Consumer acceptance of new bio-based products plays a key role in the envisioned transition towards a forest-based bioeconomy. Multi-storey wooden buildings (MSWB) exemplify a modern, bio-based ...business opportunity for enacting low-carbon urban housing. However, there is limited knowledge about the differing perceptions consumers hold regarding wood as an urban building material. To fill this gap, this study explores Finnish students’ perceptions of MSWB relative to their familiarity with wooden residential buildings, and then connects these perceptions to ‘consumption styles.’ Data were collected in the Helsinki metropolitan area via an online questionnaire (n = 531). The results indicate that the aesthetic appearance of MSWB are appreciated most by frugal and responsible consumers, whereas the comfort, environmental friendliness, and longevity of MSWB are important to consumers who identify themselves as ‘thoughtful spenders.’ The study suggests that both environmental and hedonic young consumers already familiar with the use of wood in housing contribute to a successful bioeconomy in the urban context.
Environmentally aware consumers are a reality. Young consumers, specifically Gen Zers, are key given their role in sustainable behaviour and in influencing their peers and other generations. In ...purchases of everyday products, consumers may rely on immediate cues to facilitate their decisions. Additionally, they may face trade-offs between eco-friendliness and the product's perceived convenience and usability. The study investigates the influence of Gen Zers' perceptions of packaging sustainability and ergonomics in their environmental attitude and intention to purchase products. It provides an alternative perspective to the attitude-behaviour gap and managerial insights regarding packaging as an information cue to everyday products.
Freshwater scarcity is becoming one of the most pressing issues of the global environmental sustainability, and agriculture is the main responsible of that scarcity. During the last decade, there has ...been an increasing consumers' environmental concern about the impact of food production on water usage. This paper investigates young consumers' preferences towards water saving wines and the determinants of willingness to pay (WTP) for these products. Data were collected through an experimental auction mechanism in Italy by assessing young consumers' willingness to pay for three different wines (i.e. conventional-no water saving label, water saving front-of-pack labelled and water saving back-of-pack labelled). Young consumers' (N = 200) characteristics related to their personal values, pro-environmental attitudes, wine habits, labeling attitudes and socio-demographics were also collected. Results reveal that on average young consumers are willing to pay higher prices for water saving labeled wines. Additionally, wine consumption frequency, label trust and use as well as consumers' environmental-friendly attitude have a positive effect on willingness to pay for these wines. The current study offers valuable insights to policy makers and wine producers for product differentiation and for more efficiently targeting campaigns towards young consumers, in order to increase sustainability-labeled wine consumption.
Purpose
Although much research focuses on the compulsive buying behavior theory, little attention has been paid to evaluation and diagnosis of compulsive buying in Eastern Europe. This is surprising, ...given an increasing prevalence of consumerism in many transitioning economies. Young consumers are particularly vulnerable to this phenomenon. The purpose of this study is to adapt the Richmond Compulsive Buying Scale to the Eastern European, specifically Polish cultural and language environment, and to validate it within a group of young Polish consumers, as well to assess the compulsive buying prevalence and the relationship between the compulsive buying and its precursors.
Design/methodology/approach
The Richmond Compulsive Buying Scale was selected for adaptation to the Polish context as it represents one of the best methodological and substantive compulsive buying measures in literature. The research is composed of two studies. Study 1 uses an in-person survey of young consumers (N = 504). A wide range of statistical procedures and latent variable modeling was used in the analysis. Study 2 (N = 756) uses an online survey to evaluate the correlation and relationship between the compulsive buying measure and its precursors, including consumers’ traits and states, by implementing a multiple indicators and multiple causes model.
Findings
The results of the two studies confirm that the adapted scale represents a valid and reliable measure of compulsive buying tendency in Poland, with the identified incidence rate of compulsive buying among Polish young consumers ranging from 11% in Study 1 to 11.6% in Study 2. In comparison with the results of other studies using the same measure, the current research findings reveal a similarity with the compulsive buying prevalence in China (10.4%; He et al., 2018), Brazil (9.8%; Leite et al., 2013) and slightly exceed the level found in western societies (e.g. 8.9% in the USA; Ridgway et al., 2008). The results of Study 2 indicate that compulsive buying in Poland is induced by low self-esteem and high levels of materialism, depression, anxiety, stress and negative feelings.
Research limitations/implications
The present research offers a methodological and substantive contribution by adapting and testing the original version of the Richmond Compulsive Buying Scale within an Eastern European transitional market; specifically Poland. In addition, the study offers an empirical contribution to the international research on compulsive behavior, including its precursors, as seen in young consumers.
Practical implications
This research offers important public policy implications and highlights ethical implications for business organizations. In particular, the findings of this study offer suggestions for enhancing policies and processes of programing appropriate social and educational campaigns that can save young consumers from the negative consequences of compulsive buying.
Originality/value
The transitional status of the Polish economy and other Eastern European countries has given rise to compulsive buying behavior, especially among young consumers. This emerging consumer behavior trend in Eastern Europe is still underexplored and underreported; hence, there exists a strong need for exploring and measuring such behavior across different Eastern European markets.
Although a great deal of research has been conducted on compulsive buying, little if any, research has explored compulsive buying from a wider theoretical perspective, encompassing all types of ...values as potential drivers of compulsive buying. In particular, no comprehensive research has been conducted in the diagnosis of mechanisms that direct the development of compulsive buying from the perspective of personal values theory. Thus, the objective of the current research was to explore compulsive buying within Schwartz’s value model, as well as examining the role particular values play as predictors of compulsive buying. Data were obtained from randomly selected students (young adults), whose ages ranged from 17 to 25 years-old, enrolled at professional and high schools, and at universities in Poland. Personal values were measured by the Polish version of Personal Values Questionnaire, while compulsive buying propensity was assessed by the Polish version of the Richmond Compulsive Buying Scale. Generally, the study’s hypotheses were supported by SEM analysis. That is, those who held values comprising “Self-Enhancement” and “Openness to Change” were more likely to be compulsive buyers. In contrast, those who held values comprising “Self-Transcendence” and “Conservation” were more likely to be non-compulsive buyers. Compulsive buyers were more self-focused, hedonistic, power- and achievement-oriented than non-compulsive buyers. Finally, values that emphasized importance of communal rather than individualistic goals appeared to prevent compulsive buying.
Mobile banking and AI-enabled mobile banking Manser Payne, Elizabeth; Peltier, James W.; Barger, Victor A.
Journal of research in interactive marketing,
10/2018, Volume:
12, Issue:
3
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Purpose
The rapid growth of technology, including artificial intelligence (AI), in the banking industry has played a disrupting role in traditional banking channels. This study aims to investigate ...factors that influence the attitudes and perceptions of digital natives pertaining to mobile banking and comfort interacting with AI-enabled mobile banking activities.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from 218 digital natives. This paper uses multivariate regression and two separate multiple regression analyses to examine the differential effects of technology-based (i.e. attitudes toward AI, relative advantage, perceived trust and security in specific mobile banking activities) and non-technology based (i.e. need for service, quality of service) factors on mobile banking usage and AI-enabled mobile banking services.
Findings
This study identifies determining factors for mobile banking and AI-enabled mobile banking services. Results indicate a divide in how digital natives perceive relative advantage between our two dependent variables. Consistent with previous studies, the relative advantage construct has the most impact on mobile banking usage. However, relative advantage was not significant for AI-enabled mobile banking, suggesting an extra layer of complexity that goes beyond convenient fast banking.
Research limitations/implications
A limitation of this study is that it does not incorporate age groups outside of digital natives. Further research is needed to test for differential effects between age groups. In addition, the discovery of no significant impact of relative advantage on AI mobile banking warrants more research on the similarities and differences between mobile banking and AI-enabled mobile banking.
Practical implications
To better appeal to digital natives, it is suggested that the banking industry emphasize mobile banking’s anywhere/anytime access to financial accounts, as this is important to college-age customers who may not live near their local banking institution. Moreover, the paper suggests that improvement to mobile banking features for one-on-one interpersonal contact with bank employees is needed.
Originality/value
This study addresses the gap in the understanding of how digital natives perceive mobile banking in comparison to AI-enabled mobile banking services.
This study aims to identify the key antecedents that influence young Indian consumers' environmental attitudes, which indirectly affect their green purchasing behavior. A model is proposed to test ...the impact of factors affecting environmental attitude and green purchasing behavior. A convenience sampling method was employed to obtain 730 usable responses from young students. The study explores the hypotheses that altruism, interpersonal influence, and environmental knowledge of young consumers affect their environmental attitude. A path analysis shows that environmental attitudes of young consumers affect their green purchasing behavior, demonstrating the attitude-behavior model. The article concludes by presenting theoretical and practical implications for future research in environmental psychology.