Sustainability and responsible consumption are now the policies of companies interested in preserving a good reputation. If in the past, sustainability was an issue present only in the corporate social responsibility campaigns developed by companies; nowadays, this aspect has become a key element that has been proven to influence the purchasing behavior of consumers. The existence of policies and strategies in the area of sustainability does not necessarily mean their being put into practice as long as people, who make these objectives attainable, are not aware of them. The present paper aims to explore the green consumption of Romanian consumers, which would indicate whether the concern for environmental problems is then translated into an appropriate behavior; in other words, whether "words become facts". At the same time, this paper analyzes the extent to which the "green trend" has gained popularity in Romania, how involved the Romanian consumers are with environmental issues and the behaviors they adopt in order to mitigate the impact on the ecosystem. However, there are differences between individual opinions on green consumption and the actual behavior adopted in trying to ameliorate this issue.
OPEN ACCESSSustainability 2015, 7 6395
Time and responses are vital to the process of decision-making. It is a common assumption that having a wide array of options from which to choose is a good thing, but is that truly the case? This research aims to investigate the consumer’s reaction to the increasing number of choices available (which will be referred to as choice overload, or overchoice); more precisely, if it is related to paralysis concerning decision-making. To obtain structured and relevant results, the study is an intergenerational one, endeavoring to compare the outcomes across three different generations (Generations X, Y, and Z) and across their genders. It also aims at identifying trends, if any should arise, pertaining to the matter of overchoice. A survey was conducted among 396 respondents from Iasi, Romania, and the questionnaire is presented in the annex. The main results indicate that product overchoice is real but is more significant in terms of generational point of view rather than that of gender. The findings fill a knowledge gap on the relationship between choice overload and decision paralysis.
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