Do co-created green products have higher consumers’ trust than traditionally developed new green products?

  • Mariana Lacerda Vasconcelos (Student)

Student thesis: Master's Thesis

Abstract

Nowadays, the world faces several environmental challenges that require urgent adoption of environmentally friendly practices. However, consumer adoption of green products is still below the desirable levels. One reason is consumers’ lack of trust on products’ green claims. Innovation literature shows that co-creation is built on trust. This research analyses whether co-creation can be used by firms to increase trust in green products, consequently leading to higher purchase intentions. Additionally, tests where co-created green attributes should lie: the product’ periphery (i.e., packaging) or on the products’ core (i.e., ingredients). Through three experimental designs, our results show that trust on the product’s green claims is not relevant for the purchase of green products. However, for consumers high on environmental attitude, trust (green and functional) on the product’s claims explain the preference for a green product. Further, findings indicate that green co-created products enhance green and functionality trust when compared to products that are internally developed, pointing to the relevance of co-creation in green products. Interestingly, consumers’ trust did not differ whether the co-created green attributes were on the peripheral or on the core of the product.This thesis contributes to the literature on new green co-created products and helps managers to understand that co-creation can be a solution to increase consumer’s trust and demand for these products.
Date of Award25 Jan 2021
Original languageEnglish
Awarding Institution
  • Universidade Católica Portuguesa
SupervisorCláudia Isabel de Sousa Costa (Supervisor)

Keywords

  • Co-creation
  • Innovation
  • Green products
  • Trust
  • Functionality trust
  • Green trust
  • Purchase intention
  • Consumer behaviour

Designation

  • Mestrado em Gestão e Administração de Empresas

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