Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
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    Do Consumers Having Different Levels of Green Consumption Value and Frugality Have Same or Different Levels of Participation in Environmentally Responsible Consumption Behaviors? An Extended Abstract
    (01-01-2017)
    Gupta, Sudhanshu
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    The increase in the amount of environmental studies being undertaken today suggests the popularity of such studies among academic researchers, businesses and policy makers. Existing studies have mostly concentrated on studying the determinants of environmental behaviors and/or profiling green consumers (Roberts 1995, 1996; Straughan and Roberts 1999; Chan 2001; Kim and Choi 2005; Glig et al. 2005; Akehurst et al. 2012; Khare 2014). Unfortunately, such studies have mostly confined to studying only limited ERC behaviors. Also, much of the literature is concentrated in developed economies (Diamantopoulos et al. 2003), with few notable exceptions in emerging economies (e.g., Chan 2001; Khare 2015). With the increasing concern for the environment and growing consumer class in emerging economies, marketers in the green domain, are looking to tap such markets. Thus, this study concentrates on understanding the environmental behaviors of Indian consumers. Specifically, we investigate how different levels of green consumption value and frugality impact an individual’s participation in various environmental behaviors.
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    Environmentally responsible consumption: Construct definition, scale development, and validation
    (01-01-2018)
    Gupta, Sudhanshu
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    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.
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    Flocking together – benefits and costs of small group consumption community participation
    (01-01-2017) ;
    Ramachandran, Giridhar
    Purpose: This study aims to identify the benefits and costs of participation in small group consumption communities (SGCCs), and understand how benefits and costs experienced in these communities differ from those experienced in large group consumption communities (LGCCs). Design/methodology/approach: Thematic analysis of data collected through multi-method approach comprising depth-interviews, participant observation of community events and online community forums was used to identify benefits and costs of SGCC participation. Findings: Eight benefits and three costs of SGCC participation were identified. While some benefits and costs were found to be similar to those identified in LGCCs earlier, their experience and manifestation was found to differ significantly in SGCCs. Research limitations/implications: Data were collected from SGCCs located in India (collectivist culture). Hence, findings may not be reflective of individualist cultures. Practical implications: Understanding that benefits and costs of community participation are experienced differently in SGCCs and LGCCs may be useful input for managers wanting to seed/nurture consumption communities. By increasing benefits and reducing costs, managers can transform communities into vibrant social systems, and thereby improve members’ engagement and involvement. Originality/value: Of the eight benefits identified in the study, two benefits – Escape and Meaningful Engagement are identified for the first time. The study also explores costs of SGCC participation (an area hitherto under explored) in detail. In addition, the study illustrates how some of the benefits despite being seemingly similar in SGCCs and LGCCs are inherently different.
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    Cross-Cultural Validation of the Perceived Brand Greenness Scale
    (01-01-2017)
    Raja, Sowmya
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    In this paper, a novel 18-item scale for the customer’s perception of brand greenness is validated across two cultures—Germany and India—using measurement invariance tests that utilize multigroup confirmatory analysis (MCFA). On subjecting the scale’s measurement model to strong invariance constraints, it was found that the model supports full configural, full metric and partial scalar invariance. The findings suggest that the perceived brand greenness (PBG) scale is a cross-culturally valid measurement tool, and the same four PBG dimensions can be meaningfully compared across both Indian and German customer groups. Visualization using Boxplots and probability density functions provide further insights (similarities and differences) into the distribution of each item in the 18-item scale between Germany and India, eventually guiding in elucidating the reasons for the support of partial scalar invariance. This work establishes the cross-cultural validity of the new 18-item perceived brand greenness scale, which is an important step forward in the scale development and validation process.
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    Consuming Responsibly: Exploring Environmentally Responsible Consumption Behaviors
    (08-08-2018) ;
    Gupta, Sudhanshu
    This study aims to identify environmentally responsible consumption behaviors as practiced by consumers of developing and developed economies. A qualitative approach, using data collected through 27 semi-structured depth interviews (for identifying behaviors undertaken by consumers of a developing economy—India), and numerous posts and comments from the blog wehatetowaste.com (for identifying behaviors undertaken by consumers of developed economies), was adopted. A total of eight and seven environmentally responsible consumption behaviors were identified in a developing and developed economies context, respectively. This study provides a much needed, comprehensive understanding of consumers' environmentally responsible consumption behaviors in the context of both developing and developed economies.