Benchmarking the barriers of sustainable consumer behaviour

Abstract

Purpose The earth is under massive stress due to current level of consumption which has crossed the sustaining capacity of our planet. Thus, the need of the hour is to promote sustainable production and consumption. The purpose of this study is to identify the basic barriers of sustainable consumer behaviour which are hindering the adoption of sustainable consumption. Design/methodology/approach This article is divided into two parts. The first part consists of a literature review based on 128 articles (1995 to 2020), which are spread over a period of 25 years. Based on the literature review, nine barriers of sustainable consumer behaviour were identified and put into three categories. In the second part, fuzzy analytical hierarchy process has been used to know about the relative weight of each barrier so that benchmarking/prioritising of basic barriers of sustainable consumer behaviour can be done. Findings This article identifies critical barriers affecting the acceptance of sustainable electronic products. High price, a perception of no environmental impact, no benefit in personal image, lesser use by family and friends, lack of awareness about the products etc. emerged as the potential barriers which need prime attention. The relative weight of each of these barriers has also been arrived at in this article which is expected to be beneficial for policymakers to focus upon important barriers. Impact of many of these barriers can be reduced through innovative approaches and solutions. Research limitations/implications This article will be helpful in future research in the field of sustainable consumer behaviour. Through the understanding of the barriers of sustainable consumer behaviour, companies, governments and industries can take suitable initiatives by modifying the policies and practices to reduce the impact of these barriers so that consumer behaviour can be made more sustainable. Originality/value The current article tries to identify the critical barriers to adoption of sustainable electronic products by the consumers. An extensive literature review, expert suggestions and consumer survey have been adopted to identify nine barriers. Although, multiple researches have been done in the field of sustainable consumer behaviour and adoption of sustainable electronic products, there is no research article which solely focuses on implementing Fuzzy analytical hierarchical process (AHP) approach to rank the barriers faced by consumers for adoption of sustainable electronic products. It has been concluded that high price of sustainable electronic products is the most critical barrier in adoption of sustainable consumer behaviour. Moreover, the relative ranking obtained with the help of Fuzzy AHP can be used by policymakers and organisations to promote and implement sustainability in consumer behaviour.

To be or not to be sustainable in an emerging market? Conjoint analysis of customers' behavior in purchasing denim jeans

“…Price plays a crucial role in personal beliefs regarding the materials used in the production of sustainable clothing (Eifler and Diekamp, 2013). Higher prices discourage consumers from purchasing or using sustainable products, being a critical barrier in implementing sustainability initiatives in consumer behavior (Sheoran and Kumar, 2020). In this context, the perception of a price premium for more sustainable fashion consumers is based more on an assumption than on an actual purchasing experience (Henninger et al , 2016).…”

“…Sustainable fashion is not exclusive of developed nations as it also exists in transitioning (Rahman and Koszewska, 2020) and emerging economies (Sobreira et al , 2020). Since sustainable consumption is about changes in lifestyle, it is closely related to personal values and the general social context of the individual's life (Sheoran and Kumar, 2020, p. 3). Due to socioeconomic conditions and country-specific factors, it is imperative to understand which attributes play an important role in purchasing decisions and the utility of sociodemographic variables in profiling green consumers (Diamantopoulos et al , 2003).…”

Conceptualisation of sustainable consumer behaviour: converging the theory of planned behaviour and consumption cycle

“…Researchers and practitioners have increasingly highlighted the need for analysing consumer behaviour holistically (Shahi et al , 2020). According to Prothero et al (2011) and Sheoran and Kumar (2020a) in order to understand consumer behaviour, whole consumption cycle should be studied and not just initial choices because post choice behaviours like product usage, product life extension and product disposal also play a very important and equally significant impact on sustainability. Moreover, Hofmeister-Toth et al (2011) and Sheoran and Kumar (2020b) explained that to promote sustainable consumer consumption behaviour it is needed that key factors behind such behaviour should be identified and presented in a structured manner.…”

Consumers’ Social Responsibility in the Process of Energy Consumption—The Case of Poland

“…The authors recognise a number of barriers associated with energy conservation (X1). Sheoran and Kumar divide them into those related to personal norms barriers (high price, lack of environmental impact, greenwashing), subjective norms barriers (social image, no use by family members or friend, lack of awareness/advertisement) or controlled behaviour barriers (inconvenience, inaccessibility, incompatibility with other products) [25]. A number of the barriers mentioned are related to the cost (often additional) of purchasing/using environmentally friendly products.…”