Consumers’ internal and external drivers in sustainable and responsible consumption context

: the influence of internal and external drivers on pro-environmental consumer purchasing behavior and its downstream consequences on consumers’ brand valuations

Abstract

Planet Earth has been suffering from global warming and, consequently, disastrous climate change. The extreme need to reverse the current state of environmental degradation in order to preserve life on Earth is undeniable. Consequently, the evolution and growth of sustainable consumption practices are of the utmost importance. Companies need to understand what drives consumers to engage in pro-environmental purchasing behavior. This study aims to understand what factors influence consumers, internally and externally, in making sustainable purchasing decisions and their downstream consequences on consumers’ brand valuations, such as trust in brands, purchase intention, and willingness to pay. The study went through different steps. First step, was the analysis of secondary data present in the literature. Second step, was an online survey performed in order to collect primary data,and the survey was tested through a pilot study, allowing improvements to be learned and then giving way to the main study. Furthermore, a quantitative analysis using IBM SPSS Statistics was made, based on 380 surveys. The results showed that pro-environmental attitudes, social-oriented values, personal norms, personality traits, social norms/cultural context, and green marketing have a positive influence on consumers’ engagement in pro environmental purchases. Additionally, findings show that PECPB makes CBV grow.Namely, CTB, PI, and WTP. This dissertation makes significant theoretical and managerial contributions, emphasizing the critical factors influencing consumers toward sustainable consumption. Furthermore, it has significant implications for companies that wish to learn about the potential of sustainable products while also understanding the tactical consequences of achieving a precise marketing strategy.

Date of Award	4 Feb 2022
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Daniel Fernandes (Supervisor)