How does the theory of consumption values contribute to place identity and sustainable consumption?

Abstract

The importance of consumers’ role in sustainable consumption is reflected in the vision of the Sustainable Development Education Panel: To educate consumers to make informed consumption decisions, to take responsibility for their actions and to realize the impact of consumption decisions on future generations. However, educating and informing consumers alone is unlikely to change deeply entrenched unsustainable consumption behaviour. A multi‐faceted approach is required – enforcing sustainable development initiatives through legislation, promoting corporate social responsibility programs on the part of business, and (most importantly), supporting communities that engage in sustainable consumption. This study examines the proposition that individuals who identify with their community (i.e. the residential suburb or a locality where identity is understood geographically) are more likely to engage in sustainable consumption. Specifically, it examines how consumption value (i.e. the perceived value of living in a particular residential suburb) contributes to place identity and to environmental attitudes and sustainable consumption behaviour. Structural equation modelling is used to verify the conceptual model using data from a telephone survey of 561 residents from two inner city suburbs in Auckland, New Zealand. The results support the proposition that environmental attitude and sustainable consumption behaviour is enhanced by consumption values through place identity. Residents who enjoy living in their community, value a clean and healthy environment and believe their suburbs are unique tend to develop a stronger identity with their residential suburb, and are more positive towards sustainable consumption. The results have important implications for social marketers, property marketers and city councils who strive to encourage sustainable consumption among its citizens.

How do Consumption Values Influence Online Purchase Intention among School Leavers in Malaysia?

“…Specifically, Hur, Yoo, and Chung (2012) revealed that functional value, epistemic value, and emotional value drive purchase intention among South Korean urban consumers. Lee et al (2015) found that place identity, which drives environmental attitudes and sustainable consumption behaviour, was significantly influenced by functional, social, emotional, epistemic, and conditional value. A study conducted in Malaysia among green product consumers revealed that social and epistemic values drive environmental concerns (Mohd Suki & Mohd Suki, 2015).…”

“…In a previous study conducted in Malaysia, consumption values were considered as predictors for the desire among consumers for green products (Mohd Suki & Mohd Suki, 2015). Other scholars asserted that consumption values are the motivational drivers for suburban choices in New Zealand (Lee, Levy, Yap, & Sheau, 2015). Researchers have also noted that most consumption values are independent, and changes in one dimension may not necessarily result in changes in others.…”

Why Do Consumers Make Green Purchase Decisions? Insights from a Systematic Review

“…Some scholars have directly added variables, such as green product information, environmental performance and confidence, price sensitivity, individual environmental literature, and external motivating factors, into VAB to study their direct impact on green purchase behavior [ 6 , 30 , 45 ]. Intermediary or moderating variables, such as green product quality and place identity, were also added into the VAB framework, which revised the original path of VAB [ 6 , 48 ]. The development of the VAB model has not only improved the explanatory power and applicability of the model, but it has also facilitated a deeper level of examination on the research problems.…”

The Influencing Factors on Choice Behavior Regarding Green Electronic Products: Based on the Green Perceived Value Model

“…Social affiliation motivates the consumer to behave in the same way that of their social class (Candan and Yildirim 2013). Consumers like to consume those brands that represent their social status (Lee et al 2015). Consumers think their green purchase behavior is a modern way of life, and they like to consume it for their social identity in society (Kumar and Ghodeswar 2015).…”