Environmentally Responsible Consumption: Construct Definition, Scale Development, and Validation

Abstract

Most environmental problems are rooted in human behaviour, especially consumption. While not consuming is not an option, it would help if all consumption could be measured for environmental responsibility. This study conceptualizes and operationalizes environmentally responsible consumption (ERC), and develops a standardized scale for measuring the same. Depth interviews, blog data analysis, and customer surveys were conducted to develop a standardized 38-item ERC scale that captures ten unique behaviours pertaining to acquisition, use, and disposal. The scale is an improvement over available measures and compares favourably on several key parameters. The ERC scale could be potentially used by governmental and non-governmental bodies, policymakers, and environmental groups, for gaining insights into current consumption behaviours of the general public or specific target groups, identifying specific behaviour/s that need improvement, and targeting and tracking such behaviours over time. It could also be used by businesses for identifying opportunities in green products and/or services. a Factors are described in Appendix A. FG = frugality; GCV = green consumption value. 532S. Gupta and R. Agrawal

The importance of corporate social responsibility for responsible consumption: Exploring moral motivations of consumers

“…Several definitions of CnSR-sometimes also referred to as ethical consumer behaviour or responsible consumption (Papaoikonomou, Ryan, & Valverde, 2011)-can be found in the literature (for reviews, see Gupta & Agrawal, 2018;Quazi et al, 2016;Webb et al, 2008).…”

“…Han & Stoel, 2017). Moreover, although the question of consumer environmental responsibility is quite well-established in the literature and has been substantively empirically examined (e.g., Gupta & Agrawal, 2018), the issue of consumer social responsibility (CnSR) continues to receive relatively insufficient empirical attention from scholars and practitioners alike (Quazi, Amran, & Nejati, 2016).…”

Analysis of the Consciousness of University Undergraduates for Sustainable Consumption

“…Balderjahn et al considered sustainability consumption through a sustainability perspective measuring consumer consciousness levels [5]. Furthermore, although several authors have criticized Balderjahn et al for not paying attention to the behavioral aspect of the consumer [6] or that they only studied a perspective or concrete topic of responsible consumption [7], there have not been any criticisms as to the validity of the scale used.…”

Bridging market demand, proactivity, and technology competence with eco‐innovations: The moderating role of innovation openness

“…Due to rising environmental consciousness, firms' stakeholders pay more attention to business activities and monitor whether a firm's activities damage natural environments. Service firms should concentrate not only solely on their offerings (whether tangible or intangible) but also on the co-creation of value where they utilize their skills or capabilities for the benefit of the stakeholders (Vargo & Lusch, 2004;Gupta & Agrawal, 2017). Pressurized by environmental concerns, firms in pursuit of eco-innovation embody the concept of environmental protection into the design and packaging of their offerings (Baumgartner, 2014;Carballo-Penela & Castromán-Diz, 2015).…”

“…However, relevant research is scant, especially on eco-innovation (Ordanini & Parasuraman, 2011). Service firms should concentrate not only solely on their offerings (whether tangible or intangible) but also on the co-creation of value where they utilize their skills or capabilities for the benefit of the stakeholders (Vargo & Lusch, 2004;Gupta & Agrawal, 2017). As such, we focus on service corporations and incorporate stakeholders' views into their environmental protection policies.…”