Consumer Perceptions of Sustainable Development Goals: Conceptualization, Measurement and Contingent Effects

Abstract

Our humble gratitude goes out to our editors and the anonymous reviewers who contributed to the improvement of this paper.The COVID-19 pandemic has caused drastic disruptions to many multinational companies' (MNCs') supply chain management, pushing them to relocate their manufacturing activities to their home countries, a phenomenon known as reshoring. Grounded in moral psychology theory and the resource-based view (RBV), the aims of this research are to provide an extended conceptualization of sustainable development goal (SDG) perceptions from local consumers, develop a scale, and assess this scale in relation to the reliability and validity of consumer perception of SDG antecedents and consequences in reshoring contexts from three industries, with the help of six studies. We conceptualise these perceptions on the basis of seven components (i.e. society/community wellbeing, affordable and clean energy consumption, economic growth, responsible consumption, responsible production, sustainable industrialization and innovation and gender equality). Using data from three distinct industries and a sample of 1075 reshoring MNC customers, we also determine how local consumers perceive and react to reshoring initiatives geared towards achieving SDGs and advocacy. The findings offer relevant implications for both the management and research of SDGs in a reshoring context at a scale level, which we describe in the form of future research directions.

Reshoring: A Road to Industry 4.0 Transformation

“…, 2022; Foroudi et al. , 2022; Gillani, Kutaula and Budhwar, 2022) and various factors influencing the reshoring of manufacturing operations (Choudhary et al. , 2022; Fjellström et al.…”

“…Foroudi et al. (2022) and Gillani, Kutaula and Budhwar (2022) explore local consumer perceptions of reshoring and SDGs, revealing variations in impact across industries and the importance of aligning with consumer values. Dey et al.…”

“…While technological advancements are making it easier for companies to consider reshoring with reduced risks, the globalization of products has increased consumer demand for localized offerings (Hohn and Durach, 2021). Consequently, Consumer perceptions of reshoring and sustainability (Dey et al, 2022;Foroudi et al, 2022;Gillani et al, 2022) Reshoring research…”

“…This special issue on reshoring and SDGs represents the culmination of work by various scholars in the fields of international business, international marketing and international trade. The contributed papers provide valuable insights into the reshoring literature by examining the decisionmaking processes (Sena et al, 2022), consumer perceptions (Dey et al, 2022;Foroudi et al, 2022;Gillani, Kutaula and Budhwar, 2022) and various factors influencing the reshoring of manufacturing operations (Choudhary et al, 2022;Fjellström et al, 2023;Zhang et al, 2022) in the context of SDGs. Choudhary et al (2022) challenge the assumption that reshoring automatically enhances supply chain sustainability, arguing for a more nuanced understanding of reshoring as a system reconfiguration.…”

“…Choudhary et al (2022) challenge the assumption that reshoring automatically enhances supply chain sustainability, arguing for a more nuanced understanding of reshoring as a system reconfiguration. Foroudi et al (2022) and Gillani, Kutaula and Budhwar (2022) explore local consumer perceptions of reshoring and SDGs, revealing variations in impact across industries and the importance of aligning with consumer values. Dey et al (2022) develop a consumer behaviour framework for reshored brands, emphasizing the significance of positive consumer attitudes on purchase intentions, while Sena et al (2022) examine the role of external stakeholders and countrylevel environmental regulation in reshoring decisions.…”