Thesis
Uncovering the integrated role of consumers’ personal and consumption values in environmentally sustainable consumption : a study of consumers in Sri Lanka
Southern Cross University
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Southern Cross University
2021
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25918/thesis.149
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Abstract
Consumers’ reluctance to purchase green offerings, regardless of consumers’ favourable attitudes toward environmental protection, is known as the green gap. Two sets of distinct consumer value systems, namely consumers’ consumption values (CVs) and consumers’ personal values (PVs), offer insights into green consumption and how to narrow the green gap. A literature review of consumer value systems in a green consumption context revealed that CVs are usually only partially accounted for, the association between consumers’ PVs and CVs is rarely examined, and configurational effects of CVs are not well accounted for. This thesis fills these knowledge gaps by developing and testing both structural and configurational models. A structural model accounts for the combined role of consumer CVs and PVs, whereas a configurational model captures for the configurational effects of CVs.
The context for the thesis research was Sri Lanka – an emerging country in which the government is actively promoting domestic EEA purchases through energy-saving initiatives. A quantitative research approach with online surveys in ‘Qualtrics’ was implemented. A total of 612 usable responses collected from urban household consumers in Sri Lanka were analysed using both structural and configurational models. The structural model was tested by structural equation modelling (SEM), while the configurational model was examined by fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA).
The findings of the structural model reveal that altruistic and biospheric consumers are motivated to enjoy the pro-environmental oriented CVs of EEAs, i.e. feeling ethically right and gaining social approval. Meanwhile, egoistic consumers expect to have the self-centred CVs from EEAs, i.e. better performance, quality, and value for money. Further, the findings show that consumers’ CVs of EEAs positively influence consumers’ willingness to buy and recommend EEAs. The results of the configurational model indicate that favourable CVs regarding EEAs are sufficient for willingness to buy and recommend EEAs, regardless of the consumers’ demographic profile. These profile characteristics include male or female; young or elder; high income or low income and high school or degree holders. The findings of the thesis research thus mainly suggest that by differentiating consumers in terms of their PVs, EEAs can be marketed more effectively to provide the CVs sought by the consumer, hence narrowing the attitude-behaviour gap in EEAs purchasing. This is significant because a more comprehensive understanding of the motives influencing EEAs purchasing can be gained by looking beyond a single value system, whether PV or CV, toward a consumer’s whole ‘value system’.
Details
- Title
- Uncovering the integrated role of consumers’ personal and consumption values in environmentally sustainable consumption : a study of consumers in Sri Lanka
- Creators
- Achchuthan Sivapalan
- Contributors
- Tania von der Heidt (Supervisor) - Southern Cross UniversityGolam Sorwar (Supervisor) - Southern Cross UniversityPascal Scherrer (Supervisor) - Southern Cross University
- Awarding Institution
- Southern Cross University; Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
- Theses
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Southern Cross University
- Publisher
- Southern Cross University
- Number of pages
- xxvii, 398
- Identifiers
- 991012944800202368
- Copyright
- © A Sivapalan 2021
- Academic Unit
- Faculty of Science and Engineering; Information Technology; Faculty of Business, Law and Arts; Management
- Resource Type
- Thesis