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What does sustainability mean in the minds of consumers? A multi-country panel study

Frank Goedertier (UGent) , Bert Weijters (UGent) , Joeri Van den Bergh and Ole Schacht (UGent)
(2024) MARKETING LETTERS. 35(2). p.317-333
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Abstract
In developed countries, sustainability is increasingly an active agenda topic for businesses. Yet a view on what sustainability exactly means in the minds of consumers is missing. In response to this research opportunity, online panel respondents from seven advanced economies (France, UK, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, Netherlands, Australia, N = 5620) were surveyed in two cross-sectional waves. Factor analytical results show that consumers associate sustainability with three key subdimensions: 'social equality' (e.g., fair wages), 'circularity' (e.g., recycling) and 'naturalness' (e.g., avoiding use of pesticides and GMOs). This observation offers inspiration to update the traditional two-dimensional (social vs. environmental) structure of sustainability advanced in previous literature. In addition, the identified 'naturalness' dimension may point to a new route to stimulate pro-environmental behavior as it has both a strong link with the environment and may introduce an affective undertone. We discuss theoretical and managerial implications, and report observed country, gender, and age differences.
Keywords
MEASUREMENT INVARIANCE, Consumer perceptions, Sustainable consumption, Cross-national survey, Structural equation modeling, Dimensionality of sustainability

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Citation

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MLA
Goedertier, Frank, et al. “What Does Sustainability Mean in the Minds of Consumers? A Multi-Country Panel Study.” MARKETING LETTERS, vol. 35, no. 2, 2024, pp. 317–33, doi:10.1007/s11002-023-09699-y.
APA
Goedertier, F., Weijters, B., Van den Bergh, J., & Schacht, O. (2024). What does sustainability mean in the minds of consumers? A multi-country panel study. MARKETING LETTERS, 35(2), 317–333. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11002-023-09699-y
Chicago author-date
Goedertier, Frank, Bert Weijters, Joeri Van den Bergh, and Ole Schacht. 2024. “What Does Sustainability Mean in the Minds of Consumers? A Multi-Country Panel Study.” MARKETING LETTERS 35 (2): 317–33. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11002-023-09699-y.
Chicago author-date (all authors)
Goedertier, Frank, Bert Weijters, Joeri Van den Bergh, and Ole Schacht. 2024. “What Does Sustainability Mean in the Minds of Consumers? A Multi-Country Panel Study.” MARKETING LETTERS 35 (2): 317–333. doi:10.1007/s11002-023-09699-y.
Vancouver
1.
Goedertier F, Weijters B, Van den Bergh J, Schacht O. What does sustainability mean in the minds of consumers? A multi-country panel study. MARKETING LETTERS. 2024;35(2):317–33.
IEEE
[1]
F. Goedertier, B. Weijters, J. Van den Bergh, and O. Schacht, “What does sustainability mean in the minds of consumers? A multi-country panel study,” MARKETING LETTERS, vol. 35, no. 2, pp. 317–333, 2024.
@article{01HEHW44GF5XJCAS31F77PHTYS,
  abstract     = {{In developed countries, sustainability is increasingly an active agenda topic for businesses. Yet a view on what sustainability exactly means in the minds of consumers is missing. In response to this research opportunity, online panel respondents from seven advanced economies (France, UK, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, Netherlands, Australia, N = 5620) were surveyed in two cross-sectional waves. Factor analytical results show that consumers associate sustainability with three key subdimensions: 'social equality' (e.g., fair wages), 'circularity' (e.g., recycling) and 'naturalness' (e.g., avoiding use of pesticides and GMOs). This observation offers inspiration to update the traditional two-dimensional (social vs. environmental) structure of sustainability advanced in previous literature. In addition, the identified 'naturalness' dimension may point to a new route to stimulate pro-environmental behavior as it has both a strong link with the environment and may introduce an affective undertone. We discuss theoretical and managerial implications, and report observed country, gender, and age differences.}},
  author       = {{Goedertier, Frank and Weijters, Bert and  Van den Bergh, Joeri and Schacht, Ole}},
  issn         = {{0923-0645}},
  journal      = {{MARKETING LETTERS}},
  keywords     = {{MEASUREMENT INVARIANCE,Consumer perceptions,Sustainable consumption,Cross-national survey,Structural equation modeling,Dimensionality of sustainability}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{317--333}},
  title        = {{What does sustainability mean in the minds of consumers? A multi-country panel study}},
  url          = {{http://doi.org/10.1007/s11002-023-09699-y}},
  volume       = {{35}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}
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