a b s t r a c tIn spite of the purported positive environmental consequences of electrifying the light duty vehicle fleet, the number of electric vehicles (EVs) in use is still insignificant. One reason for the modest adoption figures is that the mass acceptance of EVs to a large extent is reliant on consumers' perception of EVs. This paper presents a comprehensive overview of the drivers for and barriers against consumer adoption of plug-in EVs, as well as an overview of the theoretical perspectives that have been utilized for understanding consumer intentions and adoption behavior towards EVs. In addition, we identify gaps and limitations in existing research and suggest areas in which future research would be able to contribute.

Ecosystem degradation and social sustainability have become important issues in the corporate sphere during the last few decades. However, research discussing corporate social responsibility and related concepts has often focused on larger companies, sometimes neglecting the specifics of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The main purpose of this study is to examine the relationships between two common strategic orientations, market orientation (MO) and entrepreneurial orientation (EO), in relation to sustainability commitment, sustainability practices and management values in SMEs. Questionnaire responses from 450 Swedish SMEs were analyzed, confirming the influence of MO, EO and sustainability practices on commitment to sustainability, implying that firms committed to sustainability see both market and entrepreneurial advantages of sustainability. The results also show that different parts of MO and EO differ in importance for commitment to sustainability among SMEs. Implications concern the importance for firms and policymakers to work with sustainability issues using both internal and external perspectives.

Purpose-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. Design/methodology/approach-The results from a survey on adopters and non-adopters (n ¼ 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. Findings-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. Research limitations/implications-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. Practical implications-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. Originality/value-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.

For business and environmental reasons, increased understanding of green consumer behavior is essential. This paper addresses consumer adoption and non-adoption of a high involvement eco-innovation (the alternative fuel vehicle, AFV). The purpose is to integrate two research streams to explore factors driving and hindering adoption. The factors are rooted in environmental psychology research and the diffusion of innovation literature. Survey results on Swedish car owners are reported. The results indicate that adopters and non-adopters differ on norms, attitudes, novelty seeking and on how innovation attributes are perceived. Furthermore, the results show that the groups rank car attributes such as fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions differently. The main contribution of the paper is the integration of norms and attitudes together with consumer adoption factors in analyzing green consumer behavior in relation to a high involvement product. The implications for business and marketing strategy and for environmental policy are discussed.

Environmental problems are increasingly becoming everyday issues of international organizations, national governments, and individual consumers. In consumer behavior research considerable effort has been focused on understanding environmentally significant behaviors. One such research stream uses the value-belief-norm theory (VBN) to explain and predict a number of relatively low involvement proenvironmental consumer behaviors such as household energy use. However, many consumer behaviors with significant impact on the environment are categorized as high involvement behaviors where VBN theory has not yet been employed. The aim of this paper is to arrive at a better understanding of consumer adoption of a high involvement eco-innovation using VBN theory. As an example of a high involvement ecoinnovation the alternative fuel vehicle (AFV) which runs on fossil oil-alternative fuels such as electricity and biofuels is used. A representative sample of adopters and non-adopters of these vehicles in Sweden were surveyed. Differences between adopters and non-adopters on sociodemographic and VBN factors were analyzed and the explanatory ability of the different factors on adoption was analyzed using logistic regression. The results showed that early adopters had a higher level of education and were much more likely to live in multi-person households compared to non-adopters. In terms of attitudinal factors, adopters exhibited higher levels of proenvironmental values, beliefs, and personal norms (PNs). Furthermore the results established that VBN factors were successful in explaining the early adoption of a high involvement ecoinnovation such as the AFV. The implications for consumer research, public policymakers, and for marketers of eco-innovations are discussed.