Search results
1 – 10 of 156The problem of environmental pollution is becoming increasingly severe, and international consensus confirms the need for eco-friendly consumption. Worldwide, the eco-friendly…
Abstract
Purpose
The problem of environmental pollution is becoming increasingly severe, and international consensus confirms the need for eco-friendly consumption. Worldwide, the eco-friendly food market is booming, so understanding consumers’ motivations to purchase these foods is crucial. This paper aimed to construct a model explaining consumers’ intentions to purchase eco-friendly food by combining stimuli-organism-response (SOR) and signalling theories and exploring the mechanisms by which macro- and micro-signals impact perceptions of value and consumers’ subsequent willingness to purchase eco-friendly food.
Design/methodology/approach
An online questionnaire was distributed through the Qualtrics platform, and the completed questionnaires were collected in March and April 2023. The study used partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to analyse the 331 valid responses received.
Findings
The results indicated that trustworthy eco-labels for high-quality and health-promoting products, as conveyed in macro signals, significantly enhanced consumers’ perceptions of functional value. The peer effect and a moderate level of food anthropomorphism conveyed in micro-signals substantially improved their perceptions of social value, whilst the perceived value of products significantly and positively influenced their purchase intentions.
Originality/value
This study explains consumers’ motivations to purchase eco-friendly products. This provides an explanation for the effect of macro- and micro-signals on value perceptions. By integrating the different dimensions of these signals to create a unified research perspective, the paper provides an integrated model, thereby filling a research gap concerning the influence of two-dimensional signals on purchase intention. By supporting eco-friendly food use, the paper contributes to environmental protection and sustainable development.
Details
Keywords
Mohammad Iqbal Irfany, Yusniar Khairunnisa and Marco Tieman
This study aims to identify the characteristics of Muslim Generation Z and analyze the factors that influence its purchase intention of environmentally friendly halal cosmetic…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to identify the characteristics of Muslim Generation Z and analyze the factors that influence its purchase intention of environmentally friendly halal cosmetic products.
Design/methodology/approach
This research adopts the quantitative methods of a questionnaire and sampling technique using purposive sampling. The respondents in this study were 300 Indonesian Muslims from Generation Z. Descriptive analysis and structural equation modeling–partial least structural with SmartPLS 3.3.7 software were used to analyze the research data.
Findings
This study found that of the nine hypotheses tested, seven are confirmed, including the effect of halal labels on halal-green awareness, environmentally friendly labels on halal-green awareness, environmental knowledge on halal-green awareness and knowledge on attitudes. Meanwhile, religiosity and halal-green awareness influence attitudes and attitudes that affect the purchase intention of environmentally friendly halal cosmetics. Two hypotheses that are not accepted are the influence of religiosity on halal-green awareness and halal-green awareness on attitudes. The findings are expected to increase interest in buying environmentally friendly halal cosmetics by better understanding consumer behavior, especially Generation Z.
Practical implications
Cosmetics manufacturers benefit from halal-green branding on their products to enter new halal markets and increase market share.
Originality/value
This study is more comprehensive than previous studies, combining halal and environmentally friendly elements with a focus on Generation Z.
Details
Keywords
Prerana , Deepa Kapoor and Abhay Jain
This study aims to conduct a bibliometric analysis of sustainable tourism research published in Scopus-indexed journals covering the period from 1997 to 2021. Articles published…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to conduct a bibliometric analysis of sustainable tourism research published in Scopus-indexed journals covering the period from 1997 to 2021. Articles published during these 25 years were subjected to science mapping and performance analysis to propose potential areas for future research.
Design/methodology/approach
A bibliometric analysis using performance analysis and science mapping was conducted on 1,754 research papers retrieved from the Scopus database using the keyword “sustainable tourism.” Biblioshiny and VOSviewer are commonly used bibliometric tools. Science mapping techniques use coauthorship, keyword co-occurrence and co-citation analyses.
Findings
This study revealed the sustainable tourism publications’ spatial and temporal patterns, indicating a yearly growth rate of 19.9% during a 25-year period. The study identified Stefan Gossling as the most influential author, the “Journal of Sustainable Tourism” as the leading journal and Australia as the most productive country in sustainable tourism literature. The study used co-citation analysis to identify five thematic clusters, namely, reconceptualization and criticism, the role of residents, eco-labeling and the role of stakeholders, community-based tourism and the shift toward establishing sustainability indicators and effective governance and policymaking. The coauthorship analysis identifies the most influential author in collaborative efforts, and the most common pattern of collaboration is between researchers from different institutions in the same country, such as China and the Philippines, followed by collaborations between authors from other countries. The keyword co-occurrence analysis uncovered keywords that aligned with theme clusters generated from the co-citation analysis.
Originality/value
This study comprehensively uncovers five thematic clusters that have never been extracted so far in the literature. Also, it attempts to fill the gaps related to sustainable tourism by suggesting directions for future research.
Details
Keywords
Alberto Bertossi, Stefania Troiano and Francesco Marangon
This study aims to gain a first explorative view on what intrinsic/extrinsic attributes a generic cup for hot beverage should possess to be perceived as eco-friendly, and how some…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to gain a first explorative view on what intrinsic/extrinsic attributes a generic cup for hot beverage should possess to be perceived as eco-friendly, and how some attributes of a hot beverage could influence consumers’ purchase decision and willingness to pay (WTP) for that beverage dispensed by vending machines (VMs).
Design/methodology/approach
A questionnaire was developed in 2021 and sent to all students of an Italian university campus. For the first goal, students were asked to assign a score to some eco-friendly intrinsic/extrinsic attributes using a five-point Likert scale. For the second aim, a choice experiment with six scenarios was developed.
Findings
Both intrinsic and extrinsic attributes play a key role in shaping students’ opinions and preferences. Results indicate that students are attracted by the idea of a cup that communicates its environmental properties through corresponding labels and information, and it is made by materials that guarantee biodegradability, recyclability or reusability.
Originality/value
The research represents the first academic attempt to provide a first consumers’ viewpoint on the importance of eco-friendly attributes of cups for hot beverages able to influence consumers’ perceptions and consumption choices of hot beverages dispensed by VMs.
Details
Keywords
Aysegul Gunduz Songur, Gozde Turktarhan and Cihan Cobanoglu
The aim of this research, which is based on a literature review and bibliometric analysis, is to reveal the development of green technologies in hotels, based on the articles…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this research, which is based on a literature review and bibliometric analysis, is to reveal the development of green technologies in hotels, based on the articles published in tourism and hospitality journals between 1999 and 2020.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on five conditions and five databases, 64 journal papers were retrieved and reviewed. Among the surveyed publications pertinent to the eco-friendly/green technology practices at hotels, the majority focus was on the need for eco-friendly/green technology practices at hotels and the schemes implemented to achieve sustainable development.
Findings
The research findings especially from the last decade report that today's guests generally prefer green hotels based on their increased awareness of environmental degradation and an ever-growing need for conservation and sustainability.
Practical implications
The environmental responsibility which is inherent in the hospitality and tourism industry due to the environmental burden generated by the combined effect of both industries on Mother Earth, brings forth a substantial sense of commitment on the part of hotel companies. In that regard, a set of corporate initiatives in the form of green technology practices are implemented by hotels, toward the development of new product and service offerings, management of processes and corporate policy formation.
Originality/value
This research focuses on green technologies aimed at sustainability in the field of accommodation and tourism, consisting of a systematic literature search on the subject. It is important in the way that it provides a general overview to researchers in terms of the theoretical implications of green technologies while also offering a road map with respect to green technology applications to the practitioners of the field.
Details
Keywords
Aniekan Essien, Godwin Onyekachi Chukwukelu, Nikolai Kazantsev and Nachiappan Subramanian
The global food industry is faced with the dilemma of finding a balance between food wastage and food shortage. Approximately one-third of food produced globally goes to waste…
Abstract
Purpose
The global food industry is faced with the dilemma of finding a balance between food wastage and food shortage. Approximately one-third of food produced globally goes to waste, while about 800 million people suffer from undernourishment. Given this context, the purpose of this study is to investigate the unresolved challenges related to enhancing transparency associated with products of high perishability and low shelf life.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conducted 25 interviews with global agri-food supply chains (AFSCs) experts to ask what impedes the progress of the current technologies, such as blockchain, to enable transparency and traceability (T&T) in AFSCs.
Findings
The findings indicate barriers at the individual, firm and supply chain levels. Based on these barriers, the authors propose an interconnected framework to explain technologically-driven T&T and guide on barrier removal from AFSCs. The authors conclude that by applying technology (i.e. blockchain) the authors can resolve the tension of supporting T&T in AFSCs. This can enable the efficient and transparent tracking of goods, reduction of food waste and loss, as well as promotion of the use of recyclable packaging and further sustainable practices and materials, all of which are aligned with a range of UN Sustainable Development Goals (2, 8, 10 and 12). Moreover, the authors see that some factors are interrelated. Based on these factors, the authors build an interconnected framework to guide on barrier removal from AFSCs. Managers in AFSC would find the findings especially relevant.
Originality/value
Drawing on industrial network theory and signalling theory, the authors propose an interconnected framework for explaining barriers (challenges) and potential solutions (opportunities) to T&T in AFSCs. This framework is developed by examining the interconnections of barriers at micro, meso and macro levels and applying signalling theory to explain how solutions address these barriers. The specific contributions of this study are: the list of barriers that impede the implementation of technological solutions for T&T in AFSCs; and a three-stage framework that explains how to remove the barriers for T&T. The study is limited by the focus on blockchain, which calls for future research once the next decentralised technology becomes available.
Details
Keywords
Amar Hisham Jaaffar, Saraswathy Kasavan, Siti Indati Mustapa and Abul Quasem Al-Amin
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a dramatic impact on energy supply and demand. It is vital to understand households’ behaviour with regard to energy, particularly during the…
Abstract
Purpose
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a dramatic impact on energy supply and demand. It is vital to understand households’ behaviour with regard to energy, particularly during the pandemic, to deploy future sustainable energy systems. This study aims to investigate the nexus of Malaysian households’ energy consumption behaviour in relation to various electrical appliances, their energy-saving appliance purchasing behaviour and their current possession of energy-saving appliances during the pandemic, especially during the lockdown period, from the perspective of the energy cultures framework.
Design/methodology/approach
The partial least squares structural equation modelling technique was used to test hypothesised relationships based on the 1,485 pieces of household data collected using an online and physical survey during the lockdown period in Malaysia.
Findings
The energy-saving behaviour cultivated due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic led to residential customers’ intentions to purchase energy-saving appliances which subsequently led to their current possession of energy-saving appliances. Indeed, energy-saving behaviours in the kitchen, entertainment, office, home lighting and cooling appliances have more than 77.4% influence on their purchasing behaviour. The consumer’s purchase behaviour for energy-saving appliances has a significant, partially mediating influence on the energy-saving behaviour of various electrical appliances and the consumers’ current possession of energy-saving appliances.
Research limitations/implications
This study could be enhanced by improving the sample using a higher-income group and involving other parts of Malaysia such as the southern region. The findings do extend the energy cultures framework by demonstrating the mediating role of households’ energy-saving appliance purchasing behaviour on the relationship between their energy consumption behaviour in relation to various electrical appliances and their current possession of energy-saving appliances.
Practical implications
The results of this study will help develop future action plans for transitioning to energy-saving appliance practices.
Originality/value
This paper examines the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on future energy efficiency practices in developing countries from the perspective of the energy cultures framework.
Details
Keywords
Lisa S. McNeill, Balkrushna Potdar and Rachel H. McQueen
The purpose of this paper is addressing the negative environment and social impacts of the fashion industry that has emerged as a major societal challenge in the last century;…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is addressing the negative environment and social impacts of the fashion industry that has emerged as a major societal challenge in the last century; however, people continue to over-consume and over-waste textile products in the form of fashion garments. More research is required to understand how fashion consumption connects with perceptions of sustainability and sustainable action by individual consumers.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper surveys 501 Australian and New Zealand consumers, on their fashion purchasing habits, and the role of sustainability in their fashion consumption behaviour.
Findings
The study found a relationship between higher levels of garment consumption and increased focus on sustainability in fashion choices. This finding is significant, as it suggests that fashion over-consumers are still mindful of the sustainable impacts of their consumption, and are motivated towards reducing that impact, despite not reducing their volume of consumption.
Originality/value
The study indicates the importance of a continued focus on transparency and traceability of fashion products in Australasia, as some over-consumers use this information to make better choices in the purchase situation, as opposed to acting on a general call to reduce consumption.
Details
Keywords
Fredrik Svärdsten and Kristina Tamm Hallström
The aim of this paper is to contribute to knowledge about the diversity of credibility arrangements in new audit spaces “in the margins” of auditing and the implications of such…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to contribute to knowledge about the diversity of credibility arrangements in new audit spaces “in the margins” of auditing and the implications of such arrangements.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is based on an in-depth qualitative study of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LGBTQI) rights certification run by the Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex Rights (RFSL) during its first decade of operation. We have interviewed employees and studied documents at the certification units within the RFSL. We have also interviewed certified organizations.
Findings
We highlight two features that explain the unusual credibility arrangements in this audit practice: the role of beneficiaries in the organizational arrangements chosen and the role of responsibility as an organizing value with consequences for responsibility allocation in this certification. These features make it possible for the RFSL to act as a credible auditor even though it deviates from common arrangements for credible audits.
Originality/value
The RFSL certification is different in several ways. First, the RFSL acts as both a trainer and an auditor. Second, the trainers/auditors at the RFSL have no accreditation to guarantee their credibility. Third, the RFSL decides for itself what standards should apply for the certification and adapts these standards to the operation being audited. Therefore, this case provides a good opportunity to study alternative credibility arrangements in the margins of auditing as well as their justifications.
Details
Keywords
Lingling He, Miaochan Lin, Shichang Liang, Lixiao Geng and Zongshu Chen
This research explores the impact of classical aesthetics (e.g. order and symmetry) and expressive aesthetics (e.g. creativity and distinctiveness) on consumer green consumption.
Abstract
Purpose
This research explores the impact of classical aesthetics (e.g. order and symmetry) and expressive aesthetics (e.g. creativity and distinctiveness) on consumer green consumption.
Design/methodology/approach
This research conducted three studies. Study 1 explored the main effect of appearance aesthetics (appearance: plain vs classical vs expressive) on green products purchase intention through a one-factor between-subjects design. Study 2 verified the mediating role of perceived naturalness through two types of appearance aesthetics (appearance: classical vs expressive) between-subjects design. Study 3 verified the moderating role of product identity-symbolic attributes through a 2 (product identity-symbolic attributes: non-identity-symbolic vs identity-symbolic attributes) × 2 (appearance: classical aesthetics vs expressive aesthetics) between-subjects design.
Findings
Consumers will be more likely to purchase a green product that has classical aesthetics appearance (vs expressive aesthetics). Perceived naturalness mediates the effect of aesthetic appearance on consumer green consumption. Product identity symbol attributes moderate this effect. Specifically, for non-identity-symbolic green products, classical aesthetics can effectively enhance consumer purchase intention. For identity-symbolic green products, expressive aesthetics can effectively enhance consumer purchase intention.
Originality/value
Existing research suggests that aesthetic appearance can increase consumers’ evaluation of electronic products, beauty products and food, but the difference between aesthetics has not yet been explored. This research compares two aesthetics, contributing to the literature on aesthetic appearance in green products and offering valuable insights for managers’ green products marketing.
Details