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Article
Publication date: 3 June 2014

Madeline Gunn and Oksana Mont

– The purpose of this paper is to explore how and why choice editing is being used as a tool to promote sustainable consumption, using the choice editing of fish as a case study.

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore how and why choice editing is being used as a tool to promote sustainable consumption, using the choice editing of fish as a case study.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is explorative in nature and is based on a case study of choice editing of fish as a product category that has undergone fairly widespread choice editing. The case is built on primary empirical data from three Swedish and four British retailers collected through semi-structured interviews. These retailers are of different sizes, but together represent over 50 per cent of the food retail market in both Sweden and the UK taken by market share.

Findings

The findings suggest that the main business case choice editing is the creation of a responsible brand image and is often based on pressure from wider societal norms. The case for choice editing is therefore ultimately reliant on consumer recognition of sustainability issues as valuable, and it is unlikely to be taken up when retailers see no added brand value in acting responsibly on a certain issue. Clearer product-based indicators and stronger governmental regulation of unsustainable products may enable further choice editing for sustainability by retailers. NGOs and the media also play a critical role.

Originality/value

To enable further choice editing for sustainability by retailers, there is a need for clearer product-based indicators and stronger governmental regulation of unsustainable products.

Details

International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, vol. 42 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-0552

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 June 2015

– Reviews the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoints practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies.

490

Abstract

Purpose

Reviews the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoints practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies.

Design/methodology/approach

This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.

Findings

Since the Millennium, one of the key trends in European food retailing has seen the rise and fall of major supermarket chains. While still immensely profitable and successful, the likes of Tesco and Carrefour have been unable to replicate early huge gains in this period as smaller, cheaper and more nimble retailers have begun to steal market share. In particular, the UK has seen two classic market phenomena with the rise of Tesco as the biggest retailer sweeping all before, only for a combination of changing buying habits and increased popularity of discount retailers to decimate the market share growth of Tesco and other major operators in the “squeezed middle”.

Practical implications

Provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world’s leading organizations.

Originality/value

The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Details

Strategic Direction, vol. 31 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0258-0543

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 July 2020

Bipul Kumar and Nikhilesh Dholakia

This study explores enablers that firms could use to motivate consumers toward responsible consumption behavior. Completing the loop of responsible consumption – linking firms and…

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Abstract

Purpose

This study explores enablers that firms could use to motivate consumers toward responsible consumption behavior. Completing the loop of responsible consumption – linking firms and consumers –helps firms to attain responsible consumption targets as part of the sustainable development goals (SDGs).

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses netnography as the qualitative research methodology.

Findings

The important enablers of responsible consumption behavior are choice editing, design intervention, addressing consumers' environmental identity, brand assurance, promoting innovation mindset and consumer empowerment – at the level of consumers and at the crosslevel of interaction between firms and consumers. Such enablers can help the firms in nudging their consumers toward responsible consumption.

Research limitations/implications

Using the lens of the expectancy–value theory of achievement motivation, this study extends the theoretical domain of responsible consumption.

Practical implications

The enablers of responsible consumption behaviors found here serve as a useful guide for the strategies to attain the SDGs.

Social implications

The SDG goal 12 of responsible consumption is the focus of this study. The entire fabric of responsible consumption is woven around anthropocentric views, and hence the findings of this study have clear social implications.

Originality/value

This is a first study to explore how firms can facilitate consumers to consume responsibly, to attain the SDGs. This is also one of the first studies on responsible consumption, using netnography as the research methodology. Additionally, it also extends the applicability of the expectancy–value theory of achievement motivation to the context of responsible consumption behavior.

Details

Marketing Intelligence & Planning, vol. 40 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-4503

Keywords

Content available
Article
Publication date: 3 June 2014

Neil Towers

90

Abstract

Details

International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, vol. 42 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-0552

Article
Publication date: 13 February 2017

Nancy Bocken

To mitigate negative human-induced impact on the planet, consumption patterns need to be changed urgently. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how companies can drive…

4468

Abstract

Purpose

To mitigate negative human-induced impact on the planet, consumption patterns need to be changed urgently. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how companies can drive sustainable consumption patterns.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper discusses six illustrative cases of sustainable consumption initiatives by companies: their strategies, initiatives and impacts.

Findings

A “business-led sustainable consumption strategies framework” was developed to analyse the cases. It was found that companies apply individual, social and wider contextual influencing tactics to encourage sustainable consumption. The case initiatives emerged without regulatory pushes. It was found that collaborative initiatives could be impactful, because multiple stakeholder influence helps normalise new behaviour. Regulation helps to level the playing field in an industry and potentially force absolute consumption reductions.

Practical implications

This work provides insight into the potential of business-led sustainable consumption initiatives and the strategies to be used. Companies are making important steps to encourage sustainable consumption, but initiatives have not yet achieved the scale to significantly transform consumption patterns. Further business experimentation with social marketing type of techniques is recommended. Future work is required to map out the most suitable strategies to encourage sustainable consumption by industry.

Originality/value

This paper has given new insight in the potential future role of companies in sustainable consumption. Businesses are positioned as the initiators of sustainable consumption patterns: their expertise can be used to stimulate and adopt sustainable consumption patterns with customers. This work sheds light on how businesses can use social marketing-type techniques and business model innovation to drive sustainable consumption. Finally, it contributes to the understanding of the scale and effectiveness of business-led sustainable consumption initiatives.

Details

Journal of Management Development, vol. 36 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0262-1711

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 November 2012

Helen Goworek, Tom Fisher, Tim Cooper, Sophie Woodward and Alex Hiller

This paper aims to investigate consumers' perspectives on sustainable clothing consumption and to examine ways in which this information could influence retailers' policies.

22714

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate consumers' perspectives on sustainable clothing consumption and to examine ways in which this information could influence retailers' policies.

Design/methodology/approach

Qualitative research was conducted using focus groups, home tasks and workshops with 99 participants. The sample represented different groups of consumers in relation to their sustainability behaviour.

Findings

Focus group participants had a limited awareness of the sustainability impacts of clothing. Where participants displayed pro‐environmental behaviour, this was not necessarily intentional, but was largely a response to other influences. The respondents' maintenance and disposal of clothes were found to be influenced mainly by existing habits and routines, which usually take precedence over awareness of sustainable practice. The research indicated that consumers could be persuaded to change their behaviour in relation to sustainability by being encouraged and enabled to reflect more on their behaviour.

Research limitations/implications

This study uses qualitative research and is limited to UK consumers. Future research in this field could incorporate quantitative methods or in‐depth interviews. Academics could conduct further research and generate theories which apply to the sustainable consumption of clothing.

Social implications

The findings have implications for retailers, academics and society. Retailers can develop and implement more sustainable policies and practices in relation to clothing production and consumption. There are wider implications for society and the environment in that retailers' practices can impact greatly on the sustainability of the planet's resources.

Originality/value

This paper's originality lies in its assessment of the implications for retailers of consumers' views on the sustainable consumption of clothing.

Article
Publication date: 30 September 2019

Surbhi Uniyal, Sachin Kumar Mangla and Pravin Patil

Sustainable consumption and production (SCP) assist managers to improve their operational efficiency while aiming at reducing the generation of waste. The purpose of this paper is…

Abstract

Purpose

Sustainable consumption and production (SCP) assist managers to improve their operational efficiency while aiming at reducing the generation of waste. The purpose of this paper is to construct a structural model of the SCP practices in a supply chain context.

Design/methodology/approach

The work is based on the experience of supply chain professionals, a case study and literature review related to SCP. The present work recommends an assessment framework by prioritizing the SCP oriented practices using best-worst method.

Findings

The current work is an effort to understand the significance of SCP practices and to reveal their level of influence in developing a sustainable culture in value chains. Data for this work are derived from an automotive company operating in India. Findings reveal that the “resource efficiency” acquires the highest rank and “sharing assets” acquires the last lank among all SCP practices.

Research limitations/implications

It is difficult to finalize the SCP practices. This work uses the expert’s approach for this. In this way, the process needs to be conducted very carefully.

Practical implications

This research can assist automotive managers and practitioners in efficiently utilizing their companies’ resources, which would result in superior business effectiveness by generating higher employment opportunities in value chains.

Originality/value

Efforts have been made to contribute in the identification and analysis of SCP oriented practices. The developed structural model will help in understanding the ranking of practices.

Details

Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal, vol. 31 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1477-7835

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 21 April 2022

Adekunle Oke

This study proposes a new agenda for research and practice on pro-environmental behaviours in organisational settings by exploring the intersection between technology innovations…

Abstract

Purpose

This study proposes a new agenda for research and practice on pro-environmental behaviours in organisational settings by exploring the intersection between technology innovations and pro-environmental initiatives. The goal is to demonstrate the utility of digital technology in promoting and achieving sustainability by addressing the complexity and inconsistency in pro-environmental behaviours.

Design/methodology/approach

Using relevant literature on pro-environmental behaviours, this study explores the possibility of embedding technology innovations in pro-environmental initiatives to promote and enhance sustainability in organisational settings.

Findings

This study argues that the recent technological advancement and open innovation provide new insights into understanding and implementing pro-environmental initiatives in organisational settings. While pro-environmental behaviours studies have advanced over the past decades, this study shows that many pro-environmental activities do not require employees to change behaviour. According to this study, psychology and technology innovations offer various opportunities for businesses to effectively and pragmatically embed sustainability into their operations without necessarily changing employees' behaviour.

Research limitations/implications

This conceptual study offers opportunities to empirically explore the collaborative nexus between “psychology-based pro-environmental behaviour research and technology innovation”. Despite the plethora of studies on pro-environmental behaviours, results are mixed and inconclusive, raising questions about the dominant practice used for promoting pro-environmental initiatives and behaviours at the corporate level. This study, therefore, provides a new pathway for businesses to address their environmental aspects, demonstrating a pragmatic approach to resolving the complexity of pro-environmental behaviours.

Originality/value

This study allows social investigators, policymakers, and technology developers to re-assess, revive and further investigate how they can collaborate to address practical environmental and social issues.

Details

Technological Sustainability, vol. 2 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2754-1312

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 January 2021

Duika Louise Burges Watson, Alizon Draper and Wendy Wills

This paper presents a critical discourse analysis of “choice” as it appears in UK policy documents relating to food and public health. A dominant policy approach to improving…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper presents a critical discourse analysis of “choice” as it appears in UK policy documents relating to food and public health. A dominant policy approach to improving public health has been health promotion and health education with the intention to change behaviour and encourage healthier eating. Given the emphasis on evidence-based policy making within the UK, the continued abstraction of choice without definition or explanation provoked us to conduct this analysis, which focuses on 1976 to the present.

Design/methodology/approach

The technique of discourse analysis was used to analyse selected food policy documents and to trace any shifts in the discourses of choice across policy periods and their implications in terms of governance and the individualisation of responsibility.

Findings

We identified five dominant repertoires of choice in UK food policy over this period: as personal responsibility, as an instrument of change, as an editing tool, as a problem and freedom of choice. Underpinning these is a continued reliance on the rational actor model, which is consonant with neoliberal governance and its constructions of populations as body of self-governing individuals. The self-regulating, self-governing individual is obliged to choose as a condition of citizenship.

Research limitations/implications

This analysis highlights the need for a more sophisticated approach to understanding “choice” in the context of public health and food policy in order to improve diet outcomes in the UK and perhaps elsewhere.

Originality/value

This is the first comprehensive analysis of the discourse of choice in UK food policy.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 123 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 July 2017

This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies.

400

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies.

Design/methodology/approach

This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.

Findings

The cost to the environment that our current way of life is extracting is hard to calculate exactly, but few now deny that it is not unsustainable and potentially fatal. Our awareness of climate change and the impact consumerism has on our lives is becoming a constant concern, particularly in those countries that consume the most resources. While people individually, and at a government level, are concerned and acting with more environmental awareness, some of the most damaging behavior is occurring in consumer-driven private sector. Yet as many businesses continue with the attitude of profit before principle, some are now seeking ways to reduce their impact on the environment, both through their own production processes, as well as through their behavior or their customers. These companies, studied by Bocken (2017), have been able to reduce the consumption of both themselves and their customers, without harming their profits, and improving growth. Through careful business strategy innovation, similar practices should be possible in all sizes of companies and across all types of industry.

Practical implications

The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world’s leading organizations.

Originality/value

The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Details

Strategic Direction, vol. 33 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0258-0543

Keywords

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