Search results

A lot of literature is available that discusses personal determinants of organic food consumption. However different models and determinants are used in the literature. This paper aims to provide an overview, within a framework linking Schwartz' values theory and the theory of planned behaviour (TPB). Also it seeks to focus on the importance of affective attitude, emotions, personal norm, involvement and uncertainty related to organic food consumption.

The paper is based on secondary data sources, namely the literature concerning personal determinants of organic food consumption.

Both the values theory and the theory of planned behaviour have been referred to as relevant theories for better understanding consumers' choice for organic food. Organic food consumption decisions can be explained by relating attributes of organic food with more abstract values such as “security”, “hedonism”, “universalism”, “benevolence”, “stimulation”, “self‐direction” and “conformity”. Appealing to these values can positively influence attitudes towards organic food consumption. Besides attitude, subjective and personal norm and (perceived) behavioural control influence consumption of organic food.

More research related to the role of uncertainty (reduction) during the process of buying organic food is recommended.

Relatively little research has examined the affective component of attitude and emotions in relation to organic food consumption, while these may play an important role as drivers of involvement and thus help to jolt food purchasers out of their routine of buying conventional food and set a first step to adopt organic food.

To the authors' knowledge, this is the first paper providing a comprehensive overview and linking the literature on organic food consumption to the values theory and the theory of planned behaviour, including the role of personal norm and focusing on emotions. The proposed integration of mental processing in an organic food consumption model leads to interesting hypotheses and recommendations for policy makers, researchers and stakeholders involved in the organic food market.

The purpose of this paper is to understand the influence of individual and organisational factors on pro-environmental behaviours of the employees at the workplace.

A model explaining pro-environmental behaviours at workplace has been proposed based on contemporary literature related to value-belief-norm (VBN) theory, corporate environmentalism framework and norm. A cross-sectional survey was carried out in 20 manufacturing organisations in India and 383 useful individual responses were collected. The proposed model has been tested with the help of structural regression analysis.

The results of the study show that both individual characteristics as well as organisational efforts influence employees’ pro-environmental behaviours. However, the effect varies as per the type of behaviour. Personal norm mediates the relationship between subjective social norm and two types of pro-environmental behaviours.

An individual faces subjective or objective constraints while exhibiting pro-environmental behaviours. The effect of subjective or the objective constraint needs to be explored in future studies.

To explain pro-environmental behaviours at workplace the authors tested VBN theory, as it was overlooked till date in management literature. It also contributes to the VBN literature by extending it to include organisational variables like corporate environmentalism and social psychological variable like social norm.

Knowledge of green consumer behavior is important for environmental and business reasons. The purpose of this study is to examine the determinants of green curtailment behaviors and consumer adoption of innovations marketed as green (eco‐innovations), and to analyze factors explaining these two types of green behaviors.

The results from a survey on adopters and non‐adopters (n=1,832) of alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) are reported. Regression analysis on willingness to curtail car use and willingness to adopt a so‐called environmentally friendly car are used to identify significant determinants across the behavioral categories.

The results show that values, beliefs, norms, and habit strength determine willingness to curtail and willingness for eco‐innovation adoption. Personal norms have a strong positive influence on willingness for the behaviors and habit strength has a negative influence. The other determinants have varying influence depending on type of behavior.

A limitation of this study concerns the focus on only one eco‐innovation. However, since the adoption of AFVs is a high involvement behavior, the results carry implications for other high involvement products as well.

Attitudinal factors and habits in combination prove to be effective determinants for curtailment behaviors and willingness to adopt eco‐innovations. In addition, previous adoption is found to be a strong determinant of future willingness to adopt.

The contribution of the paper is the two‐sided approach on green consumer behavior and the result that values, beliefs and norms not only predict low involvement post‐purchase behaviors but also adoption of high involvement eco‐innovations.

The aim of this paper is to identify predictors of meat consumption and the intention to reduce it. Since meat consumption is one of the major contributors to human made environmental destruction including climate change, biodiversity loss or water and air pollution and at the same time under volitional control meat consumption is an interesting target for interventions.

An integrated model was derived from the theory of planned behaviour, the norm activation theory and the protection motivation theory which was tested in a paper-pencil based questionnaire study including self-reported meat consumption was conducted with a convenience sample of 210 adult inhabitants of Trondheim (Norway).

The model was confirmed to a large extent. Meat consumption was predicted strongly by meat eating habits, but also negatively by reduction intentions. Reduction intentions were determined by attitudes, moral beliefs and health beliefs. Moral beliefs were predicted by injunctive and descriptive norms as well as perceived behavioural control.

The study was based on a convenience sample, thus the sample is not representative. Furthermore, some of the measurement instruments are of only mediocre quality.

The results show that interventions to reduce meat consumption need to include habits braking components to be effective. Meat consumption reduction is motivated by a broad array of motivations, including morality and health. Intervention campaigns need to cover this spectrum.

This study is one of the first that systematically analyses determinants of meat consumption which makes it valuable in spite of its limitations.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors that affect paddy farmers’ environmental citizenship behaviour (ECB) in the context of agrochemical purchase. To achieve this objective, a theoretical framework has been developed based on value-belief-norm (VBN) theory.

Data were obtained from 251 farmers using a survey method. Partial lease square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to examine the hypothetical model.

The results of PLS analysis confirm the direct and mediating effect of the causal sequences of the variables in the VBN model.

Given the limited number of studies in a non-western context, this study examines and confirms the applicability of the VBN theory in predicting ECB in a Malaysian context.

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the existence and strength of the relationship between proactive environmental policies and brand equity for the winery. Results of this study suggest that consumer perceptions about product quality, consumer trust, consumer perceptions about pricing, and positive expectations for the consequences of the winery's actions undertaking the pro‐environmental policies, all have strong, positive relationships with the winery's brand equity. Trust in the winery and brand equity for the winery increased significantly when the winery in this study adopted proactive environmental business policies.

The purpose of this paper is to examine different strategies for an increasing adoption of “environmentally friendly” products. Scholars have consistently shown that consumers with strong biospheric and altruistic beliefs are more likely to purchase these products, while marketers are increasingly appealing to consumers’ self-interest in their efforts to sell their “green” products. This paper explores this divide and offers a potential explanation for it, using the concept of value activation.

The paper presents results of two survey experiments that test this explanation in the context of organic food advertisements. In a simulated trip to a grocery store, participants were exposed to advertisements designed to activate the six different values in Schwartz’s framework. After viewing the advertisements, participants were asked to select among organic and non-organic options in six product categories – milk, bread, eggs, spinach, potatoes and chocolate.

The study’s results suggest that while advertisements designed to activate values may have limited effect on consumer intentions, those that relate to protecting the health of oneself and one’s family are most likely to increase organic purchases.

This paper is one of the first of its kind to explicitly test whether advertisements designed to activate a range of human values can increase consumers’ intention to engage in pro-environmental behaviors. The two studies reveal that value-based advertisements may have a stronger effect on the organic purchasing intentions of specific demographic groups (e.g. consumers who are aged under 40, lack a college degree and do not identify as liberal).

This paper aims to achieve a better understanding of the social dimension underlying green purchasing behavior by assessing the impact of environmental concern ascribed to relevant others.

A survey was conducted among 468 French interviewees. Using a scenario, respondents were asked to choose between two similar products: one is very fashionable but harmful to the environment and the other has comparable features with a lower negative impact on the environment. In parallel, respondents had to cite four relevant others and to make several attributions about them. Environmental concern was one of these attributions.

Ascribed environmental concern increases the probability to choose the product with a low environmental impact over the more harmful alternative. This process is mediated by perceived social risk and self-incongruity associated with the environmentally unfriendly product.

Conclusions are drawn on the basis of a specific choice for a particular product category.

Environmentally responsible consumers should be encouraged to express their convictions publicly within their social network.

Consumers are more inclined to adopt an environmental reading of what they plan to buy when they ascribe environmental preoccupations to their referent others either to preserve their social ties or to preserve their self-congruity. This proximity effect should be exploited to promote pro-environmental behaviors.

Most studies on the determinants of green behavior either focus exclusively on individual predispositions or tackle social influence too explicitly. By assessing the effect of ascribed environmental concern instead on individual environmental concern, this research offers an original approach.

This paper aims to fulfill the gap in existing knowledge of determinants of pro-environmental behavior (PEB) in the workplace and the influence of sustainability certificates on occupants’ PEBs in workplace settings.

A questionnaire survey with a total of 95 respondents from both certified and noncertified office buildings was conducted. Two independent sample comparisons were executed to understand the influence of sustainable building certificates on occupants’ environmental values, beliefs, awareness and PEBs.

Ecocentric value, belief and awareness were found as the predictors of pro-environmental workplace behavior. Certified office occupants showed higher awareness about buildings’ environmentally oriented characteristics. Despite higher awareness, certified office occupants revealed less PEB compared to those who work in noncertified office buildings.

This study determined the influencing factors on PEBs in workplaces and PEB differences between certified and noncertified building occupants. Less PEBs of occupants in certified offices signify the misperception of individuals about sustainable buildings and the need for more informative training about sustainability issues in the society. This result also draws academic attention to sustainable building evaluation practices and provides certain insights for more occupant integrated evaluation alternative for sustainable buildings.