Evaluating a Group-Based Sustainability Intervention Using the Theory of Planned Behaviour

<p>Meeting the challenge of anthropogenic climate change will require widespread adoption of more sustainable behaviours. However, although attitudes towards sustainable behaviours are positive, actual change is lagging behind. Three studies explored the success of a classroom intervention programme that was intended to support individual change towards more sustainable behaviour in the domains of energy conservation and consumer responsibility. It was expected that identification with the small action groups used in the programme would have a positive effect. The theory of planned behaviour (TPB) (Fishbein & Ajzen, 1977) and the social identity perspective (Turner, 1999) were used as a framework for analysis. Studies one and two examined the success of the intervention programme across two iterations. Behaviour measures used in study one were inadequate but effective measures were developed for the second study. The intervention programme was very successful in achieving behaviour change and improving attitudes towards and intentions to perform sustainable behaviour. The TPB was supported by both studies, although there were unexpected inconsistencies in the variables predicting intent. Contrary to expectations, there was no effect found for group identification. Differences were also found between those participants who chose to focus on energy conservation and those with a focus on consumer responsibility, suggesting that the consumption group approached environmental behaviour in a more holistic way. Study three was a qualitative analysis of diary entries by participants in study one. A participant narrative of sustainable behaviour was constructed and related to attribution theory, particularly the Martinko and Thomson (1998) synthesis model. The narrative substantially matched the TPB but some problematic aspects of the intent construct in the TPB were identified. There was also evidence of a positive effect of group membership that had not been captured by the group identification variable. Potential interpretations and consequences of these findings were discussed.</p>

Evaluating a Group-Based Sustainability Intervention Using the Theory of Planned Behaviour

<p>Meeting the challenge of anthropogenic climate change will require widespread adoption of more sustainable behaviours. However, although attitudes towards sustainable behaviours are positive, actual change is lagging behind. Three studies explored the success of a classroom intervention programme that was intended to support individual change towards more sustainable behaviour in the domains of energy conservation and consumer responsibility. It was expected that identification with the small action groups used in the programme would have a positive effect. The theory of planned behaviour (TPB) (Fishbein & Ajzen, 1977) and the social identity perspective (Turner, 1999) were used as a framework for analysis. Studies one and two examined the success of the intervention programme across two iterations. Behaviour measures used in study one were inadequate but effective measures were developed for the second study. The intervention programme was very successful in achieving behaviour change and improving attitudes towards and intentions to perform sustainable behaviour. The TPB was supported by both studies, although there were unexpected inconsistencies in the variables predicting intent. Contrary to expectations, there was no effect found for group identification. Differences were also found between those participants who chose to focus on energy conservation and those with a focus on consumer responsibility, suggesting that the consumption group approached environmental behaviour in a more holistic way. Study three was a qualitative analysis of diary entries by participants in study one. A participant narrative of sustainable behaviour was constructed and related to attribution theory, particularly the Martinko and Thomson (1998) synthesis model. The narrative substantially matched the TPB but some problematic aspects of the intent construct in the TPB were identified. There was also evidence of a positive effect of group membership that had not been captured by the group identification variable. Potential interpretations and consequences of these findings were discussed.</p>

Time to Say ‘Good Buy’ to the Passive Consumer? A Conceptual Review of the Consumer in the Bioeconomy

Successful transitions to a sustainable bioeconomy require novel technologies, processes, and practices as well as a general agreement about the overarching normative direction of innovation. Both requirements necessarily involve collective action by those individuals who purchase, use, and co-produce novelties: the consumers. Based on theoretical considerations borrowed from evolutionary innovation economics and consumer social responsibility, we explore to what extent consumers’ scope of action is addressed in the scientific bioeconomy literature. We do so by systematically reviewing bioeconomy-related publications according to (i) the extent to which consumers are regarded as passive vs. active, and (ii) different domains of consumer responsibility (depending on their power to influence economic processes). We find all aspects of active consumption considered to varying degrees but observe little interconnection between domains. In sum, our paper contributes to the bioeconomy literature by developing a novel coding scheme that allows us to pinpoint different aspects of consumer activity, which have been considered in a rather isolated and undifferentiated manner. Combined with our theoretical considerations, the results of our review reveal a central research gap which should be taken up in future empirical and conceptual bioeconomy research. The system-spanning nature of a sustainable bioeconomy demands an equally holistic exploration of the consumers’ prospective and shared responsibility for contributing to its coming of age, ranging from the procurement of information on bio-based products and services to their disposal.

Willingness To Pay Konsumen Pengguna Air Di Sub-Das Kali Dendeng – Kota Kupang

Global awareness towards climate change has been a serious concern for archipelago countries due to water shortage. This problem even causes more serious life-threating phenomenon because water is one of the main resources for energy circulation. Whether change anomalies have brought about impacts on seasonal shift on several islands of Indonesia, including those in East Nusa Tenggara province. These islands experience drought. Fresh water availability for industry and domestic use in cities like Kupang has been a serious problem. This issue becomes worse in recent years due to significant increase of city population. Public responsibility to maintain natural environment and resources is therefore required. This study tries to investigate public concerns over the water shortage issue in order (1) to know to what extent public is willing to pay their consumption of fresh water provided through Sub-DAS Kali Dendeng; and (2) to analyze factors that influence the willingness of the fresh water consumers to pay for environment services provided at Sub-DAS Kali Dendeng. Quantitative approach which relies on primary and secondary data gathered through interview and field observation is applied in this study. The data were analyzed by using Dichotomous Choice CVM, Turnbull Method, and Logistic Regression to find out WTP value. The results of this analysis are described within the environmental science perspective to find out the relationship among various factors for being water consumer responsibility towards water resources preservation at Sub-DAS Kali Dendeng in Kupang. The results of the analysis show that the willingness to pay for fresh water by consumer at Kelurahan Manutapen, Mantasi dan Airmata is significantly high. They are willing to pay between Rp. 3.362 to Rp.11.328 according to WTP calculation. This amount is much higher than that determined by the city freshwater supplier company (PDAM). The facts for the reason why the consumers are willing to pay for higher amount for fresh water supply are determined by several factors; they include bidding value, consumer’s level of education, consumer’s income, water quality, and the amount of the family members. These factors simultaneously influence the water consumer willingness to pay for the water they consume; and this willingness factor has significantly high impacts as seen in Negelkerke R. Square value at 0,600, or being comparable to 60%; meaning that various factors of 60% in Y are able to explain all free variable in X. Respondents for this study are those who use fresh water supplied from Sub-DAS Kali Dendeng, and those who reside around the Sub-DAS Kali Dendeng. It is believed that there must be more citizens around the Sub-DAS Kali Dendeng, who also contribute negative impact toward the ecological environmental change, yet these individuals have no direct responsibility, and therefore the responsibility for the environmental conservation examined trough this study might not be thoroughly measured by the amount of WTP they pay.

SHARING AS A RESULT OF DIGITALIZATION OF THE SERVICE SECTOR. SEARCH FOR A NEW MODEL OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Digitalization is becoming a powerful transformative factor in the modern economy, spawning new industries and modernizing traditional ones. The service sector is becoming one of those traditional industries. Digitalization is taking the industry to a new level with an ever-expanding horizon - the emerging sharing economy [collaborative consumption economy (CCE)] (ESP). The ESP service segment is complemented by a sharing economy (ESI), i. e. production services, forming a general sharing model as a symbiosis of production, exchange and consumption, gradually integrating this system into the model of the modern economy. The article considers ESP as part of the sharing economy, contributing to the formation of anti-consumerism, with a high degree of consumer responsibility to the environment, inclusiveness. The sharing model is interpreted as a symbiosis of ESP and ESI. The economy of sharing in combination with ESP gives the interpretation of sharing the necessary theoretical and practical completeness, complexity and creates the preconditions for the promotion of sharing in such a configuration as a new model of economic development.

The responsibility of an ethnocentric consumer – nationalistic, patriotic or environmentally conscientious? A critical discourse analysis of “buy domestic” campaigns

PurposeThe study examines the responsibilisation of an ethnocentric consumer in commercial, meta-organisational discourses. In addition to nationalistic and patriotic discourses, the focus is on wider conceptualisations of consumer responsibility.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses critical discourse analysis as a methodological approach to conduct an empirical case study on the texts of two producer-driven labelling campaigns.FindingsThe campaign texts create possibilities for ethnocentric consumption with positioning, argumentative and classificatory discourses. Patriotic responsibilisation is emphasised, together with rationales to take action on environmental concerns.Practical implicationsThe study highlights the responsibility of marketers over their corporate responsibility communication, suggesting that ethnocentric promotions may have the power to alter how consumers take action on various responsibility concerns.Social implicationsThe study surfaces the tensions that responsible consumption can entail for consumers. Indeed, nationalistic and patriotic discourses may alter our understanding of responsibility issues that may seem completely separate from the concepts of nationalism and patriotism.Originality/valueThe paper shows how different organisational texts are deployed to bring about the idea of ethnocentric consumption and how this relates to responsibility discourses, nationalism and patriotism.

Optimal Decisions and Coordination in a Socially Responsible Supply Chain with Irresponsibility Risk

Many companies make some stakeholders pleased but others cannot. To help understand why, it is very important to study the coexistence of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate social irresponsibility (CSI). This paper considers a manufacturer with irresponsibility risk in a centralized and decentralized socially responsible supply chain, and uses a Stackelberg game to investigate the optimal policies on price and CSR investment level. This paper also examines the influence of consumer responsibility awareness and CSR investment efficiency on the decision behaviors of the manufacturer and retailer. Moreover, we developed a new mechanism to coordinate the decentralized supply chain system, which consists of the retailer participating in CSR and revenue sharing. Our results indicate that the manufacturer’s and retailer’s optimal decisions may not be significantly influenced by consumer responsibility awareness, but the effect of CSR investment efficiency is significant. Our results also show that if the degree of retailer participation and the proportion of revenue sharing are of moderate size, then not only can the contract mechanism coordinate the decentralized socially responsible supply chain, but it can ensure that a win–win situation can be achieved by the supply chain members.

Eyewitness Accounts during the Putumayo Rubber Boom

Between 1870 and 1915 Peru experienced a rubber-boom, extending into the Putumayo River region in 1893. This huge region of Amazonian forests was controlled by the Peruvian Amazon Company (P. A. Co.). Although Peruvian, they had British company directors and a British-Barbadian workforce. Their methods of extraction generated unimaginable degrees of human and ecological violence. Roger Casement, a British diplomat, was sent on a harrowing mission to investigate these allegations made by travelers. His Amazon Journal takes precedence; however, Peruvians also responded to the situation, reporting to the Geographical Society of Lima. Included are two forgotten yet influential Peruvian explorers: the geographer Manuel Antonio Mesones Muro and the engineer Cárlos Oyague y Calderón. By highlighting some of the early debates that circulated between Europe and Latin America on the natural resources and people of the Amazon forests, the focus is to draw out textual examples of perceptions on race, environment, and early consumer responsibility. Supported by coloniality/modernity theories, it also asks whether this form of travel writing was functioning as a resistance literature to imperialism for the time. Thus, this study investigates alternative readings that might also inform twenty-first-century scholars and activists as they articulate environmentalist and even social and ecological positions.