Consumers' willingness to buy products with environmental and ethical claims: the roles of social representations and social identity

Abstract

This study investigates how social representations and consumers' identification with organic food consumers affects intentions to buy products that make environmental and ethical claims. For the purposes of the study, an online panel study was conducted on a representative sample of consumers (n = 1006) in the United Kingdom. The results demonstrate that consumers who are adherent to natural foods or technology and do not perceive food as a necessity are more willing to buy environmentally friendly and ethical products. There seems to be no relationship between perceptions of food as a source of enjoyment and intentions to buy sustainable products. Finally, social identification with the organic consumer is positively related with the intentions to buy products that make environmental and ethical claims. The current research demonstrates that both individual perceptions of food and consumers' perceptions of the social environment play an important role in promoting environmentally friendly and ethical behaviour.

What Motivates Green Living? A Qualitative Investigation of Sustainable Life Choices

“…Many of them explained that previous civil engagement also made them interested in the climate crisis. This interrelationship has also been found in previous research (Bartels and Onwezen 2014;Fielding et al 2008;Sparks and Shepherd 1992;van Dam and Fischer 2015). Perhaps already being engaged in social matters makes it easier for the informants to choose a sustainable lifestyle in a society where high consumption is the norm.…”

“…However, semi-structured interviews were applied with designed questions where some were informed by previous research. For example, questions about whether the informants felt they had a green identity were inspired by research suggesting a correlation between sustainable self-perceptions and green behavior (Bartels and Onwezen 2014;Fielding et al 2008;van Dam and Fischer 2015). Questions about how much effort and self-discipline the lifestyle demanded were informed by research, suggesting that ego depletion and a state of flow might influence the stamina with which people continue living sustainable (Harré 2011;Vohs and Faber 2007).…”

“…Previous research has pointed to green identity as a factor that can enhance climate actions (Bartels and Onwezen 2014;Fielding et al 2008;Sparks and Shepherd 1992;van Dam and Fischer 2015). Some of the informants reported having a green identity.…”

Everything Flows: A Pragmatist Perspective of Trade-Offs and Value in Ethical Consumption

“…Balderjahn et al 2013;De Groot et al 2016;Shaw et al 2000;Shaw and Clarke 1999;Sparks and Shepherd 1992;Thøgersen 1996) and (2) those that focus on experience and sociocultural dynamics. These, in turn, reflect emerging trends in the wider consumption canon, with identity (see, for example, Bartels and Onwezen 2014;Cherrier 2006;Cherrier and Murray 2007;Luedicke et al 2009) and theories of practice (e.g. Connolly and Prothero 2008;Garcia-Ruiz and Rodriguez-Lluesma 2014;Moraes et al 2015;Røpke 2009;Shaw and Riach 2011).…”

Putting Words into Action: Marketing Organic Products with Existing Brand Associations

“…Today, consumers are increasingly considering the environmental and ethical aspects of products when making purchasing decisions (Andorfer & Liebe, 2012;Bartels & Onwezen, 2014;Carrington et al, 2014). All else being constant, consumers today are more likely to purchase from firms that engage in corporate social responsibility (CSR) actions than those that do not, especially when consumers perceive that the product aligns with their perceptions of the company (Sen & Bhattacharya, 2001;Lee et al, 2012).…”