Consuming apart,together: the role of multiple identities in sustainable behaviour

Although consumers’ awareness of the environmental and ethical consequences of their behaviour has grown, research on the role of multiple consumer identities in sustainability behaviours is scarce. The aim of the current study was to explain sustainable behaviour from a social identity perspective. We conducted a longitudinal cross‐national within‐subjects design consumer study in six countries (T1, N=3083; T2, N=1440). The results indicate that environmental sustainability can comprise several distinct yet overlapping sustainable behaviours. Multiple social identities seem to play different roles in these different behaviours. Therefore, efforts to enhance different sustainability behaviours are challenging yet promising. Once consumers incorporate a sustainable behaviour, it becomes part of their own identity and could lead to spill over effects on other closely related sustainable behaviours.     

Young Europeans abroad in Scotland: an exploration of how their attitudes to consumer credit reflect dimensions of culture

Nineteen young Europeans from across the Continent took part in in‐depth interviews where a wide range of consumer‐related issues were explored. These issues ranged from specific consumer behaviours and consumer value gained to consumer protection and other aspects of policy. Respondents were postgraduates studying at Scottish universities or young professionals currently working in Scotland. The interviews were structured around a number of key themes that were developed both from the literature and from an in‐depth pilot study. One of these themes was designed to explore the respondents’ attitudes towards saving and borrowing, in particular, consumer credit; and this forms the focus for the current paper. The theme had been developed initially with reference to Hofstede’s cultural dimension of ‘uncertainty avoidance’. However, it also successfully illuminated some of the other cultural dimensions in Hofstede’s typology. As anticipated, respondents tended to benchmark consumer culture in their home country against that of the host country (Scotland). What was surprising was the consensus with which they considered the Scottish/British consumers to be the ‘odd ones out’. This observed convergence appears to indicate that historical cultural differences between continental and Anglo‐Saxon cultures survive and may be stronger and more sustained than any differences between the post‐World War II socialist and market democracies.     

Dual consumer–organisation identification in international alliances and partnerships: consumers’ supportive intentions towards local and foreign firms

This study investigates whether firms that are evaluating potential partners might benefit from considering how consumers view these organisations, specifically the extent to which consumer identification with local and foreign partners influences consumer satisfaction with a co-branded product and consumers’ post purchase/consumption supportive intentions towards each partner. Data came from institutions of higher education in Hong Kong and Sri Lanka that operate in collaboration with a foreign partner. A conceptual model was developed and then tested using structural equation modelling. Dual consumer–organisation identification was found to be a significant predictor of consumer satisfaction with the co-branded product and consumers’ supportive intentions towards each partner. Furthermore, the perceived identity attractiveness of each partner was significantly related to the consumers’ identification with each partner. The results suggest that organisations which indulge in collaborative arrangements with foreign firms should recognise that each partner plays a significant and distinct role in generating consumer satisfaction and positive post-purchase/consumption behaviours.     

Outshopping Through the Internet: A Multicountry Investigation

ABSTRACT

From the viewpoint of trade leakage for local retailers, Internet shopping bears a similarity to traditional outshopping, in the tendency to shop outside the consumer's immediate shopping areas. Yet, the relationship between consumer outshopping?related characteristics and preference for Internet shopping has received little, if any, research attention. We investigate this relationship using survey data from consumers in three countries—the United States, India, and Korea. According to the results, consumer in-home shopping proneness and perception of time pressure are positively related to consumer preference for Internet shopping mode. In contrast, consumer support for local shopping and orientation toward time management are negatively related to Internet shopping preference. Other findings and managerial implications are also reported.     

Consumer Perceptions of Privacy and Security Risks for Online Shopping

Government and industry organizations have declared information privacy and security to be major obstacles in the development of consumer‐related e‐commerce. Risk perceptions regarding Internet privacy and security have been identified as issues for both new and experienced users of Internet technology. This paper explores risk perceptions among consumers of varying levels of Internet experience and how these perceptions relate to online shopping activity. Findings provide evidence of hypothesized relationships among consumers’ levels of Internet experience, the use of alternate remote purchasing methods (such as telephone and mail‐order shopping), the perceived risks of online shopping, and online purchasing activity. Implications for online commerce and consumer welfare are discussed.     

Channel Surfing,Brand Loyalty and Risk Propensity: A Segmentation Approach to Modelling Consumer Switching Behaviours in the USA

This study explores North Americans' propensity for change in the context of consumer switching behaviours: channel surfing, brand loyalty and political loyalty. A proposed framework based on an adoption/diffusion explanation suggests that there is an inverse relationship between age and risk propensity, a positive relationship between males and risk propensity, and a positive relationship between risk propensity and the three switching behaviours mentioned above. A structural equation test of the adoption/diffusion model indicates that the framework is an acceptable basis for understanding the dynamics of demographics, risk and switching behaviours. A subsequent cluster analysis suggested that consumers may be categorized into four segments which we label Hotdoggers, Clamdiggers, Ho-Daddies and Gremlins. A surprising finding was that young women appear to exhibit greater risk propensity and less brand loyalty than young males, though males tend to channel surf more. Several implications for marketers are discussed.     

Predicting and Explaining Responses to Consumer Environments: An Empirical Test and Theoretical Extension of the Behavioural Perspective Model

The Behavioural Perspective Model (BPM) classifies consumer behaviours based on their utilitarion and informational consequences; it further categorises them by the scope of the settings in which they occur. An empirical study (N = 561) shows these outcomes to predict consumers’ verbal reports of their affective shows that Mehrabian and Russell's [1974] measures of pleasure, arousal and dominance are predicted by the structural features of consumer situations proposed by the BPM: the pattern of reinforcement and behaviour setting scope. Reported pleasure is higher for consumer behaviours defined in terms of relatively high utilitarian reinforcement; reported arousal is higher for consumer behaviours defined in terms of relatively high informational reinforcement; and reported dominance is higher for consumer behaviours enacted in relatively open settings. In light of its neo-Skinnerian derivation, the BPM interpretation currently emphasises a radical behaviourist philosophy of science. However, an alternative interpretation in terms of Staats's [1996] psychological behaviourism is proposed and the capacity of this alternative framework of conceptualisation and analysis to offer theoretical extension to the BPM research programme is explored.     

College students’ consumer competence: a qualitative exploration

The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate college people's perception of the competence necessary to play the consumer role and of the different socialization agents and processes involved in their consumer learning. Perception of the meaning of consumer competence seems mostly based on characteristics associated to preventive behaviours. If, on the whole, the subjects think they are competent consumers, their perception of other consumers is much less favourable. The mother appears to remain the most influential socialization agent but the father seems to play an increasing role. Young people's consumer socialization process is mainly achieved through communication, observation, and by learning through trial and error. Some of them find that consumer education in high school was useful but boring, and some others didn’t remember having received this education. The need to study further the competence of young adults and to provide consumer education is discussed.     

Consumers' Needs for Public Education and Corporate Participation Regarding Child Internet Addiction: Based on the Risk Perception Attitude Framework

Internet addiction, which causes physical, behavioral, and psychological problems, especially in children, is becoming an increasingly common disorder in contemporary society. This study investigated the needs of consumers for public education and corporate participation in South Korea to prevent or reduce the risk to young children becoming addicted to the Internet, and classified consumers into four groups according to their risk perception and efficacy beliefs using the Risk Perception Attitude framework. The expressed consumer need for public education was higher for groups with low efficacy beliefs, whereas the expressed need for corporate participation was higher for groups with high efficacy beliefs. These results indicate that consumers who perceive the risk as out of their control feel a higher need for a public approach, while those with high efficacy beliefs feel a higher need for corporate efforts.     

Willingness to act and environmentally conscious consumer behaviour: can prosocial status perceptions help overcome the gap?

Green marketing has not shown expected results in recent years in terms of real changes in behaviours, products and market structures as had been anticipated. Consumer behaviour plays an important role in making these changes happen, and drivers of environmentally conscious consumer behaviour still need to be examined. Concepts of ‘concern’, ‘information about environmental impact’ and ‘willingness to act’ are seen as the key predictors of environmentally conscious consumer behaviours. Although green marketing has been able to address genuinely concerned consumers, additional insights are needed regarding how to appeal to more mainstream consumers. Thus, this paper proposes an extended model of environmentally conscious consumer behaviour in which the gap between willingness to act and actual environmentally friendly consumption is addressed by the moderating role of ‘prosocial status’ perceptions. In the model, ‘concern’ is positively related to ‘willingness’ and both ‘willingness’ and ‘information’ are positively related to ‘behaviour’, while ‘prosocial status’ perceptions moderate ‘behaviour’. The model was verified using a quota sample of 319 general population respondents from a Central European country. According to data, ‘prosocial status’ perceptions increase the positive association between ‘willingness’ and ‘behaviour’ and could be incorporated into green products and advertising to signal personality traits like kindness and intelligence. One possible implication for marketers is that women have a higher average representation in groups of people with high prosocial status perceptions.     

Consumer Education and the Preschool Child

Children are consumers and subject to a number of factors which socialize them into this role. Consumer education is often cited as an important tool in directing this socialization process toward the desired result of developing efficient and knowledgeable consumers. But how early can consumer education begin in the school setting? Can the preschool child be taught basic marketplace concepts and sequences or is this consumer simply too young? What are the early building blocks of consumer education? Do some approaches to teaching the very young consumer work better than others? This study presents a conceptual framework and the results of an exploratory laboratory study which begin to answer these important questions.     

Are consumers more rational and informed purchasers during recession periods? The role of Private Labels and retailing strategies

This paper aims to investigate how economic crisis changes consumer behaviour and mass retailers’ strategies, the interrelationship of these changes, and how Private Labels (PLs) can influence and be used in this process. The authors analysed data collected from 535 consumers and carried out statistical processing (ANOVA, cluster, etc.) to detect changes in the selection of the retailer, potential variations in the selected brand for various categories of food and non-food products, changes in preparation activities and behaviours prior to and during the purchase (leaflets, internet, promotions, coupons, etc.). Results indicate that consumers have noticeably moved to discount and ELP-based retailers, to PL products, increased the use of Internet to prepare and make purchases and, furthermore, they feel good with the decisions they’ve taken even after the recession, and want to continue doing so. The rising sales of discounters and PLs confirm that economic crisis boosts changes both in consumer behaviour and the retailing sector. Findings highlight the importance of some retailers’ strategies to face adverse economic situations and how PLs can be used as game-breakers, as they are preferred by consumers in these situations.     

Do CSR actions in retailing really matter for young consumers? A study in France and Norway

This research explores how young consumers perceive Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) actions of French and Norwegian food retailers, and how these actions affect brand image, brand associations (adjectives, verbs, and names) and consumer–retailer relationships. It uses a qualitative methodology with in-depth interviews. This exploratory study shows that French and Norwegian young consumers have problems linking CSR with food retailing, and they question retailers' true commitment to CSR. Young French consumers had stronger brand associations than young Norwegians. Therefore, we argue that, CSR commitment among retailers in both countries is likely to positively affect retailer brand image. Nevertheless, CSR related products could also be associated with higher prices and may exclude low-income consumers.     

I do not own a car any more: An analysis of possessions’ disposal and changes in consumers’ identities

This research aims to understand the process of cars' disposal, its context, its influences and its impacts on the meanings for consumers and their identities, as well as the new behaviours of these consumers when living without their car(s). We conducted, analysed and interpreted 20 in‐depth interviews with consumers that had previously owned at least one car and had no financial reasons for disposing of their car(s), but had decided to do it, and started to live without them, adopting alternative methods of transportation. Our findings show that these consumers faced a complicated process regarding the disposal of their car(s) but, due to the changes in their circumstances, they re‐signified relevant concepts that were connected to the ownership of a car: Their perception of freedom, comfort, safety and status changed during and after the disposal of their car(s). We also noticed that there were implications in terms of changes in their attitudes and behaviour as both citizens and consumers. As a contribution to the literature, our findings indicate that the re‐signifying of concepts related to possession of the object as well as changes in attitudes and behaviours that consumers undergo in the postdisposal stage, must be included in the model proposed for evaluating consumer behaviour in product disposal.     

Consumer values,the theory of planned behaviour and online grocery shopping

Taking a hierarchical value‐attitude‐behaviour approach, this study empirically tests relations of consumer personal values, attitude, social norm, perceived behavioural control (PBC) and willingness to buy groceries online. The study distinguishes three groups of consumers: consumers who have not yet bought anything on the Internet; consumers who have bought something on the Internet – but not groceries; and consumers who have bought something on the Internet – including groceries. Data were collected from an online survey of Swedish consumers (n = 1058) using self‐administered questionnaires. The findings suggest that consumers may link personal values to attitude towards online grocery buying – but also that this relation may be moderated by whether the consumer previously has carried out an online purchase or an online grocery purchase.     

It Don't Come Easy: Overcoming Obstacles to Technology Use Within a Resistant Consumer Group

To identify ways in which resistance can be overcome and technology's potential realized, we study acceptance and use of a specific technology, the Internet, by a specific resistant group, older consumers. Using interviews and a survey of consumers who are over 65 years old, we discover that curiosity and proactive coping drive technology optimism, which then predicts adoption and heavier usage. Motivated seniors with technology discomfort get help to adopt and continued assistance to learn usage repertoires. Surprisingly, technology discomfort is positively rather than negatively related to usage enthusiasm. Implications are drawn for consumer groups resistant to technology.     

Consuming postcolonial shopping malls

Abstract

Through a naturalistic inquiry, we interpret shopping malls in India as post-colonial sites in which young consumers deploy the West in an attempt to transform their Third World identities. Shopping malls in former colonies represent a post-colonial hybridity that offers consumers the illusion of being Western, modern, and developed. Moreover, consumption of post-colonial retail arenas is characterised as a masquerade through which young consumers attempt to disguise or temporarily transcend their Third World realities. This interpretation helps us to offer insights into transitioning retail servicescapes of the Third World, which in turn helps to improve extant understanding of consumer identity and global consumer culture.     

A typology of Polish consumers and their behaviours in the market for sustainable textiles and clothing

The paper discusses Polish consumers' behaviours in the market for sustainable textiles and clothing. The analysis presented in this article was undertaken because of:

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Online shoppers in Australia: dealing with problems

Although the Internet is a convenient platform to conduct commercial transactions, consumers are disadvantaged in the online marketplace due to insufficient information about goods and services as well as business and transaction process, lack of access to redress and several other problems. The number of complaints regarding online transactions increased in Australia from 2001 to 2005, and the number of Internet‐fraud related complaints reported to Consumer Sentinel (USA ) also increased from 2003 to 2006. This, in turn, has undermined consumer trust and impeded the growth of e‐retailing as well as added to the fear among e‐consumers of falling prey to online fraud. In spite of this, the nature and effectiveness of e‐consumer protection has not been adequately studied, notwithstanding extensive research into other aspects of e‐retailing. This article examines (i) the level of awareness of the respondents in the survey in Australia of the current policy framework for addressing consumer protection about online shopping in terms of redress; and (ii) the behaviour of the two groups of respondents in this survey who have and have not encountered problems with online purchases. The findings suggest that most respondents are not aware of the following issues, namely (i) which organizations are involved in e‐consumer protection; (ii) government regulations and guidelines; (iii) industry codes of conduct; (iv) self‐regulatory approaches adopted by business; and (v) the activities of consumer associations to protect consumers in the online marketplace. The findings also show that most respondents would seek redress if they were unhappy with their online purchases and if they knew how to proceed, and that most of them would settle disputes directly with e‐retailers. Also, online shoppers who had encountered problems were more likely to continue purchasing via the Internet than online shoppers who had not encountered any problems. This suggests that respondents find that the benefits offered by e‐retailing outweigh the risks associated with it.