“I don’t buy LED bulbs but I switch off the lights”: Green consumption versus sustainable consumption

Abstract

Purpose

The rationale of viewpoint is to comprehend green consumption (GC) and sustainable consumption (SC). The purpose of this study is to understand how the phenomenon of sustainable and green consumers perceives in an everyday perceives in an everyday/routine life in modern today’s dynamic world society, where consumers clients are highly encouraged towards use and practicing sustainability, also to understand people’s personal lived experiences in this affair of green and SC processes. The adoption of sustainable business strategies has been a well-thought-out plan which act as a foremost driver for the socioeconomic development.

Design/methodology/approach

Present study is based on phenomenological interviews, using interpretative phenomenological approach (IPA) which has offered a platform to investigate, explore and discover to talk about latent prime aspects (causes to procure or adopt green products, its category, expression of feeling about perceived product self-assurance, readiness to pacification and consolation, familiarity of environmental-friendly products, reflection of alternatives, make use of and abandonment). Semi-structured exhaustive dialogues with Indian green consumers are set up to stimulate dialogue on their viewpoint.

Findings

The findings classify bewilderment of how sustainability applies in routine style for sustainable and GC followed by the consumers with respect to his/her behaviour and challenges of SC over GC, predominantly for ecological and environmental issues, and there was cynicism concerning higher pricing order of green and sustainable products available in market. Interestingly in findings framework, the analysis designates that green consumers represent a non-natural segment and offer auxiliary experiential description of sustainable development or sustainability as a measure of sustainable market and its orientation concept.

Research limitations/implications

The idiographic nature of IPA, particularly phenomenological approach, may be considered as a research limitation. Well-presented research work is exploratory in nature; and a research team is followed by well-known guidelines in order to make certain impartialities. Though, the research conclusions are limited to Indian GC and a replication or limitation into different nations would aid in the direction to get rid of several probable nation partiality.

Practical implications

In a nutshell, here findings exemplify that green or sustainable consumers are shifting sustainable ideology from one situation to another, and that by speaking about sustainability, these consumers possibly will obtain a competitive lead.

Social implications

The results or findings reveal green or sustainable consumers’ augmented association with sustainability and the role expected from them to create better society and world.

Originality/value

The research work exclusively places green or sustainable consumers’ dependence on heuristics to show sustainable preferences or choices, due to the lack of information and awareness, and it entails that sustainable concepts and sustainability are becoming popular nowadays; ever more included into their everyday behaviours and practicing. Very limited research studies have been done to investigate the GC and SC; measuring consumers’ actions using qualitative research approaches through IPA approach. This paper explores their consumption pattern and processes in detail.

Citation

Sharma, N., Saha, R. and Rameshwar, R. (2019), "“I don’t buy LED bulbs but I switch off the lights”: Green consumption versus sustainable consumption", Journal of Indian Business Research, Vol. 11 No. 2, pp. 138-161. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIBR-01-2018-0040