read more.
The purpose of this position paper is to present an opinion on the importance of understanding host community perspectives in any community-based corporate social responsibility initiative. A host community is essentially the consumer of any community-based CSR, yet they each have unique cultures, features, needs, and expectations, which may or may not fit a business’s CSR initiative, unless the community perspectives are accounted for prior to the implementation of the CSR project. Focusing on the hotel sector context, the paper develops its position by reviewing supporting literature and highlighting the outcomes of a qualitative case study that involved face-to face semistructured interviews with 15 local opinion leaders who represented several local communities. The paper concludes with a firmer opinion on its position, and it offers some of the implications of its findings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability and Consumer Behaviour)
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15 pages, 634 KiB  
Article
Factors Influencing the Purchase Intention for Recycled Products: Integrating Perceived Risk into Value-Belief-Norm Theory
by Nika Hein
Sustainability 2022, 14(7), 3877; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14073877 - 25 Mar 2022
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 5973
Abstract
Recycling used materials is one way to deal with the depletion of natural resources available on earth. Companies increasingly integrate recycled materials into their production processes and transition towards circular business models. However, although the attitude towards sustainable products is positive, consumers still [...] Read more.
Recycling used materials is one way to deal with the depletion of natural resources available on earth. Companies increasingly integrate recycled materials into their production processes and transition towards circular business models. However, although the attitude towards sustainable products is positive, consumers still prefer to buy products made from new instead of recycled materials. Empirical research on factors influencing the purchase intention of recycled products is still limited. This study aims to examine consumers’ individual factors that are important in the decision process to buy recycled products. The Value-Belief-Norm (VBN) theory is explored in the context of recycled product purchase intention. Perceived risk is added to the research model as a moderator that hinders purchase intention. The different influences are analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modelling with a sample of 177 respondents from Germany. Results indicate that the causal chain of relationships between values, beliefs, and personal norm has a positive influence on recycled product purchase intention. Perceived risk, on the other hand, has a significant negative direct effect on purchase intention but strengthens the relationship between personal norms and purchase intention. Theoretical and managerial implications as well as avenues for further research are discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability and Consumer Behaviour)
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7 pages, 492 KiB  
Article
The Moderating Roles of Destination Regeneration and Place Attachment in How Destination Image Affects Revisit Intention: A Case Study of Incheon Metropolitan City
by Suyeon Nam, Yejin Oh, Seungri Hong, Seungwon Lee and Woo-Hyuk Kim
Sustainability 2022, 14(7), 3839; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14073839 - 24 Mar 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2867
Abstract
We aimed to elucidate both the relationship between destination image and revisit intention and the importance of destination regeneration and place attachment in that relationship. Data were collected from a consumer who visited the destination, after which a total of 200 usable surveys [...] Read more.
We aimed to elucidate both the relationship between destination image and revisit intention and the importance of destination regeneration and place attachment in that relationship. Data were collected from a consumer who visited the destination, after which a total of 200 usable surveys were analyzed. In order to examine the data, we employed structural analysis using AMOS. Based on the results, first, there is a positive relationship between destination image and revisit intention. In addition, there are significant moderating effects of destination regeneration and place attachment between destination image and revisit intention. Those significant findings could contribute to destination development from destination regeneration and place attachment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability and Consumer Behaviour)
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15 pages, 669 KiB  
Article
Analysis of Online Customer Complaint Behavior in Vietnam’s Hotel Industry
by Nguyen The Hien, Yen-Lun Su, Raksmey Sann and Le Thi Phuong Thanh
Sustainability 2022, 14(7), 3770; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14073770 - 23 Mar 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4530
Abstract
Vietnam’s hospitality industry has developed significantly over the past 20 years. Therefore, it is very important to investigate customers’ complaints based on their experience in Vietnamese hotels. This study aimed to examine online complaining behavior focusing on five hotel attributes (Service, Value, [...] Read more.
Vietnam’s hospitality industry has developed significantly over the past 20 years. Therefore, it is very important to investigate customers’ complaints based on their experience in Vietnamese hotels. This study aimed to examine online complaining behavior focusing on five hotel attributes (Service, Value, Room, Sleep Quality, and Cleanliness) to discover any behavioral pattern differences displayed by (i) Vietnamese and non-Vietnamese guests and (ii) guests experiencing different classes of hotels. A total of 1357 samples, which were representative of guests from 70 countries among five continents coming from 467 hotels in six famous tourist cities, were selected for data analysis. Then, descriptive statistics, t-test, and one-way analysis of variance were conducted to identify whether there was a difference in the behavioral pattern. Service and Value complaints were more evident in Vietnamese customers, while non-Vietnamese customers were more inclined to complain about Room. Furthermore, guests were more likely to complain about hotels in the economy class with respect to Service, Cleanliness, Room, and Sleep Quality attributes than those in the upscale class and luxury class. The research findings can aid hotel managers in making targeted proactive retention actions by categorizing regular customers into groups and also being able to meet the expectations of customers from different cultures and hotel classes. Moreover, they expand insights into the online complaining behaviors of tourists providing valuable practical information for the hotel industry and extending hospitality literature in Vietnam. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability and Consumer Behaviour)
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15 pages, 893 KiB  
Article
Explanatory or Dispositional Optimism: Which Trait Predicts Eco-Friendly Tourist Behavior?
by Farrukh Rafiq, Syed Khusro Chishty and Mohd Adil
Sustainability 2022, 14(5), 2994; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14052994 - 4 Mar 2022
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2692
Abstract
Recently, researchers have been drawn to the literature surrounding positive psychology. The role of explanatory and dispositional optimism in eco-friendly tourism has been largely ignored by researchers, even though positive psychology, or optimism, has been studied in the sustainability domain. The purpose of [...] Read more.
Recently, researchers have been drawn to the literature surrounding positive psychology. The role of explanatory and dispositional optimism in eco-friendly tourism has been largely ignored by researchers, even though positive psychology, or optimism, has been studied in the sustainability domain. The purpose of this study is to determine which trait predicts eco-friendly tourist behavior. In the study, the data were collected online using Amazon Mechanical Turk from 400 respondents, and the model was assessed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. Findings revealed that in terms of predicting eco-friendly tourism behavior, dispositional optimism outperformed explanatory optimism. Furthermore, this study found that environmental concern positively moderates the association between optimism (dispositional and explanatory) and eco-friendly tourism behavior. This study has wide-ranging implications for tourism managers, practitioners, and academics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability and Consumer Behaviour)
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13 pages, 620 KiB  
Article
Emotion or Information: What Makes Consumers Communicate about Sustainable Apparel Products on Social Media?
by Jihyeong Son, Changhyun Nam and Sonali Diddi
Sustainability 2022, 14(5), 2849; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14052849 - 1 Mar 2022
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 5387
Abstract
This study investigated how sustainability-related messages of cotton textile and apparel products influence consumers’ attitudes toward the message and interaction with other consumers in social media. Three hundred and eighty-eight online survey data of US consumers investigated the effects of perceived information and [...] Read more.
This study investigated how sustainability-related messages of cotton textile and apparel products influence consumers’ attitudes toward the message and interaction with other consumers in social media. Three hundred and eighty-eight online survey data of US consumers investigated the effects of perceived information and emotion toward sustainability practice messages on attitude toward and social interaction with other consumers and the effects of attitude on social interaction in social media. The results confirm that emotion is an influential variable, and, specific, positive emotion is an influential variable for attitude, and attitude influences social interaction with other consumers of sustainability practice messages. Negative emotions influence both attitude and social interaction. The information does not influence attitude but directly impacts social interaction, which may bring the purchase intention of sustainable fashion products. Thus, apparel marketers should consider emotionally sustainable promotion messages when tailoring their brand communications on social media. This study helps clarify the relationships between emotion and social interaction for sustainable fashion products. It also contributes to the theoretical foundation and has implications for sustainable fashion marketing and management in social media. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability and Consumer Behaviour)
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30 pages, 9110 KiB  
Article
Sustainable Tourism Development Based upon Visitors’ Brand Trust: A Case of “100 Religious Attractions”
by Kuo-Yan Wang
Sustainability 2022, 14(4), 1977; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14041977 - 9 Feb 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 6205
Abstract
This study examines tourist trust in a government-initiated tourism brand from the perspective of the economic sustainability of the tourism industry. Its antecedents comprise traveler visit motivation, visitor experience perception, and willingness to visit/revisit, and the study assesses the moderating role of believers/nonbelievers [...] Read more.
This study examines tourist trust in a government-initiated tourism brand from the perspective of the economic sustainability of the tourism industry. Its antecedents comprise traveler visit motivation, visitor experience perception, and willingness to visit/revisit, and the study assesses the moderating role of believers/nonbelievers in developing a tourism brand. The data were obtained from 20 notable religious-themed attractions listed among the “100 Religious Attractions” in Taiwan. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to respondents who had visited, or were planning to visit, the listed attractions. Three hundred and eighty-five valid questionnaires were collected with the hypotheses developed and examined using the SEM method. This study analyzes the motivational and experiential differences between religious-oriented and ordinary visitors to the “100 Religious Attractions” and its brand effect concerning peripheral industry consumption behavior (e.g., food and beverage, religious items, and surrounding sightseeing sites). Last, this study discloses that the willingness to visit/revisit determinants, service value perception, and spiritual experience significantly affect tourism brand trust. These results offer a better understanding for both scholars and practitioners of religious-themed attractions regarding how tourists’ visit/revisit intentions and their willingness to consume affect the creation of tourism destination brand trust that is sustainable. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability and Consumer Behaviour)
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22 pages, 2292 KiB  
Article
Determinants of Customer Intentions to Use Electric Vehicle in Indonesia: An Integrated Model Analysis
by Indra Gunawan, Anak Agung Ngurah Perwira Redi, Ahmad Arif Santosa, Meilinda Fitriani Nur Maghfiroh, Andante Hadi Pandyaswargo and Adji Candra Kurniawan
Sustainability 2022, 14(4), 1972; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14041972 - 9 Feb 2022
Cited by 30 | Viewed by 9037
Abstract
Electric vehicles can be a solution to certain social problems in Indonesia, such as pollution and an increase in consumption of energy from fossil fuels, which cannot be met by domestic production. The discussion of the TPB theoretical model, UTAUT2, and risk perception, [...] Read more.
Electric vehicles can be a solution to certain social problems in Indonesia, such as pollution and an increase in consumption of energy from fossil fuels, which cannot be met by domestic production. The discussion of the TPB theoretical model, UTAUT2, and risk perception, using the structural equation modeling (SEM) method, in this study aims to provide an overview of the factors that drive interest in adopting electric vehicles in Indonesia. Data were collected from 526 respondents in various cities located in Indonesia. The results showed that the model can estimate the study variables adequately. The constructs of TPB such as attitude toward use (ATU), subjective norm (SBN), and perceived behavior control (PBC) positively affect interest in using electric vehicles. Meanwhile, ATU is influenced by performance and effort expectancies, hedonic motivation, price value, as well as functional, financial, and social risks. Another factor, known as PBC, is influenced by certain facilitating conditions. The ATU factor is the most influential on the use of electric vehicles, therefore factors such as performance expectancy, effort expectancy, hedonic motivation, price value, functional risk, financial risk, and social risk need to be properly analyzed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability and Consumer Behaviour)
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27 pages, 1351 KiB  
Article
Exploring Recreationist-Environment Fit Hospitality Experiences of Green Hotels in China
by Jing Yu
Sustainability 2022, 14(3), 1850; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031850 - 6 Feb 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2718
Abstract
To develop the hotel industry’s competitiveness, research on satisfaction and revisit intentions has always been important. More research has recently focused on guests’ pro-environmental behaviors and low-carbon management in the hotel industry. This research creates a recreationist-environmental fit satisfaction-revisit intention model based on [...] Read more.
To develop the hotel industry’s competitiveness, research on satisfaction and revisit intentions has always been important. More research has recently focused on guests’ pro-environmental behaviors and low-carbon management in the hotel industry. This research creates a recreationist-environmental fit satisfaction-revisit intention model based on the recreationist-environmental fit theory. This study surveyed seven green-standard hotels in Sanya, China, and tested the moderating effect of guests’ environmental behavior on their satisfaction and willingness to revisit. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to respondents who had visited the surveyed green-standard hotels. Two hundred and forty-five valid questionnaires were collected with the hypotheses developed and examined using the SEM and HMR methods. The results indicated that the suitability of a leisure environment could positively impact guest satisfaction, which positively affected their willingness to revisit. In addition, this study proved the moderating effect of guests’ pro-environmental behaviors between satisfaction and revisit intentions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability and Consumer Behaviour)
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