INTRODUCTION
Sustainability is more important than ever
Consuming sustainably is not always easy
Contrasting findings in literature
INTRODUCTION
Sustainability is more important than ever
Consuming sustainably is not always easy
Contrasting findings in literature
Results will provide useful insights on how to lead consumers and the world to the green side.
Resource scarcity can be connected with different cognitive orientations that have opposing consequences for green consumption.
Resource scarcity can be connected with different cognitive orientations that have opposing consequences for green consumption.
RESOURCE SCARCITY & GREEN CONSUMPTION
COMPETITIVE ORIENTATION
Resource scarcity activates a competitive orientation that promotes desire to advance own welfare which leads to selfish behaviour. Thus, resource scarcity does not lead to green
consumption.
CONSTRUAL LEVEL MATCH
Resource scarcity triggers feelings of constraint which lead to abstract processing. This abstract level of construal matches with sustainable values. Thus, resource scarcity
COST TO SELF / PRICE
The opposing results can be explained by cost to self
▪ Competitive orientation: act prosocially & lose money or act selfishly & earn money
COST TO SELF / PRICE
The opposing results can be explained by cost to self
▪ Competitive orientation: act prosocially & lose money or act selfishly & earn money
▪ Construal level: only when green product is inexpensive
COST TO SELF / PRICE
The opposing results can be explained by cost to self
▪ Competitive orientation: act prosocial & lose money or act selfish & earn money
▪ Construal level: only when green product is inexpensive
→ When price does not matter, link between scarcity & abstract construal overrides link between scarcity & competitive orientation
The positive effect of resource scarcity on green consumption
(partly) disappears when green products are more expensive
SHOPPING SETTING
SHOPPING SETTING
Other lines of research find that desire for (green) products increases when the products are expensive.
CONSPICUOUS CONSUMPTION
Consuming luxurious products to signal social status, wealth or success in order to
alleviate threats to self-image caused by financial deprivation
GOING GREEN TO BE SEEN
Following competitive altruism and costly signalling theory, desire for green products increases when they cost more
shopping setting (public vs. private)
price (equal vs. green expensive)
resource scarcity green consumption
SCARCITY CONDITION
Please name four times you felt you did not have enough of something/when you felt resources were scarce during the past
month
CONTROL CONDITION
Please name four activities you did in the past month
Hypotheses do not hold
▪
No effect of resource scarcity
▪
No interaction between resource scarcity, price and shopping setting
Hypotheses do not hold
▪
No effect of resource scarcity
▪
No interaction between resource scarcity, price and shopping setting
Green habits
▪
Significant covariate but no change in hypotheses
▪
Significant direct effect on green consumption
Hypotheses do not hold
▪
No effect of resource scarcity
▪
No interaction between resource scarcity, price and shopping setting
Green habits
▪
Significant covariate but no change in hypotheses
▪
Significant direct effect on green consumption
Price
▪
Significant conditional effects
▪
In a situation without scarcity (in an empty supermarket), green consumption
was lower when the green product was more expensive
ADDITIONAL ANALYSIS
Negative effect of price
▪
Green consumption was lower when the green product was more expensive
ADDITIONAL ANALYSIS
Negative effect of price
▪
Green consumption was lower when the green product was more expensive
▪
Regardless of shopping setting and scarcity condition
Partial effect of shopping setting
▪
When the green product was more expensive, green consumption was higher in
public than in private
ADDITIONAL ANALYSIS
Negative effect of price
▪
Green consumption was lower when the green product was more expensive
▪
Regardless of shopping setting and scarcity condition
Partial effect of shopping setting
▪
When the green product was more expensive, green consumption was higher in
public than in private
▪
When products were priced equally, no difference between settings
IMPORTANT RESULTS
Green habits
Green consumption is higher when people have green
habits
Price
Green consumption is lower when green products are
relatively expensive
Shopping setting When green products are relatively expensive, green
PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS
Green consumption is higher when people have green
habits
Green consumption is lower when green products are
expensive
Green consumption is higher in public when green products are expensive
To lead the world to the green side, sway people who
are still on the dark side
To make green products more attractive, price at similar level as non-green
products
Sell expensive green products publicly: induce
LIMITATIONS
FUTURE RESEARCH
Investigate effect of price Height of price premium
Cost awareness
Offline experiment Realistic manipulations
External validity
