Bursting the bubble: why sustainability initiatives often lack adequate intention to action translation

Rashid, Lubna

doi:10.1007/s11187-022-00599-5

Cited by 7 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 80 publications

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“…The outcome will be an exploration of consumer typology and an evaluation in light of the principles (or ideals) of the sustainability concept. It must be underscored that contemporary scholarship increasingly highlights the misappropriation of the sustainability concept [63], complicating efforts to define it with precision (a phenomenon referred to as the "sustainable bubble") [64]. Thus, the authors address the behavior of sustainable econsumers without definitively categorizing whether the research findings-the proposed consumer typology-conform entirely to the broader paradigm of sustainable consumption.…”

Section: Theoretical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Types of E-Consumers and Their Implications for Sustainable Consumption—A Study of the Behavior of Polish E-Consumers in the Second Decade of the 21st Century

Gajdzik,

Jaciow,

Wolny

2023

Sustainability

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This article is based on the findings of a longitudinal study examining the behavior of Polish e-consumers. A series of methodically planned and executed surveys was conducted to elucidate the evolution of online consumer behavior over the past decade. The objective of this article is to diagnose changes in the behavior of selected types of e-consumers from Generations X and Y over the last decade, and link them to the concept of sustainable consumption. The 2020 study employed a sample possessing attributes similar to the 2010 research study, maintaining the sample distribution in terms of gender, education, and age. Characterizations of the identified consumer types were derived from prevalent psychographic traits, attitudes towards oneself and others, behavioral patterns, and determinants of buying behavior. Four distinct types of Polish e-consumers were identified: HQ_type (those seeking the Highest Quality products), MS_type (those intending to Save Money during shopping), LT_type (those dedicating the Least amount of Time to shopping), and DP_type (those Deriving Pleasure from the shopping experience). The identified Polish e-consumer types were subjected to a comparative analysis spanning a decade. The findings reveal significant alterations in the behavior of e-consumers representing various types, with a trend favoring sustainable consumption. Generally, Polish e-consumers are shown to demonstrate conscious and sustainable consumption behaviors, such as effective financial management, especially evident in the MS_type group. They typically purchase products within their means, avoiding expensive credits to fulfill their “needs.” Half of the HQ_type, MS_type, and LT_type e-consumers recognize the importance of budgeting and spending tracking for informed consumption, whereas the DP_type, who enjoy shopping, tend to overlook active financial management, perceiving it as a burdensome task. Over the years, a positive shift in the HQ_type’s attitude towards spending management has been observed. A significant aspect of conscious and sustainable consumption involves planned purchases. More than half of the HQ_type, MS_type, and LT_type e-consumers adhere to ready-made shopping lists, while the more impulsive DP_type frequently opts to shop in-store without any preceding planning. This research carries both theoretical and practical implications. The repeatability of the studies renders them a fundamental source of knowledge about the studied populations over time, and serves as an exclusive means of learning about changes in market phenomena and processes in a scientific manner. The findings of this article may prove valuable for e-commerce managers in devising strategies for effective sales promotion and customer communication for different types of e-consumers.

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Section: Theoretical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Types of E-Consumers and Their Implications for Sustainable Consumption—A Study of the Behavior of Polish E-Consumers in the Second Decade of the 21st Century

Gajdzik,

Jaciow,

Wolny

2023

Sustainability

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“…It has been put forward that many enterprises unjustifiably picture themselves as contributing to sustainable development while transgressing planetary boundaries [44]. Sustainability initiatives, namely pro-social and pro-environmental motivated initiatives, are described as lacking the capacity for action translation [45] with entrepreneurship conceived as a tool to address sustainability issues too largely derived from privileged contexts providing an economic mode of action taking advantage of the neoliberal globalized economy [46].…”

Section: Entrepreneurship For Sustainable Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Young Women as Social Entrepreneurs in the Environmental Sector in Ghana: Development Hackers and the Re-imagining of Sustainable Development Models

Seferiadis¹,

Cummings²,

Essegbey³

2023

Highlights Sustain.

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The article considers the extent to which social entrepreneurship of young women is contributing to sustainable development in Ghana, based on field research conducted between October 2018 and April 2019. Data collection involved a review of the literature and a questionnaire survey of actors within the social entrepreneurship ecosystem in Ghana but is primarily based on the life histories of 13 women entrepreneurs collected using in-depth semi-structured interviews. Social entrepreneurship is undergoing a boom in Ghana which is characterized as having the most entrepreneurs as a proportion of the population globally and with women outnumbering men. Critical discourse analysis was employed to highlight the potential difference between grand narratives of entrepreneurship for development—how it is supposed to work, and how it is working in practice for young women social entrepreneurs in Ghana. The life histories demonstrate that the social entrepreneurship of young women in Ghana does not appear to be contributing to sustainable development because the enterprises yielded small or non-existent economic benefits for the entrepreneurs, demonstrating the limitations of this framework in the Ghanaian context. Indeed, most of the enterprises do not go beyond the ideation stage while the fame of winning social entrepreneurship competitions is used by individuals to build social and symbolic capital for employment by the public sector and the United Nations. In this way, young women are “hacking” social entrepreneurship for their own purposes as it is one of the opportunities open to them but it does not lead to sustainable enterprises. While the social entrepreneurship sector in Ghana is booming, it appears in reality to be a survival activity for women who are subject to gender inequalities and social-cultural harassment.

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“…Effects of bounded awareness and bounded ethicality should be addressed. Education does not only mean direct awareness of sustainability challenges and goals and their means of assessment, but also psychology, decision-making skills, emotional intelligence, and empathyvital yet often overlooked assets needed to guide the transition of mindsets and behaviours, and the translation of good intentions into collaborative and inclusive sustainable actions (Rashid, 2022).…”

Section: Practical Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

An analysis of the sustainability goals of digital technology start-ups in Berlin

Lammers¹,

Rashid

Kratzer

et al. 2022

Technological Forecasting and Social Change

Self Cite

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Bursting the bubble: why sustainability initiatives often lack adequate intention to action translation

Abstract: The unsustainability of sustainability initiatives 1 3Vol.: (0123456789)Publisher's note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Cited by 7 publications

References 80 publications

Types of E-Consumers and Their Implications for Sustainable Consumption—A Study of the Behavior of Polish E-Consumers in the Second Decade of the 21st Century

Types of E-Consumers and Their Implications for Sustainable Consumption—A Study of the Behavior of Polish E-Consumers in the Second Decade of the 21st Century

Young Women as Social Entrepreneurs in the Environmental Sector in Ghana: Development Hackers and the Re-imagining of Sustainable Development Models

An analysis of the sustainability goals of digital technology start-ups in Berlin

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