Consumers Towards the Goals of Sustainable Development: Attitudes and Typology

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to determine the level of knowledge of the categories of sustainable development and consumers’ attitudes towards concept, assumptions, and principles of sustainable development in Polish society. The article also attempts to distinguish homogeneous clusters of consumers, based on their attitudes toward the sustainable development goals (SDGs). The text is based on the results of the original empirical research carried out by the authors in November 2020 on a sample of 1045 adult consumers from all over Poland. The research used an online survey technique. To determine the types of consumers, 17 diagnostic variables (goals of sustainable development) were adopted. Cluster analysis was used to distinguish the types of consumers, whereas the number of clusters was determined using the hierarchical Ward method with the square of the Euclidean distance. The individual objects were classified into clusters with the help of the non-hierarchical k-means method. The conducted analyses enabled the authors to distinguish three relatively homogeneous types of consumers based on their attitudes towards the sustainable development goals, namely: informed apologists, moderate supporters, and uninformed critics. The consumer types described in the article may constitute the basis for market segmentation for companies offering consumer goods and services. The article also presents the level of awareness of the sustainable development goals in Polish society and the level of their acceptance. In addition, the presented research results conducted in Poland may constitute the basis for implementation of similar research in other countries. In the case of many countries and societies, there is a lack of knowledge about the types of consumers based on their attitudes towards the idea of sustainable development; therefore, it can be concluded that the presented research results contribute to the theory of consumer behavior.

Demystifying Technology as the Basis of Education for Sustainability

“…At the same time, it is extremely important that the wider population is also aware of sustainability and the Sustainable Development Goals [50], precisely so that they can recognize and support initiatives that offer sustainable solutions. Research shows that although the general public supports the goals of sustainable development, they are generally not sufficiently informed about the real problems and ways to solve them [51][52][53][54][55]. Some studies also show that young people are largely aware of the Sustainable Development Goals [56,57], but that they often do not have acceptable attitudes when it comes to linking these goals to technology [10].…”

Brewing sustainability: assessing environmental concerns and consumers’ attitudes towards sustainable craft beer purchase intentions

“…Women show pronounced engagement with circular economy practices and resource management, whereas families with children are more inclined to decrease energy consumption and participate in waste segregation for trash collection (Mills and Schleich, 2012). In Poland, age significantly impacts sustainability, with younger groups being more engaged with socio-dimensions (Maciejewski and Lesznik, 2022). In terms of behavioral trends, North America mirrors the patterns seen in Europe, as gender plays a critical role in moderating the relationship between willingness to pay and engagement with sustainability; men tend to be more sensitive to price, whereas women demonstrate reduced sensitivity to price factors (Peschel et al, 2016).…”

The Importance of Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in the Opinion of Customers

“…the authors focused on the study of customers in Poland because there is no such data that would illustrate the opinions about SDG provided by customers. Research on the level of SDG awareness and acceptance among consumers is also relatively sparse and fragmented (Maciejewski and Lesznik, 2022).…”

“…Effective information and education campaigns can only be carried out after identifying existing information gaps. After people recognize SDGs as legitimate goals and accept them as their own, the public should be provided with knowledge and equipped with the necessary competencies for implementation of the SDGs (Maciejewski and Lesznik, 2022).…”