Sustainable Market Exchange from the Consumer Perspective

Abstract

This chapter captures the interrelatedness of sustainable production and consumption, which can be brought together in the concept of sustainable market exchange. The purpose of this chapter is to develop and present a framework of sustainable market exchange, including the key players, factors that influence sustainable behavior and issues that need to be addressed to achieve sustainable market exchange. The framework includes the ecological, economic, and social dimensions, while factors in the framework are classified into three groups: individual, relational, and societal. The sustainability spheres and stakeholders contribute to raising the importance of the phenomenon in the long run. The authors subsequently conduct an exploratory quantitative study to examine the features of the framework which is empirically examined from the perspective of one group of stakeholders that needs to be understood better, that is, consumers. Searching for answers to research questions on how consumers perceive their sustainable behavior, company sustainable behavior, how perceptions of production and consumption are related and what are the differences according to individual factors, the authors demonstrate different emphasis that consumers place on different sustainability dimensions and suggest recommendations for encouraging sustainable market exchange for management and public policy stakeholders.

Citation

Culiberg, B., Koklic, M.K., Žabkar, V. and Mihelič, K.K. (2020), "Sustainable Market Exchange from the Consumer Perspective", Žabkar, V. and Redek, T. (Ed.) Challenges on the Path Toward Sustainability in Europe, Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 171-188. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80043-972-620201010