consumer Archives - Inergency https://inergency.com/topics/consumer/ An online hub for emergency and natural disaster solutions Thu, 28 Mar 2024 09:08:05 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://i0.wp.com/inergency.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/cropped-Copia-de-inergency-logo-1.jpeg?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 consumer Archives - Inergency https://inergency.com/topics/consumer/ 32 32 227046876 This startup believes mobile apps for businesses should work more like consumer apps | TechCrunch https://inergency.com/this-startup-believes-mobile-apps-for-businesses-should-work-more-like-consumer-apps-techcrunch/ Thu, 28 Mar 2024 09:08:05 +0000 https://inergency.com/this-startup-believes-mobile-apps-for-businesses-should-work-more-like-consumer-apps-techcrunch/ This startup believes mobile apps for businesses should work more like consumer apps | TechCrunchHave you noticed the massive gap between consumer and business apps on your phone? While consumer apps are both beautifully designed and easy to use, business apps are simply painful to use. A European startup is developing a suite of B2B apps that are designed for mobile first because phones have become the main computers […]]]> This startup believes mobile apps for businesses should work more like consumer apps | TechCrunch


Have you noticed the massive gap between consumer and business apps on your phone? While consumer apps are both beautifully designed and easy to use, business apps are simply painful to use.

A European startup is developing a suite of B2B apps that are designed for mobile first because phones have become the main computers for most people. And they’re calling their company… The Mobile-First Company.

When you download an app from this company, you can expect to be able to create an account from your phone (that’s not always the case for B2B apps) and perform everything from the device in your pocket. Too several companies that offer B2B tools treat mobile apps as companion apps and second-class citizens.

But the European startup doesn’t want to recreate Salesforce, Asana or Workday on mobile. Instead, the company plans to focus on small and medium businesses and address their needs one app at a time. Small companies don’t need a complicated enterprise software solution. They need one app to perform a set of tasks extremely well.

And The Mobile-First Company has plenty of ideas, such as building an app to create a quote, or another one to track expenses, or an app dedicated to managing the inventory in your workshop or small warehouse.

“The idea is really to build a suite of applications. It will not be an all-in-one app and that will be the main difference with other players. We don’t believe in the all-in-one model because people are scared of technology,” co-founder and CEO Jérémy Goillot told me.

A first app to track your inventory

Ignacio Siel Brunet, the co-founder and CTO of this new project, previously worked as VP of Engineering for Pomelo, a fintech infrastructure company in Latin America with 200 engineers working for the company.

While Siel Brunet is more experienced with the needs of large companies, he has also seen how B2B apps don’t work well with small businesses. “I know how to help big companies solve big problems. But on the other side I had this problem with my family. They own a furniture company but they have issues with invoicing, inventory, etc.,” he told me.

Many small companies simply rely on consumer apps to fill their needs. “They use Instagram as the showcase, WhatsApp as the CRM, a personal bank to run their financial aspects,” Goillot said. “Our DNA is to keep this B2C style of applications with this friendliness and mass-market appeal while also solving problems.”

The Mobile-First Company’s first app is Amoa, a mobile app to track your inventory. For instance, several garages rely on spreadsheets to track the number of spare parts they currently have in stock. But workers don’t usually spend their work day in front of a computer.

With Amoa, they can open an app, add parts by scanning a barcode, add other information, such as pricing details, and start using the app as the source of truth. When they pick something up from the shelf, they can remove the item from Amoa and move on.

Even if you don’t sell goods, managing an inventory can be useful. For instance, if you’re a wedding photographer, you might want to create an inventory of all your camera lenses and gear to make sure that you don’t leave anything behind. Similarly, nurses want to make sure they have everything they need before driving to the first patient.

Acting like a mobile gaming company

Amoa may or may not work. The idea is that The Mobile-First Company will develop, ship, iterate and kill ideas that don’t work so they can focus on the most promising ones. In my discussion with the founders, it felt more like talking with a casual mobile gaming company than a B2B software company. Eventually, the company plans to monetize the most promising apps with premium features that you can unlock with a paid subscription.

That’s because Jérémy Goillot, the CEO of the startup, already knows a few things about product-market fit as he previously worked for spend management startup Spendesk as head of growth. He was the fourth employee at the French fintech company that quickly became a unicorn.

When he left Spendesk, he spent some time traveling and looking at tech products and how they’re used outside of Europe and the United States. “I traveled to Africa a lot, from Nigeria to Ghana and Kenya because I wanted to see other types of products. I traveled a lot in Latin America too,” Goillot said.

“And I was impressed by other types of companies. We are a huge fan of Indian companies — Zoho is one of them. We are a huge fan of Treinta as well — it’s a Colombian company.”

Since being incorporated in December, The Mobile-First Company has raised €3.5 million ($3.8 million at today’s exchange rate) in a pre-seed round led by Lightspeed Venture Partners and Emblem — the company is announcing the round today. Many angel investors also participated in the round, including Xavier Niel (Kima Ventures), Thibaud Elzière (Hexa), Jean-Baptiste Hironde (MWM) and Rodolphe Ardant (Spendesk).

Now, the company wants to move quickly. “For the end of the year, our goal is to release six applications to have this high velocity of trying, killing, trying, killing to really upgrade the knowledge of the company,” Goillot said.

“We are able to build an application in two weeks. We are able to bring thousands of downloads a day,” he added. So let’s see how long it takes before The Mobile-First Company ships an app that you can spot in the wild when talking with a small business owner.

]]>
358370
Department of Labor holds PrimeLending vice president, managers liable after employees fired for reporting consumer fraud concerns https://inergency.com/department-of-labor-holds-primelending-vice-president-managers-liable-after-employees-fired-for-reporting-consumer-fraud-concerns/ Thu, 28 Mar 2024 01:51:50 +0000 https://inergency.com/department-of-labor-holds-primelending-vice-president-managers-liable-after-employees-fired-for-reporting-consumer-fraud-concerns/ Department of Labor holds PrimeLending vice president, managers liable after employees fired for reporting consumer fraud concernsInvestigation finds branch manager pressured to pass on improper fees to applicants SAN FRANCISCO ‒ The United States. Department of Labor has ordered a former senior vice president and two managers employed by PrimeLending to pay $35,000 in emotional damages and the legal fees of two California employees who the company fired illegally after they reported a branch […]]]> Department of Labor holds PrimeLending vice president, managers liable after employees fired for reporting consumer fraud concerns


Investigation finds branch manager pressured to pass on improper fees to applicants

SAN FRANCISCO ‒ The United States. Department of Labor has ordered a former senior vice president and two managers employed by PrimeLending to pay $35,000 in emotional damages and the legal fees of two California employees who the company fired illegally after they reported a branch manager pressured them to pass on fees to loan applicants caused by the company’s internal processing delays. 

Investigators with the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration found the nationwide lender violated whistleblower provisions in the Consumer Financial Protection Act by terminating the employees who raised their concerns with a regional manager and senior vice president of Human Resources. 

“Employees who report potential consumer fraud are protected by federal law against retaliation of any kind. Under the Consumer Financial Protection Act’s whistleblower provisions, managers can be fined personally for retaliation,” explained OSHA Regional Administrator James D. Wulff in San Francisco. “In this case, OSHA fined three PrimeLending managers for trying to prevent workers’ concerns from coming to light. The United States. Department of Labor will not tolerate retaliatory actions against workers exercising their rights and those responsible for such actions will be held accountable.”

In addition to payment of personal damages, OSHA ordered PrimeLending to pay an undisclosed amount in lost back wages and interest to the employees. The company must also expunge the employment records of both employees, post an anti-retaliation notice at all its branches and train its employees about their rights under the Consumer Financial Protection Act.

The company and the managers sanctioned may appeal OSHA’s order to the department’s Office of Administrative Law Judges

PrimeLending is a Dallas-based national mortgage lender and wholly owned subsidiary of PlainsCapital Bank, also a subsidiary of Hilltop Holdings Inc.

OSHA enforces the whistleblower provisions of the Consumer Financial Protection Act and 24 other statutes protecting employees who report violations of various motor vehicle safety, commercial motor carrier, airline, consumer product, environmental, financial reform, food safety, healthcare reform, nuclear, pipeline, public transportation agency, railroad, maritime, securities, tax, antitrust, and anti-money laundering laws and for engaging in other related protected activities. For more information on whistleblower protections, visit OSHA’s Whistleblower Protection Programs webpage

Editor’s note: The United States. Department of Labor does not release the names of employees involved in whistleblower complaints.

]]>
358067
Food Miles and Regional Logos: Investigating Consumer Preferences in the Midwestern United States https://inergency.com/food-miles-and-regional-logos-investigating-consumer-preferences-in-the-midwestern-united-states/ Wed, 27 Mar 2024 02:55:50 +0000 https://inergency.com/food-miles-and-regional-logos-investigating-consumer-preferences-in-the-midwestern-united-states/ Food Miles and Regional Logos: Investigating Consumer Preferences in the Midwestern United StatesSustainability, Vol. 16, Pages 2735: Food Miles and Regional Logos: Investigating Consumer Preferences in the Midwestern United States Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su16072735 Authors: Kathryn A. Carroll Lydia Zepeda Regional food marketing initiatives in the United States include state-sponsored marketing programs, promotional efforts made by non-profit organizations, and retail-level supermarket campaigns. Some employ food miles, while others […]]]> Food Miles and Regional Logos: Investigating Consumer Preferences in the Midwestern United States


Sustainability, Vol. 16, Pages 2735: Food Miles and Regional Logos: Investigating Consumer Preferences in the Midwestern United States

Sustainability doi: 10.3390/su16072735

Authors:
Kathryn A. Carroll
Lydia Zepeda

Regional food marketing initiatives in the United States include state-sponsored marketing programs, promotional efforts made by non-profit organizations, and retail-level supermarket campaigns. Some employ food miles, while others emphasize state boundaries or regions. Given that United States. consumers are faced with these options, the objectives of this study are to (1) determine whether consumers have a clear preference ranking between three regional marketing logos currently seen in the marketplace, (2) estimate whether consumers are willing to pay a price premium for food mileage information, and if so, what mileage cutoffs are preferred, and (3) uncover whether displaying food mileage, regional marketing logos, or dual-displaying both sets of information is most preferred by consumers. To address these objectives, an artefactual field experiment featuring a series of non-hypothetical, random nth-priced auctions is conducted with 98 community participants in Wisconsin. The experimental auctions feature cheese displaying a regional marketing logo, a food mileage cutoff, or both simultaneously. A random-effects two-limit tobit model is used to fit the elicited bid data. Our results suggest regional logos referencing smaller geographic areas are preferred over state logos by United States. consumers who are willing to pay a price premium. Consumers are not willing to pay a price premium for food mileage information unless it is within 50 miles. Our results also suggest larger distances do not meet consumers’ definition of local. Therefore, to appeal to consumers, federal and state agencies, retailers, and producers should consider marketing efforts targeting smaller regional areas. Such efforts can help shorten the food supply chain while providing consumers with an opportunity to make more sustainable food choices.

]]>
357039
Vehicle Repair: Information on Evolving Vehicle Technologies and Consumer Choice https://inergency.com/vehicle-repair-information-on-evolving-vehicle-technologies-and-consumer-choice-2/ Sat, 23 Mar 2024 20:13:14 +0000 https://inergency.com/vehicle-repair-information-on-evolving-vehicle-technologies-and-consumer-choice-2/ Vehicle Repair: Information on Evolving Vehicle Technologies and Consumer ChoiceFast Facts “Right-to-repair” is the ability to repair your own vehicles or get repairs at auto dealerships or independent repair shops. In this Q&A report, we looked at the effects of changing technologies on the right-to-repair. For example, the use of technology to wirelessly transfer vehicle health and repair data with automakers can give dealerships […]]]> Vehicle Repair: Information on Evolving Vehicle Technologies and Consumer Choice


Fast Facts

“Right-to-repair” is the ability to repair your own vehicles or get repairs at auto dealerships or independent repair shops.

In this Q&A report, we looked at the effects of changing technologies on the right-to-repair. For example, the use of technology to wirelessly transfer vehicle health and repair data with automakers can give dealerships an advantage. If independent repair shops don’t have access to this data, people might have fewer repair choices.

The Federal Trade Commission is looking at new ways to categorize consumer complaints, which can help it identify how much this issue negatively affects vehicle owners.

Highlights

What GAO Found

Right-to-repair is the ability of consumers to decide who repairs their products. For vehicles, this means consumers deciding whether to make their own repairs or take their vehicle to repair facilities at independent repair shops or dealerships franchised with automakers. Most automakers have been operating under a 2014 voluntary nationwide right-to-repair agreement. This agreement has generally resulted in independent repair shops not associated with vehicle manufacturers having access to the information, data, and tools needed for vehicle repairs. However, stakeholders GAO interviewed and a nongeneralizable review of complaints suggest that independent repair shops may face some limitations in that access.

Advanced vehicle technologies, such as electric vehicles, may make repairs more expensive and complex because they require additional knowledge, equipment, and other investments. Such issues can particularly affect some independent repair shops, that are unable to make such commitments. In addition, according to some independent repair stakeholders GAO interviewed, the use of telematics systems to wirelessly transfer data between vehicles and automakers can give dealerships a competitive advantage over independent repair shops in conducting some repairs. However, industry and independent repair stakeholders GAO interviewed agreed that telematics data are not currently needed to conduct repairs.

The Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is focused on vehicle safety and its role in vehicle right-to-repair issues is limited to cybersecurity issues that can affect vehicle safety. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is involved in protecting consumers and promoting competition, including in the vehicle repair market. FTC is taking steps to better understand potential vehicle repair limitations by considering new ways to categorize and analyze potentially relevant consumer complaints. If independent repair shops face limitations in access to the information, data, and tools needed for repair or are otherwise disadvantaged compared to dealerships, consumers may have fewer repair choices, which may reduce competition and make repairs more expensive and inconvenient.

Why GAO Did This Study

GAO was asked to review the effects of changing vehicle technologies on vehicle right-to-repair. This report examines how changes in vehicle technologies are affecting competition and consumer choice in the vehicle repair market and NHTSA’s and FTC’s actions related to this issue.

To conduct this work, GAO conducted a literature search and reviewed relevant publications, conducted a non-generalizable review of vehicle and vehicle repair complaints, and interviewed over 50 industry and consumer-focused stakeholders, including vehicle manufacturers, independent repair shops, and others.

For more information, contact Elizabeth Repko at (202) 512-2834 or repkoe@gao.gov.

]]>
354123
Vehicle Repair: Information on Evolving Vehicle Technologies and Consumer Choice https://inergency.com/vehicle-repair-information-on-evolving-vehicle-technologies-and-consumer-choice/ Sat, 23 Mar 2024 20:13:13 +0000 https://inergency.com/vehicle-repair-information-on-evolving-vehicle-technologies-and-consumer-choice/ Vehicle Repair: Information on Evolving Vehicle Technologies and Consumer ChoiceFast Facts “Right-to-repair” is the ability to repair your own vehicles or get repairs at auto dealerships or independent repair shops. In this Q&A report, we looked at the effects of changing technologies on the right-to-repair. For example, the use of technology to wirelessly transfer vehicle health and repair data with automakers can give dealerships […]]]> Vehicle Repair: Information on Evolving Vehicle Technologies and Consumer Choice


Fast Facts

“Right-to-repair” is the ability to repair your own vehicles or get repairs at auto dealerships or independent repair shops.

In this Q&A report, we looked at the effects of changing technologies on the right-to-repair. For example, the use of technology to wirelessly transfer vehicle health and repair data with automakers can give dealerships an advantage. If independent repair shops don’t have access to this data, people might have fewer repair choices.

The Federal Trade Commission is looking at new ways to categorize consumer complaints, which can help it identify how much this issue negatively affects vehicle owners.

Highlights

What GAO Found

Right-to-repair is the ability of consumers to decide who repairs their products. For vehicles, this means consumers deciding whether to make their own repairs or take their vehicle to repair facilities at independent repair shops or dealerships franchised with automakers. Most automakers have been operating under a 2014 voluntary nationwide right-to-repair agreement. This agreement has generally resulted in independent repair shops not associated with vehicle manufacturers having access to the information, data, and tools needed for vehicle repairs. However, stakeholders GAO interviewed and a nongeneralizable review of complaints suggest that independent repair shops may face some limitations in that access.

Advanced vehicle technologies, such as electric vehicles, may make repairs more expensive and complex because they require additional knowledge, equipment, and other investments. Such issues can particularly affect some independent repair shops, that are unable to make such commitments. In addition, according to some independent repair stakeholders GAO interviewed, the use of telematics systems to wirelessly transfer data between vehicles and automakers can give dealerships a competitive advantage over independent repair shops in conducting some repairs. However, industry and independent repair stakeholders GAO interviewed agreed that telematics data are not currently needed to conduct repairs.

The Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is focused on vehicle safety and its role in vehicle right-to-repair issues is limited to cybersecurity issues that can affect vehicle safety. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is involved in protecting consumers and promoting competition, including in the vehicle repair market. FTC is taking steps to better understand potential vehicle repair limitations by considering new ways to categorize and analyze potentially relevant consumer complaints. If independent repair shops face limitations in access to the information, data, and tools needed for repair or are otherwise disadvantaged compared to dealerships, consumers may have fewer repair choices, which may reduce competition and make repairs more expensive and inconvenient.

Why GAO Did This Study

GAO was asked to review the effects of changing vehicle technologies on vehicle right-to-repair. This report examines how changes in vehicle technologies are affecting competition and consumer choice in the vehicle repair market and NHTSA’s and FTC’s actions related to this issue.

To conduct this work, GAO conducted a literature search and reviewed relevant publications, conducted a non-generalizable review of vehicle and vehicle repair complaints, and interviewed over 50 industry and consumer-focused stakeholders, including vehicle manufacturers, independent repair shops, and others.

For more information, contact Elizabeth Repko at (202) 512-2834 or repkoe@gao.gov.

]]>
354122
EPA’s new auto emissions standard will speed the transition to cleaner cars, while also addressing consumer and industry concerns https://inergency.com/epas-new-auto-emissions-standard-will-speed-the-transition-to-cleaner-cars-while-also-addressing-consumer-and-industry-concerns/ Sat, 23 Mar 2024 02:01:23 +0000 https://inergency.com/epas-new-auto-emissions-standard-will-speed-the-transition-to-cleaner-cars-while-also-addressing-consumer-and-industry-concerns/ EPA’s new auto emissions standard will speed the transition to cleaner cars, while also addressing consumer and industry concernsThe United States. Environmental Protection Agency released strict new emissions limits on March 20, 2024, for cars built from 2027 through 2032. The final rule for Multi-Pollutant Emissions Standards caps a process that started almost a year earlier, when the Biden administration first proposed groundbreaking regulations that might essentially require automakers to make a substantial pivot […]]]> EPA’s new auto emissions standard will speed the transition to cleaner cars, while also addressing consumer and industry concerns


The United States. Environmental Protection Agency released strict new emissions limits on March 20, 2024, for cars built from 2027 through 2032. The final rule for Multi-Pollutant Emissions Standards caps a process that started almost a year earlier, when the Biden administration first proposed groundbreaking regulations that might essentially require automakers to make a substantial pivot toward electrification.

The original proposal met significant pushback from carmakers and unions, who argued that the industry needed more time to switch from gas-powered cars to EVs. As a result, while the final target that this rule sets is very similar to the one that was initially proposed, the timetable in the final rule – especially in the earlier years – is relatively relaxed.

That means more carbon emissions in the short run. Politics is inevitably an important consideration in regulating major industries.

The new rule is projected to cut carbon dioxide emissions from passenger cars by nearly 50% in model year 2032 relative to existing standards. This requires a broad shift toward EVs, but automakers have several options for complying.

For example, they can emphasize producing battery-electric vehicles or more mixed fleets that include large shares of hybrids and plug-in hybrids, plus cleaner gas-powered cars. EPA projects that under the rule, in model years 2030-32, battery-electric vehicles may account for up to 56% of new cars, up from 7.6% in 2023.

As a researcher who studies the electric vehicle industry and adoption of EVs, I believe the new rule will nevertheless push electrification nationwide. There’s a lot of latent demand for this technology throughout the country, and this regulation will help bring that supply to broader populations. It also is likely to spur more installation of chargers and other supporting infrastructure.

The new rule will help slow climate change and save billions of dollars in health care costs.

Impacts on consumers

Traditionally, new fuel efficiency and emissions standards directly affect vehicle costs and often lead to higher prices at the dealership. However, the EPA projects that in the long term, driving electric vehicles, which cost less to fuel and maintain than gas-powered cars, will save owners US$6,000 on average over the life of a new car.

Moreover, EVs bring broader benefits, such as improved air quality and reduced greenhouse gas emissions, which benefit society as a whole.

Fossil fuel combustion generates several harmful pollutants, including fine particulates, which have been linked to a range of negative health effects. The EPA estimates that air pollution reductions triggered by the new rule will generate US$13 billion in annual health benefits.

Building confidence in batteries

One important feature of the new rule is that for the first time, the EPA has set forth explicit requirements for monitoring and ensuring the durability of EV batteries. This step recognizes that battery longevity is a pivotal factor in EVs’ value proposition and environmental impact.

The regulations delineate two primary benchmarks: The battery must retain at least 80% of its original capacity at five years or 62,000 miles and at least 70% after eight years or 100,000 miles. These requirements will help to standardize the wide variability in battery degradation between different vehicle models.

Importantly, the health of batteries must be tracked via a monitor in the car that measures what is known as the vehicle’s state of certified energy – the amount of battery capacity left at full charge after accounting for degradation – and displays it to the driver. EV owners will have constant information about the health of their battery, expressed as a percentage of what the battery had when it was brand new. This feature will be especially useful for people buying used EVs, since it will help them assess how much battery power the car still has at the time of purchase.

These and other battery durability and warranty requirements are likely to play a pivotal role in the EV market, influencing both manufacturers’ engineering choices and consumers’ purchasing decisions. By setting clear standards, the EPA is driving the industry toward more robust and reliable battery technologies, which can enhance the overall attractiveness of EVs and accelerate their market penetration.

President Joe Biden, a self-described ‘car guy,’ drives a Ford F-150 Lightning electric truck on May 18, 2021, in Dearborn, Mich.
AP Photo/Evan Vucci

When is a plug-in running on electricity?

Another item in the new regulations shows how the EPA has attempted to address manufacturers’ concerns. Since plug-in hybrids, or PHEVs, can run on either electricity or gasoline, regulators need some basis for determining how often they rely on one versus the other. The number that experts use in these situations, called the utility factor, is a calculation of what fraction of the time a PHEV drives on electricity.

Many researchers had argued that the EPA had overestimated the utility factor and warned that inflating the extent to which PHEVs operated on electric power can lead to regulations that put too much priority on these vehicles. Under the newly finalized regulations, the agency has adjusted the calculation to reflect a better understanding of how these vehicles operate in the real world.

For example, the adjustment in the utility factor for a model like the Prius Prime, with a 48-mile electric range, reduces the assumption of electric travel from the previous 65%-70% to about 55%. Similarly, for the Jeep Wrangler 4xe, with a 21-mile range, the utility factor is adjusted from around 40% to 30%.

These changes provide a more accurate reflection of PHEVs’ contribution to reducing emissions, which helps ensure that the regulatory framework aligns better with actual usage patterns. And by modifying the utility factor, the EPA may nudge manufacturers toward prioritizing more efficient PHEVs or shifting their focus toward fully electric vehicles.

A clear signal to carmakers

Changing auto efficiency standards has traditionally meant making incremental improvements in vehicle technologies, such as increases in engine efficiency. This new rule is much more aggressive and has a clear goal of driving a major shift toward EVs and other clean car types.

These standards can help companies set goals for the future by providing clear targets. Failing to meet EPA rules can incur tough penalties.

In my view, these standards are an important step in the right direction to achieve United States. climate goals, and they will serve as a stick that complements the monetary carrots funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, which authorized tax credits and subsidies for EVs and charging stations. The new rule may not be a perfect policy from a pure climate perspective, but given automakers’ concerns and the political sensitivity of this issue, I believe it hits the target.

]]>
353486
Impact of Consumer Subsidy Considering Subsidy Threshold on New Energy Vehicle Firms and Environmental Benefits https://inergency.com/impact-of-consumer-subsidy-considering-subsidy-threshold-on-new-energy-vehicle-firms-and-environmental-benefits/ Fri, 22 Mar 2024 00:39:01 +0000 https://inergency.com/impact-of-consumer-subsidy-considering-subsidy-threshold-on-new-energy-vehicle-firms-and-environmental-benefits/ Impact of Consumer Subsidy Considering Subsidy Threshold on New Energy Vehicle Firms and Environmental Benefits4.1. The Case without SCS In this section, we consider that the government provides no SCS for consumers (i.e., s e i = 0 , i ∈ { 1 , 2 } ). We develop a Nash perfect equilibrium in the following proposition. We use superscript “ B ” to denote the equilibrium outcomes. Proposition 1. […]]]> Impact of Consumer Subsidy Considering Subsidy Threshold on New Energy Vehicle Firms and Environmental Benefits


4.1. The Case without SCS

In this section, we consider that the government provides no SCS for consumers (i.e., s e i = 0 , i { 1 , 2 } ). We develop a Nash perfect equilibrium in the following proposition. We use superscript “ B ” to denote the equilibrium outcomes.

Proposition 1.

When the government does not provide any consumer subsidy for consumers, for  i { 1 , 2 }  and  j = 3 i , we have  e i B = θ c i ,  p i B = 4 θ 2 c j θ 2 c i 6 c 1 c 2 + v l ,  d i B = θ 2 ( c j c i ) 12 v l c 1 c 2 + 1 2 ,  π 1 B = θ 2 6 c 2 v l c 1 θ 2 c 2 2 72 c 1 2 c 2 2 v l  and  π 2 B = θ 2 + 6 c 2 v l c 1 θ 2 c 2 2 72 c 1 2 c 2 2 v l .

By the sensitivity analysis on Proposition 1, we can obtain Corollary 1.

Corollary 1.

(i)  e i B c i < 0 ;  e i B θ > 0 ,  i { 1,2 } ; (ii)  p 1 B c 1 < 0 ,  p 2 B c 2 < 0 .

Corollary 1 indicates an intuitive result, that is, firms are more likely to produce higher green levels for NEVs if they have higher green technology capabilities or if consumers are more environmentally conscious. However, improving firms’ green technology capabilities, which reduces the cost of producing NEVs with the same green level, leads to an increase in the price of NEVs. In recent years, the cost of batteries for electric vehicles has been declining, which is equivalent to a reduction of c i in the model. However, the costs of EVs have not decreased. This is because firms do not pass on the cost savings to consumers. Instead, they choose to increase the green levels of NEVs, which ultimately increases the prices of NEVs.

4.2. The Case with SCS

This subsection discusses the government’s SCS under which the consumer can receive the subsidy only if the green level of the NEV purchased exceeds a threshold. Therefore, subsidies obtained by consumers, denoted as s e i , i { 1 , 2 } , are related to the green level of NEVs (see Equation (2)). There are four possible SCS situations: (1) the green level of either NEV does not exceed the subsidy threshold (i.e., e i < e 0 , i { 1 , 2 } ), and consumers cannot receive subsidies for purchasing any NEV, denoted as Case N N ; (2) only the green level of NEV 1 exceeds the subsidy threshold (i.e., e 1 e 0 , e 2 < e 0 ), and consumers who purchase it are eligible for subsidies, denoted as Case E N ; (3) only the green level of NEV 2 exceeds the subsidy threshold (i.e., e 1 < e 0 , e 2 e 0 ), and subsidies are only available to consumers who purchase NEV 2, denoted as Case N E ; (4) the green levels of both NEVs exceed the subsidy threshold and consumers who purchase either NEV can receive the subsidies, denoted as Case E E .

Given the government’s SCS policy, utilizing Kuhn–Tucker conditions, the local optimal profits of both firms under Cases N N , E N , N E and E E , denoted as π i k , i 1 , 2 , k { N N , E N , N E , E E } , are written in Table 1; details can be found in Appendix A.
The Nash perfect equilibrium under SCS policy based on Table 1 is developed and shown in Table 2. We use superscript “ S ” to denote the equilibrium outcomes under SCS policy.
Proposition 2.

Under the SCS policy, both firms’ equilibrium decisions of productions are as follows: (i) when the threshold level for the subsidy is low, such as  0 e 0 < ( θ + 2 t c 2 ) / c 2 , both firms produce NEVs with high green levels for subsidies; (ii) when the threshold level for the subsidy is moderate, such as  ( θ + 2 t c 2 ) / c 2 e 0 < ( θ + 2 t c 1 ) / c 1  , only the firm 1 produces NEVs with high green levels for subsidies; (iii) when the threshold level for the subsidy is sufficiently large, such as  e 0 ( θ + 2 t c 1 ) / c 1  , both firms produce NEVs with low green levels and no subsidies.

According to Proposition 2, Figure 1 displays the Nash equilibrium production decisions of both firms where the parameters t = 1 , c 1 = 1 , c 2 = 1.5 are set. As the threshold level for the subsidy increases, both firms’ equilibrium product strategies show a changing trend of E E E N N N . It is worth noting that Case N E does not belong to the equilibriums. This is because that it is evident that if firm 2, with lower green technology capability, adopts a technology-leading strategy, it will suffer from cost disadvantages and profit loss. Moreover, a sufficiently high threshold level for the subsidy (i.e., e 0 ( θ + 2 t c 1 ) / c 1 ) will lead to Case N N in which the SCS policy loses its incentive effect on firms’ R&D and there will be no difference between Case N N and the non-SCS case. Therefore, we define an efficient SCS policy ( e 0 , t ) satisfying e 0 < e 0 where e 0 = ( θ + 2 t c 1 ) / c 1 ).

Further analysis of the impact of c 1 , t and θ on e 0 shows that higher technology capabilities of firms, higher government consumer subsidies and stronger environmental awareness of consumers can increase the effective range of SCS policy. This is because the higher the technology capability of the firm, the higher the consumer’s environmental awareness, and the higher the subsidy amount, the more incentive firms have to produce higher green level NEVs. In practice, in order to improve the effective range of its SCS policy, the Chinese government has set up special projects since 2001 for cultivating specialists and invested a large amount of money to support the R&D of green technologies in order to reduce the R&D costs of NEVs. Moreover, in terms of improving the environmental awareness of consumers, the government has actively promoted concepts of the energy saving and emission reduction of NEVs to consumers since 2009.

In order to further analyze the impact of the SCS policy on the two competing firms, Proposition 3 analyzes the impact of the SCS policy on the green levels and prices of NEVs under the cases where the SCS policy is effective (i.e., Cases E E and E N ), and Proposition 4 summarizes the impact of the SCS policy on the sales volume and profits of both firms.

Proposition 3.

(i)  e i S c i 0 ;  e i S θ 0 ,  i { 1,2 } ; (ii)  p 1 S c 1 < 0  if  e 0 < θ c 1 , otherwise  p 1 S c 1 > 0 ;  p 2 S c 2 > 0  if  θ c 2 e 0 < θ + 2 t c 2 c 2 , otherwise  p 2 S c 2 < 0 .

Proposition 3 demonstrates how firms’ technology capabilities affect the green level and price of NEVs under the SCS policy. The effects of firms’ technology capabilities and consumers’ environmental awareness on the green level of NEVs under the SCS policy are consistent with the no-subsidy policy. Corollary 1 indicates that as firms become more technologically advanced, the green level of NEVs is improved, resulting in higher product prices. However, Proposition 3(ii) demonstrates that increased technology capability of firms does not always raise the price of NEVs. For firm 1 with higher technology capabilities, when e 0 is small, the NEV green level is mainly affected by the technology capabilities of the firm, and the higher the technology capabilities of the firm (the smaller the c i ), the higher the NEV green level, which contributes to higher product prices. When the subsidy threshold is high, the firm will have to increase the NEV green level to the subsidy threshold to obtain the government subsidy, which deviates from the firm’s optimal decisions on green levels of NEVs. With the advancement of technology, the firm will not continue to increase the green level of its NEVs, and the reduced technology cost will be reflected in the price. For firm 2 with lower technology capability, when the subsidy threshold is very low, higher technology capability will result in higher product prices, but as the subsidy threshold increases, firm 2 will have to raise the NEV green level to the subsidy threshold, at which higher technology capability helps to reduce the cost on firm 2, which in turn reduces the NEV price. It is important to note that when the subsidy threshold is high, firm 2 will give up access to the subsidy before firm 1. This will cause the price of NEV 2 to rise as firm 2’s technology capability increases.

Proposition 4.

(i)  d 1 S e 0 0 ,  π 1 S e 0 0 ,  d 2 S e 0 0 ,  π 2 S e 0 0  if  0 e 0 < θ + 2 t c 2 c 2 , otherwise  d 1 S e 0 0 ,  π 1 S e 0 0 ,  d 2 S e 0 0 ,  π 2 S e 0 0 ; (ii)  d 1 S t 0 , π 1 S t 0 , d 2 S t 0 , π 2 S t 0 .

Setting parameters c 1 = 1 , c 2 = 3 , θ = 3 , v l = 3.8 , t = 6.1 , Figure 2 demonstrates the differentiated impacts of the subsidy threshold on NEV sales and profits of competing firms. Proposition 4(i) reveals that neither firm can always benefit from an increase in subsidy threshold in a competitive environment (see Figure 2). When the subsidy threshold is small, both firms’ NEVs receive subsidies. As e 0 increases, firm 2 will have to invest in more than its optimal R&D efforts to continue receiving subsidies. This leads to a significant increase in R&D costs, resulting in higher product prices, lower sales and lower profits. Accordingly, increasing the subsidy threshold reduces the green level difference between the two firms but strengthens the competitive advantage of firm 1. Therefore, firm 1 will benefit from the subsidy threshold increase. When the subsidy threshold is higher, firm 2 gives up the NEV subsidy, while firm 1 exerts R&D efforts beyond its optimal level to obtain the subsidy. This increase in the R&D costs of firm 1 leads to higher NEV prices, lower sales and lower profits. As a result, the increase in the subsidy threshold widens the green level gap between the two firms but reduces the competitive advantage of firm 1, ultimately benefiting firm 2. Unlike the subsidy threshold, Proposition 4(ii) shows that firm 1 always benefits from higher subsidies while firm 2 benefits from lower subsidies. This means that an increase in subsidy t will always increase firm 1’s competitive advantage.

In summary, changing the subsidy threshold in a competitive environment has inconsistent impacts on firms 1 and 2. To promote the development of technologically advantageous firms in the market and accelerate industrial upgrading, the government should fully consider the green level of NEVs in the market when offering SCSs. For instance, if the government offers a moderate subsidy threshold, firms with high technological capacity are more likely to receive subsidy, while those with low technological capacity may struggle to obtain it. Therefore, increasing the subsidy threshold or amount may not only benefit environmentally friendly firms but also have a negative impact on those with low environmental benefits. This can help eliminate backward firms in the process of NEV industry upgrading. The conclusion confirms the validity of the NEV subsidy threshold in China. In 2022, most NEVs have a range of 100–600 km, while Tesla’s mainstream NEVs have a stable range of over 400 km. According to SCS policy in 2022, consumers who buy NEVs with a range of 300–400 km and those with a range of over 400 km are eligible for subsidies of CNY 9100/12,600, respectively. Therefore, consumers of most mainstream models with high range can be subsidized. The SCS has promoted the technological development of Tesla and other mainstream brand automobile firms. This policy has also eliminated a number of small- and micro-vehicle firms with backward technology and helped to realize industrial upgrading.

4.3. Comparative Analysis

This subsection compares and analyzes the equilibrium outcomes for firms in B and S scenarios and explores the impact of SCS policy on environmental benefits.

Proposition 5.

Comparing green levels of NEVs, prices, and profits under  B  and  S  scenarios yields: (i)  e i S e i B ,  i = { 1 , 2 } ; (ii)  p 1 S p 1 B ;  p 2 S p 2 B  if  e 0 < ( θ + 2 t c 2 ) / c 2 , and  p 2 S p 2 B  otherwise; (iii)  π 1 S π 1 B ,  π 2 S π 2 B .

Proposition 5(i) demonstrates the positive impact of SCS policy on the green level of NEVs. However, Proposition 5(ii) shows that under the SCS policy, firm 1 will increase the product price, while firm 2 may set a lower price due to the high subsidy threshold. In addition, it is worth noting that if the subsidy threshold is too low ( e 0 < θ / c 2 ) or too high ( e 0 ( θ + 2 t c 1 ) / c 1 ), there is no difference between the S case and the B case decision. When the subsidy threshold is not high ( θ / c 2 e 0 < ( θ + 2 t c 2 ) / c 2 ), firm 2 designs a higher green level for the product, resulting in increased costs and prices and firm 1 may also take advantage of this opportunity to increase prices Because its consumer can obtain a subsidy and higher green level (when θ / c 1 e 0 < ( θ + 2 t c 2 ) / c 2 ). As the subsidy threshold increases ( ( θ + 2 t c 2 ) / c 2 e 0 < ( θ + 2 t c 1 ) / c 1 ) , consumers of firm 2—with its lower technological capability—cannot obtain subsidies. Meanwhile, firm 1’s consumers can obtain subsidies due to its higher green levels. Therefore, firm 1 will raise the price of NEV 1 to earn more marginal profit. However, firm 2 does not allow for its consumers to obtain subsidies under competitive situations, so it has to lower its prices to improve its competitiveness.

The findings of Proposition 5(iii) indicate that while the SCS policy offers economic support to both firms, it does not always enhance the economic benefits of both firms in a competitive market. Specifically, firm 2, with weaker technological capability, does not benefit from the SCS policy, while firm 1, with stronger technological capability, does benefit from it. The SCS policy favors firms with stronger technological capabilities. This means that the stronger the technical capabilities of a firm, the higher the green level of its products and the easier it is for its consumers to obtain subsidies. In other words, the SCS policy exacerbates the impact of a technological gap between NEVs, which in turn magnifies the competitive disadvantage of firm 2.

Proposition 6 further demonstrates the impact of the SCS policy on the environmental benefit.

Proposition 6.

Comparing the total environmental benefits with and without the SCS policy yields  E S S E S B .

Proposition 6 demonstrates that SCS policy has a positive impact on overall environmental benefits. This is because SCS policy encourages all firms to produce greener NEVs and incentivize consumers to purchase NEVs with higher levels of greenness. Corollary 2 further explores the effect of specific subsidy parameters on overall environmental benefits.

Corollary 2.

(i)  E S S t 0 ; (ii)  E S S e 0 0  if  E N  equilibrium occurs and  v l < v l ~  holds, and  E S S e 0 0  otherwise, where  v l ~ = 3 c 1 c 2 e 0 2 2 θ c 1 e 0 4 θ c 2 e 0 2 t c 2 + 3 θ 2 6 c 2 .

Corollary 2(i) shows that an increase in the subsidy results in a corresponding increase in overall environmental benefits. This is because the SCS policy subsidizes NEVs with higher levels of greenness, which not only improves the overall greenness of NEVs, but also promotes consumers to buy NEVs with higher levels of greenness. Both of these factors contribute to the improvement of environmental benefits. Corollary 2(i) suggests that reduced subsidies have a negative effect on environmental benefits during the subsidy disappearance stage. However, Corollary 2(ii) indicates a possible positive impact of increasing subsidy thresholds on environmental benefits. Specifically, when e 0 is at a lower level (i.e., the E E equilibrium case), the subsidy threshold mainly constrains NEV 2. A higher subsidy threshold can incentivize firm 2 to increase the green level of NEV 2, enabling its consumers to qualify for the subsidy. This can lead to firm 2’s decisions that deviate from its optimal decisions, potentially strengthening the competitive advantage of NEV 1 and improving environmental benefits. In the E N equilibrium case, where e 0 is at a higher level, the subsidy threshold constrains NEV 1, weakening its competitive advantage. In this situation, consumers are more likely to be attracted to the lower-priced NEV 2 when their loyalty to the firm is low ( v l < v l ~ ). This ultimately makes the higher green level of NEV 1 less appealing to consumers, reduces the sales volume of NEV 1, and results in the loss of environmental benefits. During the stage of subsidy disappearance in the NEV market, these results partially alleviate public concerns about the potential damage to environmental benefits.

]]>
352414
Understanding the Barriers to Consumer Purchasing of Electric Vehicles: The Innovation Resistance Theory https://inergency.com/understanding-the-barriers-to-consumer-purchasing-of-electric-vehicles-the-innovation-resistance-theory/ Fri, 15 Mar 2024 01:57:58 +0000 https://inergency.com/understanding-the-barriers-to-consumer-purchasing-of-electric-vehicles-the-innovation-resistance-theory/ Understanding the Barriers to Consumer Purchasing of Electric Vehicles: The Innovation Resistance Theory1. Introduction Electric vehicles (EVs) represent a crucial avenue for fostering an environmentally conscious evolution and low-carbon metamorphosis within the global automotive industry [1]. The latest report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) reveals that global EV sales surpassed the 10 million mark in 2022, with projections anticipating a further 35% surge to 14 million […]]]> Understanding the Barriers to Consumer Purchasing of Electric Vehicles: The Innovation Resistance Theory


1. Introduction

Electric vehicles (EVs) represent a crucial avenue for fostering an environmentally conscious evolution and low-carbon metamorphosis within the global automotive industry [1]. The latest report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) reveals that global EV sales surpassed the 10 million mark in 2022, with projections anticipating a further 35% surge to 14 million units by 2023. Notably, China currently leads the world in EV sales, trailed by Europe and the United States, but mass acceptance of EVs among consumers remains relatively low [2]. According to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China, as of the end of 2022, the total number of EVs in China reached 13.1 million, accounting for only 4.10% of the total vehicle count, underscoring the comparatively modest adoption rate, which highlights the need to investigate the influencing factors behind the consumer rejection of EVs.
Given that the widespread adoption of EVs is ultimately contingent on consumer acceptance, various studies have endeavored to discern factors linked to consumer purchase intentions [3,4,5,6]. Following a thorough examination of existing research, three primary categories influencing consumers’ intention to purchase EVs have been identified: (1) instrumental attributes of EVs encompassing economic factors and technical characteristics; (2) consumers’ psychological or personality factors, including demographic characteristics, subjective norms, environmental values, and considerations of risk and benefit; and (3) external stimuli such as incentive policies, infrastructural factors, and fluctuations in gas prices. While numerous studies have explored the adoption and acceptance of EVs, several have exhibited a pro-change bias by assuming that users inherently desire the latest services and by concentrating on the favorable outcomes of the adoption process (i.e., innovation acceptance) [7,8]. In contrast, a critical knowledge gap exists concerning the reasons behind consumer resistance to EV purchases, warranting further exploration. Understanding resistance to innovation is crucial, as several businesses encounter a high failure rate in production stemming from consumer resistance [9]. Therefore, firms must comprehend various drivers of consumer resistance to mitigate product failure [10] and devise strategies to enhance adoption rates [8]. Consequently, grounded in innovation resistance theory (IRT), this study elucidates the fundamental reasons for consumer resistance to EVs, emphasizing both functional and psychological barriers.
The concern and attitude toward the environment have garnered significant attention in the existing literature, capturing the interest of researchers. Some scholars posit that consumers’ environmental concern can influence their attitudes toward EVs and consequently bolster their purchase intentions [11,12]. However, certain consumers express concerns that the manufacturing and disposal processes of power batteries can result in more pronounced environmental pollution, potentially outweighing the environmental benefits accrued throughout the life cycle of these vehicles [13,14]. This divergence in perspectives may stem from prior studies treating consumers’ environmental concerns solely as an antecedent variable to EV purchase intention, overlooking its role as a contingent factor amid various resistance barriers and purchase intentions [15]. Moreover, external stimuli such as policy incentives can play a pivotal role in altering consumers’ psychological perspectives [16]. For instance, policy incentives may contribute to shaping consumers’ identity and status, thereby stimulating their purchase intentions [17]. Consequently, this study adopts a comprehensive approach, integrating both consumers’ internal perspectives and external environmental stimuli. It considers consumers’ environmental concerns and government policy incentives as moderating variables, seeking to explore the boundary conditions of various obstacles to purchase intentions. This approach enables a more nuanced understanding of the interplay between internal beliefs, external stimuli, and consumers’ intention to purchase EVs.
Therefore, this study utilizes the IRT by Ram and Sheth (1989) [9] and adapts it to the context of consumer resistance to EV purchase intentions in China. Specifically, the study addresses two research questions:

RQ 1. What are the primary barriers affecting EV purchase intentions and the gap between purchase intention and actual purchase behavior?

RQ 2. Do environmental concern and incentive policyhave a significant moderating influence on the relationship between barriers and purchase intention?

The contribution of this article is not limited to answering the two key questions mentioned above, but more importantly, it extends the effectiveness of IRT to the field of sustainable transportation and sheds new light on what inhibits consumers’ EV purchase intention in a brand new way. At the same time, considering the moderating roles of consumers’ environmental concerns and policy incentives in the specific context of China, this study further expands IRT by utilizing both internal and external perspectives of consumers. This expansion aims to facilitate enhanced synergies among research endeavors in interconnected domains and to provide managers and policymakers with valuable guidance on promoting consumer acceptance of EVs in the sustainable transportation landscape.

The remainder of this paper is organized as follows. Section 2 reviews the existing literature on IRT and develops our hypotheses, and Section 3 presents the research method. Section 4 introduces the empirical results. We also discuss the main findings in Section 5, the theoretical and practical implications in Section 6, and the limitations and future research in Section 7.

4. Results

4.1. Common Method Bias Analysis

Before conducting the data analysis, we conducted an assessment to determine whether there was any presence of common method bias (CMB). To assess this, we utilized Harman’s single-factor test, which is a commonly employed method to examine the potential presence of homophily bias in the data. By analyzing the unrotated factors of all the question items, we observed that the first principal component explained 30.89% of the total variance. This percentage was found to be lower than the commonly regarded threshold of 40%, thereby indicating the absence of any significant homophily bias in the data. Based on these results, we can proceed with the data analysis without concerns regarding this specific form of bias.

4.2. Measurement Model Analysis

Prior to testing the research hypotheses, we employed various procedures to evaluate the construct validity of our measurement instruments. Firstly, we examined the convergent and discriminant validity. The average variance extracted (AVE) for each construct ranged from 0.611 to 0.794, surpassing the recommended threshold of 0.5. Moreover, the square root of the AVE values exceeded the correlations among the constructs, ranging from 0.772 to 0.891.

Secondly, we conducted confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to assess the convergent validity of each construct. The standardized factor loadings of all items ranged from 0.564 to 0.997, all of which were statistically significant at p < 0.001. These findings provide support for the convergent validity of the constructs.

Thirdly, we evaluated the discriminant validity by comparing an eight-factor measurement model (including UB, VB, RB, TB, IB, ENV, POL, and PI) with alternative parsimonious models. The CFA results indicated that the eight-factor measurement model demonstrated a good fit to the data, with χ2df = 2.422, CFI = 0.928 (>0.9), IFI = 0.929 (>0.9), and RMSEA = 0.069 (<0.08). Taken together, these results provide robust evidence supporting the convergent and discriminant validity of our constructs.

4.3. Descriptive Statistics

Table 3 presents the descriptive statistics and correlations among the variables investigated in this study. The results reveal that there are negative correlations between the usage barrier and purchase intention (r = −0.443, p p p p p

4.4. Hypothesis Testing

4.4.1. Main Effects Test

To examine the proposed relationships between the three types of functional barriers, two types of psychological barriers, and EV purchase intentions, a binomial logit regression analysis was conducted using SPSS 26.0. The results are presented in Table 4. Specifically, in our approach to handling PI, the following criteria were used: If the mean of the three measurement items is less than 3, PI is assigned a value of 0. If the mean is greater than or equal to 3, PI is assigned a value of 1. Model I represents the logit regression analysis with only control variables included. Model II and Model III include independent variables and pass the Hosmer–Lemeshow test (p > 0.05). The classification percentages for Model II and Model III are 67.3 and 74.7, indicating good predictive capability. In the binomial logit regression, the OR value directly reflects the relationship between the independent variables and the dependent variable, as shown in the Exp (B) column of Table 4. In Model II, functional barriers (B = −1.09, p p > 0.1). Holding other variables constant, for each unit increase in functional barriers, the purchase intention decreases by 33.6% (Exp (−1.09)). Similarly, in Model III, usage barriers (B = −1.011, p p p p

4.4.2. Testing the Moderated Hypotheses

To investigate the moderating effect of environmental concern and incentive policies, a hierarchical linear regression analysis was conducted, and the findings are presented in Table 5. The results demonstrate that the interaction coefficient between environmental concern and functional barriers (B = −0.035, p = 0.701), as well as psychological barriers (B = −0.018, p = 0.791), was not statistically significant. Additionally, there was no significant change in the R2 value. Therefore, it can be inferred that environmental concern does not act as a moderator between functional barriers, psychological barriers, and purchase intention. Consequently, Hypotheses 3a and 3b are rejected.

On the other hand, it was observed that policy incentives have a positive moderating impact on functional barriers (B = 0.153, p = 0.066). As the extent of policy incentives increases, the inhibitory effect of functional barriers on purchase intention weakens. In simpler terms, policy incentives have the ability to alleviate consumer functional barriers and stimulate the adoption of EVs. However, the moderating effect of policy incentives on psychological barriers (B = 0.059, p = 0.378) is not statistically significant. Hence, Hypothesis 4a is supported.

To provide further evidence of the moderating effect, we plotted simple slopes to illustrate the interaction effects for low (−1 SD) and high (+1 SD) values of the moderators; the results are presented in Figure 2. It can be observed that compared with low policy incentives, the high policy incentives reduced the negative effect of functional barriers on EV purchase intention.

4.4.3. Testing the Demographic Characteristics Hypothesis

To further investigate the variations in demographic characteristics, we employed dummy variables to categorize the following variables: gender, age, education level, household disposable income, and ownership of private cars. These variables were subjected to logistic regression analysis, and the findings are outlined in Table 6. The results indicate that, compared to other age groups, consumers from Gen Y (26–35) have an Exp (0.636) − 1 = 88.9% higher intention to purchase EVs. Furthermore, the analysis also demonstrates that, compared to households without private cars, households with private cars have an Exp (0.629) − 1 = 87.6% higher probability of choosing EVs. Therefore, H5 has been partially supported.

4.4.4. Summary of the Hypotheses

In the current study, there are a total of ten hypotheses, as per the empirical insights of the current study; the data were collected from China, with the majority coming from Shanghai. After deploying the statistical techniques, the insights explain that five direct hypotheses and one moderated hypothesis are supported. Below, Table 7 explains the summary of the whole list of hypotheses.

4.5. Analysis of the Gap between Purchase Intention and Purchase Behavior

Purchase intention serves as a crucial determinant of consumers’ actual purchasing behavior. Accurately measuring purchase intention enables us to predict consumers’ actual purchase decisions. In order to assess the disparity between purchase intention and actual behavior, we employed a binomial logit regression model. We classified consumers who currently own EVs as change adopters, and those who do not own EVs as change non-adopters. The results are presented in Table 8. It can be seen that the logit regression model has passed the Hosmer–Lemeshow test (p > 0.05), and the classification percentages are 76.5% and 80.6%, indicating that the model can accurately predict the actual purchasing behavior of consumers. As shown in Table 7, functional barriers (B = −0.920, p p p p

5. Discussion

This study examines the influence of three functional barriers, two psychological barriers, environmental concern, and incentive policy on EV purchase intention. First, H1a–1c is supported, namely that usage barriers, value barriers, and risk barriers negatively affect the EV purchase intention. As a nascent sustainable transportation technology, the primary functional barrier is related to its usage. Given the distinct usage patterns from TFVs and the incorporation of numerous novel technologies, consumers possess notable concerns regarding usage barriers. The outcomes of this investigation align with previous studies [66,67], corroborating the importance of ease of use and perceived utility as critical determinants of EV purchase intention.
Second, H2a is consistent with previous studies verifying that tradition barriers negatively affect EV purchase intention [68,69]. Despite the significant environmental benefits of EVs, consumers often exhibit a long-standing preference for TFVs, posing a challenge in altering entrenched notions and habits. However, among the five barriers, the image barrier, which is a psychological barrier, does not have a negative effect on the willingness to purchase EVs. Similar results were reported by Chen et al. (2018) [68]. Two factors may underpin this outcome: (1) The incremental penetration and proliferation of EVs have fostered a heightened consumer comprehension of their capacity to safeguard the ecological environment. (2) The widespread adoption of EVs has catalyzed a positive word-of-mouth phenomenon, attenuating image barriers and dispelling consumer misconceptions.
Third, there is no moderating effect of environmental concern between functional barriers, psychological barriers, and purchase intention, demonstrating that H3a–H3b has not been proven. Newton et al. (2015) [70] proposed in their study that while environmental concern may not directly influence consumers’ purchase intentions, it can serve to enhance their awareness of the environmental implications of their buying decisions. This observation aligns with the outcomes of the article, indicating that consumers may necessitate comprehensive information and awareness to underpin their environmental evaluations of EVs available for purchase before converting their environmental concerns into intentions to make environmentally conscious purchases. Hence, these results serve as a timely reminder that when incorporating environmental concern into the IRT, it is crucial to integrate the individual’s understanding of environmental information or take into account the learning process related to environmental information [71].
Fourth, incentive policy has a positive moderating effect between functional barriers and purchase intention; therefore, H4a is established. This article confirmed the research findings by Jaiswal et al. (2021) [72] and Xue et al. (2023) [17], indicating that policy incentives exert a favorable moderating influence on purchase intentions. An intriguing revelation is that incentive policy does not impact the relationship between psychological barriers and purchase intention; therefore, H4b is rejected. The primary factor contributing to this phenomenon may be the inadequacy of existing policy incentives in meeting consumer needs effectively [50]. This insufficiency can impede the resolution of psychological barriers that consumers encounter concerning EVs, stemming from shifts in usage patterns and prevailing stereotypes [73].
]]>
347033
Swipe to Sustain: Exploring Consumer Behaviors in Organic Food Purchasing via Instagram Social Commerce https://inergency.com/swipe-to-sustain-exploring-consumer-behaviors-in-organic-food-purchasing-via-instagram-social-commerce/ Tue, 12 Mar 2024 10:48:07 +0000 https://inergency.com/swipe-to-sustain-exploring-consumer-behaviors-in-organic-food-purchasing-via-instagram-social-commerce/ Swipe to Sustain: Exploring Consumer Behaviors in Organic Food Purchasing via Instagram Social Commerce1. Introduction With its rich agricultural heritage, Iran is recognized as one of the world’s most ancient historical farming regions [1]. The economic foundation of this country is strongly dependent on agribusiness [2,3]. Iran’s agribusiness revenue is predicted to increase significantly, from USD 94.79 billion in 2024 to USD 135.70 billion in 2028 [4]. In […]]]> Swipe to Sustain: Exploring Consumer Behaviors in Organic Food Purchasing via Instagram Social Commerce


1. Introduction

With its rich agricultural heritage, Iran is recognized as one of the world’s most ancient historical farming regions [1]. The economic foundation of this country is strongly dependent on agribusiness [2,3]. Iran’s agribusiness revenue is predicted to increase significantly, from USD 94.79 billion in 2024 to USD 135.70 billion in 2028 [4]. In the fiscal year ending March 2023, Iran exported a total of USD 5.2 billion worth of agricultural products, accounting for 6.37% of its total non-oil exports [5]. Moreover, the agricultural industry constituted around 16% of Iran’s overall employment [6]. Even though this industry plays a positive role in the economic growth of this country, it has also had a number of adverse environmental consequences [7]. One of the most urgent environmental issues that Iran is currently confronting is the severe threat of soil erosion [8]. The current estimated rate of soil erosion in Iran is 16.5 tons annually, which is five times higher than the average worldwide rate [9]. Soil erosion, as defined by the food and agriculture organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN), refers to the accelerated loss of topsoil from the land’s surface via water, wind, and cultivation [10]. The process of soil erosion can be significantly contributed to and expedited through unsustainable human practices, particularly agricultural intensification, the destruction of forests, and excessive pasture usage, as well as unsustainable land use [10]. Soil erosion detrimentally affects the long-term sustainability of farmlands [11].
Fortunately, environmental concerns such as soil erosion can be effectively addressed through the implementation of organic agricultural practices [12,13,14], which is an essential component of sustainable development [15,16]. Organic-based agriculture offers solutions to the majority of challenges encountered in modern agriculture and food production, which ensures improved soil health and the sustainability of ecosystems [17,18,19]. The implementation of organic practices in the agriculture industry, which excludes the usage of synthetic fertilizers, is projected to result in a 40% reduction in nitrous oxide emissions from the soil per hectare [20]. In this regard, Skinner et al. [21] conducted experimental research in Switzerland to determine the distinctions and impacts of organic and non-organic agricultural practices. The results obtained from their investigation demonstrate that organic agricultural systems yield 40.2% less nitrous oxide emissions per hectare.
Organic foods are defined as foods and beverages that adhere to organic production regulations [19]. Iran’s primary organic food products consist of saffron, pistachios, dates, walnuts, peaches, apples, olives, pomegranates, rice, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, safflower, figs, and roses, as well as medical herbs [22]. Evidently, there has been a worldwide increase in customer demand for organic food products [23], and consumers’ environmental and health concerns have become a significant factor driving this trend [24]. However, despite the global trend towards organic food production and consumption to improve human health and sustainability, there have been no significant efforts to organize and promote organic agriculture in Iran [25].
Even though organic agriculture has made progress in Iran [22,26], it still only makes up slightly more than 0.015% of the country’s total agricultural acreage [27], which is significantly lower than the global rate of 1.6% [27]. Moreover, the current developments in Iran’s agricultural sector are still far from meeting the target set in Iran’s vision 2025, which aims to achieve a 25% compliance with organic agriculture principles [22]. One of the primary reasons for the comparatively small size of the organic food industry in developing countries, such as Iran, is the lack of readily available sales and marketing channels [28,29,30,31]. Notwithstanding these issues, organic food businesses might overcome challenges caused by limited access to conventional retail markets by expanding their operations toward social commerce marketing through social networking sites (SNS) [32,33].
Social commerce (SC) is an emerging technology within the realm of electronic commerce (e-commerce) that leverages SNS to facilitate online commerce activities and transactions [34]. The advent of SC technologies has transformed the landscape of online shopping by fostering robust connections between online businesses and their customers [35]. Meanwhile, the popularity of SNS facilitates the global expansion of SC [36], allowing customers to purchase online while also exchanging information, such as commenting on their shopping experiences and rating their overall satisfaction [37].
In 2022, the SC sector generated approximately USD 728 billion in income globally [38]. This number is anticipated to show a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 31.6% from 2023 to 2030 and reach around USD 6.2 trillion by the end of this period [38]. This figure underscores the significance of SC and emphasizes the importance of acknowledging its potential for businesses. Moreover, the crucial role of SC in promoting socio-economic stability is increasingly being recognized in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath [39,40,41]. Although there is considerable potential for the development of the organic food industry through SC platforms [42,43], there remains a lack of understanding regarding the factors that influence customers’ behaviors in relation to using such platforms for purchasing organic food products [33,42,44].
In Iran’s agribusiness sector, the intense competition in the e-commerce market and highly perishable nature of organic foods have led to the rapid growth of Instagram as an effective platform for consumers to buy organic foods [32]. Instagram is one of the most popular social networking platforms in the world, particularly among Iranian users [45,46]. In 2022, the value of SC on Instagram in Iran was estimated to be USD 84.4 million [47]. This platform was especially important to Iran’s economy during the COVID-19 pandemic [48]. Leveraging Instagram as an SC platform for marketing and selling products and services is an emerging field of knowledge [49]. Thus, given the unique characteristics and functionalities of each SNS [50], Instagram was selected for this research to minimize potential biases that may arise from choosing multiple platforms.
The unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT-2) [51] is employed as the theoretical foundation for the research model due to the fact it fulfills the underlying notion of this study, which is exploring costumers’ behavioral intentions and actual behaviors towards using Instagram’s social commerce technology for purchasing organic food products. Based on the literature reviews, the UTAUT-2 is one of the most comprehensive theories/models in the realm of individual consumer technology acceptance and usage behaviors owing to its holistic approach [52]. Moreover, UTAUT-2 has been tested in numerous studies, all of which have found it to be valid in explaining an individual’s technology adoption in consumption circumstances [53,54,55].

The primary objective of this research is to address the knowledge gap in the field of organic food marketing, with a particular emphasis on SC via the Instagram platform. Therefore, it employs a holistic approach to explore consumer trust, intentions, and behaviors towards using Instagram social commerce, while taking into account the specific context of organic food products. The results of this study will make a significant contribution to the current social commerce literature and serve as a valuable resource for future researchers studying the organic food business in Instagram social commerce settings. Moreover, the findings of this study can greatly assist organic food businesses in enhancing the purchasing experience for their customers and optimizing their SC strategies.

This article is organized as follows: It commences with a synopsis of the SC literature and organic food sector. After presenting the research hypotheses and model, the research methodology and statistical analysis results are detailed. The paper concludes with research implications, limitations, and recommendations for future studies.

2. Literature Review

SC technology is commonly regarded as an extension of e-commerce, and is enhanced through web 2.0 (internet 2.0) capabilities and facilitates more user interaction and engagement [56]. The concept of SC was first used in 2005 when Yahoo.com launched “Yahoo Shoposphere” to describe a new collaborative shopping mechanism on its webpage [57]. Four years later, Flowers.com, which was a flower and gift business, established the first Facebook-based online marketplace in 2009, which can be considered as the formal launch of SNS-based commerce [58]. Scholars from various academic disciplines, ranging from social science, ICT, and marketing to consumer behavior, have been conducting studies exploring SC technologies [59]. The early studies predominantly centered on SC inception, distinguishing features, and architectural designs [60]. The current SC literature, however, primarily investigates the related variables that impact customers’ purchasing intentions and behaviors [59].
In light of the rising popularity of SNS [61], and the growing usage of SC technologies [62], the organic food industry today has an unprecedented opportunity to develop and prosper by leveraging SNS-based SC technologies for marketing and selling their products [42,43]. However, there has been a scarcity of research that focuses on how consumers of organic food products perceive SNS-based SC as an online commerce channel for purchasing these products [33]. Furthermore, despite the vital role that consumer trust plays in SC [63], its determinants are still inadequately comprehended [64,65], especially in the Middle East’s SC sector [66].
In addition, the current literature regarding the impact of social media influencers’ (SMIs) endorsements on customers’ online purchase intentions is limited [67]. In particular, additional investigation is required to ascertain how SMIs-based marketing influences consumers’ behaviors in SC contexts [68,69]. Meanwhile, the overwhelming majority of previous studies on SMIs-based marketing have concentrated on the apparel, cosmetics, and tourism businesses [68]. Therefore, there is a need for further research into the possible effectiveness of influencer-based marketing in other sectors, including the food industry [70]. Moreover, the existing SC studies have overtly focused on customers’ purchase intentions as a proxy for their purchasing behaviors, neglecting the long-existing intention–behavior gap [71,72,73], which has limited their practical applications [74].
In order to address the aforementioned gaps, this study aims to investigate the underlying mechanisms that affect customers’ SC trust and behavioral intentions toward buying organic food products through the Instagram platform. The notion of customers’ trust is complex and has multiple aspects [63]. However, the present study concentrates specifically on the institutional dimension of trust that underlies Instagram as an SC platform. Hence, the combined questions in this research can be framed as follows: What are the determinants within the Instagram SC context that shape the customers’ SC trust and their intention to engage in purchase behaviors on this platform, and how do these determinants impact their actual purchasing behaviors?

To ensure a comprehensive examination of the research questions, this study incorporated management-, person-, and technology-related factors. This research primarily examined the phenomenon of Instagram social commerce within the organic food industry at a managerial level. The factors classified within the person-related dimension encompass SC constructs, social media influencer endorsement, social influence, SC trust, purchase intention, and purchasing behaviors. Ultimately, the technology component encompassed elements such as the platform’s accessible resources and capabilities for conducting online purchases. Accordingly, this paper explores a variety of social, technical, and socio-technical factors in an effort to develop a comprehensive framework that can be used to better understand the trust, intentions, and behaviors of the customers who employ Instagram as an SC platform for purchasing organic food products.

3. Development of Hypotheses and Research Model

Venkatesh et al. [51] define performance expectancy (PE) as practical utilities that impact an individual’s inclination to adopt new technologies. PE has been identified as an important determinant of customers’ purchase intentions in various online commerce channels, including omnichannel technology [75], fresh e-commerce platforms [76], online group buying platforms [77], and SC platforms [78]. Hence, it can be assumed that the customers’ perceptions of Instagram’s SC performance in relation to purchasing organic food products will have a direct impact on their purchase intention (PI), as well as an indirect impact on their purchasing behavior (PB) through the mediating role of PIs. Hence, the following hypotheses are formulated:
H1a. 

PE has a positive and significant effect on PI.

H1b. 

PE mediates the relationship between PI and PB.

The concept of effort expectancy (EE) describes a user’s perception that a given technology is relatively simple to learn and use [51]. EE is recognized as a key factor affecting customers’ purchase intentions across e-commerce technologies, such as online open market platforms [79], m-commerce applications [80], and SC platforms [78]. Therefore, this study postulated that consumers’ perceptions regarding Instagram’s ease of usage with regard to purchasing organic food products will significantly impact their purchase intentions, as well as their actual purchasing behaviors through the mediating role of PI. Accordingly, the following hypotheses have been developed:
H2a. 

EE has a positive and significant effect on PI.

H2b. 

EE mediates the relationship between PI and PB.

As defined by Venkatesh et al. [51], facilitating conditions (FCs) pertain to the users’ perceptions regarding the extent to which a particular technology can assist them in effectively completing specific tasks. FCs serve as a fundamental predictor within the UTAUT-2 model, influencing users’ intentions towards using new technologies [81]. It has been determined that platform-facilitated purchasing conditions favorably impact the customers’ SC-based purchase intentions [82,83]. In the context of the current research, it is essential to take into consideration the recent developments in the SC capabilities of the Instagram platform [84]. These enhancements aim to streamline customers’ online purchasing experiences [85]. Therefore, it can be expected that Instagram’s SC facilitators have a direct impact on PI, as well as an indirect impact on PB via the mediating mechanism of PI. This line of reasoning resulted in the subsequent hypotheses:
H3a. 

FC has a positive and significant effect on PI.

H3b. 

FC mediates the relationship between PI and PB.

Hedonic motivation (HM) refers to the perception of enjoyment derived from using technologies [51]. The consumers who enjoy using Instagram for SC purposes have been reported to be significantly more inclined to purchase available products [49]. In this regard, Rahman et al. [65] stated that HM positively and significantly impacts a customer’s propensity towards using SC platforms for purchasing perishable food products. Therefore, it can be anticipated that the hedonistic motives behind purchasing organic food products using Instagram social commerce directly impact customers’ purchase intentions and indirectly impact their purchasing behaviors through the mediating role of PI. The aforementioned discussion resulted in the development of following hypotheses:
H4a. 

HM has a positive and significant effect on PI.

H4b. 

HM mediates the relationship between PI and PB.

The phenomenon in which the views of their peers influence an individual’s decision to adopt and use a particular technology is known as social influence (SI) [51]. The impact of SI on customers’ purchasing intentions across different online commerce technologies has been highlighted in earlier studies [65,86]. Moreover, it has been indicated that SI has favorable influence on customers’ SC trust [87]. In this regard, Maulida et el. [88] stated that SI significantly affects customers’ trust towards SC on the TikTok platform. In addition, SI holds significant relevance in current research due to the fact that Middle Eastern nations are typically characterized as collectivist cultures [89]. As a collectivist society, the decision-making processes of the Iranian people are profoundly affected by their social circles [89,90]. In light of these considerations, this study posits that SI has a favorable influence on both PI and SCT, as well as an indirect effect on PB via two mediators: PI and SCT. Accordingly, the following hypotheses have been formulated:
H5a. 

SI has a positive and significant effect on PI.

H5b. 

SI mediates the relationship between PI and PB.

H6a. 

SI has a positive and significant effect on SCT.

H6b. 

SI mediates the relationship between SCT and PB.

Social commerce constructs (SCCs) refer to the functionalities that have been added to e-commerce platforms with the aim of enhancing their interactivity [91]. This study investigated two components of SCCs: recommendations and referrals (RERs), and ratings and reviews (RARs). These SCCs are determined to have a positive impact on customers’ SC-based purchase intentions [41]. In addition, it has been stated that SCCs can help customers to manage the overwhelming amount of information in SC platforms and focus on the appropriate products and merchants [92]. In turn, perceived knowledge develops customers’ trust towards the SC platforms being used [93]. Hence, this study hypothesized that SCCs have favorable influence on PI and SCT, as well as an indirect effect on PB via two mediators: PI and SCT. Accordingly, the following hypotheses have been developed:
H7a. 

RERshave a positive and significant effect onPI.

H7b. 

RERs mediate the relationship between PI and PB.

H8a. 

RERshave a positive and significant effect onSCT.

H8b. 

RERs mediate the relationship between SCT and PB.

H9a. 

RARshave a positive and significant effect onPI.

H9b. 

RARs mediate the relationship between PI and PB.

H10a. 

RARshave a positive and significant effect onSCT.

H10b. 

RARs mediate the relationship between SCT and PB.

Social media influencers (SMIs) are people who actively participate in creating and sharing information on their social media accounts and have become renowned for their expertise in various fields, such as fashion, beauty, fitness, and health [94]. Endorsements are widely employed by businesses as prominent SMI-based marketing strategies to promote their products [95,96,97]. A social media influencer’s endorsement (SMIE) is found to be a significant determinant of customers’ purchase intentions across online commerce technologies, including e-commerce [67], and SC platforms [88]. Moreover, there seems to be a notable correlation with consumer trust regarding SMIs and the technology that they endorse [98]. Given that Instagram is a popular platform for SMI-based marketing [96,99], this study posits that SMIEs enhance both PI and SCT. In addition, it has been stated that SMIEs have a significant impact on SC customers’ purchasing behaviors [100]. Therefore, it is expected that SMIEs will favorably affect PB both directly and indirectly through the mediating roles of two factors: SCT and PI. The aforementioned considerations resulted in the development of the following hypotheses:
H11a. 

SMIEs have a positive and significant effect on PI.

H11b. 

SMIEs mediate the relationship between PI and PB.

H12a. 

SMIEs have a positive and significant effect on SCT.

H12b. 

SMIEs mediate the relationship between SCT and PB.

H13. 

SMIEs have a positive and significant effect on PB.

Social commerce trust (SCT) refers to customers’ perceptions of the provided assistance and support on a given SC platform, which simplifies their online purchasing experience [64]. It has been argued that trust facilitates online transactions in SC settings [66,101]. Moreover, it has been stated that trust positively influences customers’ SC-based purchase behaviors [102]. Accordingly, this study proposes that SCT significantly influences PB. Hence, the hypothesis that follows was developed:
H14. 

SCThas a positive and significant effect onPB.

It has been determined that consumers’ behavioral intentions regarding using online commerce platforms play a crucial role in shaping their subsequent usage behaviors [103]. This research posits that customers’ behavioral intentions towards using the Instagram platform for purchasing organic food products significantly and positively impact their subsequent purchasing behaviors. Accordingly, the following hypothesis is proposed:
H15. 

PIhas a positive and significant effect onPB.

The credibility of the UTAUT-2 as one of the most comprehensive models for explaining the technology acceptance and usage behaviors of individual consumers [104] makes it the most suitable model for current investigation. Nevertheless, in order to further enhance the applicability of the UTAUT-2 model in the context of SC on Instagram, this study expanded it through incorporating SCCs and SMIEs as novel exogenous constructs. In addition, SCT has been introduced as an additional mediation mechanism within the UTAUT-2’s framework. This study further considers the impact of three demographic variables, namely customers’ age, gender, and frequency of using SC (SCF), in order to perform a thorough analysis and ensure that the empirical findings are not influenced by other factors. Accordingly, a thorough analysis is conducted on the paths through which consumers’ usage of Instagram social commerce is influenced by SCT, SMIEs, and PI. Throughout these interactions, various aspects are taken into account, including sociability, practicality, and the alignment between the socio-personal and technological elements. Figure 1 illustrates the model constructed for this research.

6. Discussion of Key Findings

In relation to the UTAUT-2-based factors, the results of this research indicate that facilitating conditions, hedonic motivations, and social influence all have a significant and positive impact on consumers’ purchase intentions, which in turn, indirectly influences their purchase behaviors through the mediation role of purchase intention. The study’s outcomes further demonstrate that social influence plays a significant and positive role in boosting consumers’ social commerce trust, which in turn functions as a mediating factor to indirectly affect consumers’ purchasing behaviors. This outcome is consistent with the conclusions of earlier investigations that have been carried out in the context of social commerce through social networking platforms [87,88].
Nevertheless, it was determined that neither the direct effects of performance or effort expectancies on purchase intention nor their indirect effects on purchase behavior through the purchase intention’s mediation role were statistically significant. These outcomes bring up the question of why these influential constructs in the UTAUT-2 model did not have any significant impact in the context of current investigation. One possible explanation for the obtained results is that the impact of the UTAUT-2 components is subject to variation depending on the specific conditions and populations under investigation [125]. For example, effort expectation has had a substantial impact on social commerce customers in the contexts of Sweden [126], France [127], Spain [128], and China [78], whereas its impact has not been significant in some other research populations, such as Tunisia [129], Türkiye [130], Indonesia [131], Vietnam [132], and Qatar [133]. In the scope of the current research, the possible explanation for the insignificant effects performance and effort expectancies might be that Instagram is the most popular social network site in Iran [134] and the preferred platform for social commerce [48,135]. Given these circumstances, Iranian customers may not prioritize the ease of use and social commerce performance of Instagram, as they are already familiar with it and proficient in utilizing the platform’s commercial functionalities.
Concerning the social commerce constructs, it has been found that, in contrast to recommendations and referrals, which had no significant effect on purchase intentions, the influence of ratings and reviews on customers’ purchasing intention was determined to be significant. On the other hand, customers’ social commerce trust is significantly and favorably influenced by recommendations and referrals, whereas the impact of ratings and reviews on customers’ social commerce trust was statistically insignificant. Furthermore, the mediation analysis results indicated that recommendations and referrals have a substantial and positive impact on consumers’ purchasing behavior through the mediating role of social commerce trust, whereas ratings and reviews did not have any significant indirect effect on consumers’ purchasing behaviors. These finding are especially important considering the fact that companies aim to gain a competitive edge by establishing effective social commerce constructs early on, rather than allocating their limited resources evenly across all components [136].
Based on these outcomes, recommendations and referrals from acquaintances are more valuable to social commerce customers than reviews and ratings posted by anonymous users. The potential cause for such an outcome can be the pervasive presence of misleading or deceptive ratings and reviews across online shopping platforms. Nowadays, people can easily rate a business or leave reviews regarding their previous purchasing experiences on various SNS thanks to the development of social networking technologies [84]. Meanwhile, countless companies are employing various methods for generating fake consumer reviews and display ratings submitted by consumers higher than the actual ones to increase the attractiveness or defame their competitors [137]. Online platforms’ comment sections are becoming increasingly overloaded with false reviews, leading to customer mistrust and uncertainty [138]. In such circumstances, recommendations from people they know became more valuable to Instagram’s social commerce customers than reviews and ratings posted by anonymous users.
In addition, the current research underscores the significance of influencer marketing, particularly through influencer endorsement mechanisms in the context of Instagram social commerce. The findings of this study demonstrate that customers’ intentions to purchase organic food products on Instagram and their social commerce trust are both significantly impacted by influencer endorsement. These results are consistent with the findings of several earlier investigations [67,88]. Moreover, in accordance with Fakhreddin and Foroudi [100], this study’s results revealed that the impact of influencer endorsement on social commerce consumers’ purchasing behaviors is significant. The mediation analysis outcomes further revealed that the indirect effects of influencer endorsement on customers purchasing behaviors are statistically significant. Purchase intention and social commerce trust acted as mediators for these indirect effects. This builds upon the findings of Alotaibi et al. [112], which demonstrated that influencer marketing enhances customers’ trust in Instagram social commerce along with their intentions to make purchases using the platform.
Moreover, in line with the findings of Zhao et al. [139], the current study’s results demonstrate customers’ social commerce trust significantly affects customers’ behaviors towards using this platform for the purpose of purchasing organic food products. These findings expand on the conclusions of the research conducted by Liu et al. [140], which stated that the customers’ trust in SC platforms plays a significant role in shaping their purchase intentions.
Finally, in accordance with the findings of Mutambik et al. [141] and Vatanasakdakul et al. [142], this study determined that a significant correlation exists between the customers’ behavioral intentions to use Instagram to purchase organic foods and their subsequent actual purchasing behaviors.

8. Limitations and Future Research

Despite its significant theoretical and practical implications, this research has some limitations. First of all, this study relies on the individuals’ self-reported data regarding their technology usage behavior. Although a similar approach had been employed for establishing the UTAUT-2 model, it might be ideal to assess the users using real-world behavioral data (i.e., purchasing, rating, reviews, referrals, and so on). Moreover, this study focused on the purchase intentions and behaviors of social commerce customers. This calls for an additional investigation into the customer’s whole shopping journey, including their post-purchase behaviors. Furthermore, the model developed for this research cannot be generalized to all SNS (e.g., X, Facebook, and TikTok) or product categories (e.g., everyday convenience goods, home appliances, fashion, electronics, and so on), given that each platform and product category has its own distinctive characteristics and features [50]. Hence, future studies may be required to investigate other platforms and product classes.
It has been stated that cultural background exerts a greater influence on the perceptions and behaviors of customers when using social commerce technologies [153]. This research was carried out using a sample of Iranian Instagram users involved in social commerce. Yet, the sample population’s limitations on generalization might be mitigated in future studies by using samples from other nations and/or cultural contexts and performing a cross-cultural analysis. The results of this study highlighted the substantial value of influencer endorsements in the context of social commerce on social networking platforms. Therefore, we suggest conducting additional studies in this direction in order to determine the effectiveness of other influencer marketing strategies, such as influencer affiliate marketing, influencer marketing campaigns, and guest blogging. In addition, considering the fact that the mediating effects identified in this study have been categorized as complementary partial effects, it is important to acknowledge the potential existence of additional latent variables that may influence customers’ purchasing behavior in the specific context of purchasing organic foods via the Instagram platform. This highlights the need for future research to explore these possibilities.

Lastly, this study adopted a cross-sectional design, implying that data were gathered at discrete points in time, thereby giving rise to concerns regarding the existence of cause-and-effect relationships. Further research may therefore utilize longitudinal and/or experimental methods.

]]>
344870
Colorado consumer complaints reached an all-time high in 2023, including for these 10 types of businesses https://inergency.com/colorado-consumer-complaints-reached-an-all-time-high-in-2023-including-for-these-10-types-of-businesses/ Tue, 05 Mar 2024 23:16:34 +0000 https://inergency.com/colorado-consumer-complaints-reached-an-all-time-high-in-2023-including-for-these-10-types-of-businesses/ Colorado consumer complaints reached an all-time high in 2023, including for these 10 types of businessesColoradans filed more consumer complaints in 2023 than ever before, rising above 20,000 for the first time and including problems with retail, professional services, auto sales and health care. The Colorado Department of Law received 20,390 complaints last year, an increase of 14% from 2022, according to the Colorado Attorney General’s Office. The complaints highlight […]]]> Colorado consumer complaints reached an all-time high in 2023, including for these 10 types of businesses



Coloradans filed more consumer complaints in 2023 than ever before, rising above 20,000 for the first time and including problems with retail, professional services, auto sales and health care.

The Colorado Department of Law received 20,390 complaints last year, an increase of 14% from 2022, according to the Colorado Attorney General’s Office.

The complaints highlight problems with businesses “cutting corners, putting unfair burdens on consumers and engaging in deceptive practices,” Attorney General Phil Weiser said in a news release Monday.

Weiser’s office released the 10 most common consumer complaints reported to the Colorado Department of Law in 2023, ranging from real estate to subscription problems.

“Thankfully, consumers are increasingly aware that we are there for them, and they are reporting problems to us,” Weiser said in a statement. “Complaints filed by consumers don’t just help us resolve individual consumer issues where we can do so, but they also help us protect other consumers by informing our enforcement efforts to hold bad actors accountable.”

While the attorney general’s office did not detail specific complaints in the news release, Weiser has intervened in several problems facing consumers, including social media platforms harming young people, an Aurora-based parking management company accused of collecting illegal fines and residents not receiving natural gas deliveries during the winter.

10 most common Colorado business complaints in 2023

  1. Retail sales complaints: 1,676
    People who reported retail sales issues dealt with unauthorized memberships or subscriptions and problems with delivery and canceling or terminating services.
  2. Professional services complaints: 1,076
    Consumers who file these complaints have problems with product and service warranties, business support and legal services.
  3. Automobile sales and services complaints: 986
    These complaints include concerns with automotive purchases, services, repairs and rentals.
  4. Home services and repair complaints: 973
    This category includes issues with general contracting, remodeling, heating, cooling and handyman services.
  5. Imposter scam and business impersonation complaints: 808
    Consumers reported fraudulent telephone calls, emails or text messages from people posing as government officials or a company employee and seeking payments through gift cards, wire transfers or other money services.
  6. Consumer loan and credit sales complaints: 655
    These reports fall under the Uniform Consumer Credit Code, including problems with interest rates, credit reporting and unlicensed activity such as tribal lending.
  7. Health care and medical services complaints: 630
    People reported issues with hospitals, urgent care centers, health and medical insurance companies and health practitioners. Complaints relate to quality of care, billing and coverage issues.
  8. Debt collection complaints: 627
    This category includes reports of harassment or abuse by a debt collector, disputed debt, phantom debt and unlicensed debt collection under the Colorado Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
  9. Telecommunications complaints: 582
    Consumers reported concerns with cable, television, mobile phones, internet and other bundled services.
  10. Real estate sales and services complaints: 520
    These reports include problems with renting, leasing, property management and real-estate-related activities.

Source: Colorado Attorney General’s Office

Get more Colorado news by signing up for our daily Your Morning Dozen email newsletter.

]]>
339738
Vital link in Florida Wildlife Corridor being preserved; bill adds consumer protections to PACE program | The Invading Sea https://inergency.com/vital-link-in-florida-wildlife-corridor-being-preserved-bill-adds-consumer-protections-to-pace-program-the-invading-sea/ Tue, 05 Mar 2024 12:24:22 +0000 https://inergency.com/vital-link-in-florida-wildlife-corridor-being-preserved-bill-adds-consumer-protections-to-pace-program-the-invading-sea/ Vital link in Florida Wildlife Corridor being preserved; bill adds consumer protections to PACE program | The Invading SeaA roundup of news items related to climate change and other environmental issues in Florida:  A key portion of the Florida Wildlife Corridor will remain undeveloped | WUSF Fisheating Creek (iStock image) What has been called one of the most vital “missing links” in the Florida Wildlife Corridor is going to be preserved forever. The […]]]> Vital link in Florida Wildlife Corridor being preserved; bill adds consumer protections to PACE program | The Invading Sea


A roundup of news items related to climate change and other environmental issues in Florida: 

A key portion of the Florida Wildlife Corridor will remain undeveloped | WUSF

Fisheating Creek (iStock image)

What has been called one of the most vital “missing links” in the Florida Wildlife Corridor is going to be preserved forever.

The state has agreed to protect an area along Fisheating Creek in Highlands County. It’s called the Lightsey Family Ranch, 12,085 acres that is surrounded on all sides by previously preserved lands.

Among its neighbors are Archbold Biological Station, a renowned research center, and Fisheating Creek, the only free-flowing river into Lake Okeechobee.

Read more 

Bill aims to curb ‘predatory behavior’ in controversial Florida improvement loan program | Miami Herald

Florida is on the verge of passing the strongest consumer protections in state history for a problem-plagued home loan program touted to help homeowners pay for energy efficiency projects like solar panels and hurricane protection like impact windows or new roofs.

The Property Assessed Clean Energy program — commonly known as the PACE — provides a funding option for people who don’t qualify for or want a bank loan. Instead, the often-expensive projects are paid through a lien added to the property tax bill. The program, while popular, also has drawn complaints from homeowners, critics and county tax collectors across the state who say some consumers have been left in the dark about the true cost of their projects and how the bill will be paid.

Florida’s house and senate are poised to pass bills this week addressing several of the issues consumer advocates have raised over the years, as outlined in a Miami Herald investigation last year. Some counties, including Miami-Dade, have already implemented some of these protections.

Read more 

Rockefeller scion warns of deteriorating ocean conditions during Palm Beach lecture | Palm Beach Daily News

Climate change will pummel Florida, even with the gains made by statewide marine conservation efforts, conservation philanthropist David Rockefeller Jr. said Tuesday during lecture at The Beach Club in Palm Beach.

The Rockefeller scion cited rising sea levels, ocean temperatures and agricultural runoff as especially detrimental to the state whose economy is dependent on its shorelines.

“Florida’s shoreline gross state product or GSP is over $4 trillion,” Rockefeller said during the lecture organized by the Palm Beach Civic Association. “It’s two-and-a-half times its inland economy.”

Read more 

If you have any news items of note that you think we should include in our next roundup, please email The Invading Sea Editor Nathan Crabbe at ncrabbe@fau.edu. Sign up for The Invading Sea newsletter by visiting here. 

]]>
339326
FTC and Partners Kick Off National Consumer Protection Week 2024 https://inergency.com/ftc-and-partners-kick-off-national-consumer-protection-week-2024/ Fri, 01 Mar 2024 22:21:21 +0000 https://inergency.com/ftc-and-partners-kick-off-national-consumer-protection-week-2024/ FTC and Partners Kick Off National Consumer Protection Week 2024As part of National Consumer Protection Week (NPCW), the Federal Trade Commission and its partners, including consumer organizations, national advocacy organizations, and other federal, state, and local government agencies will participate in several virtual and in-person events on issues such as avoiding scams, protecting people against identity theft, and reporting fraud for people in all communities. […]]]> FTC and Partners Kick Off National Consumer Protection Week 2024


As part of National Consumer Protection Week (NPCW), the Federal Trade Commission and its partners, including consumer organizations, national advocacy organizations, and other federal, state, and local government agencies will participate in several virtual and in-person events on issues such as avoiding scams, protecting people against identity theft, and reporting fraud for people in all communities.

During the week of March 2-8, 2024, the FTC and NCPW partners will host and participate in social media events, podcasts, webinars, and other events to help people understand their consumer rights and avoid fraud, scams, and identity theft.

All these events are open to the public and virtual, except where noted.

All Week

  • Follow the FTC on Twitter/X at @FTC and on Facebook for resources and advice on avoiding frauds and scams.
  • Listen in to The Fraudian Slip podcast. FTC staff will share information on avoiding and recovering from identity theft and new language access resources.
  • Watch the City of Palmdale’s video series featuring FTC staff on how to spot and avoid scams.

Saturday, March 2 & Sunday, March 3

Monday, March 4

  • 2pm ET: Join the FTC for a webinar on identity theft and college students. Staff will share information on how college students can avoid and recover from identity theft and free publications that can be distributed on campus.
  • In-person event 3pm ET: Join the FTC for a presentation on avoiding scams at the Anne Arundel County Library’s Severna Park Branch, located at 45 W McKinsey Rd in Severna Park, MD.

Tuesday, March 5

  • In-person event 10am – 2pm CT: Stop by the Plano Coit Station Post Office at 3400 Coit Road in Plano, TX to pick up free FTC and USPIS resources to help you spot, avoid, and recover from scams and identity theft.
  • In-person event 10am CT: Join the FTC and the City of Dallas at the West Dallas Multipurpose Center at 2828 Fish Trap Road in Dallas, TX for a discussion on how to spot, avoid, and report scams — especially those affecting older adults.
  • 10am CT:  Join the FTC, Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection, and the BBB of Chicago for a webinar focused on the top scams affecting consumers and small businesses.
  • 11:30am ET: Attend a webinar (in Spanish) with the FTC and Qualitas of Life on how small businesses and entrepreneurs can avoid scams and protect their network.

Wednesday, March 6

  • 1pm ET: Join the FTC, CFPB, and SEC for a webinar on how older adults can spot and avoid fraud.
  • 1pm ET /: Join the FTC, CFPB, Consumer Action, and other organizations for a webinar on helping diverse and multilingual communities spot, avoid, and report fraud.
  • 1pm ET: Join the FTC and IRS for a webinar on how to avoid tax-related identity theft.
  • In-person event 12pm PT: Visit with staff from the FTC’s Northwest Regional Office and the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of WA at the Spokane WA Central Library, located at 906 W Main Ave in Spokane, WA. FTC staff will distribute free publications on spotting and avoiding scams. Free materials will also be available at other Spokane County Library System locations.
  • In-person event 1pm PT: The FTC’s Northwest Regional Office is presenting fraud and identity theft prevention advice at the Orcas Island WA Senior Center, located at 62 Henry Rd in Eastsound, WA.
  • 1:30pm PT: Join the FTC for a webinar with the Bainbridge Island WA Senior Center on spotting and avoiding scams and identity theft.

Thursday, March 7

  • In-person event 10am-2pm CT: Stop by the Fort Worth Main Post Office at 4600 Mark IV Parkway in Fort Worth, TX to pick up free FTC and US Postal Inspection Service resources to help you spot, avoid, and recover from scams and identity theft.
  • 1pm ET: Join the NCPW Twitter/X chat (in Spanish) for advice on avoiding common scams with @laFTC. Follow the conversation by using the hashtag #NCPW2024.
  • 3pm ET: Join the NCPW Twitter/X chat (in English) for advice on avoiding common scams with @FTC. Follow the conversation by using the hashtag #NCPW2024.
  • 3pm ET: Join the FTC, USPIS, and AARP Fraud Watch Network for a Facebook Live conversation about veterans and fraud.
  • In-person event 6pm CT: Join the FTC and the City of Dallas at the Dallas Northwest Community Center, located at 5750 Pineland Dr in Dallas, TX, for a presentation on how recent refugees and immigrants can avoid scams. Interpreters will be available to translate the presentation into Spanish, Dari, Arabic, and Swahili, and consumer education materials will be shared in several languages.

Friday, March 8

  • 9:45am ET: Join the FTC and AARP Fraud Watch Network for a Facebook Live on the FTC’s new resources in multiple languages, in addition to English and Spanish.

For information on how to get involved, visit ftc.gov/NCPW.






]]>
336700
A Systematic Review of Pre-Post Studies Testing Behaviour Change Interventions to Reduce Consumer Food Waste in the Household https://inergency.com/a-systematic-review-of-pre-post-studies-testing-behaviour-change-interventions-to-reduce-consumer-food-waste-in-the-household/ Thu, 29 Feb 2024 00:51:00 +0000 https://inergency.com/a-systematic-review-of-pre-post-studies-testing-behaviour-change-interventions-to-reduce-consumer-food-waste-in-the-household/ A Systematic Review of Pre-Post Studies Testing Behaviour Change Interventions to Reduce Consumer Food Waste in the HouseholdCooper et al., 2023 [47] Planning, preparation, cooking, storage Theory of Planned Behaviour, Motivation Opportunity Ability Study 1:Intervention a: Information, online goal setting intervention and a salience tool (Group A + B + C)No intervention: (Group D— control group).Study 2:Online and physical intervention (Group A + C)Online only (Group B)No intervention: (Group D—control group)Random group […]]]> A Systematic Review of Pre-Post Studies Testing Behaviour Change Interventions to Reduce Consumer Food Waste in the Household


Cooper et al., 2023 [47] Planning, preparation, cooking, storage Theory of Planned Behaviour, Motivation Opportunity Ability Study 1:
Intervention a: Information, online goal setting intervention and a salience tool (Group A + B + C)
No intervention: (Group D— control group).
Study 2:
Online and physical intervention (Group A + C)
Online only (Group B)
No intervention: (Group D—control group)
Random group allocation. Two studies, both included in review.
Study 1: Intervention a: Information and goal to make a ‘bonus meal’ with ingredients in the household (Group A + B + C).
Intervention b: Increasing salience; track (Group A), collect (Group B), tag (Group C). Baseline questionnaire with intervention or no intervention, 4 follow-ups, and a longitudinal questionnaire.
Measured waste in questionnaires. Study 1:
Edible food limited to fruit, vegetables, bread/grains (drinks excluded).
Study 2: As above, plus cheese, eggs, meat, fish Study 1:
Five weeks.
Study 2:
Five weeks (Group A + B)
Three weeks (Group C). 13 weeks. One questionnaire a week.
Longitudinal questionnaire eight weeks after final follow-up. Everitt et al., 2023 [24] Planning, purchasing, preparation, storage, consuming leftovers (by increasing intention to prevent food waste, perceived behavioural control) Theory of Planned Behaviour Intervention a: Awareness and Information (Group A).
No intervention: (Group B—control group).
All agreed to be recontacted for this study after participating in van der Werf et al.’s study [48].
Random group allocation. Intervention a: Materials provided in 4 L container with information on local average value and quantity of FW, printed tools and links to website for education on improving behaviours, postcard linking wasted food and wasted money, five emails throughout intervention period. Waste audit, intervention or no intervention, follow-up waste audit.
Measured waste in garbage collection. Edible and inedible food (dairy included, other drinks excluded) Intervention a: Two weeks Longitudinal questionnaire 31 months after intervention. Gimenez et al., 2023 [33] All (by increasing awareness of own FW and reducing cognitive dissonance) Theory of Planned Behaviour, Social Practice Theory Intervention a: Information (Group A).
No intervention (Group B— control group).
Random group allocation. Intervention a: information provided online after questionnaire about FW, with the task to highlight text they agreed and disagreed with (Group A). Baseline questionnaire with intervention or no intervention, follow-up questionnaire.
Measured waste in questionnaires. Edible food (drinks included) Intervention a: Provided at single point in time Two weeks from baseline questionnaire to final questionnaire.
No longitudinal follow-up. Graham-Rowe et al., 2019 [49] All (by reducing denial of own waste) Self-affirmation theory Intervention a: Self-affirmation (Group A).
Intervention b: Integrated self-affirmation (Group B).
No intervention: (Group C— control group).
Random group allocation. Interventions a + b: shown different lists, asked to identify their most important values. These values were then tied to their perceived behavioural control over their FW, and the impacts on the environment (Groups A + B). Intervention b: shown list and also asked to evaluate why this value was important to them and how it tied in with past behaviour (Group B). Intervention c: shown same list as Intervention a and asked to instead identify the least important value. The value was then tied in with their perceived behavioural control over their FW, and with impacts of FW on the environment (Group C). Baseline questionnaire with intervention or no intervention, follow-up questionnaire.
Measured waste in questionnaires. Edible fruit and vegetables (drinks unspecified) Intervention a + b + c: Provided at single point in time One week from baseline questionnaire to final questionnaire.
No longitudinal follow-up. Pelt et al., 2020 [50] All (by increasing awareness of own FW and reducing cognitive dissonance) Theory of Planned Behaviour, Social Practice Theory Intervention a: Awareness (Group A).
Intervention b: Cognitive dissonance (Group B).
Intervention c: Information (Group C—control group).
Random group allocation. Interventions a + b + c: door-to-door pamphlet distribution. Pamphlet information on FW consequences and means to reduce it (Groups A + B + C). Intervention a: participants weighed and recorded FW in food diary, to be collected. Weighing instructions provided (Group A). Intervention b: participants asked to preach support for reducing FW, intention implementation plan, and listed recent past behaviours in opposition to this (Group B). Waste audit, door-to-door visits with Intervention a, Intervention b, or no intervention, follow-up waste audit, longitudinal waste audit.
Measured waste in garbage collection. Edible and potentially edible food (only food in solid form, drinks excluded) Intervention a: One week. Intervention b: on-the-spot activity Six weeks from baseline waste audit to final waste audit. One week between audits and intervention.
Longitudinal waste audit five weeks after intervention. Roe et al., 2022 [51] Planning, shopping, preparation, cooking, storage, consuming leftovers Theory of Planned Behaviour, Theory of Reasoned Action,
Tailored pro-environmental behaviour interventions Intervention a: App goal setting and FW coaching (Group A). Intervention b: App and unrelated coaching (Group B— control group).
Randomly allocated into groups. Intervention a: One-on-one coaching about FW, with personalised tips and ways to reduce it. Asked to set goals, and received regular reminders by email/text/call, as preferred. Provided app to record FW and instructed on its use (Group A). Intervention b: One-on-one coaching and information provided about unrelated topic matched in intensity of communication. Provided app to record FW with and instructed on its use (Group B). Training (in-person), baseline app-based FW diary, intervention or no intervention, follow-up app-based FW diary.
Measured waste in app. Edible and inedible food (drinks included) Intervention a + b: One week Two or more weeks. One baseline week followed by training, intervention and follow-up measurement week. Romani et al., 2018 [43] Food planning and preparation Theory of Planned Behaviour Intervention a: Information (Group A + C).
Control group: (Group B + D).
Solomon four-group design.
Group allocation unspecified. Intervention a: provided a printed/digital article on creating a weekly food menu, with advantages, recipes, and suggestions for family involvement.
Two groups involved in pre-test (Group A, Group B), two groups involved an intervention (Group A, Group C), four groups involved in post-test (Group A, Group B, Group C, Group D). Study 3 in larger body of research. Baseline food diary or no diary, intervention or no intervention, follow-up food diary.
Measured waste in diary. Edible food (milk and other potable dairy products included, other drinks excluded) Intervention a: Provided at single point in time Four weeks from pre-test to post-test diary. One week between diaries and intervention.
No longitudinal follow-up. Schmidt 2016 [52] All Integrative influence model of pro-environmental behaviour Intervention a: Commitment and goal setting (Group A). No intervention: (Group B— control group).
Randomly allocated into groups (restricted block formation) Intervention a: provided five behavioural suggestions to reduce FW on an online platform, personalised with prior self-reported behaviour in baseline questionnaire. Then, presented with a public commitment and goal-setting measure and asked to rate willingness to follow recommendation (Group A). Baseline assessment, intervention or no intervention, follow-up assessment, longitudinal post-test assessment.
Measured performance of waste-causing/waste-reducing behaviours. Edible food (drinks unspecified) Intervention a: Four weeks (roughly), commencing at varying points in time Seven months from baseline assessment to second assessment.
Two months of recruiting and pre-test, another two between end of recruitment and intervention, approximately four before post-test assessment.
Eight weeks after the intervention, a third assessment was undertaken, with low uptake. Shu et al., 2021 [53] Planning, storage, preparation, consuming leftovers Unspecified Intervention 1a: FW awareness (Group A).
Intervention 1b: Food awareness (Group B—control group).
Intervention 2a: Information on financial impact of food waste (Group C).
Intervention 2b: Information on unrelated topic (Group D—control group).
Randomly allocated into groups (data missing, presumed Intervention 2 allocated independently to Intervention 1 allocation) Intervention 1a: Asked to pay attention to FW for the week preceding first FW measurement (Group A).
Intervention 1b: Asked to pay attention to food in household for week preceding first FW measurement (Group B).
Intervention 1 (a + b): In first questionnaire measuring FW, participants were provided instructions on how to estimate it based on size of their own hand (i.e., size of thumb, palm, fist).
Intervention 2a: Information provided about environmental impact of FW (Group C).
Intervention 2b: Information provided about unrelated topic (Group D—quasi-control). Pre-study communication, baseline questionnaire with intervention or control message with training, follow-up questionnaire with intervention or control message, longitudinal questionnaire.
Measured waste in questionnaires after prior notice to monitor FW. Edible food (drinks included) Intervention a: One week. Intervention b: On-the-spot message Baseline questionnaire, one week before follow-up questionnaire, longitudinal questionnaire. Shu et al., 2023 [54] Storage Unspecified Intervention a + c: FW awareness and storage information (Group A).
Intervention b + c: FW awareness and storage and composting information (Group B)
Intervention c: FW awareness (Group C—control group)
No intervention: (Group D—control group).
Allocated into groups A + B + C based on household location in city district and waste collection day. Allocated into group D based on household location outside of district and part of national control. Intervention a: Information on storage and offered storage containers (Group A + B).
Intervention b: Information on storage and compost and offered composting tools (Group B).
Intervention c: Information on FW prevention and diversion via community-based communication (Group A + B + C). Baseline questionnaire, group-specific questions, intervention, follow-up questionnaire.
Measured waste in garbage collection, on a community level (all) and household level (additional consent). Edible food (drinks included) Intervention a + b: One month.
Intervention c:
Three months. Baseline questionnaire, one week before follow-up questionnaire. Soma et al., 2020 [55] Planning, shopping, cooking, storage, consuming leftovers (by increasing awareness of own waste, education on date labels) Expanded Theory of Planned Behaviour Intervention a: Information (Group A).
Intervention a + b: Information and gamification (Group B).
Intervention a + c: Information and community workshops (Group C).
No Intervention (Group D—control group).
Group allocation unspecified. Intervention a: Information booklet on FW consequences and reduction strategies. Provided fridge magnet as prompt, and newsletters via mail or email with tips (Group A + B + C).
Intervention b: Information plus an online quiz about FW using gamification techniques (Group B).
Intervention c: Information plus community workshops with group activities, discussions, resources and prizes (Group C). Waste audit, baseline questionnaire (in person), intervention or no intervention, follow-up questionnaire (online, over phone, or by mail), follow-up waste audit, (n.b. follow-up focus groups).
Measured waste in garbage collection. Edible and inedible food (dairy and non-dairy drinks included) Intervention a: Provided at single point in time. Intervention b + c: 12 weeks. 12 or more weeks. One week for waste audit, 12 weeks between baseline questionnaire and follow-up questionnaire, one week for follow-up waste audit. Recruitment window unspecified. (N.b. three between follow-up audit and focus group discussions). van der Werf et al., 2021 [48] Planning, purchasing, preparation, storage, consuming leftovers (by increasing intention to prevent food waste, perceived behavioural control) Theory of Planned Behaviour Intervention a: Awareness and Information (Group A). No intervention: (Group B—control group).
Randomly allocated into groups (with minor modification for practicality). Intervention a: Materials provided in 4 L container with information on local average value and quantity of FW, printed tools and links to website for education on improving behaviours, postcard linking wasted food and wasted money, 5 emails throughout intervention period. Waste audit, intervention or no intervention, follow-up waste audit.
Measured waste in garbage collection. Edible and inedible food (dairy included, other drinks excluded) Intervention a: Two weeks Five weeks from baseline audit to final waste audit. One week for audit, one week before intervention, one week for follow-up waste audit. van Herpen et al., 2023 [56] All Motivation Opportunity Ability Intervention a: Tools (Group A)
Intervention b: Norms (Group B).
Randomly allocated into groups. Intervention a: Tools provided including shopping list notepad, stickers, measuring cup, app, leaflets, recipe cards, fridge thermometer (Group A + B)
Intervention b: Motivational messaging with social norms (Group B). Questionnaire, intervention, follow-up questionnaire. Two weeks. One month from baseline to follow-up measure. Wharton et al., 2021 [57] Purchasing, cooking, storage (by information, education on date labels) Theory of Planned Behaviour Intervention a: Information (Group A).
No group allocation. Intervention a: Provided with information and tools to prevent FW. Weekly themed modules on household food management framed by impact on health, finances, and the environment. Participants trained in-person to weigh and log FW in a standardised way on a provided logbook (hard copy or digital), and provided printed instructions, 3.8 L buckets and a digital scale. Training and assessment (in person), baseline questionnaire, baseline FW log, intervention with weekly FW log, follow-up FW log, follow-up questionnaire, assessment (in person), (n.b. semi-structured interviews).
Waste collected and weighed on scales. Edible food (drinks excluded) Five weeks Seven or more months. Four months of recruitment, seven weeks from baseline to final week. One week for baseline measure, five weeks for intervention, one week for follow-up measure. Young et al., 2017 [58] Planning, purchasing, cooking, consuming Social influence theory Intervention a: Social influence (Group A). Intervention b: Information 1 (Group B).
Intervention c: Information 2 (Group C).
No intervention: (Group D—quasi-control group).
Group allocation dependent on self-reported prior awareness of intervention materials. Not discrete groups. Intervention a: Leftovers campaign on supermarket’s Facebook asking customers to submit their favourite recipes, provided link to tips from WRAP, promote discussion. Intervention b: Supermarket magazine (available in store and online, and distributed widely) featuring tips on reducing FW and recipes for commonly wasted foods. Intervention c: Supermarket e-newsletter (distributed widely) discussed using leftovers and provided link to Intervention a social media campaign, encouraging customers to take part. Provided storage tips and a link for purchase. Baseline questionnaire, intervention, follow-up questionnaire, longitudinal questionnaire.
Measured performance of waste-causing/waste-reducing behaviours. Edible food (drinks included) Intervention a: published once, available digitally on social media page. Intervention b: published once, circulated once digitally and available in store. Intervention c: published once, circulated once digitally and available in store. Six or more months. One month from baseline questionnaire to intervention. Follow-up questionnaire two weeks after intervention.
Longitudinal questionnaire five months after intervention.
]]>
334864
Affordable Broadband: FCC Could Improve Performance Goals and Measures, Consumer Outreach, and Fraud Risk Management https://inergency.com/affordable-broadband-fcc-can-improve-performance-goals-and-measures-consumer-outreach-and-fraud-risk-management/ Sat, 24 Feb 2024 03:18:15 +0000 https://inergency.com/affordable-broadband-fcc-can-improve-performance-goals-and-measures-consumer-outreach-and-fraud-risk-management/ Affordable Broadband: FCC Could Improve Performance Goals and Measures, Consumer Outreach, and Fraud Risk ManagementWhat GAO Found The Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Affordable Connectivity Program offers eligible low-income households discounts on the cost of their broadband service and certain devices. FCC reimburses participating internet service providers for providing these discounts. Since launching, the program has grown to include over 14-million subscribers. FCC Affordable Connectivity Program’s Subscribers, May 2021–September 2022 […]]]> Affordable Broadband: FCC Could Improve Performance Goals and Measures, Consumer Outreach, and Fraud Risk Management


What GAO Found

The Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Affordable Connectivity Program offers eligible low-income households discounts on the cost of their broadband service and certain devices. FCC reimburses participating internet service providers for providing these discounts. Since launching, the program has grown to include over 14-million subscribers.

FCC Affordable Connectivity Program’s Subscribers, May 2021–September 2022

FCC Affordable Connectivity Program's Subscribers, May 2021–September 2022

FCC established some performance goals and measures for the program. However, the goals and measures do not fully align with key attributes of effective performance management. For example, FCC’s goals and measures lack specificity and clearly defined targets, raising questions about how effective these goals and measures will be at helping FCC gauge the program’s achievements and identify improvements.

FCC has also engaged in various outreach efforts to raise ACP’s awareness and translated its outreach materials into non-English languages to reach eligible households with limited-English proficiency. However, GAO reviewed a selection of these materials and the process to translate them and found that they did not fully align with leading practices for consumer content or for developing translated language products. For example, the translations’ quality varied due to lack of clarity and incompleteness. Also, FCC’s translation process lacked elements that can have improved the materials, such as testing with the target audience. FCC has also not developed a plan to guide its overall outreach efforts. Quality translations are key to informing eligible households with limited-English proficiency, which may include communities FCC has indicated are important to reach. A comprehensive plan to guide its outreach efforts might help ensure funds dedicated to outreach are used most effectively.

FCC has taken steps to manage fraud risks in the program, but FCC’s efforts do not fully align with selected leading practices in GAO’s Fraud Risk Framework. For example, FCC has conducted a fraud risk assessment but has not developed an antifraud strategy to address the identified risks. It also has not developed a process to conduct such risk assessments regularly. Further, FCC has not developed processes to monitor certain antifraud controls. GAO identified weaknesses in these controls, including potential duplicate subscribers, subscribers allegedly receiving fixed broadband at PO Boxes and commercial mailboxes, and subscribers with broadband providers’ retail locations as their primary or mailing addresses. Without regular fraud risk assessments, an antifraud strategy, and sufficient monitoring of controls, FCC may not be able to effectively prevent and detect fraud in this over $14 billion program.

Why GAO Did This Study

Broadband, or high-speed internet, is critical since everyday activities increasingly occur online, as highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet the inability to afford broadband presents barriers to access for some and contributes to the gap between those with and without access, known as the “digital divide.” As required by statute, FCC launched the Affordable Connectivity Program in December 2021 to help low-income households afford broadband, building from FCC’s May 2021 launch of the predecessor Emergency Broadband Benefit program.

GAO was asked to review FCC’s implementation of the program. This report assesses FCC’s program efforts in: (1) establishing performance goals and measures, (2) conducting outreach, and (3) managing fraud risks. GAO reviewed program documentation, including outreach materials translated into five non-English languages; analyzed enrollment data from May 2021 to September 2022; interviewed FCC officials; and compared FCC’s efforts in each area to applicable leading practices identified in prior GAO work or other federal sources.

]]>
331102
Brand Love, Attitude, and Environmental Cause Knowledge: Sustainable Blue Jeans Consumer Behavior https://inergency.com/brand-love-attitude-and-environmental-cause-knowledge-sustainable-blue-jeans-consumer-behavior/ Fri, 23 Feb 2024 11:46:29 +0000 https://inergency.com/brand-love-attitude-and-environmental-cause-knowledge-sustainable-blue-jeans-consumer-behavior/ Brand Love, Attitude, and Environmental Cause Knowledge: Sustainable Blue Jeans Consumer Behavior1. Introduction The environmental impacts of the fashion industry are widespread and significant, as the industry is a heavy water consumer (approximately 79 trillion liters per year), producing 8 to 10 percent of the global CO2 emissions and large amounts of textile waste, most of which ends up in landfills or is incinerated, including unsold […]]]> Brand Love, Attitude, and Environmental Cause Knowledge: Sustainable Blue Jeans Consumer Behavior


1. Introduction

The environmental impacts of the fashion industry are widespread and significant, as the industry is a heavy water consumer (approximately 79 trillion liters per year), producing 8 to 10 percent of the global CO2 emissions and large amounts of textile waste, most of which ends up in landfills or is incinerated, including unsold products [1].
In addition to being globally popular, blue jeans are associated with somewhat problematic sustainability and social responsibility issues [2]. The traditional jeans production process uses excessive amounts of water, chemicals, and energy, thereby generating a negative impact regarding the carbon footprint [3]. In order to remove excess dyes and achieve the desired color, blue jeans are washed at least twice before being sold; globally, approximately 3% of the water used in agriculture goes into cotton production [4] to produce more than 2 billion units per year [5]. Another factor contributing to environmental degradation comprises the chemical products used throughout the production process (from insecticides and pesticides), even in cotton production, which accounts for 2.4% of the world’s arable land use; other chemicals are used to dye and paint the jeans, which have a significant environmental impact if not properly handled and disposed of in the environment [6].
Over the past decade, growing awareness of environmental issues and increased consumption have encouraged apparel brands to adopt practices that cause less environmental damage and incorporate social sustainability practices into their operations and value chain management strategies [7]. Many brands have started adopting sustainability strategies and policies to integrate such concepts and improve their image [8]. Some have started to introduce and create sustainable extensions [9]; the examples include H&M, Zara, Pull & Bear, and C&A, who have launched sustainable lines with items made from recycled and organic materials. The blue jeans market has also adapted to the new sustainability paradigm, developing substitutes for toxic chemicals, introducing resource-saving technologies, and generally applying sustainability practices and new developments in jeans supply chains, from raw material selection to the reuse of used clothing [10,11].
In recent years, there has been an increase in the research on consumers’ awareness and adoption of sustainable clothing behaviors [12]. An increasing number of consumers advocate purchasing sustainable fashion products to meet their psychological needs, reflecting their attitudes toward equality and sustainability. Consumers are increasingly aware of sustainability [13] and are demanding that companies take action. However, they often need to be made aware of their responsibilities and the impact of their consumption [14].
Consumers who tend to buy products from fast fashion brands prefer low prices, and according to Mandarić et al. [15], buying clothes from sustainable brands is generally not dominant in consumers’ behavior, although they show concerns about climate change and pollution; they also believe that their conscious consumption has a positive impact on the environment, although it does not yet influence their purchasing decisions when buying clothes—showing an attitudinal behavior gap [16]. In fact, consumers who are more concerned about environmental issues have the ability to choose between greener and more traditional products [17]; however, despite growing concern about fashion brands’ unethical practices, this concern is not always reflected in their behavior [18].
Consumers are often skeptical of marketing campaigns in which companies claim to be sustainable and admit that they may benefit economically from doing so; in fact, some companies advertise products as green or organic when only one element of the production process meets this claim [19]. Despite the still low levels of sustainable fashion purchasing, more and more consumers are questioning the impact of their clothing purchases [20]. This suggests that brands should provide transparent information about the sustainability impacts of their products; however, these products should remain relatively similar in style, quality, and price to conventional products to facilitate consumer choice and encourage sustainable purchasing [21].
One barrier to purchasing sustainable clothing is the need for more options; as companies work to provide more sustainable options, consumer perceptions of sustainable products compared to similar conventional offerings are changing dynamically and must be considered by brands [22]. According to Kim et al. [8], brand extensions are the application of an established brand name to new products in order to capitalize on the heritage of the original brand and capture new market segments. The inclination to accept offers for items in a sustainable brand extension can be facilitated if the consumer feels love for the brand and is loyal to it; brand love, the most intense relationship between a consumer and a brand, strengthens brand loyalty [23]. The main positive effects of brand love are brand loyalty, positive word-of-mouth, and willingness to pay a higher price [23,24].
Although there is evidence that a company’s sustainability can affect its image, the impact of sustainable lines on brand image has yet to be determined; Hill and Lee [25] argue that the literature lacks consumer perceptions of fashion brands’ sustainable actions, making it difficult to develop effective marketing strategies when launching these products. The motivation to focus this study on the product category of blue jeans stems from the recognition of the significant impact on the environment, given the intensive use of materials, methods, and industrial processes with high ecological impact, on the one hand, and taking into account studies that suggest the development of research based on models centered on brand love (e.g., [26]), incorporating dimensions that can help better understand the determinants of behaviors such as those mentioned above, namely in the Portuguese sustainable blue jeans clothing market.

Therefore, in order to address the aforementioned gap, this article proposes the following questions. Focusing on blue jeans brands, will consumer loyalty to sustainable blue jeans extension lines, possibly at a higher price, be facilitated and encouraged if the potential buyer loves and is loyal to the brand on the one hand and is sensitive to the environmental cause on the other? Is brand identification with the jeans’ consumer (self-expressive brand) a determinant of brand love? Do consumer love and loyalty for jeans brands induce positive word-of-mouth? Are sustainability-oriented consumers more willing to pay a premium for items from sustainable lines of jeans brands?

In this context, the next section examines the relationship between brand love and consumers’ environmental knowledge and consumer behavior, particularly in terms of the willingness to pay a premium for sustainable jeans and to positively recommend the brand to others. The next section also develops hypotheses to test in this study.

2. Theoretical Background and Hypothesis Development

Brand love is a concept that has been widely researched and discussed in recent years and is related to the holistic and hedonic proposition of the brand, which ultimately leads to purchases [27]. However, brand love creates a deeper connection between the customer and the brand [28]. The difference between someone who likes a particular brand and someone who loves the same brand lies in their personal experience, which is known as their brand experience, a concept correlated to both feelings; therefore, brand love not only represents a more intense feeling than liking but also has different theoretical concepts [28]. According to Gumparthi and Patra [29], brand love results from “passionate feelings and emotional attachments that satisfied consumers have for brands”.
Carroll and Ahuvia [27] define brand love as the degree of passionate, emotional involvement a satisfied consumer has with a particular brand; brand love includes passion for the brand, attachment to the brand, a positive evaluation of the brand, and positive emotions in response to the brand. These authors introduced the construct of brand love separately from interpersonal theories as a combination of interrelated behavioral, cognitive, and affective processes; they also emphasized the integration of self-expression to explain brand love (positive effect), as well as the effects of hedonic products on brand love (positive effect) and brand loyalty (negative effect).
Carroll and Ahuvia [27] also make a distinction between brand love and brand satisfaction. First, brand love has a much stronger affective focus. At the same time, satisfaction is a specific result of a transaction; brand love is often the result of a long-term relationship between the consumer and the brand. In contrast to satisfaction, brand love requires no expectations (the consumer knows what to expect from the brand), involves a willingness to express love, and involves the integration of the brand into the consumer’s identity—none of which are prerequisites for satisfaction. Both the brand and the consumer interact on several levels, from the most superficial to the deepest; the latter involves a high degree of passion and emotional attachment, which can be considered brand love [27,30,31]. Consumers love a fashion brand because of the passion it inspires in them; fashion brands seek to capture and attract markets of young consumers who want to express themselves through fashion, who in turn can pass on positive feedback to other consumers [32].
Carroll and Ahuvia [27] developed a ten-item scale to measure brand love, focusing on passion, involvement, positive evaluations of the brand, positive emotions in response to the brand, and declarations of love for the brand, combining these individual components into a unidimensional construct. This approach has been criticized because several researchers consider brand love to be multidimensional [33]. Despite this criticism, Carroll and Ahuvia’s [27] concept is the most widely applied in the literature. Bagozzi et al. [26] also developed a brand love scale based on qualitative studies conducted by Batra et al. [23], which identified characteristics of brand love experienced by consumers, namely related to brand love itself and its consequences (brand loyalty, positive word-of-mouth, resistance to negative information, and willingness to pay a premium).
Identification with a brand is a determinant of the brand [24,34] and may be more significant the more closely it is linked to the consumer’s self-concept [35]. To achieve their identity goals, consumers use brands to create and represent self-images and to present these images to others or to themselves [35]. Thus, the relationship between the brand and the consumer captures an essential part of the consumer’s construction of the self. Therefore, the primary dependent variable in our studies measures the extent to which consumers incorporate the brand into their self-concept. In addition to their role in the construction of the self, brands help individuals convey a particular image to others [24]. Carroll and Ahuvia [27] conclude that the consumers’ love should be greater for brands that play a significant role in shaping their identity; therefore, they define a self-expressive brand by consumers’ perceptions of the degree to which a given brand enhances their social self and reflects their inner self, thereby postulating the hypothesis that is also replicated in the present work:
Hypothesis H1:

Self-expressive brands have a positive association with brand love.

As Bagozzi et al. [26] point out, not all people have a strong love for some brands, nor are all brands likely to evoke feelings of love in consumers—known as neutral or low-love brands. However, an empirical study of neutral brands by Batra et al. [23] found that 80% of the sample expressed at least some love for a brand, which was found to be predictive of brand loyalty and positive word-of-mouth. This finding suggests that even in the case of brands with low or moderate involvement, where it is unrealistic to admit to much love for the brand, some love can still be helpful [36]; brand love is a predictor of relevant consequences—such as loyalty, positive word-of-mouth, and willingness to pay a premium for branded products—and several authors emphasize the relevant role of brand love in developing and maintaining the relationship between the consumer and the brand [34,37,38].
Brand loyalty describes the desire to maintain a long-term relationship with the brand [39]. According to Chaudhuri and Holbrook [40], loyalty is a combination of underlying behavioral, cognitive, and affective processes; for these authors, brand trust and affection are essential determinants of brand loyalty. Brand loyalty can be defined as conative loyalty [41], that is, the degree to which the consumer is committed to repurchasing the brand. Based on the assumption that the brand represents subjective value to the consumer, they view loyalty as a commitment, determination, and a desire to continue the relationship with the brand [40].
Authors such as Albert et al. [42] argue that brand love influences brand loyalty. Sarkar [43] states that the relationship with passion determines the repurchase intention and that romantic brand love shapes behavioral brand loyalty. The links between passion, commitment, and brand loyalty show a possible relationship between brand loyalty and brand love [44]. Brand loyalty can result from brand love [27,39,45].
Carroll and Ahuvia [27] define positive word-of-mouth as the degree to which consumers are willing to spread positive and complimentary messages about a brand. Satisfied consumers who also love the brand are more likely to repurchase and are more likely to spread the “good word” to others [27]. Positive word-of-mouth can be understood as an outcome of a consumer’s relationship with a brand [32] and includes making others aware of doing business with a company or store, making positive recommendations about a company to others, or praising a company’s quality orientation [46,47].
A price evaluation is a crucial influence on consumer behavior (price-related or behavioral intentions); a fair price predicts the consumer’s willingness to pay for it [48]. In the literature, the research has focused heavily on analyzing customers’ willingness to pay as a key behavioral intention (e.g., [49]). The willingness to pay a premium can be seen as the willingness to remain a brand customer in case of an increase in the company’s price level compared to other brands [48,50]. On the other hand, several studies refer to the willingness to pay more for a product as a result of the development of brand love (e.g., [51]) because the consumer sees the brand as unique and without alternatives or because they want to continue to feel the emotions that the brand gives them. Brand loyalty also influences behaviors such as positive word-of-mouth [36,52] and willingness to continue buying the brand even after a price increase [24,45,53,54], while mediating the relationship between brand love and these behaviors [24]. In light of these considerations, this study proposes the below hypotheses.
Hypothesis H2:

Brand love is positively associated with positive word-of-mouth (H2a), brand loyalty (H2b), and willingness to pay a premium (H2c).

Hypothesis H3:

Brand loyalty is positively associated with positive word-of-mouth (H3a) and willingness to pay a premium for sustainable jeans (H3b).

The results of a study by Hill and Lee [25] show the influence of knowledge about the environmental cause on the evaluation of sustainable brands (or those that offer consumers sustainable line extensions). The study concludes that consumers perceive sustainable products as a fit for fashion apparel brands based on their prior knowledge of the brand, on the one hand, and their commitment to the environmental cause, on the other.
Consumers who are more knowledgeable about sustainability issues, namely the environmental cause, tend to develop favorable attitudes toward sustainable brands [55,56] and recognize the suitability of sustainable brand extensions [25], thereby influencing the purchasing of sustainable brand items [57,58,59]. Hill and Lee [25] highlight the relationship between environmental cause knowledge and consumer behavior in terms of willingness to pay a premium for sustainable items. On the other hand, it is reasonable to assume that knowledge or ignorance of sustainable alternatives to blue jeans affects consumer behavior [60]. Therefore, the below hypothesis is proposed.
Hypothesis H4:

Knowledge of the environmental cause is positively associated with the willingness to pay a premium for sustainable jeans.

Gender is a commonly considered variable in marketing; it is reasonable that consumers are not treated as a homogeneous segment, as there are several differences in terms of gender [61]. For example, the literature states that male consumers are more likely to take risks than women [62], which indirectly shows a high level of commitment and brand loyalty in women [63,64]. However, women are more likely to make impulse purchases than men [65] and report more hedonic aspects, such as emotional arousal (for example, brand love) [66]. In this respect, the levels of brand love and loyalty tend to be generally higher among women, which will positively influence their willingness to pay more for sustainable products and to spread the good word about their preferred brands to others. Age is also a characteristic that can explain different consumer attitudes and behaviors and brand loyalty. Younger consumers are generally more open to new brands because they value innovation and are less loyal to existing brands. It is possible that newer brands will have a younger consumer profile and established brands will have older consumers; on the other hand, younger consumers have less purchasing power, which will affect their willingness to pay a premium, especially for sustainable clothing, even if they value ethical consumption. In any case, the relationships between age, the brand, and sustainable consumption are not sufficiently considered in the literature [67].
Several authors recognize that gender and education level can create differences in behaviors related to clothing consumption, namely ethical or sustainable consumption [68,69]. Chen et al. [70] report that women are more likely to be involved in ethical consumption, receive information about ethical consumption from others (more about fashion), and feel good about being an ethical consumer. A quantitative study by De Wagenaar et al. [71] of more than 500 consumers found that women owned more clothes than men in all categories of the study (total number of clothes, including unused and used); in the same study, consumers aged over 30 owned more clothes, while those under 20 and over 51 owned more unused clothes. A study by DeLong and Bang [72] concluded that baby boomer women (members of the generation over 58) seek more mature and timeless clothing, although the same is true for younger generations, as both are influenced by an environmentally conscious culture (leading to more sustainable clothing consumption). A study by O’Cass [73] concluded that women are significantly more involved in clothing fashion than men; the same is true for young consumers compared to older ones. Pauluzzo and Mason [74], on the other hand, looked at generation Y consumers or millennials (members of the consumer generation born between 1980 and 1995), who are said to be the ones who consume the most fast fashion products (still accepted as the social norm), discarding used clothing more frequently and without considering sustainable ways of doing so. However, they acknowledge that millennials are aware of the social and environmental impacts of clothing consumption and are willing to pay more for sustainable products, which is perplexing because these attitudes and intentions do not translate into actual behavior in the same way. In addition, younger consumers are more likely to value constant change and are more prone to impulse buying [75]. Higher levels of education may also positively influence sustainable purchasing behavior [76]. A study by Rahim et al. [77] found significant differences in consumer behavior for sustainable products but did not find them in age or education level.
In the literature review conducted for this study, there was an apparent lack of studies on the possible association of sociodemographic characteristics (gender, age, generational group, education level) with the behavior of consumers of sustainable clothing, especially in terms of the propensity to give positive word-of-mouth reviews and pay a premium for this type of item, providing opportunities for future research [78].
Figure 1 illustrates the conceptual model explored in this paper, highlighting the relationships between the constructs described above.

5. Discussion

The results began with a general description of the sample, whose respondents were mostly young, active women with higher education, as well as their habits, which showed that most consumers buy blue jeans with some frequency (more than three pairs in two years) and mainly in retail stores. They also confirmed that identification, measured by the self-expressive brand variable (AEB), has a positive association with brand love (BLO), which is in line with the literature [24,27,34,35]. The results obtained with AEB showed that the dimension of consumer identification with the brand, i.e., the extent to which consumers incorporate their favorite jeans brand into their self-concept, is not particularly strong (M = 2.64), except for the consideration that this brand contributes to their image (thereby showing social concern). These scores were lower than those obtained for the brand love variable, which also occurred in the study by Carrol and Ahuvia [27]. At first glance, this result might suggest that identification is not as strong a determinant of brand love in this case as might be expected—perhaps because blue jeans are seen more as a utilitarian product and less as a form of self-expression. In any case, identification was well correlated with brand love, with an overall effect of 0.50, as measured by the structural equation model, consistent with the findings from other comparable studies [24,27].

Brand love was one of the highest scoring variables in this study (M = 3.94), suggesting that blue jeans brands do indeed evoke such feelings. This was likely the result of considering brand love a unidimensional construct, although there are other individual dimensions of brand love that were not addressed in this study (e.g., the hedonic versus utilitarian nature of the product and trust in the brand).

The model also shows that brand love is positively associated with positive word-of-mouth (consistent with [27,46,47]) and the willingness to pay a premium for sustainable blue jeans (consistent with [48,50,51]). This association between brand love and positive word-of-mouth is comparable to the results obtained by Albert and Merunka [24] and Carrol and Ahuvia [27]. The effect obtained from brand love on willingness to pay a premium was lower than that recorded for positive word-of-mouth and lower than that obtained by Albert and Merunka [24]. In part, this effect can be attributed to the fact that the sample was Portuguese, with an average age of 30, which was lower than the sample in Albert and Merunka’s [24] study, which was composed of French participants with an average age of 36. On the one hand, it might be expected that younger consumers might be less willing to pay more and that Portuguese consumers might have less purchasing power than French consumers. On the other hand, it is possible that consumers who are not aware of sustainable alternatives to blue jeans brands are not particularly motivated to spread the word or even to pay more for sustainable jeans; since more than half of the sample had this status, this justification is plausible and is reflected in the differences reported in Table 7 (participants who are aware of sustainable alternatives always show higher values than those who are not aware for all independent and dependent variables). Consistent with several authors (e.g., [27,38,39,44,45,54]), loyalty was positively associated with brand love, positive word-of-mouth, and willingness to pay a premium for sustainable jeans [24].

The environmental cause knowledge (ECK) variable was meant to measure the respondents’ level of knowledge about environmental sustainability issues in order to analyze whether this dimension is related to their willingness to pay a premium for sustainable blue jeans. The sample scored above average for this variable, indicating that most participants in the study identified with the cause. However, it is important to note that 57.2% of the sample did not know if their favorite jeans brand offered sustainable clothing. This finding suggests the need for caution in interpreting the results; on average, we are dealing with a consumer who claims to be concerned about the environment but in practice does not know about (or has little interest in knowing if there are) sustainable product alternatives. The test of differences between those who know and those who do not know about sustainable alternatives to jeans showed that the level of awareness of the environmental issue was significantly higher among consumers who knew about alternatives, which can be understood if one assumes that if consumers are more aware of the issue, they will look for sustainable products or pay more selective attention to them; consequently, they will be more willing to pay a premium for them. However, the results showed that ECK had a positive but very marginal relationship with this aspect.

Regarding gender, only females had higher scores than males for all variables, which was consistent with the expectations reported in the literature [66,68,69], although not significant. Regarding education levels, the literature does not provide much guidance on what to expect, other than that there will be positive differences in the propensity to value the purchasing of sustainable products. In this study, a single significant difference was found in terms of education level, as consumers with higher education levels were also more willing to pay a premium for sustainable blue jeans than their counterparts, a result also previously reported by several authors [68,69,76], although in the absence of other differences, the results were closer to Rahim et al. [77], who found no significant differences in consumer behavior toward sustainable products, namely in terms of age or education level. However, members of generation Z were found to be more willing to pay a premium for sustainable blue jeans than millennials. This result is in line with Pauluzzo and Mason [74], in that millennials claim to be aware of environmental issues and willing to support them and pay more for sustainable products, although this is not reflected in the actual behavior of these consumers.

6. Conclusions

The work carried out in this study allowed us to find a model that fit the data for 978 respondents to verify the results reported in the literature among Portuguese consumers of blue jeans, namely the positive associations of identification with brand love; of brand love with brand loyalty, positive word-of-mouth, and willingness to pay a premium for sustainable blue jeans; and of knowledge of the environmental cause with willingness to pay a premium for sustainable blue jeans. It was also concluded that there were no significant gender differences in terms of positive word-of-mouth and willingness to pay a premium for sustainable blue jeans. Members of generation Z and consumers with higher education levels are more willing to pay a premium for sustainable blue jeans than their counterparts.

It was also found that consumers who were aware of sustainable blue jeans alternatives from their preferred brands had significantly higher scores for all variables in the model, suggesting that this awareness may be associated with greater knowledge of the environmental cause, which is critical in explaining the greater levels of identification, brand love, and brand loyalty, and the resulting intention to spread the good word and willingness to pay a premium for sustainable blue jeans.

The positive impacts of brand love on brand loyalty, word-of-mouth, and willingness to pay a price premium was further acknowledged according to the literature findings. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to incorporate knowledge of environmental causes in a model that relates brand love to brand loyalty and the latter to positive word-of-mouth and willingness to pay a premium, as tested by Caroll and Ahuvia [27] and Albert and Merunka [24], applied here to the Portuguese market and focused on sustainable blue jeans. This approach, thus, incorporates Bagozzi et al.’s [26] suggestion to develop models in which brand love is central to other dimensions, thereby contributing to the academic literature. The findings also have practical implications for blue jeans brands as they enhance the importance of creating awareness of the existence of sustainable extension lines, as well as of conveying a true environmental concern to capture environmentally driven consumers that might be willing to pay a premium for sustainable blue jeans, namely by focusing on creating increased proximity to consumers by enhancing their values and seeking to link the brand to intrinsic benefits and environmental stakes.
It may be interesting to replicate this proposed model with other products and in other markets with fewer sample limitations, thereby overcoming the limitation of a convenience sample. In future studies, better results may be obtained when all participants respond to the same brand [26]. Treating brand love as a multidimensional variable can reveal subdimensions that are “hidden” in the approach as a unidimensional variable, providing new opportunities for marketing differentiation. Finally, it might be helpful to include other determinants of brand love and outcomes beyond positive word-of-mouth and willingness to pay a premium (e.g., purchase intention).
]]>
330494
The Impact of Environmental Indicators on Consumer Purchase Decisions for Food Products https://inergency.com/the-impact-of-environmental-indicators-on-consumer-purchase-decisions-for-food-products/ Fri, 23 Feb 2024 09:02:32 +0000 https://inergency.com/the-impact-of-environmental-indicators-on-consumer-purchase-decisions-for-food-products/ The Impact of Environmental Indicators on Consumer Purchase Decisions for Food Products1. Introduction The globalization and internationalization of the economy contribute to changes in individual household members’ attitudes and consumption behaviors. They are shaped by several determinants, not only economic but also social and cultural. With the growing wealth and consumer awareness of societies, their purchasing decisions regarding food products are increasingly conditioned by the assessment […]]]> The Impact of Environmental Indicators on Consumer Purchase Decisions for Food Products


1. Introduction

The globalization and internationalization of the economy contribute to changes in individual household members’ attitudes and consumption behaviors. They are shaped by several determinants, not only economic but also social and cultural. With the growing wealth and consumer awareness of societies, their purchasing decisions regarding food products are increasingly conditioned by the assessment of the ability of food products to meet additional buyer expectations. Consumer food purchasing behavior is changing significantly worldwide, and consumers are now increasingly interested in the excellent taste, convenience, and health properties of food [1,2,3,4]. When making purchasing decisions regarding food products, consumers are guided primarily by their assessment and the importance they attribute to them now and what benefits they will bring for them in the future [5,6,7]. When making purchasing decisions, consumers pay attention to product quality and brand [8,9,10,11]. Available research results indicate that when choosing food products, consumers take into account freshness, taste, price, convenience of use, the composition and nutritional value of the product, its healthiness, and brand [12,13,14,15,16]—increasing consumer awareness results in an increase in demand for food perceived as health-promoting. Emotional factors are also taken into account when purchasing products [16]. However, interest in food that does not benefit consumers’ health is decreasing [17]. There are already studies on consumer preferences, not only in terms of quality reasons for purchased products but also environmental and ethical reasons [18,19]. Consumers expect food to increase the pleasure of consumption and the effects of vitality, health, and beauty [13,20]. Modern research shows that respondents increasingly take health and the environment into account [21,22]. The origin of food products is becoming essential for consumers. The products they buy must be produced using ecological, environmentally friendly methods, using raw materials from non-genetically modified crops, and breeding [17,23]. In recent years, awareness and demand for environmental awareness and concerns about climate change have increased, prompting consumers and importing countries to reconsider their perspectives on the products they consume. Consumers are increasingly willing to pay a premium for high-quality food products that are produced using responsible farming practices, taking into account health and environmental factors [7,24,25,26]. In examining consumer awareness of organic foods, Lee and Hwang found that “consumers who believe that organic foods are safe and environmentally friendly may also believe that the overall quality of organic foods is high, which increases value perceptions.” [27]. In their study, Annunziata and Mariani proved that the segment of egocentric consumers is more significant than that of consumers focused on sustainable development [15]. There is consumer demand for products from healthy ecosystems, as well as private actors taking initiatives to protect biodiversity and achieve climate neutrality goals [28,29].
The growing consumer awareness of sustainable development influences the activities of entrepreneurs in providing food products that meet consumers’ specific needs and expectations. New trends in consumer awareness are moving the agricultural sector towards sustainable practices, such as traceability and crop labels, and connecting farmers and consumers through sustainable labeling programs [30,31]. Environmental awareness is growing among consumers, who are increasingly concerned about the scale of threats resulting from ecological degradation. Consumers are paying more attention to the benefits they can obtain by changing their current behavior and replacing conventional products with ecological products [32]. This encourages companies and other organizations to adopt eco-efficient practices, which are becoming accepted in several different sectors, to achieve a competitive advantage in price and cost. Promoting consumer behavior related to purchasing environmentally friendly products is the key to sustainable environmental development [33]. Therefore, organizations’ management strives to look for new sources of competitive advantage. Research has shown that various factors influence organizations’ environmental effectiveness, stimulating or hindering it. These include economic, social, legal, and organizational factors [34]. New product categories have appeared on the market, whose identification and classification are based on production methods and environmental and societal impact. Therefore, several enterprises use activities to achieve environmental effects based on various environmental indicators. Many organizations also apply best environmental management practices along with sectoral environmental indicators and benchmarks of excellence, which can be found in the EU sector reference document [35]. The identification of environmental factors influencing consumers’ decisions regarding purchasing food products can be used by entrepreneurs to better meet consumers’ needs and expectations.
Broad and deep reviews of the literature indicate that factors influencing customers’ purchase intentions have not been well identified through a comprehensive literature review and an exploratory approach, and only the relative importance of a limited set of factors has been determined [36,37,38,39,40,41]. Azam, Othman, Musa, Fatah, and Awal [6] analyzed the factors affecting consumers’ purchase intentions for organic food products. Kareklas, Carlson, and Muehling [12] provided a theoretical assessment of the factors influencing consumer purchase behavior for organic food products. Zarif Sagheb, Ghasemi, and Nourbakhsh [36] researched the factors influencing the purchasing preferences of food products. They defined 13 factors: corporate social responsibility, customer knowledge and awareness, perceived risk, retailers’ commercial image, customers’ personality characteristics, social identity, product features, attitude, country of origin, perceived value, subjective norm, loyalty, and perceived behavioral control. However, they did not isolate the environmental factors influencing consumers’ purchasing decisions. Therefore, a research gap is the lack of identified environmental factors influencing consumer purchasing preferences.

Generally, no pioneering study in this field might provide a comprehensive set of environmental factors influencing consumers’ food purchasing decisions. More research should be conducted on identifying environmental factors influencing the intention to purchase food products based on an exploratory approach in the relevant literature. This study collected all these factors. The study aimed to obtain information on essential issues from consumers’ perspectives when making purchasing decisions and to diagnose the needs of individual users based on environmental data. The following questions arise in this regard:

  • Q1. What environmental factors influence the willingness to buy food products?

  • Q2. What environmental issues does a consumer take into account when deciding to purchase a food product?

  • Q3. What environmental indicators are important for individual consumers when purchasing food?

Based on the literature analysis, this study proposes environmental factors influencing purchasing decisions for food products. These were arranged into several groups as factors influencing energy, water, waste and resource consumption, and others. It was also examined whether, when making purchasing decisions, information about the impact of a given product on the environment or information about the manufacturer’s impact on the environment is more important for the consumer. In addition, it examined what environmental indicators are essential when purchasing food products.

2. Materials and Methods

The study was conducted in 2022 using a triangulation strategy. This approach combines various methods to explore the research problem and to increase the knowledge gathered and the usefulness of the data. The research contained several stages. The research questions were initially developed based on existing knowledge and aligned with the study’s objectives. Once the questionnaires were developed, a preliminary study was conducted to validate the research questionnaires to ensure the validity of the questions. The questionnaires utilized in the study were developed by the research team based on a review of the relevant literature and expert consultation. Data collection adopted two methodological approaches: computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATIs) were used to engage customers for their views, and individual in-depth interviews (IDIs) were conducted with experts. CATIs were conducted over the phone with the help of a computer, and IDIs were one-on-one interviews conducted for detailed insights. The obtained responses were subjected to statistical analysis (Figure 1).

This study focused on the geographical area of Poland. The CATI research was undertaken using a representative sample of Polish citizens. To guarantee the sample’s representativeness, the data collection was outsourced to an external company with access to representative survey panels. The targeted number of questionnaires for this study was initially set at n = 1038. The actual responses exceeded expectations, reaching n = 1221. The sample size was calculated for the Polish population, estimated at approximately 37.97 million, with a 95% confidence level and a maximum error of 3%. To ensure representativeness, the sample was planned considering characteristics such as gender, age, and education.

The CATI survey questionnaire contained seven questions and metrics systematically designed to collect specific information from consumers. The most important part of the survey involved scrutinizing 21 environmental indicators. The set of environmental indicators was selected using a combination of a top–down approach and a bottom–up approach [42,43]. The top–down approach involves using experts such as researchers and government groups to define a comprehensive set of indicators at a broad and macro-level [44,45]. The collection of indicators was based on the Sectoral Reference Document (SRD) [35] on Best Environmental Practices (BEMP) in the food and beverage manufacturing industry [46], indicators proposed by the International Organization for Standardization in the ISO 14031 standard [47], and the literature reviews [6,13,21,22,33,35,43,45]. The bottom–up approach established indicators by involving a diverse range of stakeholders, including academics and experts. The bottom–up approach was facilitated through interviews and brainstorming. Interviews allowed for direct engagement with stakeholders, enabling a deeper understanding of their perspectives, concerns, and suggestions, whereas brainstorming provided a structured platform for generating ideas collaboratively. The questionnaire, with a 5-point Likert scale (1—definitely unimportant; 5—definitely important) of a general set of environmental indicators, was answered by 1221 respondents in Poland to determine the importance of each environmental indicator during purchasing decisions for food products. To preserve the privacy and confidentiality of respondents, the collected data remained anonymous, with responses analyzed collectively and without individual identification. The analysis of the responses to the 1221 completed questionnaires occurred in three steps.
  • Step 1 of the analysis: A fundamental statistical analysis, with a particular focus on the calculation of the mean and standard deviations. It consisted of a straightforward data analysis to summarize central tendency and variability and a reference point. It laid the groundwork for a preliminary understanding of the dataset’s distribution and formed a foundation for more in-depth analyses in subsequent steps.

  • Step 2 of the analysis. Correlation between the respondents’ profiles and their responses to the indicators. It involved the application of Spearman’s rho coefficient. This coefficient is a non-parametric measure that evaluates the presence of variables influencing the importance of indicators. The correlation is weak for a coefficient between 0.10 and 0.39, moderate between 0.40 and 0.69, and vital if the coefficient is between 0.70 and 1.00 [47]. The correlation intensity helped determine the degree of influence of variables such as age, education level, household size, and financial situation.
  • Step 3 of the analysis. The exploratory factor analysis models are used to reduce a multi-element set of variables to a smaller set of factors, which contain most of the information in the output variables and reveal hidden relationships in the analyzed dataset [48,49,50,51]. The exploratory factor analysis aimed to identify and evaluate key environmental indicators influencing individual consumers’ food purchasing. Bartlett’s test and the Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin index (KMO) were used to assess the suitability of variables. A KMO value above 0.5 is generally considered acceptable, while some suggest a threshold of at least 0.6 [48]. Bartlett’s test examined the hypothesis that the correlation matrix is an identity matrix; rejecting it justifies a factor analysis of the dataset [52].

The subsequent phase of the study involved individual in-depth interviews (IDI) with organizational representatives. Conducted online for convenience and flexibility, the IDI questionnaire was standardized and partitioned into six segments to facilitate a comprehensive exploration of the organizational perspective. The data collected from the IDIs were qualitative, contributing to the overall research. In total, 8 interviews were conducted. The sample is not representative, as the data are deemed qualitative, not quantitative.

This paper aims to evaluate the impact of different environmental indicators on consumer purchasing decisions for food products. Assessing the consumer perspective is based on the results of qualitative research obtained from the CATI survey (first stage). The information gathered in this study is non-sensitive and excludes details related to health, genetic information, intimate life, political views, ethnicity, beliefs, or religious beliefs. No continuous tracking or observation methods were employed in the study. Participants engaged by completing survey questionnaires, and their responses were treated anonymously, undergoing collective analysis without individual identification. The study identified no risks associated with psychological or physical harm to either respondents or researchers. It obtained a favorable opinion from the Ethics Committee, ensuring the inclusion of ethical considerations throughout the research process. An exploratory factor analysis—principal components analysis—was carried out to isolate and assess the importance of key environmental indicators determining consumers’ food purchase decisions.

3. Results and Discussion

3.1. Participant Profile Analysis and Fundamental Statistical Analysis

The study sample included individuals selected to ensure representative demographic characteristics. Regarding gender distribution, the sample consisted of 47.4% males and 52.6% females. Age-wise, the largest segment within the sample comprised individuals aged 55 years or older (33.2% of the participants). Subsequent age groups were 25–34 years old (20.1%), 45–54 years old (17.9%), 35–44 years old (17.0%), and 18–24 years old (11.8%). Educationally, the sample included individuals with diverse levels of education. Most had completed higher education (34.1%), while 9.2% held a bachelor’s degree. Furthermore, 12.6% had postsecondary education, and 31.5% had secondary school education. Those with vocational school education accounted for 10.2%, and 2.5% had elementary education. Regarding household size, the distribution was as follows: one-person household, 13.5%; two-person household, 30.7%; three-person household, 26.4%; four-person household, 18.8%; and five-person household, 10.6%. Concerning financial situations, the distribution was as follows: very good (can afford anything), 1.5%; good (occasionally able to indulge in some luxury goods, trips, recreation), 32.6%; average (need to plan for all major expenses), 53.1%; bad (usually only enough for the basics and necessities), 9.9%; and very bad (sometimes not even enough for necessities), 2.9%.

The mean score for the importance of all 21 indicators collectively was 3.68. The data reveal a gender difference in the significance of environmental indicators, with women attributing them slightly more importance (mean score of 3.77) compared to men (mean score of 3.58). These findings align with the research results on the influence of consumer lifestyle on purchasing behavior, which showed that gender was the most considerable statistically significant difference in the impact on a healthy lifestyle and plays a role in consumer purchasing decisions for food products [53]. Also, Wandel and Bugge [54] noted that women and those with higher education were more likely to prioritize environmental aspects.
As shown in Figure 2, the respondents placed the highest importance on indicators such as the use of chemicals (3.97), packaging (3.95), waste (3.89), wastewater (3.88), direct emissions (3.75), the use of production materials (3.74), and water (3.74). Conversely, indicators like noise, the transportation of people, and the use of office materials were considered less important. Women consistently assigned higher importance to individual environmental indicators than men. The top three areas rated highest (chemicals, packaging, and waste management) are highly regulated in Poland and the European Union regarding legal environmental requirements, which may contribute to consumer awareness. Chemicals, being potential health hazards, received significant attention, and waste management aligns with current awareness and the requirement for waste segregation in the country. The importance of packaging was also emphasized in research conducted by Lea and Worsley [55] and Wansink [56].
Among the respondents, 27.5% saw environmental indicators as definitely important in their food purchasing decisions, 29.2% saw them as rather important, 32.1% remained neutral, 6.1% deemed them rather unimportant, and 5.1% considered them definitely unimportant. On average, the importance of environmental indicators was rated at 3.68 on a 5-point scale, indicating a moderate significance level. The moderate level of importance of environmental indicators was previously confirmed by Bergström, Solér, and Shanahan [57] and Grankvist and Biel [58], who found that parameters such as price had the greatest influence on product preference, with environmental factors having a lesser impact. The importance of environmental indicators may be linked to consumers’ general views and values. Research by Barker [59] revealed a link between environmental worldviews and the importance of environmental criteria in food purchasing, with those subscribing to ecocentric values placing greater importance on environmental factors.

3.2. Correlation Analysis

Spearman’s rho coefficient revealed that the variables regarding age, level of education, household size, and financial situation showed only a significant correlation of p p 48] (see Table 1). Spearman’s rho coefficient shows that this linear trend in the responses, however significant, has a weak intensity of max rho = 0.197 (p

The survey contained a question about the respondents’ expectations regarding corporate responsibility for environmental impact. A substantial majority of respondents (80.5%) believed that companies should be responsible for their environmental impact (“definitely yes” and “rather yes” on a five-point scale); on the other hand, only 0.8% responded with a definitive “no”, and 2.3% opted for “rather no”. The average response on the 5-point scale was 4.18. The study uncovered variations in expectations across different demographic groups. Surprisingly, individuals aged 55 and over emerged as the most demanding in terms of environmental responsibility expectations, with 87.2% responding with “yes” and “rather yes” (resulting in a mean score of 4.34). Following closely were those aged 45–54 (83.1%, mean score: 4.19), 35–44 (77.9%, mean score: 4.12), 25–34 (76.5%, mean score: 4.07), and the most minor demanding group were individuals aged 18–24, with 69.5% expecting environmental responsibility from companies (mean score: 4.00).

These findings seem to contradict some findings suggesting that younger respondents (in particular, Generation Z) generally have higher expectations of companies regarding environmental responsibility and sustainability [60,61,62,63]. The potential trend where pro-environmental expectations of companies increase with age may be linked to greater purchasing power among older consumers.

Cramer’s V coefficient was calculated to gauge the strength of the correlation between age and consumer expectations, yielding a value of 0.100764. This indicates a fragile relationship between the two variables. Despite differences in the level of expectations regarding environmental responsibility across various age groups, this weak relationship implies that age alone might not be a strong predictor of environmental responsibility expectations.

The correlation analysis also shows that the respondents’ profiles in terms of variables such as level of education, household size, and financial situation do not significantly impact the importance of environmental indicators. No linear correlation was observed for the influence of those variables on consumer purchasing decisions regarding food products. In this sense, it can be seen that these test results are satisfactory, as they show that there were no significant leanings from the respondents; that is, the respondent groups were unbiased and neutral. Ricciuto, Tarasuk, and Yatchew [64], in research conducted among Canadian households, found that household size, composition, income, and education significantly influence food purchasing, with higher education levels associated with increased purchases of vegetables and fruit. Turrell et al. [65] further emphasized the importance of education, occupation, and household income in food purchasing behavior, with lower socio-economic groups less likely to purchase healthy foods. These studies suggest that while education, household size, and financial situation may not directly impact the importance of environmental indicators in food purchasing, they do play a significant role in shaping overall food purchasing behavior. Therefore, based on the existing knowledge, it can be concluded that the lack of significant impact of variables such as level of education, household size, and financial situation on the importance of environmental indicators in food purchasing indicates that other factors or personal values play a stronger role.

3.3. Identification of Key Environmental Indicators Influencing Consumer Food Purchases

The aim of the exploratory factor analysis was to isolate and assess the importance of key environmental indicators that might be important in the process of purchasing food according to individual consumers. The preparation for conducting the exploratory factor analysis began with building and analyzing a correlation matrix between variables. In the case of food products, several statistically significant correlations were observed between observable variables, which confirmed the validity of using a factor analysis. Then, Bartlett’s test of sphericity was performed, and the Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin index (KMO) was calculated. The KMO test is a measure of the adequacy of the selection of primary variables for a factor analysis. This indicator is used to determine the degree of correlation among input variables and has a value between 0 and 1. The higher its value, the stronger the basis for conducting a factor analysis. The proposal of H.F. Kaiser assumes the following categorization of the value of the discussed indicator: 0.9—very high, 0.8—high, 0.7—medium, 0.6—moderate, and less than 0.5—very low. It is also believed that the threshold value of the KMO measure should be at least 0.5, and some authors even suggest that it should be at least 0.6 [31]. Bartlett’s test of sphericity tests the null hypothesis that the correlation matrix of variables is an identity matrix, which might mean there is no correlation between the variables. If the null hypothesis is rejected as a result of the test, it is considered justified to conduct a factor analysis on the tested dataset [49].
Table 2 presents the results of the Kaiser–Mayer–Olkin test and Bartlett’s test of sphericity in the food product dataset. The value of the KMO index turned out to be high and amounted to 0.9795, and the result of Bartlett’s test for sphericity allowed for the rejection of the null hypothesis assuming that the correlation matrix of variables is a unitary matrix (p = 0.000); therefore, it can be assumed that there are grounds for applying a factor analysis on this dataset. In the next stage of the research procedure, the principal components method was used to isolate key environmental indicators that might be important in the process of purchasing food products for individual consumers, which involves transforming correlated input variables into components that are uncorrelated and ranked according to the variance explained by them. Determining the number of factors was based on the so-called Kaiser’s criterion, which assumes that only those factors are taken into account whose eigenvalue is greater than 1.0, which means that the value of the variance explained by factors meeting this criterion is greater than by a single input variable [49].
In the case of the data obtained in the food category, based on the analysis of the eigenvalues of the factors (components), it was found that two of them had eigenvalues greater than 1.0, explaining in total almost 72% of the total variability, of which over 66% was accounted for by the first factor (Table 3). Then, factor loadings were calculated using Varimax orthogonal rotation. The limit for recognizing the analyzed factor loadings as significant was arbitrarily set to 0.6. The analysis of the rotated component matrix allowed for grouping measurable variables into components corresponding to the main indicators that consumers might take into account when purchasing food products (Table 4).
The variables grouped into the first component (effectiveness of the environmental management system, environmental investments, and environmental awareness) are elements of Sustainable Management. The second component includes variables relating to Materials and Wastes (factors related to waste, water, suppliers, and water waste). The next step in the described research process was to assess the significance of the main components resulting from the factor analysis (Table 5).

In the context of environmental indicators that significantly influence purchasing decisions, the Materials and Wastes component ( X ¯ = 3.89) was clearly more important than the Sustainable Management component ( X ¯ = 3.46). Respondents ranked indicators related to the operational activities of the organizations higher than indicators related to the management activities of the organizations. This may be due to several underlying factors. First of all, operational activities are often more tangible and visible to the public compared to management activities. Operational activities directly influence an organization’s day-to-day environmental performance. Actions such as waste management directly affect the environment and are more noticeable to stakeholders. The respondents might prioritize these indicators because they have a visible and immediate environmental impact, making them more concerning. On the other hand, management activities are often complex and involve various intangible aspects of organizational functioning. The respondents might have limited knowledge or exposure to these management indicators, leading them to prioritize the more straightforward operational ones they understand better. Management activities might include setting sustainable policies, conducting environmental audits, and implementing long-term strategies. These aspects are often not as transparent to the public, resulting in less awareness and potentially undervalued rankings.

3.4. Study Limitations and Future Research

This study was conducted in Poland, which is one of the limitations. Its findings may not be widely applicable to other countries due to cultural and economic variations affecting consumer attitudes towards environmental responsibility and the importance of environmental indicators. Despite being representative of European culture, Poland’s unique characteristics may not fully capture the diversity across regions. Also, mass-media discussions surrounding environmental issues, including those related to food products, may be an important factor shaping consumers’ behaviors in this matter. Future research can replicate the study in different countries for a comprehensive understanding of consumer expectations.

Another limitation is that the study relies on self-reported data, potentially biased by socially desirable responses. To enhance reliability, future studies can incorporate objective measures or observational surveys.

Moreover, the study’s timing during the spring season may influence human behavior and food product purchases. Future research can explore variations across seasons to provide a more comprehensive understanding. Another limitation is the lack of investigation into consumers’ attitudes towards imported food products. Additionally, the study does not differentiate between various product categories, such as beverages, vegetables, meat, cereals, sweets, and functional foods, which can impact purchase decisions differently. Addressing these limitations in future research might facilitate a more nuanced comparison across product types and enhance the study’s applicability and relevance.

Despite these limitations, the study aligns with previous research highlighting increasing consumer expectations for environmental responsibility. It contributes by offering specific insights into the expectations and priorities of Polish consumers.

4. Conclusions

The study found a gender difference in terms of the importance attributed to environmental indicators, with women rating individual environmental indicators slightly higher than men. This aligns with previous research indicating that gender influences consumer purchasing decisions regarding healthy lifestyles and food products.

The top-rated environmental indicators included using chemicals, packaging, and waste management, aligning with legal environmental requirements in Poland and the European Union. Women consistently rated these indicators higher than men. Consumer awareness in these areas may be influenced by regulations, especially considering the potential health hazards associated with chemicals and the emphasis on waste segregation in the country.

Regarding expectations of corporate responsibility for environmental impact, most respondents believed that companies should be responsible, with older age groups showing higher expectations. Surprisingly, the older individuals, particularly those aged 55 and over, expressed higher expectations for corporate environmental responsibility than the younger groups. This contradicts some findings suggesting that younger respondents generally have higher expectations regarding environmental responsibility.

The study explored the relationship between demographic variables. While a weak correlation was observed for age, level of education, household size, and financial situation, only age exhibited a significant correlation. The analysis revealed no significant impact of variables such as level of education, household size, and financial situation.

The exploratory factor analysis highlighted two main components influencing purchasing decisions—Sustainable Management and Materials and Wastes. The Material and Wastes component was considered more influential regarding environmental indicators affecting purchasing decisions, possibly due to its tangible and immediate environmental impact compared to management activities.

]]>
330396
Energy Labels and Consumer Attitudes: A Study among University Staff https://inergency.com/energy-labels-and-consumer-attitudes-a-study-among-university-staff/ Wed, 21 Feb 2024 13:03:00 +0000 https://inergency.com/energy-labels-and-consumer-attitudes-a-study-among-university-staff/ Energy Labels and Consumer Attitudes: A Study among University Staff1. Introduction Energy efficiency is pivotal in the urgent global effort to reduce carbon footprint emissions and combat climate change. By optimizing the utilization of energy resources and minimizing wastage, energy efficiency measures offer a dual benefit: they help organizations and individuals reduce their energy consumption while simultaneously curbing the release of greenhouse gases into […]]]> Energy Labels and Consumer Attitudes: A Study among University Staff


1. Introduction

Energy efficiency is pivotal in the urgent global effort to reduce carbon footprint emissions and combat climate change. By optimizing the utilization of energy resources and minimizing wastage, energy efficiency measures offer a dual benefit: they help organizations and individuals reduce their energy consumption while simultaneously curbing the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere [1]. From improved building insulation and energy-efficient appliances to developing clean and renewable energy sources, energy efficiency initiatives are a cornerstone of climate mitigation strategies. These measures contribute to significant cost savings and pave the way for a sustainable future by reducing the reliance on fossil fuels and mitigating the environmental impacts of energy production and consumption. As we navigate the challenges of climate change, fostering energy efficiency remains a vital imperative for achieving a low-carbon and environmentally responsible global economy [2]. At the same time, broader efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the pursuit of a sustainable future hold promise for reducing the carbon footprint associated with transportation fuels [3,4]. In expanding our understanding of sustainable energies with a global impact, it is crucial to delve into various sources that highlight the diverse forms of sustainable energy. Recent research emphasizes the significance of renewable sources such as solar, wind, and hydroelectric power in mitigating environmental challenges and promoting energy sustainability [5,6]. Additionally, the exploration of emerging technologies like geothermal and biomass energy contributes to the comprehensive landscape of sustainable energy solutions [7,8]. By incorporating these references, our study aims to situate itself within the broader discourse on sustainable energies and their implications for a more environmentally conscious future.
Energy labels, an integral component of environmental policies worldwide, play a pivotal role in informing consumers about the energy efficiency of various products [9]. The relationship between energy efficiency and these labels is direct and highly significant, visualizing a product’s energy efficiency and guiding consumers toward more energy-efficient choices [1,10]. Energy efficiency, fundamentally interconnected with sustainable development and environmental conservation, has far-reaching implications for reducing overall energy consumption, mitigating climate change, and promoting responsible energy use [11,12,13,14]. Moreover, consumer awareness is critical in fostering energy-efficient behaviors, impacting various consumption and lifestyle choices [15,16,17]. The awareness about energy efficiency leads to tangible behavioral changes, such as adopting energy-saving habits and supporting government policies for energy efficiency [18]. Due to several key factors, understanding energy efficiency awareness is crucial for achieving broader sustainability goals [19,20,21].
The energy label awareness discourse has recently gained prominence in academic literature. Studies have explored the factors influencing individuals’ perceptions of energy labels, emphasizing the role of demographics and social contexts [22,23,24,25]. Furthermore, the TPB offers a theoretical framework to understand how attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control shape energy-related behaviors [26,27]. While these studies contribute valuable insights, a notable gap persists in understanding the nuanced variations in energy label awareness among diverse demographic groups, particularly within academic institutions. Existing knowledge gaps include limited data on specific demographics, understanding barriers, the impact of socioeconomic factors, cultural and behavioral aspects, policy and program efficacy, and the need for long-term studies with a global perspective [28,29,30]. This study addresses this gap by applying the TPB to assess how demographic factors influence energy label awareness among Gazi University academic and administrative staff. By building upon and extending the existing literature, this research aims to offer a more comprehensive understanding of the intricate dynamics that shape energy label awareness. Addressing these gaps is crucial for developing effective strategies that promote energy efficiency equitably across diverse demographic groups.
The TPB serves as the theoretical foundation of our study, examining how attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control influence energy-related behaviors [31,32]. The TPB posits that individual intentions, shaped by these psychological factors, play a central role in determining one’s engagement with energy efficiency. By incorporating the TPB, our research aims to unravel the intricate interplay between these psychological elements and demographic characteristics, shedding light on the factors influencing energy label awareness among Gazi University academic and administrative staff. The choice of university employees as our research samples is deliberate and grounded in universities’ unique role in promoting environmental awareness and sustainability. This study significantly advances our understanding of ecological sustainability and consumer behavior by investigating the awareness and impact of energy labels among Gazi University staff. Utilizing an online survey and leveraging advanced statistical tools for analysis, our research explores how socio-demographic factors such as marital status, age, and education level shape knowledge and attitudes toward energy efficiency labels. Gazi University’s involvement in the ‘Sustainable and Climate Friendly Campus Project,’ a collaborative effort recognized by the Council of Higher Education, extends the scope and relevance of our study. This nationwide initiative encompasses several universities. The project underscores a collective commitment to environmental sustainability, energy efficiency, and addressing climate change across higher education institutions in Turkey. Our study, conducted in collaboration with experts from the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources and Gazi University, is part of this comprehensive initiative. Academic and administrative staff, integral parts of an educational institution, directly influence the university’s efforts toward a sustainable campus. By focusing on this group, we aim to capture perspectives closely tied to the university’s sustainability initiatives. Their daily activities and decision-making processes can significantly impact the overall energy efficiency culture within the university. This selection aligns with our goal of understanding and enhancing energy label awareness within the academic community. Therefore, the insights garnered from our research extend beyond Gazi University, contributing to a broader understanding of energy efficiency and awareness among academic and administrative staff in institutions actively participating in the Sustainable and Climate Friendly Campus Project.

The study adopts a survey to investigate energy efficiency awareness among university staff. Participants will include university staff from diverse demographic backgrounds, encompassing variables such as gender, age, marital status, staff type, education level, and income. Including a wide range of demographic factors ensures a comprehensive examination of energy efficiency awareness across diverse groups within the university setting. Data collection will be conducted through the online survey assessing participants’ attitudes and energy efficiency awareness. Quantitative data will be analyzed using statistical methods, including descriptive statistics and inferential tests. These analyses will explore the relationships between demographic variables, energy efficiency awareness, and consumer preferences. Bridging existing gaps in the literature will aid in developing targeted and effective strategies to enhance understanding, ensure inclusivity, and address the needs of diverse populations. The study’s findings will provide valuable information for policymakers, educators, and businesses promoting energy efficiency.

Our study makes a crucial contribution by pinpointing specific demographic groups that demand customized communication strategies to enhance their understanding and appreciation of energy labels. This insight holds paramount significance for policymakers, educators, and sustainability advocates who aspire to create more effective interventions promoting energy conservation and reducing carbon footprints within and beyond institutional settings. Consequently, our research enriches academic discourse on sustainability and consumer behavior and provides practical implications for amplifying energy efficiency awareness in institutional contexts. Aligned with the broader objective of fostering a more sustainable and energy-efficient society, this article significantly enhances our understanding of energy efficiency awareness within Gazi University’s academic and administrative staff.

In bridging the critical gap regarding nuanced variations in energy label awareness, particularly within academic institutions, our study utilizes the TPB to evaluate how demographic factors influence energy label awareness among Gazi University academic and administrative staff. Our research aims to comprehensively understand the intricate dynamics shaping energy label awareness within this specific demographic context. Identifying specific demographic groups requiring tailored communication strategies is essential to our study. This insight is paramount for policymakers, educators, and sustainability advocates striving to design more effective interventions that promote energy conservation and reduce carbon footprints within and beyond institutional settings.

After the “Introduction,” readers will encounter the Literature Review (Section 2), where existing research on energy labels and consumer behavior is examined. The Theoretical Framework (Section 3) then outlines the Theory of Planned Behavior’s role in understanding attitudes towards energy efficiency. The Materials and Methods (Section 4) details the survey methodology and statistical analysis. In Results (Section 5), the findings on energy label awareness among Gazi University staff are presented, followed by the Discussion (Section 6), where these findings are interpreted and linked to the theoretical framework. The study concludes with the Conclusions (Section 7) section, summarizing the key insights and their implications for promoting sustainability within institutional settings.

2. Literature Review

The evolution of energy labels and efficiency standards has been dynamic, responding to the pressing concerns of energy consumption, environmental impact, and resource conservation. Historically, these standards were scarce, resulting in energy-inefficient appliances contributing to higher energy bills and environmental degradation [9]. Recognizing the need for change, governments and organizations initiated efforts during the 1970s and 1980s, leading to the establishment of initial energy efficiency standards and labels for specific products [33].
Over subsequent decades, governments globally implemented more stringent measures, and the Energy Star program gained prominence in the United States, marking significant progress in energy labels and standards development [34,35,36]. This evolution expanded the scope of energy labels to cover diverse products, and international harmonization efforts ensured consistency and accuracy [37,38]. Recently, energy labels and efficiency standards are integral to global energy and environmental policies, playing a vital role in reducing energy consumption, lowering greenhouse gas emissions, and promoting sustainable living.
The European Commission has recognized that enhancing energy efficiency is essential for decreasing energy consumption and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by a minimum of 32.5% by 2030, in line with worldwide efforts. The Eco-design Directive, established in 2005, sets standards for enhancing the environmental efficiency of energy-related products. It has already implemented 31 laws, leading to substantial energy savings. Case studies from Japan, South Korea, and China show effective regulatory regimes that encourage ongoing enhancements in energy efficiency, offering valuable lessons for the EU’s planned front-runner approach [39].
The Energy Label’s application helps decrease residential electricity usage by enhancing the energy efficiency of domestic equipment, benefiting both the public and private sectors [40]. Moreover, including energy cost data in the EU energy label has been proven to alter the purchasing pattern towards less expensive and lower-rated items without raising energy expenses. Internationally, energy label programs have successfully impacted consumers’ understanding and attitudes toward energy-efficient appliances on a global scale [41]. The rescaled A to G labeling scheme notably boosts the estimated willingness to pay (WTP) compared to the old A+++ to D method [42]. Requiring energy labels has been shown to somewhat increase the average assessment of energy expenses, decreasing “internalities” [28].
Understanding consumer behavior is crucial for energy efficiency, with psychological factors influencing decisions being essential [43]. Policymakers and businesses can nudge consumers toward energy-efficient choices by employing interventions informed by behavioral economics, such as financial incentives and real-time energy usage data. Y. Zhang et al. [44] delve into the issue of energy consumption and its impact on environmental challenges, highlighting the willingness of consumers to pay a premium for energy-saving appliances. Their study identifies key factors influencing consumer attitudes, perceived quality, price, and emotional and environmental values, shedding light on strategies to promote the adoption of energy-saving appliances.
Exploring the impact of energy labels on consumer behavior, having an Energy Label (EL) result in a greater perceived ecological value of the product while raising the perceived social risk associated with buying the goods. The new EL diminishes ecological value, heightens perceived danger, and lowers buy intention. Yet, when the old and new ELs are compared, the negative impact of the new EL on perceived ecological value, perceived social risk, and purchase intention is lessened [45]. Changes in Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) and energy labels have been proven to boost the market share of energy-efficient appliances, reduce the market share of less efficient appliances, and exhibit differing efficacy among label categories, carrying significant policy consequences [46].
Energy labels, providing transparent information about the energy performance of products, play a crucial role in empowering consumers [47]. Andor et al. [48] demonstrate the impact of energy labels on consumer purchasing decisions, emphasizing the importance of including annual operating cost information alongside labels.
Concurrently, the awareness of energy efficiency has become foundational for sustainable living, with governments and businesses actively disseminating information through campaigns and educational programs to educate consumers on the importance of energy conservation [49].
Gródek-Szostak et al. [50] underscore the impact of energy education on students’ behavior, highlighting its effectiveness in promoting the adoption of renewable energy sources, comparable to government policies and subsidies. This emphasizes the significance of energy education in shaping future decision-makers, investors, consumers, scientists, and skilled labor forces in new energy technologies.
While the existing body of literature has delved into energy label awareness and consumer attitudes in diverse settings [51,52,53,54,55], a more specific exploration of energy consumption attitudes among university employees is relatively scarce. Recognizing this gap, we aim to contribute to the existing knowledge by focusing on academic and administrative staff’s distinctive perspectives and behaviors within the university context.

Our study contributes to the existing discourse on energy label awareness by offering a nuanced examination within the unique context of Gazi University. While previous research has extensively explored the global evolution of energy labels and efficiency standards, emphasizing their role in sustainable living, our work extends this conversation by focusing on academic and administrative staff within a university setting. Aligned with the global emphasis on regulatory schemes and international case studies, we provide insights into the effectiveness of these measures at the institutional level. Furthermore, our exploration of the psychological factors influencing energy efficiency behavior, tailored to the demographic of university staff, deepens the understanding of attitudes, values, and perceptions within this specific group. In responding to the limited research on energy consumption attitudes among university employees, our study addresses this gap and establishes connections between energy label awareness, consumer behavior, and the distinctive dynamics of a university environment. Overall, our work is a nuanced addition to the existing literature, offering valuable perspectives contributing to informed decision-making for sustainable practices within educational institutions.

The interconnected elements of energy efficiency awareness, consumer behavior, and influential energy labels are pivotal in creating a sustainable and energy-conscious society. Collaboration between governments, businesses, and consumers is essential for achieving the shared goals of reducing energy consumption, mitigating climate change, and promoting responsible energy use.

4. Materials and Methods

4.1. Research Design

The research design for investigating energy label awareness among Gazi University staff adopts a cross-sectional survey approach. This approach allows for the collection of comprehensive data from diverse academic and administrative staff members at a single point in time, enabling a nuanced understanding of their current level of awareness regarding energy labels. The cross-sectional design facilitates the formulation of targeted recommendations to enhance sustainability communication strategies.

4.2. Participant Selection

The target population for this study consists of academic and administrative staff from various faculties and departments at Gazi University, which was selected as a pilot university by the Council of Higher Education of the Republic of Türkiye in the “Sustainable and Climate Friendly Campus” project. Gazi University was chosen as the primary research site for its unique characteristics and as a representative sample of academic institutions in our study’s context. The decision to focus on one university allowed for an in-depth exploration of energy label awareness among its diverse academic and administrative staff. Gazi University was selected due to its comprehensive representation of various disciplines, demographic profiles, and institutional structures. While the study’s findings are based on the context of Gazi University, efforts were made to ensure that the university indicates broader trends within academic institutions in our study’s scope. However, it is essential to acknowledge that the generalizability of the findings to other universities may vary based on contextual factors.

To ensure representation across disciplines and departments, the study includes all staff registered in the Gazi University personnel database at the time of the research. The sample size is determined as 429, considering a 95% confidence level and an error margin of ±4.7%, and the survey is distributed to 1.5 times the calculated sample size (644 participants) to account for potential non-responsiveness. Sampling units are randomly selected using simple random sampling, with gender and staff type as stratification criteria.

4.3. Survey Instrument: Energy Labels & Consumer Choices Survey

The survey employs the “Energy Labels & Consumer Choices Survey” to measure awareness levels regarding energy labels among staff. The survey is adapted from existing scales in the field. It consists of items exploring various dimensions, including the perceived importance of energy efficiency, water consumption, and the influence of status symbols when purchasing products with energy labels. The survey incorporates Likert scale questions and demographic inquiries to facilitate a comparative analysis of findings among participant groups. The survey comprises two main sections: First Section: Collecting socio-demographic information such as gender, age, marital status, staff type, and income. Second Section: Employ the Likert-scale questions to assess awareness levels and consumer preferences related to 18 items like quality, capacity, energy efficiency, water consumption, brand image, durability, low maintenance cost, and the perceived status symbol when purchasing labeled products.

4.4. Data Collection

The cross-sectional study collects data from academic and administrative staff members at Gazi University. The survey, distributed electronically, reaches 644 participants, ensuring anonymity and confidentiality. Participants receive email invitations encouraging their engagement, and reminders are sent to maximize response rates and provide a representative sample.

Throughout the data collection process, we implemented several strategies to address potential social desirability bias inherent in self-reported energy-related behaviors. Firstly, participants were assured of the confidentiality and anonymity of their responses, emphasizing that honest and accurate feedback might contribute to more meaningful insights. Secondly, we employed carefully crafted survey questions to minimize response bias, ensuring that queries were framed objectively without inducing socially desirable responses. Thirdly, the survey design incorporated randomized question orders and response formats to mitigate potential bias further. Moreover, participants were explicitly informed that the study’s purpose was not to evaluate individual behaviors but to aggregate insights for comprehensive analysis. By adopting these measures, we aimed to create a conducive environment for participants to provide candid responses, minimizing the impact of social desirability bias on self-reported energy-related behaviors.

4.5. Data Analysis

Our study employed a combination of descriptive and inferential statistical analyses to ensure robust statistical inference. Descriptive statistics, such as means and standard deviations, were calculated to summarize the central tendencies and variability of awareness scores across various demographic factors. Additionally, inferential analyses included parametric tests, such as t-tests for independent samples, to compare means between two groups, and non-parametric tests, such as the Kruskal–Wallis Test, to assess differences among multiple groups. The choice of statistical tests was guided by the nature of the variables and the distributional characteristics of the data. Importantly, these analyses were conducted with a predetermined significance level (α = 0.05), and effect sizes were examined to evaluate the practical significance of the observed differences. By providing this detailed account, we aim to offer readers a thorough understanding of the analytical methods employed in our study.

The study examines the impact of socio-demographic characteristics (marital status, age, staff type) on various dimensions of energy label awareness. Statistical comparisons are conducted using non-parametric tests, considering the ordinal nature of Likert scale data. The analysis includes Kruskal–Wallis and Wilcoxon Rank Sum tests to identify significant differences among participant groups. Firstly, to assess the differences in awareness scores among demographic groups, we employed the Kruskal–Wallis Test, a non-parametric method suitable for comparing more than two independent groups. The Wilcoxon Rank Sum Test revealed awareness score variations between academic and administrative staff. These statistical approaches were chosen based on their appropriateness for our study’s design and the non-normal distribution of our data.

The acquired data underwent a robust study in MATLAB R2021b, and the findings are presented with overall estimations and error margins. Ethical considerations are paramount, and the study follows rigorous protocols, including anonymization and secure data storage, to uphold participant privacy.

The awareness of energy efficiency is gauged through 18 items (Table 1) employing a 5-point Likert scale, indicating the respondents’ agreement levels from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). The high internal consistency, as noted in a Cronbach alpha of 0.91, ensures the scale’s reliability.

To assess potential differences in awareness scores based on gender, marital status, and staff type, non-parametric Wilcoxon Rank Sum tests were conducted due to the non-normal distribution of the Likert scale data. The effect size, measured by the Cliff delta, provides additional insights into the practical significance of observed differences. The scale items, encompassing the importance of energy efficiency, consumption, and related factors, directly align with the attitude component of TPB. The diverse responses across demographic groups indicate potential variations in individual attitudes toward energy efficiency.

4.6. Consideration of External Factors

Our study recognizes the multifaceted nature of energy label awareness and acknowledges the potential influence of external factors beyond demographic variables. External factors such as institutional policies, cultural influences, and ongoing sustainability initiatives may shape individuals’ awareness of energy-labeled products. While our primary focus is on demographic characteristics, we also acknowledge the potential impact of these external elements. The study design considers the broader university context, and we encourage further research to delve deeper into the specific dynamics of external factors influencing energy label awareness among university staff.

5. Results

5.1. Scale and Demographic Data

The primary objective of this study is to assess the degree of awareness regarding energy efficiency among university academic and administrative personnel. To accomplish this, a survey was performed among the academic and administrative staff at Gazi University. The questionnaire includes demographic information about the participants, including their gender, age, marital status, staff type, education level, and income. The sample comprised a gender-diverse group, with 62% male and 38% female participants, aligning with the broader gender composition within Gazi University’s academic and administrative staff. The age distribution was well-represented across various cohorts, with a significant proportion (40%) falling within the 35–44 age range. Additionally, the sample included academic (62%) and administrative (38%) staff, further categorized into various professional titles. A diverse educational background was observed, with the majority holding MSc (24%) and PhD (40%) degrees. The corresponding descriptive statistics may be seen in Table 2.
The demographic characteristics of the sample individuals are visually depicted in Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3, Figure 4, Figure 5, Figure 6 and Figure 7. Figure 1 depicts the gender distribution among academic and administrative staff at Gazi University, showcasing the relative proportions of male and female participants. Of the people surveyed, 62% were male and 38% were female.
Figure 2 illustrates the age distribution among several cohorts, providing insight into the variety of individuals within specific age groups. The age was categorized into four distinct groups. A total of 40% of the participants were aged between 35 and 44, 27% were between 18 and 34, 26% were between 45 and 54, and 7% were over 55.

Figure 2.
Distribution of Participants by Age.

Figure 2.
Distribution of Participants by Age.

Sustainability 16 01754 g002
Figure 3 offers insights into the participants’ marital status, emphasizing potential factors affecting their energy efficiency awareness. In total, 76% of the participants were married, while 24% were single.

Figure 3.
Distribution of Participants by Marital Status.

Figure 3.
Distribution of Participants by Marital Status.

Sustainability 16 01754 g003
The education level of the participants was categorized into five distinct groups, as depicted in Figure 4. Most participants had a PhD, comprising 40% of the total. The second largest group consisted of those with an MSc degree, accounting for 24% of the participants. Graduates from high school constituted the third largest group, comprising 18% of the total. Those with a bachelor’s degree included the fourth largest group, representing 15% of the participants. The smallest group, comprising 3% of the total, held an associate degree.

Figure 4.
Distribution of Participants by Education Level.

Figure 4.
Distribution of Participants by Education Level.

Sustainability 16 01754 g004
Figure 5 shows that 62% of the participants were academic staff, whereas 38% were administrative workers.

Figure 5.
Distribution of Participants by Staff Type.

Figure 5.
Distribution of Participants by Staff Type.

Sustainability 16 01754 g005
The participants were classified into eight groups based on their titles, as depicted in Figure 6. The administrative personnel comprised the most significant proportion, accounting for 38%. The remaining portions were distributed equally among participants with the titles of professor, research assistant, and associate professor, representing 17%, 15%, and 10%, respectively. Conversely, 9%, 6%, 3%, and 2% of participants had the titles of instructor, associate professor, research assistant with a PhD, and instructor with a PhD, respectively.

Figure 6.
Distribution of Participants by Titles.

Figure 6.
Distribution of Participants by Titles.

Sustainability 16 01754 g006
The participants’ income was evenly distributed, as depicted in Figure 7. A total of 18% had a monthly income over USD 2040, the highest proportion. Approximately 16% of the participants reported a monthly income ranging from USD 766 to USD 1020.

Figure 7.
Distribution of Participants by Income (USD 1 was approximately TRY 19.6 when the study was conducted).

Figure 7.
Distribution of Participants by Income (USD 1 was approximately TRY 19.6 when the study was conducted).

Sustainability 16 01754 g007

5.2. Wilcoxon Rank Sum Test

As the 5-point Likert scale was used in the questionnaire, the normality assumption was violated to use the parametric test. Therefore, the non-parametric Wilcoxon Rank Sum test was performed to compare the university staff’s awareness scores regarding gender, marital status, and staff type. The null hypothesis states that the medians of the two groups in the sample are identical, while the alternative hypothesis states that they are not. The significance level (α) is first established, followed by calculating the test statistic and determining the p-value. The null hypothesis is determined by comparing the p-value with the significance level (α). The null hypothesis is rejected when the p-value is less than the significance level α. The null hypothesis exhibits statistical significance. If the p-value is more significant than α, there is insufficient statistical evidence to reject the null hypothesis. Hence, the null hypothesis is upheld. The hypothesis test does not yield statistically significant results. The Cliff delta value was employed to quantify the magnitude of the effect. The significance level in the Wilcoxon Rank Sum test is set at 0.05.

5.3. Gender

There was a significant difference in seven items (low energy consumption (I-6), low water consumption (I-7), quality (I-10), capacity (I-11), durability (I-15), widespread service network (I-16) and status symbol (I-18)) awareness scores of product purchasing decision with energy labels for female and male staff. The obtained statistical results are detailed in Table 3.

Low energy consumption: The test statistic is calculated as −2.475 (Z Value) and the p-value is obtained as 0.013. The null hypothesis is rejected since the p-value (0.013) is lower than the significance level (α = 0.05). Therefore, there was a significant difference in low energy consumption awareness scores for female and male staff. In contrast, the effect size measured by the Cliff delta is d = 0.117, indicating a negligible effect.

Low water consumption: The test statistic is calculated as −2.624 (Z Value) and the p-value is obtained as 0.009. The null hypothesis is rejected since the p-value (0.009) is lower than the significance level (α = 0.05). Therefore, there was a significant difference in low water consumption awareness scores for female and male staff. In contrast, the effect size measured by the Cliff delta is d = 0.138, indicating a negligible effect.

Quality: The test statistic is calculated as −2.185 (Z Value) and the p-value is 0.029. The null hypothesis is rejected since the p-value (0.029) is lower than the significance level (α = 0.05). Therefore, there was a significant difference in quality awareness scores for female and male staff, whereas the effect size measured by the Cliff delta is d = 0.108, indicating a negligible effect.

Capacity: The test statistic is calculated as −2.805 (Z Value) and the p-value is obtained as 0.005. The null hypothesis is rejected since the p-value (0.005) is lower than the significance level (α = 0.05). Therefore, there was a significant difference in capacity awareness scores for female and male staff. In contrast, as measured by the Cliff delta, the effect size is d = 0.154, indicating a small effect.

Durability: The test statistic is calculated as −2.318 (Z Value) and the p-value is obtained as 0.02. The null hypothesis is rejected since the p-value (0.02) is lower than the significance level (α = 0.05). Therefore, there was a significant difference in durability awareness scores for female and male staff, whereas the effect size measured by the Cliff delta is d = 0.117, indicating a negligible effect.

Widespread service network: The test statistic is −2.147 (Z Value) and the p-value is 0. 032. The null hypothesis is rejected since the p-value (0. 032) is lower than the significance level (α = 0.05). Therefore, there was a significant difference in overall service network awareness scores for female and male staff. In contrast, the effect size measured by Cliff delta is d = 0.113, indicating a negligible effect.

Status symbol: The test statistic is calculated as 2.517 (Z Value) and the p-value is obtained as 0.012. The null hypothesis is rejected since the p-value (0.012) is lower than the significance level (α = 0.05). Therefore, female and male staff had a significant difference in status symbol awareness scores. In contrast, the effect size measured by Cliff delta is d = 0.141, indicating a negligible effect.

5.4. Marital Status

There was a significant difference between groups of marital status concerning the importance of energy efficiency class (I-1), the importance of energy consumption (I-2), and the importance of capacity (I-4) for the decision to purchase products with energy labels. The obtained statistical results are detailed in Table 4.

Energy efficiency class: The test statistic is calculated as 3.463 (Z Value) and the p-value is obtained as 0.001. The null hypothesis is rejected since the p-value (0.001) is lower than the significance level (α = 0.05). Therefore, there was a significant difference in the importance of the energy efficiency class awareness scores for single and married staff. In contrast, as measured by Cliff delta, the effect size is d = 0.209, indicating a small effect.

Energy consumption: The test statistic is 2.282 (Z Value) and the p-value is 0.023. The null hypothesis is rejected since the p-value (0.023) is lower than the significance level (α = 0.05). Therefore, there was a significant difference in the importance of energy consumption awareness scores for single and married staff. In contrast, the effect size measured by Cliff delta is d = 0.141, indicating a negligible effect.

Capacity: The test statistic is calculated as −2.774 (Z Value) and the p-value is obtained as 0.006. The null hypothesis is rejected since the p-value (0.006) is lower than the significance level (α = 0.05). Therefore, there was a significant difference in the importance of capacity awareness scores for single and married academic staff. In contrast, as measured by Cliff delta, the effect size is d = 0.168, indicating a small effect.

5.5. Staff Type

There was a significant difference between groups of academic and administrative staff concerning the importance of energy consumption (I-2), the importance of water consumption (I-3), and awareness scores of status symbols when purchasing a product with energy labels (I-18). The obtained statistical results are detailed in Table 5.

Energy consumption: The test statistic is calculated as −2.006 (Z Value) and the p-value is obtained as 0.045. The null hypothesis is rejected since the p-value (0.045) is lower than the significance level (α = 0.05). Therefore, there was a significant difference in the importance of energy consumption awareness scores for academic and administrative staff. In contrast, the effect size measured by Cliff delta is d = 0.108, indicating a negligible effect.

Water consumption: The test statistic is calculated as 2.371 (Z Value) and the p-value is 0.018. The null hypothesis is rejected since the p-value (0.018) is lower than the significance level (α = 0.05). Therefore, there was a significant difference in the importance of water consumption awareness scores for academic and administrative staff. In contrast, the effect size measured by Cliff delta is d = 0.122, indicating a negligible effect.

Status Symbol: The test statistic is calculated as −3.737 (Z Value) and the p-value is 0.000. The null hypothesis is rejected since the p-value (0.000) is lower than the significance level (α = 0.05). Therefore, there was a significant difference in awareness scores of status symbols when purchasing a product with energy labels (Z Value −3.737, p = 0.000) awareness scores for academic and administrative staff. In contrast, the effect size measured by Cliff delta is d = 0.210, indicating a negligible effect.

5.6. Kruskal–Wallis Test

The Kruskal–Wallis Test, a nonparametric version ANOVA, was conducted in this study since the 5-point Likert scale was used in the questionnaire. Therefore, the normality assumption was violated to use a parametric test. The Kruskal–Wallis Test was conducted to determine whether age, education level, title, and income statistically affected awareness scores. The Kruskal–Wallis Test is used when two or more independent groups exist. The null hypothesis indicates that the medians of groups in the research item are the same for each group. Conversely, the alternative hypothesis suggests they are the same for each group. The significance level (α) is defined, then the test statistic is calculated, and the p-value is determined. The decision on the null hypothesis is based on comparing the p-value and significance level (α). The null hypothesis is rejected if the p-value is lower than α. The null hypothesis is statistically significant. The Eta square ( η 2 )value was used to measure effect size. The ages of participants were divided into four categories (18–34, 35–44, 45–54, over 55), and the education level of participants was divided into five categories (high school graduate, Associate degree, Bachelor degree, MSc, Ph.D.); the title of participants were divided into eight categories (Professor, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, Instructor with PhD, Instructor, Research Assistant with PhD, Research Assistant and Administrative Staff) and the income of participants was divided into eight categories (under USD 510, USD 510–765, USD 766–1020, USD 1021–1275, USD 1276–1530, USD 1531–1785, USD 1786–2040 and over USD 2040). Only age and education level had a statistically significant effect on awareness scores. Therefore, the results of two demographic characteristics have been explained in the following subsections.

5.7. Age

The test statistic is calculated as 12.062 ( χ 2 Value) and the p-value is obtained as 0.007. The null hypothesis is rejected since the p-value (0.007) is lower than the significance level (α = 0.05). Therefore, age significantly affected awareness scores for the importance of energy efficiency class (I-1). The detailed results of the Kruskal–Wallis Test are presented in Table 6. Furthermore, the effect size ( η 2 ) was 0.021, indicating a small effect.
To compare the difference between age categories in awareness scores for the importance of energy efficiency class, a post hoc analysis was conducted, and the related statistics are briefly summarized in Table 7. The main idea in post hoc analysis is the same as comparing the median of two independent groups. When the p-value is lower than the significance level (α), the null hypothesis is rejected; otherwise (the p-value is greater than α), there is insufficient statistical evidence to reject the null hypothesis. It is easy to see that there exists a statistical difference between awareness scores for the importance of energy efficiency class between age groups 18–34 and 45–54 since the p-value (0.004) is lower than the significance level (α = 0.05). The mean rank values of age groups 18–34 and 45–54 equal 238.392 and 187.337, respectively. The mean rank difference between the two groups is 51,054, and the value is 0.004.
The test statistic is calculated as 8.087 ( χ 2 ) and the p-value is obtained as 0.044. The null hypothesis is rejected since the p-value (0.044) is lower than the significance level (α = 0.05). Therefore, age significantly affected awareness scores regarding the importance of capacity (I-4). The detailed results of the Kruskal–Wallis Test are presented in Table 8. Furthermore, the effect size ( η 2 ) was 0.012, indicating a small effect.
To compare the difference between age categories in awareness scores for the importance of capacity, a post hoc analysis was conducted, and the related statistics are briefly summarized in Table 9. A statistical difference exists between awareness scores for the importance of capacity between age groups 18–34 and 45–54 since the p-value (0.041) is lower than the significance level (α = 0.05). The mean rank values of age groups 18–34 and 45–54 equal 200.263 and 240.306, respectively. The mean rank difference between the two groups is −40.043, and the value is 0.041.
The test statistic is calculated as 8.746 ( χ 2 ) and the p-value is obtained as 0.033. The null hypothesis is rejected since the p-value (0.033) is lower than the significance level (α = 0.05). Therefore, age significantly affected awareness scores of quality (I-10) when purchasing a product with energy labels. The detailed results of the Kruskal–Wallis Test are presented in Table 10. Furthermore, the effect size ( η 2 ) was 0.014, indicating a small effect.
To compare the difference between age categories in awareness scores for the importance of quality when purchasing a product with energy labels, a post hoc analysis was conducted, and the related statistics are briefly summarized in Table 11. It is easy to see that there exists a statistical difference between awareness scores for the importance of capacity between age groups 18–34 and 45–54 since the p-value (0.018) is lower than the significance level (α = 0.05). The mean rank values of age groups 18–34 and 45–54 equal 238,392 and 187,337, respectively. The mean rank difference between the two groups is 41,295 and the p-value is 0.018.

5.8. Education Level

The test statistic is calculated as 11.941 ( χ 2 ) and the p-value is obtained as 0.017. The null hypothesis is rejected since the p-value (0.017) is lower than the significance level (α = 0.05). Therefore, education significantly affected low energy consumption awareness scores when purchasing a product with energy labels (I-6). The detailed results of the Kruskal–Wallis Test are presented in Table 12. Furthermore, the effect size ( η 2 ) was 0.019, indicating a small effect.
To compare the difference between age categories in awareness scores of low energy consumption when purchasing a product with energy labels, a post hoc analysis was conducted, and the related statistics are briefly summarized in Table 13. It is easy to see that there exists a statistical difference between awareness scores of low energy consumption when purchasing a product with energy labels between age groups MSc and high school graduates since the p-value (0.019) is lower than the significance level (α = 0.05). The mean rank values of the age group MSc and high school graduates equal 240.406 and 193.544, respectively. The mean rank difference between the two groups is 46.862 and the value is 0.019.
The test statistic is calculated as 12.838 ( χ 2 ) and the p-value is obtained as 0.012. The null hypothesis is rejected since the p-value (0.012) is lower than the significance level (α = 0.05). Therefore, education significantly affected awareness scores of durability when purchasing a product with energy labels (I-15). The detailed results of the Kruskal–Wallis Test are presented in Table 14. Furthermore, the effect size ( η 2 ) was 0.021, indicating a small effect.
To compare the difference between age categories in awareness scores of durability when purchasing a product with energy labels, a post hoc analysis was conducted, and the related statistics are briefly summarized in Table 15. A statistical difference between awareness scores of durability when purchasing a product with energy labels between age groups Ph.D. and MSc is easy to see since the p-value (0.029) is lower than the significance level (α = 0.05). The mean rank values of the age groups PhD and MSc are equal to 201.440 and 240.99, respectively. The mean rank difference between the two groups is −39.551 and the value is 0.029.
The test statistic is calculated as 24.543 ( χ 2 ) and the p-value is obtained as 0.00. The null hypothesis is rejected since the p-value (0.00) is lower than the significance level (α = 0.05). Therefore, education significantly affected awareness scores of status symbols when purchasing a product with energy labels (I-18). The detailed results of the Kruskal–Wallis Test are presented in Table 16. Furthermore, the effect size ( η 2 ) was 0.048, indicating a small effect.
To compare the difference between age categories in awareness scores of status symbols when purchasing a product with energy labels, a post hoc analysis was conducted, and the related statistics are briefly summarized in Table 17. It is easy to see that there exists a statistical difference between awareness scores of status symbols when purchasing a product with energy labels between age groups Ph.D. and high school graduate, bachelor’s degree and high school graduate, MSc and high school graduate, since the p-values (0.00, 0.00 and 0.002) are lower than the significance level (α = 0.05), respectively. The mean rank values of the age group PhD and high school graduates are equal to 203.698 and 271.532, respectively. The mean rank difference between the two groups is −67,834 and the p-value is 0.00. The mean rank values of the age groups bachelor’s degree and high school graduate are equal to 184,659 and 271.532, respectively. The mean rank difference between the two groups is −86,873 and the p-value is 0.00. The mean rank values of the age group MSc and high school graduates are equal to 204,985 and 271.532, respectively. The mean rank difference between the two groups is −66,547 and the value is 0.002. It is easy to see that when the education level increases, the awareness scores of status symbols when purchasing a product with energy labels decrease. A negative correlation exists between education level and the awareness scores of status symbols.

6. Discussion

This study, rooted in the TPB, delved into how demographic factors may shape individual attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control, ultimately influencing energy efficiency awareness among Gazi University academic and administrative staff. The TPB serves as a guiding framework for translating theoretical insights into actionable interventions. The components of the TPB: attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control, play a pivotal role in shaping individuals’ energy efficiency awareness. To translate these theoretical constructs into practical strategies, interventions can be designed to target specific components identified in our study. By explicitly linking our theoretical framework to practical implications, our study offers a roadmap for developing targeted and effective interventions that contribute to fostering a more energy-conscious community.

Findings highlight gender-specific variations in attitudes towards various aspects of energy efficiency, as identified by the TPB’s attitude component. Addressing these differences through targeted interventions and educational strategies can enhance overall awareness and contribute to a more sustainable and energy-efficient academic community at Gazi University. The observed differences between academic and administrative staff highlight the importance of tailoring energy label awareness campaigns to specific professional roles. While the effect sizes are generally small, indicating subtle differences, addressing these distinctions can lead to more effective and targeted interventions. Future initiatives should consider academic and administrative staff’s specific needs and perceptions, aiming for a holistic approach that aligns with the TPB components, mainly focusing on attitudes and perceptions. The findings underscore the relevance of incorporating age-specific considerations into energy label awareness initiatives. As the TPB posits, attitudes and perceptions significantly influence behavioral intentions. Therefore, aligning awareness campaigns with the distinct perspectives of various age groups can contribute to fostering a more energy-conscious university community at Gazi University. The results underscore the importance of considering education in designing energy-label awareness interventions. Aligning campaigns with the unique perceptions and priorities of individuals with different educational backgrounds can contribute to a more nuanced and practical approach to promoting energy-conscious behaviors within the Gazi University staff community. The negative correlation between education level and the perceived status symbol highlights the importance of addressing potential misconceptions or biases associated with energy labels. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for fostering positive attitudes and behaviors. The implications of these findings are discussed in terms of designing targeted interventions and strategies to enhance awareness and promote energy-efficient behaviors within this academic context.

6.1. Demographic Data

The TPB can be applied to interpret these findings. As outlined in the TPB, individual attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control are crucial components influencing energy efficiency awareness. The demographic data act as influential factors that may shape these components. Age, income, and education can affect perceived control over adopting energy-efficient practices. Younger individuals or those with higher education might feel more control over incorporating such practices.

The demographic characteristics of the participants in this study provide a comprehensive understanding of the sample and form the basis for exploring how these factors may influence energy efficiency awareness among Gazi University academic and administrative staff. Table 1 and Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3, Figure 4, Figure 5, Figure 6 and Figure 7 illustrate the distribution of participants across various demographic variables.

The sample is gender-diverse, with 62% male and 38% female participants. This distribution reflects the broader gender composition within the academic and administrative staff at Gazi University. The age distribution is well-represented across different cohorts, with a significant proportion (40%) falling within the 35–44 age range. This diversity allows insights into how awareness might vary among different age groups. Most participants are married (76%), while 24% are single. This demographic factor introduces the potential influence of marital status on energy efficiency awareness. Participants exhibit a diverse educational background, with the majority holding MSc (24%) and PhD (40%) degrees. The impact of education on awareness can be explored through this diverse group. The participants include academic (62%) and administrative (38%) staff, further categorized into various titles. Marital status, income, and education level may contribute to perceived societal expectations and influence subjective norms.

Beyond the demographic factors explored in our study, it is imperative to acknowledge the potential impact of external factors on energy label awareness. Institutional policies and cultural influences can significantly shape individuals’ perceptions and behaviors concerning energy efficiency. Institutional initiatives, such as sustainability programs or awareness campaigns at Gazi University, may play a pivotal role in influencing energy label awareness among academic and administrative staff. Additionally, cultural norms within the broader societal context can contribute to variations in energy awareness behaviors. Recognizing the importance of these external elements provides a more comprehensive view of the dynamics surrounding energy label awareness. Future research endeavors should delve deeper into these external factors, considering their nuanced interactions with demographic influences, to develop more effective and contextually sensitive interventions.

6.2. Gender

The findings indicate significant differences in awareness scores for specific items related to product purchasing decisions with energy labels between female and male academic staff. This discussion will interpret these results within the TPB framework and its components: Attitude, Subjective Norms, and Perceived Behavioral Control.

  • Low Energy Consumption (I-6): Gender differences may influence how individuals perceive the importance of low energy consumption in their purchasing decisions. Strategies to enhance positive attitudes toward energy efficiency may benefit both genders.

  • Low Water Consumption (I-7): Gender-related variations may influence attitudes toward the importance of water efficiency. Educational interventions can target both genders to improve awareness and attitudes.

  • Quality (I-10): Gender differences may shape perceptions of the quality of energy-efficient products. Addressing these variations can be crucial in fostering positive attitudes.

  • Capacity (I-11): Gender-related variations may influence perceptions of product capacity concerning energy efficiency. Strategies to highlight the importance of capacity for both genders may enhance awareness.

  • Durability (I-15): Gender-related variations may influence perceptions of durability concerning energy-efficient products. Educational campaigns can target both genders to improve awareness.

  • Widespread Service Network (I-16): Gender differences may shape perceptions of the significance of a widespread service network for energy-efficient products. Strategies can aim at enhancing positive attitudes in both genders.

  • Status Symbol (I-18): Gender-related variations may influence perceptions of products as status symbols in the context of energy efficiency. Educational efforts can address these variations to improve awareness.

6.3. Staff

The findings of the Wilcoxon Rank Sum Test reveal significant differences in awareness scores among academic and administrative staff regarding certain aspects of energy labels, explicitly focusing on the importance of energy consumption (I-2), the importance of water consumption (I-3), and awareness scores of the status symbol (I-18) during product purchasing decisions.

  • Importance of Energy Consumption (I-2): The findings suggest that differences in the importance attached to energy consumption may exist between academic and administrative staff. Addressing these differences through targeted awareness campaigns may help align attitudes and promote energy-efficient practices.

  • Importance of Water Consumption (I-3): Variations in the importance placed on water consumption suggest the need for tailored interventions. Strategies to enhance awareness among academic and administrative staff can be implemented to foster a common understanding of the significance of water efficiency.

  • Awareness Scores of Status Symbol (I-18): The status symbol associated with purchasing energy-labeled products may have a more pronounced influence on one group compared to the other. Strategies to leverage this perception, such as emphasizing the prestige of energy-efficient choices, can be explored.

Kruskal–Wallis Test: The Kruskal–Wallis Test indicates that age and education level statistically affect awareness scores, suggesting the importance of considering these demographic factors in designing targeted awareness programs.

6.4. Age

The Kruskal–Wallis Test results indicate a significant effect of age on awareness scores for three key aspects: the importance of energy efficiency class (I-1), the importance of capacity (I-4), and awareness scores of quality when purchasing a product with energy labels (I-10).

  • Importance of Energy Efficiency Class (I-1): A significant difference exists between age groups 18–34 and 45–54, suggesting variations in perceptions of the importance of energy efficiency class among these age categories.

  • Importance of Capacity (I-4): The difference is particularly pronounced between age groups 18–34 and 45–54, suggesting that individuals in the 45–54 age category may have distinct perceptions regarding the importance of capacity in energy-labeled products.

  • Awareness Scores of Quality (I-10): A significant difference is observed between age groups 18–34 and 45–54, highlighting potential divergences in perceptions of quality considerations when choosing energy-labeled products.

Understanding the nuanced perspectives of different age cohorts allows for developing educational strategies that resonate with diverse age-related concerns and priorities.

6.5. Education Level

The Kruskal–Wallis Test results indicate a significant effect of education level on awareness scores for low energy consumption (I-6), durability (I-15), and status symbol (I-18) when purchasing a product with energy labels.

  • Awareness Scores of Low Energy Consumption (I-6): Statistically significant differences exist between individuals with an MSc and those with a high school graduate education, indicating distinctions in perceptions regarding the importance of low energy consumption when purchasing energy-labeled products.

  • Awareness Scores of Durability (I-15): Significant differences are observed between individuals with a PhD and those with an MSc, suggesting variations in perceptions of the importance of durability in energy-labeled products.

  • Awareness Scores of Status Symbol (I-18): A consistent pattern emerges where awareness scores decrease as education level increases. Specifically, there are significant differences between individuals with a Ph.D. and those with a high school graduate education, between those with a bachelor’s degree and high school graduates, and between individuals with an MSc and high school graduates. This suggests a negative correlation between education level and the perceived status symbol associated with energy-labeled products.

6.6. Consistency of Awareness Differences across Energy-Labeled Products

To further deepen our exploration, we scrutinized the data to understand whether observed differences in awareness persist consistently across various energy-labeled products. Our analysis revealed nuanced variations in attitudes towards specific products, such as those emphasizing low energy consumption, low water consumption, quality, capacity, durability, and the significance of a widespread service network. These variations shed light on the intricate interplay between demographic factors and the perceived importance of different energy efficiency attributes. By examining these differences across distinct product categories, our study contributes valuable insights into tailoring interventions for specific energy-labeled products, thus fostering a more targeted and practical approach to energy label awareness campaigns.

6.7. Navigating the Intersection of Awareness and Behavior

Our findings, rooted in the TPB, bear direct relevance to interventions aimed at enhancing energy label awareness. For instance, recognizing the gender-specific variations in attitudes toward energy efficiency suggests the potential for targeted interventions addressing these differences. Educational strategies tailored to specific age groups and academic backgrounds align with the TPB’s emphasis on attitudes and perceptions. As we delve into the practical implications of our study, we emphasize the need for interventions that resonate with the unique perspectives of diverse demographic groups. By aligning with the TPB components, our study contributes to academic discourse and offers actionable insights for crafting effective energy label awareness initiatives.

A pivotal aspect of our study involves elucidating the intricate relationship between variations in awareness and the manifestation of actual energy-related behaviors among the diverse staff at Gazi University. Grounded in the Theory of Planned Behavior, which emphasizes the interplay of individual attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control, our research probes into the nuanced dynamics that influence behavioral intentions within the academic community. Our findings underscore the significance of demographic-specific variations in awareness, pointing towards the potential divergence in energy-related behaviors among distinct groups. Notably, gender-specific differences in attitudes towards energy efficiency may give rise to discernible behavioral patterns, necessitating precisely tailored interventions for effective alignment with sustainability objectives. Additionally, the observed distinctions between academic and administrative staff highlight the importance of tailored strategies to bridge the gap between heightened awareness and tangible actions.

As we weave together the intricate threads connecting demographic factors, attitudes, and behaviors, our study presents valuable insights that extend beyond the specific context of Gazi University. By fortifying these connections and contributing to the broader behavior change literature, we aspire to enhance the theoretical foundations of the TPB and offer actionable recommendations for designing interventions to cultivate sustainable behaviors within academic settings. This holistic understanding enriches the academic discourse and holds practical implications for developing targeted and effective sustainability interventions.

6.8. Methodological and Contextual Limitations

Our study contributes valuable insights into energy label awareness among Gazi University’s academic and administrative staff, acknowledging the dynamic nature of awareness over time and the influence of various external factors. The cross-sectional nature of our research provides a snapshot of awareness at a specific time, limiting our ability to discern causal relationships and temporal changes in energy label awareness over an extended period. To address this limitation, future longitudinal studies can be instrumental in capturing the evolving nature of energy label awareness, allowing for a more nuanced understanding of trends or shifts in perceptions.

Furthermore, while providing meaningful insights within this institutional context, our study’s exclusive focus on Gazi University’s academic and administrative staff raises considerations about the generalizability of findings to other institutions with different demographic compositions and contextual factors. The unique demographic composition, institutional culture, and geographical location of Gazi University contribute to its distinguishing characteristics. Therefore, caution is warranted when extrapolating our results to diverse contexts, and future research efforts can enhance external validity by including a more diverse range of institutions.

Additionally, our study identifies the potential influence of ongoing initiatives within Gazi University, such as sustainability programs or awareness campaigns, on energy label awareness. These external interventions may introduce confounding variables that our study must fully encapsulate for a comprehensive understanding. As we acknowledge these methodological limitations, it becomes evident that capturing the temporal dimensions and external influences necessitates ongoing research efforts to refine and deepen our understanding of the factors shaping energy label awareness among academic and administrative staff.

Moreover, we recognize that energy label perceptions are subject to evolving societal trends and technological advancements, potentially impacting the stability of awareness over time. While our research aims to provide a comprehensive snapshot of energy efficiency awareness, readers should consider these methodological constraints when interpreting the study’s outcomes, emphasizing the need for ongoing research to capture the evolving dynamics in energy label awareness.

While our study strives to make meaningful contributions to understanding energy-related perceptions within the university setting, we also acknowledge the potential for variations in perceptions and attitudes across different countries, regions, and economies. This diversity should be considered in future research, prompting subsequent studies to explore energy efficiency awareness across various universities and institutions. Conducting cross-cultural studies can comprehensively examine potential differences, considering cultural norms, economic conditions, and regional policies that significantly shape energy efficiency awareness. Understanding these variations will contribute to developing targeted interventions that are culturally and regionally sensitive, fostering a more sustainable and energy-conscious global community.

7. Conclusions

In this comprehensive exploration of energy label awareness among Gazi University staff, our study employed the TPB as a guiding framework to investigate the influence of various demographic factors on attitudes and perceptions toward energy-labeled products. The conclusions drawn in this study are firmly grounded in the evidence and arguments presented throughout the research. Notably, our findings on gender-specific variations in attitudes toward energy efficiency, significant differences among academic and administrative staff, and the influence of demographic factors on energy label awareness converge to answer the main research question regarding the impact of demographics on energy efficiency awareness at Gazi University. We have comprehensively understood the dynamics influencing energy label awareness by addressing each aspect of the TPB and demographic factors. Each identified difference or pattern directly answers the overarching research question, creating a cohesive narrative that aligns with the evidence amassed.

The findings provide valuable insights into the factors shaping awareness, preferences, and decision-making processes related to energy efficiency. Significant differences emerged among marital status groups regarding the importance of energy efficiency class, energy consumption, and capacity when purchasing products with energy labels. Single and married individuals displayed variations in their attitudes, indicating the need for tailored awareness strategies addressing the diverse concerns within these subgroups. Academic and administrative staff exhibited significant differences in their awareness of energy consumption, water consumption, and the perceived status symbol associated with energy-labeled products.

In light of the observed variations in energy label awareness among different demographic groups, our study underscores the importance of tailoring interventions to address specific practical challenges and opportunities. For instance, the gender-specific differences identified in attitudes towards various aspects of energy efficiency suggest that targeted educational campaigns can effectively enhance awareness for both male and female staff members. Similarly, the significant distinctions noted between academic and administrative staff call for tailored strategies, ensuring that energy label awareness initiatives align with these professional roles’ distinct priorities and perspectives. By thoroughly understanding and addressing these demographic nuances, we aim to contribute to academic discourse and the development of practical, impactful interventions that foster a more energy-conscious community at Gazi University and beyond.

It is important to note that our study focused specifically on the academic and administrative staff of Gazi University, providing valuable insights into energy efficiency awareness within this institutional context. While the findings offer meaningful contributions to understanding energy-related perceptions within the university setting, the potential for variations in perceptions and attitudes across different countries, regions, and economies must be considered. We acknowledge the potential benefits of expanding the participant pool in future research. Subsequent studies can explore energy efficiency awareness across a more diverse range of universities and institutions, allowing for a broader examination of the factors influencing energy-conscious behaviors in various academic settings. Future research endeavors can consider conducting cross-cultural studies to explore these potential differences comprehensively. Cultural norms, economic conditions, and regional policies may significantly shape energy efficiency awareness. Understanding these variations can contribute to developing targeted interventions that are culturally and regionally sensitive, fostering a more sustainable and energy-conscious global community.

Tailoring interventions to academic and administrative staff’s specific needs and priorities can enhance the effectiveness of energy label awareness initiatives. Age significantly influenced awareness scores for energy efficiency class, capacity, and quality. Targeted interventions based on age categories, particularly emphasizing the importance of capacity, can foster more relevant and impactful awareness campaigns. Education level significantly influenced awareness scores for low energy consumption, durability, and the perceived status symbol. Tailoring educational campaigns to the unique perspectives of different academic backgrounds is crucial, particularly in addressing potential misconceptions related to the perceived status symbol associated with energy-labeled products. Designing awareness programs considering marital status, staff type, age, and education level can enhance their relevance and effectiveness. Recognizing the negative correlation between education level and the perceived status symbol associated with energy labels is essential. Efforts should focus on dispelling potential biases and promoting positive associations with energy-conscious choices. Future research endeavors should consider expanding the scope to include a broader demographic representation and assessing the longitudinal impact of awareness campaigns on actual energy-related behaviors. Our study provides a foundation for targeted and nuanced energy label awareness initiatives. By understanding the subtle influences of demographic factors, policymakers, and practitioners can tailor interventions to create a more sustainable and energy-conscious community within Gazi University and beyond.

]]>
328914
Few suppliers are dominating a large consumer market – Dr Moazzem | CPD https://inergency.com/few-suppliers-are-dominating-a-large-consumer-market-dr-moazzem-cpd/ Sun, 18 Feb 2024 06:04:02 +0000 https://inergency.com/few-suppliers-are-dominating-a-large-consumer-market-dr-moazzem-cpd/ Few suppliers are dominating a large consumer market – Dr Moazzem | CPDOriginally posted in The Daily Sun on 17 February 2024 Impact of duty cut yet to be visible The impact of cutting import duties for four essential commodities that remain in high demand during Ramadan is yet to become visible in the markets due to some unscrupulous traders’ tendency of making excessive profits, said market insiders. […]]]> Few suppliers are dominating a large consumer market – Dr Moazzem | CPD



Originally posted in The Daily Sun on 17 February 2024

Impact of duty cut yet to be visible

The impact of cutting import duties for four essential commodities that remain in high demand during Ramadan is yet to become visible in the markets due to some unscrupulous traders’ tendency of making excessive profits, said market insiders.

Besides, only duty cuts will not have any impact on commodity prices if the market structure is not competitive, say economists.

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) reduced the import duties on rice, sugar, edible oils and dates on 7 February as per the direction of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina with a view to bring down essentials’ prices ahead of Ramadan.

The tax exemptions include the withdrawal of a 10% import duty on dates, a 20% regulatory duty on rice, and 5% duties on edible oil and reduction of import duty from Tk1,500 to Tk1,000 per tonne on refined and unrefined sugar.

Over a week has passed since the government lowered the duties, but the measure has hardly had an impact on the market so far.
The price of packaged sugar was Tk144 per kg and soybean oil was Tk173 per litre on Friday which was the same before the duties on them were reduced.

Prices of other essential commodities including chickpeas, dried peas, onions, dates, beef, broiler chicken, egg, mung beans, garlic, ginger and flour have also increased manifold ahead of the holy month of Ramadan.

Dr Jahangir Alam Khan, an agro-economist and researcher, told the Daily Sun that the government has done its best but the devil might not listen to the scriptures.
“The businessmen are creating supply disruption in advance, so, businessmen will try to make excessive profit no matter how much the import duty is reduced,” he said.

“However, the import will increase as duty has been reduced. If imports have been increased then the supply of essentials will increase. A positive impact of duty cuts will be visible when the supply of essentials increases in the market. We have to wait for it,” he said.

Dr Khondaker Golam Moazzem, research director of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), said, “Our market structure is not competitive. Only a few suppliers are dominating a large consumer market. The supplier can make a large impact on the market structure. For this reason, they also have the ability to make pricing decisions.”

For some products, there are only a few suppliers – in some cases there are only one or two suppliers. So, they do not feel any pressure to reduce the price after the government provides duty exemptions. They increase the price of essentials as they wish on the pretext of any global condition. It happens because there are not enough suppliers in the market, Dr Moazzem told the Daily Sun.

The market might not be stable until the authorities concerned ensure enough number of suppliers in the market, and monitor the market practice of the large suppliers and producers including distributors, dealers, wholesalers and others, he said.

“Only a duty cut might not reduce the price of essentials. The government should change the law structure. It should also fix a limit regarding who can sell how much food products, so that other suppliers can enter the market. It might create competition in the market, and reduce the price of essentials,” said the economist.

Cutting duties might have a little impact on the prices of essentials due devaluation of local currency against the dollar price, said Biswajit Saha, general manager (finance and accounts), of City Group.

“Cutting duties might lower sugar price by Tk0.50 per kg, and might reduce the soybean oil price by Tk4-5 per litre,” he said.

Products with the new price rate will be available soon after the commerce ministry fixes it, he added.

According to the Chattogram Custom House, in the last three and half months (1 October 2023 to 20 January 2024) around 1.18 lakh tonnes of sugar was imported while 80,212 tonnes sugar was imported in the same period of the previous year.

During the same period, around 7.46 lakh tonnes of crude edible oil was imported while in the previous year, the import was around 6.58 lakh tonnes.

Around 49,515 tonnes of chickpeas was imported during that period, while around 24,486 tonnes was imported during the same time of the previous year.

According to market insiders, the demand for edible oil is around 3.5 lakh tonnes and chickpeas are 1 lakh tonnes in Ramadan.

]]>
326648
New year brought increased consumer interest in food and nutrition resolutions https://inergency.com/new-year-brought-increased-consumer-interest-in-food-and-nutrition-resolutions/ Thu, 15 Feb 2024 09:27:15 +0000 https://inergency.com/new-year-brought-increased-consumer-interest-in-food-and-nutrition-resolutions/ New year brought increased consumer interest in food and nutrition resolutionsIn general, how healthy is your overall diet? Would you say it is…. (January 2024). Credit: Center for Food Demand Analysis and Sustainability Food or nutrition-related New Year’s resolutions were more popular among consumers going into 2024 compared to last year, according to the January Consumer Food Insights Report. This year 25% of consumers responded […]]]> New year brought increased consumer interest in food and nutrition resolutions


New year brought increased consumer interest in food and nutrition resolutions
In general, how healthy is your overall diet? Would you say it is…. (January 2024). Credit: Center for Food Demand Analysis and Sustainability

Food or nutrition-related New Year’s resolutions were more popular among consumers going into 2024 compared to last year, according to the January Consumer Food Insights Report. This year 25% of consumers responded “yes” when asked if they had any food- or nutrition-related New Year’s resolutions, up 6 percentage points from the response to the same question last year.

The survey-based report out of Purdue University’s Center for Food Demand Analysis and Sustainability assesses food spending, consumer satisfaction and values, support of agricultural and food policies, and trust in information sources. Purdue experts conducted and evaluated the survey, which included 1,200 consumers across the United States.

“The top words that popped up in people’s resolutions showed most consumers were focused on eating healthier by either limiting the intake of foods like sugar or increasing the intake of foods like fruits and vegetables,” said the report’s lead author, Joseph Balagtas, professor of agricultural economics at Purdue and director of CFDAS.

Some of the January survey results were categorized by body mass index (BMI), using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s adult BMI calculator.

“We see a slightly larger proportion of overweight consumers with resolutions, 29%, compared to non-overweight consumers with resolutions, 20%,” Balagtas said. Consumers cited improving health and weight loss as the top motivations behind their resolutions. Weight loss, however, was a primary motivator for 60% of consumers classified as overweight, compared to 26% of non-overweight consumers.

To create this month’s diet and nutrition survey questions, the research team consulted Purdue’s Heather Eicher-Miller, professor of nutrition science in the College of Health and Human Sciences.

“As one might expect, the majority of consumers plan to increase their consumption of fruits, vegetables and water while limiting the intake of salty snacks, sugary foods, regular soft drinks and alcohol,” Balagtas said.

Among consumers who planned to decrease their consumption of a certain food, 46% anticipated cravings as an obstacle. For those trying to eat more of a certain food, a majority anticipated cost as a barrier.

“The survey reveals a strong perception that healthy diets are more expensive than less healthy diets,” Balagtas noted. “And while this perception is true for several of the poorest people around the world, it’s not necessarily the case here in the United States. Measuring the cost of a diet actually turns out to be a little complex, and it’s something we’re working on at the center. But I think it is possible for most of us in the United States. to improve our diets in a cost-effective way.”

Using the United States. Department of Agriculture’s 5-point scale from “poor” to “excellent,” the Purdue researchers found that 84% of consumers rate their diet as “good,” “very good,” or “excellent.”

New year brought increased consumer interest in food and nutrition resolutions
Share of consumers who have food or nutrition-related new year’s resolutions. Aggregated by BMI Group, January 2024. Credit: Consumer Food Insights / Center for Food Demand Analysis and Sustainability

Consumers who knew of the USDA’s and United States. Department of Health and Human Services’ Dietary Guidelines for Americans were more likely to report that their diet is healthy. The guidelines provide advice on what to drink and eat to ensure that nutrient needs are met.

“Awareness of the guidelines is a good sign, but when we look at what Americans actually eat compared to the recommendations in the guidelines, the grade on a scale to 100 might be a 58, or F+,” Eicher-Miller said. “So it looks like people might have an optimistic view of their diets.”

In the “Food Expenditures” category, average weekly food spending was $124 in January, up 20% from January 2022. “It is no surprise to see food spending increase, given the high food inflation we experienced during the same period,” noted Elijah Bryant, a survey research analyst at CFDAS and co-author of the report.

Consumer inflation expectations and estimates—unchanged from last month—remained down slightly from last summer. However, the Consumer Price Index measure of food inflation in January was 2.7%, down significantly from last year.

And while the food insecurity rate has hovered around 13% since September 2023, the rate of households receiving free food declined to 12% in January from 15% in December.

“With food inflation on the decline, consumers may be seeing some relief on their wallets, reducing the reliance on free food to supplement their food purchases,” Bryant observed.

The incidence of overweight is higher among consumers who are food-insecure or participate in SNAP. “The income effect may explain this pattern, as the incidence of overweight is higher and diet quality lower among low-income consumers,” Bryant said. “Our survey highlights the intertwined problems of food insecurity and nutrition, and the importance of research for identifying solutions to both.”

Most Americans continue to be considered “thriving” on the diet well-being index (63%). However, this average is lower than the 2022 (70%) and 2023 (69%) averages.

Overweight consumers report a slightly lower score on the diet well-being index compared to non-overweight consumers over the last 25 months, with 66% versus 73% considered “thriving,” respectively.

“However, it should be noted that the majority of all consumers remain happy with their diets and lives,” Bryant said.

The January survey also asked consumers about their trust in food and nutrition-related information from organizations and professionals tasked with protecting public health and the United States. food system. These include primary care professionals, the Food and Drug Administration, the USDA and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Consumers rated their trust higher in January compared to the 2022 and 2023 averages on the CFDAS trust index.

The Center for Food Demand Analysis and Sustainability is part of Purdue’s Next Moves in agriculture and food systems and uses innovative data analysis shared through user-friendly platforms to improve the food system. In addition to the Consumer Food Insights Report, the center offers a portfolio of online dashboards.

Provided by
Purdue University


Citation:
New year brought increased consumer interest in food and nutrition resolutions (2024, February 14)
retrieved 15 February 2024
from https://phys.org/news/2024-02-year-brought-consumer-food-nutrition.html

This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no
part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.



]]>
324673
How Are Consumer Perspectives of PV Rooftops and New Business Initiatives in Indonesia’s Energy Transition? https://inergency.com/how-are-consumer-perspectives-of-pv-rooftops-and-new-business-initiatives-in-indonesias-energy-transition/ Wed, 14 Feb 2024 11:01:09 +0000 https://inergency.com/how-are-consumer-perspectives-of-pv-rooftops-and-new-business-initiatives-in-indonesias-energy-transition/ How Are Consumer Perspectives of PV Rooftops and New Business Initiatives in Indonesia’s Energy Transition?1. Introduction The electricity industry is currently undergoing an energy transition characterized by a shift towards renewable energy sources and a reduction in the use of fossil fuels [1,2]. This transition is driven by various factors, such as climate change, environmental concerns, and government policies [2,3]. As a result, electricity companies, including the state-owned Perusahaan […]]]> How Are Consumer Perspectives of PV Rooftops and New Business Initiatives in Indonesia’s Energy Transition?


1. Introduction

The electricity industry is currently undergoing an energy transition characterized by a shift towards renewable energy sources and a reduction in the use of fossil fuels [1,2]. This transition is driven by various factors, such as climate change, environmental concerns, and government policies [2,3]. As a result, electricity companies, including the state-owned Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) in Indonesia, are facing new challenges and opportunities in the market. PLN has to adapt to these changes to remain competitive. The company has identified new business ideas that can be developed in the future, such as the launch of the rooftop PV or Pembangkit Listrik Tenaga Surya (PLTS) rooftop product. However, it is crucial to understand customer behavior and identify potential opportunities and threats for PLNs future business development. Although the growth of electricity sales (kWh) and the number of PLN customers has been steady, growth rates have slowed [4,5]. Therefore, research is required to identify the potential opportunities and threats of new businesses in the future. Furthermore, mapping the market response to new business ideas other than PV rooftop products is critical, as this will provide insight into customer preferences and needs in the shifting electricity market.
In light of these issues, Indonesia’s electricity company (PLN) has introduced new business ideas, both related and unrelated to electricity sales. These ideas include a green energy ecosystem consisting of PV, batteries, and a Renewable Energy Certificate (REC). Additionally, ideas related to converting non-electric household appliances to electric include internet facilities, electrical repair services for households, micro-loans for small and medium-sized businesses, and smart home construction [6]. Currently, the green energy ecosystem, specifically the PV rooftop product and REC, has been officially launched to customers. The PV rooftop product is mainly marketed to household customers, while the REC is marketed to industrial customers to meet export requirements. The implementation of these new business ideas is crucial to the sustainability of PLNs business and is also important considering the global trend towards promoting the use of green energy to preserve the environment [7].
Given the global trend towards the use of rooftop solar panels, it is likely that this trend will also occur in Indonesia in the near future [8]. In Indonesia, the use of rooftop solar panels has been increasing in recent years. The number of rooftop solar panel users in Indonesia was 351 at the beginning of 2018, then increased to 609 at the end of 2018, and continued to increase to 1580 at the end of 2019. As of June 2020, the number of rooftop solar panel users in Indonesia had reached 2346 [5]. However, when compared to the millions of PLN customers, the number of rooftop solar panel users as of June 2020 is still relatively small, but with significant growth potential, making the market for rooftop solar panels still wide open [8,9].
In addition to sustainability concerns for businesses and global trends, the decline in the cost of rooftop solar panels is also an important factor to consider in the widespread adoption of rooftop solar panels. Globally, the cost of rooftop solar panels has decreased as a result of cheaper production technologies, as shown in [10]. Therefore, as PLN has launched a new business in the sale of rooftop solar panels, it is necessary to analyze customer behavior to determine the potential market acceptance of the launched product. This will allow for an estimation of potential opportunities and threats in the marketing of rooftop solar panels from the perspective of customer behavior and can aid in developing appropriate marketing strategies to target customers in Indonesia.

The decreasing growth in electricity sales to household customers has prompted PLN to develop new and innovative business ideas, both within and outside of the electricity industry. Currently, one of the officially launched products for household customers is the PV rooftop product. In order to effectively market this product, it is important to understand the behavior of Indonesia’s customers. Additionally, as new business ideas that have not yet been officially launched are proposed, it is necessary to conduct an analysis to assess their potential market acceptance. Through this research, we aim to identify potential opportunities and threats that may arise from customer behavior. To achieve this goal, the following research questions will be addressed:

This research aims to understand the potential opportunities and threats for the development of new business by analyzing customer behavior towards PLNs new business ideas, specifically the PV rooftop product. This study also aims to map the market response to other new business ideas beyond the PV rooftop product. This research will use a quantitative method, with surveys as the data collection technique and statistical procedures for data analysis. The independent variables in this study are Attitude, Environmental Concern, Subjective Norm, Perceived behavior control, Personal Norm, and Regulation. The dependent variable is the Purchase intention of PV rooftop products.

Notable studies have already been conducted to analyze consumer behavior and the new business of Indonesia’s energy transition, including the electric vehicle (EV) and EV charging station [11], PV plant and PV rooftop [4,5,12,13], and induction stove [14,15]. However, the study of Indonesia’s consumer behavior on PV rooftops is still limited. This study stands out as the first to comprehensively analyze consumer behavior regarding PV and new business alternatives for electricity companies in Indonesia. This research provides valuable insights for Indonesia’s energy stakeholders to consider when developing new business strategies and identifying potential opportunities in the market.
This paper consists of several chapters to examine consumer viewpoints on Photovoltaic (PV) systems. In Section 1: Introduction, this research aims and background are presented to establish the foundation. Section 2, under Review and Research Design, offers a comprehensive examination of relevant academic literature and outlines the specific methodological approach employed in this study. Section 3: Results and Discussion provides a comprehensive account of the statistical findings and thoroughly examines their ramifications within this research field. The document concludes with Section 4 Conclusion, which synthesizes the key findings and possible impacts on the sector.

2. Review and Research Method

Consumer behavior refers to the actions and decisions of individuals in relation to obtaining and using goods and services. This encompasses both the cognitive and physical aspects of the process, including the decision-making process and the actual actions taken in evaluating, purchasing, and utilizing these goods and services [16]. According to [17], consumer behavior can be divided into two main components: the decision-making process, which includes evaluating options, seeking information, and determining preferences; and the physical activities, which involve obtaining and using the chosen product or service. Understanding consumer behavior is crucial for businesses and marketers, as it helps to predict and influence purchasing decisions, ultimately leading to successful product development and marketing strategies.
To understand consumer behavior toward purchasing PV rooftop systems, a modification of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) is used. TPB is a widely accepted framework that aims to explain human behavior, particularly in the context of decision-making processes. It is particularly useful in understanding environmental behavior, as it takes into account the individual’s attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control towards a particular behavior [18]. The theory is an expansion of the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA), which is limited in its ability to explain behavior that is not under complete volitional control [19]. TRA posits that behavior is the result of a rational process where individuals consider their options, evaluate the consequences and outcomes, and decide whether to perform the behavior or not. This decision is reflected in their intention, which has a strong influence on the behavior that follows.
Consumer behavior is a complex and dynamic process that is shaped by a variety of factors, including individual characteristics, social and cultural influences, and situational context. Understanding consumer behavior is crucial for businesses, as it allows them to effectively design and target marketing strategies and products that appeal to their target audience [20]. The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) is a widely used framework that helps to explain how individuals make decisions and engage in specific behaviors. In particular, the TPB has been used to study consumer behavior in the environmental field, including the adoption of renewable energy sources such as PLTS rooftop systems [21,22,23]. In this study, we will utilize a modified version of the TPB to explore the factors that influence consumer behavior toward purchasing PV rooftop systems as an energy source for households. By identifying these factors, we aim to gain a better understanding of how to design effective marketing strategies and products that will appeal to consumers and encourage them to adopt PV rooftop systems as an energy source.
In the context of purchasing Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEVs), previous research has shown that these factors play a significant role in determining consumer behavior and purchase intention. Additionally, these factors have a simultaneous effect on purchase intention, with perceived behavioral control having the most dominant impact [24]. Understanding consumer behavior using frameworks such as the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) can provide insight into the underlying factors that influence consumer behavior toward purchasing PV rooftop systems as an energy source for households. This knowledge can be used to develop marketing strategies that effectively target specific consumer segments and identify potential new business ventures that are in demand among the public. By examining the influence of consumer behavior on the purchase intention of PV rooftops, this study aims to contribute to a broader understanding of consumer behavior and decision-making in the context of sustainable energy systems.
This study adopts a quantitative research approach, focusing on evaluating theoretical hypotheses using numerical measures and statistical analysis tools [25]. Additionally, comparative causal research design is also used to investigate the factors that lead to the occurrence or emergence of a particular phenomenon. It is widely used to investigate the cause-and-effect correlations between variables [26]. The dependent variable in this study is purchase intention, while the independent variables include attitude, environmental concern, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, personal norm, and regulation.

This study was conducted with a sample of Indonesia’s customers and prospective consumers. The survey method were utilized for data collection, and snowball sampling was used to collect the sample. The collection of data began in November 2020 and continued until December 2020.

The first steps in this research involve determining this research topic and determining critical variables involved in this study of consumer behavior, including attitude, personal norm, perceived behavioral control, environmental concern, subjective norm, and regulation. Following that, the data collection method were determined, and a survey of PLN household customers was conducted. The operationalization process was carried out, which involved translating the concept of customer behavior into questions in the questionnaire. A pilot survey was undertaken to verify the validity and reliability of the questionnaire and ensure its quality. Based on the results of the pilot survey, improvements were made to the questionnaire, resulting in the final questionnaire shown in Appendix A.

Once the final questionnaire was established, this research sample size was calculated using the Slovin method, which determined that 400 respondents were required for this study with a 95% confidence level. To account for possible invalid responses, the questionnaire was distributed to a total of 686 respondents to assure reliable results. The subsequent step was to distribute the questionnaire and collect this research data, which might then be subjected to parametric analysis for the discussion of rooftop PV and non-parametric analysis to evaluate the suitability of PLNs new business to customer needs. This analysis method aims to provide a thorough understanding of customer attitudes and behaviors regarding rooftop PV use, as well as to investigate the viability of PLNS new business strategies in meeting customer wants and preferences.

3. Results and Discussion

3.1. Demographic

In conducting the survey, demographic data of the respondents were collected, consisting of age, education, occupation, income, and location, as well as the impact of COVID-19 on decision-making. From the survey results, the obtained demographic data are presented in Figure 1.

From the demographic data, it is known that the majority of the respondents are aged between 20 and 30 years old, have completed a bachelor’s degree, are employed in permanent jobs, earn less than five million Indonesian Rupiah, reside outside Jakarta Metropolitan Area, i.e., Jakarta-Bogor-Depok-Bekasi (Jabodetabek), and have opinions related to the COVID-19 pandemic that affects their financial decision-making.

The attitude construct describes the respondents’ attitudes towards the agreement items given in the survey. There are four statements that are considered to represent the attitude construct. The survey results obtained for these four questions are presented in Figure 2. When looking at each question, it is found that for the attitude construct, ATT3 is the most agreed statement by the respondents, which is ‘I like PV Rooftop because it is environmentally friendly’.
The environmental concern construct describes the respondents’ concern for environmental issues, such as the agreement items given in the survey. There are four statements that are considered to represent the environmental concern construct. The survey results obtained for these four questions are presented in Figure 3. When looking at each question, it is found that for the environmental concern construct, EC3 is the most agreed statement by the respondents, which is ‘In my opinion, every individual has a responsibility to protect the environment.
The subjective norm construct describes the social influence of the respondents with the agreement items provided in the survey. There are four statements considered to represent the subjective norm construct, namely statements SN1 to SN4. The survey results obtained for these four questions are shown in Figure 4. When looking at each question individually, it can be observed that for the subjective norm construct, SN1, SN3, and SN4 have almost the same value. These three constructs are the statements most agreed upon by the respondents, namely, “I think people around me believe that I should use PV Rooftop in the near future.”, “I feel that if I buy PV Rooftop, people around me will also buy PV Rooftop”, and “I feel that I will use PV Rooftop if my neighbor uses it”.
The perceived behavioral control construct describes the behavioral control of the respondents towards an action (how easy or difficult it is to do something) with the agreement items provided in the survey. There are four statements considered to represent the perceived behavioral control construct, namely statements PBC1 to PBC4. The survey results obtained for these four questions are shown in Figure 5. When looking at each question individually, it can be observed that for the perceived behavioral control construct, PBC1 is the statement most agreed upon by the respondents, which is “I think the price is an important factor for me when deciding to buy PV Rooftop”.
The personal norm construct describes the personal norms of the respondents towards the agreement items provided in the survey. There are three statements considered to represent the personal norm construct, namely statements PN1 to PN3. The survey results obtained for these three questions are shown in Figure 6. When looking at each question individually, it can be observed that for the personal norm construct, PN3 is the statement most agreed upon by the respondents, which is “I feel obligated to consider the environmental consequences of using generators that utilize fossil fuels”.
The regulation construct describes the respondents’ views on the items of agreement with the regulations provided in the survey. There are three statements considered to represent the regulation construct, namely statements RG1 to RG3. The survey results obtained for these three questions are shown in Figure 7. When looking at each question individually, it can be observed that for the regulation construct, RG1 is the statement most agreed upon by the respondents, which is “I think the availability of installment packages, promotions, or discounts will increase interest in buying PV Rooftop”.
The construct of purchase intention is used to describe the respondents’ perceptions of agreement with the regulations provided in the survey. For the regulation construct, seven statements were identified as representative. These statements are labeled INT1 through INT7. The survey results for these seven questions are shown in Figure 8. When analyzing each statement individually, it was found that for the purchase intention construct, INT7 was the statement most agreed upon by the respondents: “I feel more comfortable buying PLTS from PLN than from other companies”.

Validity testing was performed on 50 randomly selected samples. For the validity test with a sample size of 50, the reference correlation coefficient used for validity is 0.2353. The test results (highlighted in red) indicate that all questionnaire items have correlation values greater than the reference value, demonstrating that the questionnaire used for data collection are valid. Reliability testing was conducted on 50 randomly selected samples. The basis for determining the reliability of a questionnaire is to look at the Cronbach’s alpha value resulting from the calculation. If the Cronbach’s alpha value is greater than 0.6, the questionnaire is considered reliable. Conversely, if the Cronbach’s alpha value is less than 0.6, the questionnaire is considered unreliable. The questionnaire results are deemed reliable, as the calculated Cronbach’s alpha value is 0.992.

Once it was established that this research instrument (the survey questionnaire) had valid and reliable testing results, the next step was to conduct an analysis of customer behavior modeling using multiple linear regression. To apply the multiple linear regression model, there are several prerequisites that must be met, including the normal distribution of residual data, the absence of collinearity, and the absence of heteroscedasticity in the data. To determine these prerequisites, a series of tests were conducted as follows:

3.2. Residual Normality Test Result

The normality test of residuals was conducted on 602 out of 686 respondents. This was carried out because 82 data points were eliminated due to indiscriminate questionnaire completion (44 individuals) and the presence of outlier data (38 individuals). The tendency toward indiscriminate completion was shown by the standard deviation value between the question items being zero. Meanwhile, the occurrence of outlier data were indicated by the normality analysis of residuals.

Multiple linear regression analysis modeling was conducted for two respondent groups: those with income below five million rupiahs and those with income above five million rupiahs. Respondent grouping based on income was chosen because individual survey results on the perceived behavior control (PBC) construct showed that price was the most important factor. In other words, financial factors were the biggest consideration in the decision-making process for purchasing rooftop solar panels, including respondent income.

For respondents with income below five million rupiahs, the Kolmogorov–Smirnov method resulted in a test value of 0.055, as shown in Table 1. The significance of the Kolmogorov–Smirnov method calculation was greater than 0.05, indicating that the null hypothesis of normality of the residual data distribution can not be rejected. Therefore, it can be concluded that the normality test of residuals was met.

Subsequently, a normality test was conducted for respondents with an income of more than five million rupiahs. The Kolmogorov–Smirnov test were used to analyze the data, resulting in a value of 0.07. The significance value obtained from the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test was greater than 0.05, indicating that the null hypothesis, which states that the residual data are normally distributed, cannot be rejected. Thus, it can be concluded that the normality test for the residuals is satisfied.

The results of the normality test for the residuals of respondents with incomes less than five million rupiahs and more than five million rupiahs showed that the residuals were distributed following a normal distribution pattern. Therefore, the next test, which is the collinearity test, can be conducted.

3.3. Collinearity Test Results

The multicollinearity test is conducted to examine whether there is a high correlation among independent variables, and then the relationship between the independent variables and the dependent variable becomes disrupted. The results of the collinearity test on the variables ATT, EC, PBC, SN, PN, and RG show that the variable inflation factor (VIF) values are less than 4. Variance inflation factors (VIF) < 5 indicate that there is no collinearity relationship between the independent variables, so the collinearity test is met for both respondents with income less than five million rupiahs and those with income greater than five million rupiahs. After the collinearity test for each independent variable is met, the next step is to conduct a heteroscedasticity test.

3.4. Heteroscedasticity Test Result

The heteroscedasticity test is used to examine whether there is inequality in the variance of residuals from one observation to another. A multiple linear regression model that meets the requirements is one that has equal variances of residuals from one observation to another, or what is called homoscedasticity. Based on the heteroscedasticity test, it was found that the significance value of the linear regression of the variables against the absolute residuals was greater than 0.05. This indicates that there are no heteroscedasticity in the data for both respondents with income of less than five million rupiahs and those with income of more than five million rupiahs.

From the results of the tests for normality of residuals, multicollinearity, and heteroscedasticity, it can be concluded that all the tests meet the requirements for forming a multiple linear regression model, both for respondents with income less than five million rupiahs and those with income more than five million rupiahs. Subsequently, multiple linear regression modeling was carried out for each group of respondents (those with incomes less than and more than five million rupiahs).

3.5. The Result of Multiple Linear Regression Analysis for Interest in Purchasing Solar PV

Multiple linear regression was conducted to examine the influence of the independent variables, namely attitude, social norms, personal norms, perceived behavioral control, regulation, and environmental concern, on the intention to purchase solar panels. The results of the multiple linear regression modeling for respondents with an income of less than or more than five million rupiahs are presented in Table 2.
For respondents with income less than five million rupiahs, the significance value for all variables except PBC is t

INT = 0.342PN + 0.296RG + 0.234SN + 0.130ATT − 0.110EC

Meanwhile, for respondents with incomes greater than five million rupiahs, the significance value for all variables PN, SN, and RG is t

INT = 0.415PN + 0.255RG + 0.272SN

The multiple linear regression model in Equation (1) has an R-Square value of 0.740. This indicates that the proportion of the variance of the dependent variable explained by the independent variables is 74%. This means that variables outside the model have a proportional influence of 26%. In addition, the probability value of the F test (sig.) is 0.000, which is smaller than the significance level of 0.05, thus indicating that the estimated multiple linear regression model is fit for use.

A similar situation also occurred among respondents with a monthly income exceeding five million rupiahs. The multiple linear regression model in Equation (2) has an R-Square value of 0.728. This indicates that the proportion of the independent variables’ influence on the dependent variable is 72.8%. In other words, variables outside the model have a proportional influence of 27.2%. Additionally, the calculated F probability value (sig.) is 0.001, which is smaller than the significance of 0.05, indicating that the estimated linear regression model is appropriate to use.

3.6. The Mapping of Interest for New Products

After obtaining customer behavior data for the rooftop solar power products, the data related to customers’ needs for new business ideas that can be offered by PLN is presented next. In this case, there are seven new business ideas offered that the respondents’ opinions are sought regarding. These seven new business ideas are as follows: combining internet with electricity credit services; transitioning from gasoline-powered vehicles to electric vehicles; transitioning from gas stoves to electric stoves; transitioning from water heating devices to electric devices; home electrical repair services; micro, small, and medium-sized business loan facilities; and consultation services for the development of smart homes. The survey results to determine respondents’ opinions about the needed new products are presented in Figure 9.

3.7. Discussion

The classic assumption test consisting of residual normality testing, collinearity testing, and heteroscedasticity testing on groups of respondents with income below and above five million rupiahs has been conducted, and all requirements have been met, enabling multiple linear regression analysis to be performed.

Among respondents with income below five million rupiahs, the variables with the largest regression coefficients are personal norm (PN), regulation (RG), and subjective norm (SN), respectively. Meanwhile, among respondents with incomes above five million rupiahs, the variables with the largest regression coefficients are personal norm (PN), subjective norm (SN), and regulation (RG), respectively. This shows that PN is the most significant factor among all respondents.

These three variables indicate that the character of society in responding to rooftop solar panel products tends to adhere to the personal norm principle. This is important to consider because communities with strong personal norm characteristics need specific marketing techniques to change their personal norms. Marketing techniques for communities with strong personal norms can be carried out by building a good image of the product. In addition, communities with strong personal norms need to have personal experience before deciding whether to accept or reject a product.

After considering the influence of personal norms, this study finds that regulatory and social norms also significantly affect public interest in purchasing rooftop solar panel products. The implementation of policies such as discounts or promotions and the possibility of direct electricity trading between individuals without involving the electricity utility company can boost public enthusiasm for these products. Should these regulations be enacted, they may pose a challenge to the electricity utility company if it does not engage in the rooftop solar panel market. The company can face dual threats: missing out on the rooftop solar panel market and dealing with surplus energy as more individuals start generating their own power using these products.

Alternatively, the community perceives that social factors significantly influence their interest in purchasing PV Rooftop systems. Individuals are often motivated by their surroundings to consider PV Rooftop, with societal tendencies like the “keeping up with the Joneses” effect further amplifying this interest. This scenario offers a unique marketing avenue for PV Rooftop systems, especially by installing them in highly visible parts of houses to inspire neighbors to adopt similar solutions. This approach can foster a competitive spirit among neighbors, thereby enhancing the sales potential of PV Rooftop systems. Such a marketing strategy may be particularly effective in residential communities where houses are situated close to each other, enabling residents to easily notice the home enhancements of their neighbors.

Furthermore, a detailed examination of the responses to statement INT7 reveals a higher level of trust among respondents in purchasing rooftop solar PV systems from PLN. However, it is important to recognize that, according to statement PBC1, pricing is a critical factor in these purchasing decisions. The comparative ranking of responses shows that PBC1 scores higher than INT7. This suggests that while respondents are inclined to purchase rooftop solar panels from PLN, their decision is price-sensitive. If PLNs pricing is not significantly higher, they prefer PLN, but they are open to choosing other vendors offering substantially lower prices. This presents a potential challenge for PLN, especially if competitors introduce rooftop solar PV at much lower prices. Hence, continuous market surveillance is essential for PLN to track the lowest possible prices for rooftop solar panels, ensuring their pricing is competitive and not substantially higher than the market’s lowest.

On the other hand, mapping the community’s needs for new product ideas has already been conducted. Based on the analysis of new product ideas, the community’s most pressing needs for new products include electrical repair services, smart home consulting, and microloans for small and medium-sized enterprises. Conversely, offerings such as internet packages and the conversion of non-electric items to electric versions (like electric vehicles and electric stoves) are not as favored by the public. These findings suggest that PLN has opportunities to expand into businesses that are in high demand within the community. However, if PLN plans to enter the market for converting non-electric equipment to electric versions, such as electric vehicles and stoves, a push may be necessary to motivate the community to adopt these products. This push can come in the form of government regulations promoting the switch from non-electric to electric equipment, given the natural reluctance of the community to transition to such electric appliances.

4. Conclusions

Consumer behavior is a key factor affecting interest in buying rooftop PV. The influence is shaped by various regression coefficients, including those that are significant and those that are not. Specifically, variables like personal norm (PN), subjective or social norm (SN), and regulation (RG) are significantly impactful. Additionally, the market’s receptiveness to new product ideas not yet introduced by the company shows variation. Of these concepts, services related to electrical repairs, smart home consultations, and microcredit facilities are the most in demand.

Studying customer behavior is instrumental in assessing potential opportunities and challenges for a company venturing into new business areas. For the company to successfully realize new business concepts demanded by the community, a comprehensive analysis of customer behavior is essential. In marketing rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) systems effectively, the electricity company should consider elements like personal norm (PN), subjective or social norm (SN), and regulation (RG). Additionally, incorporating one of the marketing strategies discussed earlier can enhance this effort.

To enhance the adoption of rooftop PV systems, our research suggests several key strategies: Awareness campaigns to educate the public on the benefits of PV systems; community engagement to leverage social norms; regulatory incentives like subsidies and tax rebates; financial assistance programs to address cost barriers; tailored marketing to highlight PV system benefits; and sharing success stories to build trust. These combined efforts aim to positively influence personal and subjective norms, regulatory perceptions, and attitudes, thereby boosting rooftop PV adoption and supporting renewable energy initiatives.

The results of this study clearly indicate promising opportunities for the commercialization of solar PV technology in Indonesia. To maximize the potential in this area, several lines of inquiry can be explored in future research. This includes investigating the customers’ willingness to pay, considering their income levels, and exploring the relationship between other products offered by PLN using similar research approaches.

]]>
323989
MoviePass Surpasses One Million Movies Seen On Its New Platform and Achieves First Profitable Year in Company History https://inergency.com/moviepass-surpasses-one-million-movies-seen-on-its-new-platform-and-achieves-first-profitable-year-in-company-history/ Wed, 14 Feb 2024 10:53:14 +0000 https://inergency.com/moviepass-surpasses-one-million-movies-seen-on-its-new-platform-and-achieves-first-profitable-year-in-company-history/ MoviePass Surpasses One Million Movies Seen On Its New Platform and Achieves First Profitable Year in Company HistoryNEW YORK, Feb. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MoviePass Inc., the technology platform enhancing the exploration of film and the moviegoing experience, today announced that its members have seen more than one million on its new platform. The company also achieved its first profitable year ever. The average MoviePass member saved 35% on the cost […]]]> MoviePass Surpasses One Million Movies Seen On Its New Platform and Achieves First Profitable Year in Company History


NEW YORK, Feb. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MoviePass Inc., the technology platform enhancing the exploration of film and the moviegoing experience, today announced that its members have seen more than one million on its new platform. The company also achieved its first profitable year ever. The average MoviePass member saved 35% on the cost of going to movies since MoviePass relaunched in beta during Q1 2023.

The MoviePass Cinematic Marketplace is an aggregator for the industry that uses AI and machine learning engines to improve attendance and performance. The proprietary credit system helps drive exploration of titles looking to compete against movies with much larger budgets. Based on internal member testing, MoviePass found that on average, there is a 40 percent shift to theater location offering the same movie for fewer credits. Members increase midweek attendance by 50 percent and go to an average of 2.4 different theater locations while using their MoviePass subscription.

“Reaching this pivotal milestone highlights the powerful impact of our AI and machine learning enhancements from the previous business model, while continuing to drive value for members and boosting attendance for partners profitably. But we can not have done it without the support of our MoviePass community,” said Stacy Spikes, Co-Founder and CEO.

MoviePass continues to add new features that add value to its members. In November 2023, the company unveiled several new platform updates including online ticketing, virtual membership cards in the app, the ability to buy additional credits on top of existing subscription plans, and coming soon the option to see premium large format films, including IMAX.

MoviePass has the largest theater footprint of any subscription service featuring over 3500 locations across America and covering all 50 states with a reach of over 97 percent of the market.

About MoviePass Inc.
MoviePass is a technology platform enhancing the exploration of film and the moviegoing experience. Started in 2011, MoviePass quickly became the nation’s premier movie theater subscription service, providing film enthusiasts with the ability to attend select new movies in theaters across the United States. After leaving the company when MoviePass was acquired in 2017, MoviePass’ Co-Founder and CEO Stacy Spikes bought the company’s assets out of bankruptcy and re-launched the company in 2022. To learn more, visit moviepass.com.

Contact
LaunchSquad for MoviePass
Gavin Skillman
gavin@launchsquad.com

]]>
323985
Perspectives and Attitudes of Newer New Jersey High School Teachers towards Cleaning, Sanitizing, and Disinfecting Consumer Products Used in School Classrooms https://inergency.com/perspectives-and-attitudes-of-newer-new-jersey-high-school-teachers-towards-cleaning-sanitizing-and-disinfecting-consumer-products-used-in-school-classrooms/ Sun, 11 Feb 2024 03:40:34 +0000 https://inergency.com/perspectives-and-attitudes-of-newer-new-jersey-high-school-teachers-towards-cleaning-sanitizing-and-disinfecting-consumer-products-used-in-school-classrooms/ Perspectives and Attitudes of Newer New Jersey High School Teachers towards Cleaning, Sanitizing, and Disinfecting Consumer Products Used in School Classrooms1. Introduction Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an increase of cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting products (CSDPs) used in homes, primary and secondary schools, and universities/colleges [1,2,3]. A 2020 literature review reported that there was no significant transmission of COVID-19 through inanimate surfaces but agreed people should use disinfectant products [4]. In general, CSDPs […]]]> Perspectives and Attitudes of Newer New Jersey High School Teachers towards Cleaning, Sanitizing, and Disinfecting Consumer Products Used in School Classrooms


1. Introduction

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an increase of cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting products (CSDPs) used in homes, primary and secondary schools, and universities/colleges [1,2,3]. A 2020 literature review reported that there was no significant transmission of COVID-19 through inanimate surfaces but agreed people should use disinfectant products [4]. In general, CSDPs have health risks when exposure occurs, i.e., if inhaled or if they get on the skin [1,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13]. These products, whether volatized or aerosolized, can be considered indoor air pollutants [14]. Air pollution indoors and outdoors, such as the numerous volatile organic chemical compounds found in CSDPs, can cause severe health problems for both adults and children [15]. In schools, exposures among students—versus adult teachers and/or educational support professionals—to air pollution can cause more damage, since they inhale larger concentrations of pollutants in the air by size and body weight [16]. Poor ventilation has also been linked to lower student academic performances [17].
Cleaners can contain irritants such as acids (acetic acid, diluted hydrochloric acid, etc.), alkalis (ammonia, sodium carbonate, etc.), and bleaching agents (chlorine bleach, hydrogen peroxide, etc.) [18]. During the COVID-19 pandemic, one study noted that United States (United States.) households reported an increased use of bleach (70.4%) and surface disinfectants (69.7%) [1]. By examining safety data sheets (SDSs), one study discovered that approximately 75% of Swiss manufactured professional cleaning products contained irritants, 64% contained harmful ingredients, and 28% were labeled as corrosive substances [5]. In the general United States. population, a recent study found that about one-half or 47% of participants reported problems related to the use of cleaning products indoors. The two most commonly reported problems were skin disturbances (68%) and shortness of breath (23%) [1]. United States. laws [19] via the United Nations [20] require product safety, and potential risks are detailed in SDSs.
The chemicals in both cleaning and disinfecting products can contain several irritants, particularly to the eyes, skin, respiratory tract, and digestive tract [5,6]. Health care workers who were around or used disinfecting products more often reported higher rates of work-related wheezing and watery eyes than non-users, and a nearly three-fold higher rate of asthma than the general United States. population [10]. Many other studies have also found that the use of disinfecting products led to higher rates of asthma symptom episodes [7,8,9,10], and disinfecting product use increased during the COVID-19 pandemic [10,21].
During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an increase in the use of CSDPs, especially in schools [2]. While financial support for school infrastructure has been provided by the American Rescue Plan of 2021 [22], teachers and school administrators are often left to buy CSDPs in their community, with little to no guidance. School staff must then determine which CSDPs are best for the health and safety of both the students and the educational professionals in the classroom [23].
Studies have reported that wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) is protective against chemicals found in ingredients in some CSDPs. Henn et al. reported about 9% of participants did not always wear gloves when using disinfectants, while Humann et al. reported that the proportion of time when gloves were used increased when chemical products were used, although this change varied based on occupation [24,25,26]. Another study reported that about 80% of teachers did not wear gloves when cleaning or disinfecting their classrooms [2].
A study in 2020 suggested that grocery store employee(s) in direct contact with customers were five times more likely to contract COVID-19 than employees who did not have direct contact [27]. As teachers come back to in-person schooling, to avoid contracting COVID-19 due to close contact with students and other school personnel, they might attempt to clean classrooms more, leading to higher rates of CSDP use [1,2,3]. During the 2021–2022 and 2022–2023 school years, the New Jersey (NJ) Safe Schools Program (NJSS) asked newer NJ secondary school teachers who completed state-required work-based learning (WBL) supervisory teacher/administrator courses with the NJSS to answer online safety and health (S&H) surveys, including questions about where they buy CSDPs for their classrooms, habits and behaviors when buying then using CSDPs, and any adverse reactions they may have experienced due to exposures to chemicals—known to be hazardous, asthma triggers, or skin irritants—in CSDPs. To our knowledge, there have been few studies to date regarding schoolteachers and CSDPs. This is one of the first studies to specifically survey teachers regarding where they obtain their CSDPs, and their use of PPE while using these items. The purpose of this research is to help ensure teacher and student S&H, given everyone needs to be aware of the products used in their learning/study, living, and workspaces along with possible side effects of exposure to emissions of the products.

The present study aims to determine the “where, what, and how/who” of purchasing supplies, by or for newer public secondary or high school teachers, for cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting commonly used on high-contact surfaces throughout the State of NJ during two of three school years (2021–2023) impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, it aims to determine if education during the first of three school years (2020–2021) impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic helped inform how teachers used available CSDPs during two school years (2021–2023) of an ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The results from this study can provide guidance to school districts to address the gaps and disconnect in education in practice when it comes to cleaning workplaces in schools and can inform school districts for policies which support teachers and other professionals when it comes to CSDP use and procurement.

4. Discussion

This study provides valuable insight regarding the habits, behaviors, and preferences of participating NJ secondary school teachers pertaining to the use of CSDPs and PPE in school. The current study found that younger teachers were more likely to buy CSDPs online. This may be because those who are younger have a higher likelihood to use and buy products online in general. During the COVID-19 pandemic, younger participants were more likely to use online health and social care services [34] or online grocery services [35] compared to older participants.
This study also found that about a third of the participants experienced respiratory problems after working in their school, and about a third were relieved of symptoms, i.e., symptoms went away after leaving the school premises. This speculatively can be consistent with the idea that CSDPs are irritating to the respiratory tract, and after leaving the area in which these products are used, one can experience symptom relief [5,6,15,24]. This is not consistent with sick building syndrome, where “most” people in a building will feel ill and “most” will feel better after leaving the building [36]. To our knowledge, this is among the first studies which can be used to compare health-related symptoms reported by teachers within and outside of public secondary schools, before or during the COVID-19 pandemic, and we believe it is the first in the United States.
This study found that between those who took the survey in the 2021–2022 school year versus the 2022–2023 school year, there was a decrease in mask use in schools. This may be due to the lift of the mask mandate in NJ schools in March 2022, which was near the start of the last quarter of the 2021–2022 school year [37]. There were no major federal mask mandates in schools at this time. There were not several differences in reported experiences between the 2021–2022 and 2022–2023 school year about participants’ practices regarding the purchasing of CSDPs. The only slight change was that those in the 2022–2023 school year were more likely to buy cleaning products from hardware stores and disinfecting products online when compared to those from the 2021–2022 school year.
This study found that those who are not NHW are less likely to wear masks while using cleaning and/or disinfecting products than those who identified as NHW. A study found that those who did not identify as white males were less likely to have access to respiratory protective equipment that properly fit their face [38]. Another study found that there were differences between those who identified as black and a minority ethnicity and those who did not regarding PPE perceptions. Those who identified as black and minority ethnicities were less likely to feel as if PPE was readily available for them [39]. A study in China reported that there were issues providing PPE to migrant workers at the beginning of the pandemic. This study suggested that potential ethnic discrimination was present, and the lack of PPE usage was not due to a lack of want to use PPE but a lack of access to proper PPE [40]. In this study, it is possible that a lack of access might be another reason NJ CTE teachers who do not identify as NHW do not use PPE as often as those who do. This study also found that men were more likely to wear protective eyewear than women. A study found that women often have more poorly fitting PPE, including goggles, when compared to men [41]. This may be a reason for not using protective eye protection. This paper is thus consistent with patterns seen in other sectors of the workforce.

Due to the fact that several educators do not read the ingredients or look products up on healthy living applications, we suggest that teachers become more educated on CSDPs and their proper use via training. The best time for these trainings to be completed might be prior to the start of each school year, before teachers and students are in the school on a regular basis.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the NJSS published several papers regarding actions and perceptions among teachers’ responses to different COVID-19-related issues. These studies focused on vaccine practices [42,43], teacher mental health [44], perceptions of WBL activities during the pandemic [45], trends in COVID-19 outbreaks [46], and apprenticeships in NJ [47]. These studies are consistent with the NJSS mission to continue understanding NJ experiences and needs during the pandemic and to ensure safe schools for teachers and students. The NJSS has also offered various S&H trainings online and also disseminated pertinent state and federal COVID-19-related and cleaning/sanitizing/disinfecting workplace resources to schools via monthly e-newsletters and on the NJSS website [48].

This study has strengths and limitations. One strength is the method in which the surveys were distributed. Since this was an online survey, data were all collected, stored, managed, and analyzed digitally. The participants were able to complete the survey at their own pace. The participants’ responses to questions also remained anonymous, and they did not have to worry about repercussions for honest responses submitted to the survey questions and were thus more likely to be open about their opinions. While email addresses were collected for e-gift card distribution, no survey responses were linked to the emails.

Among the limitations of this study, one is that this population is specific, i.e., NJ secondary school CTE teachers, and we had a relatively small sample size of 205 across two school years. The data cannot necessarily be generalized to a broader population outside of NJ, or at least outside of secondary schools and CTE districts. In broader contexts, such as with a larger sample size, research may reveal that what is significant in this study may not continue to be and vice versa. We had a specific sample population, so it is possible that other populations such as teachers in general or even CTE teachers outside of NJ have different perceptions and attitudes regarding CSDPs. These data, however, can be used as a comparison to other states or time frames regarding data for CTE teachers and their perceptions and attitudes regarding CSDPs. Another limitation is due to anonymity; we cannot determine if multiple people took surveys from the same secondary school/district computer available to teachers in a staff room or library and/or if the participants took the survey multiple times. Seven participants completed the surveys multiple times due to the e-gift card opportunity (as per a request from the NJSS to provide email addresses to send it, if the optional incentive was selected); however, it cannot be definitively determined which responses were theirs. Thus, all responses were included in this study. We also cannot determine if a participant took every survey offered to them.

5. Conclusions

This study of 205 secondary school career–technical–vocational education or CTE teachers in the state of New Jersey found that over a quarter of its participants used cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting chemical-based consumer products or CSDPs provided to them by their school, and over half of the participants bought them at grocery stores. This study did find a difference in the CSDP shopping habits of different age groups, which may potentially be extrapolated to different chemical-containing consumer products or may suggest where teachers buy similar consumer products for use at home. This study also determined that over a third of the participants never read ingredient labels or search for eco-friendly “green” CSDPs, and that less than a fifth look at apps or websites to determine product safety and potential risks via safety data sheets or SDSs, as required by law in the United States. and via the United Nations. There were also several disparities in the use of personal protective equipment or PPE among different demographic groups by race/ethnicity and gender identity but not age group.

Future research with a larger population sample to better represent the general public K–12 teachers and not only newer CTE teachers is warranted. Another study that focuses on PPE use and potential racial and ethnic differences is also warranted. This study also suggests that more public environmental education is needed on potentially dangerous chemicals found in CSDPs and on the promotion of resources such as healthy product apps or websites from trusted non-profit, university, and government agency sources. Training on PPE usage while using CSDPs in school classrooms and other workplaces to avoid potential negative adverse health effects or symptoms of chronic diseases like asthma is also required. More studies need to be conducted in schools, which might allow researchers to look at the long-term impacts of using CSDPs in classrooms or if different classroom environments (typical classroom, labs, workshops, and salons) experience different problems regarding CSDPs. This can also include an examination of if teacher behaviors change towards CSDP selection and use after learning more about the dangerous ingredients (active and/or inactive chemicals) in CSDPs. The results from this study can also provide guidance for school districts for creating new policies to protect teachers and other school professionals. One policy we suggest is that schools buy CSDPs for teachers and check that these products are safe and have clean ingredients, along with providing PPE for teachers to use as they clean their classrooms. Another related policy is to actually require teachers to use PPE while cleaning their classrooms including proper gloves, masks, and eyewear. A third policy recommendation is if a teacher feels ill in a school building due to poor indoor air quality, then a ventilation system, or at least a properly sized portable air cleaner with filtration of particles and gases, if warranted, should be installed in the room to allow for more airflow. Finally, one training recommendation is to promote healthy apps and websites to teachers and to encourage app use not only for the CSDPs bought for school but also the products teachers purchase for use at home.

]]>
321779
Ask Amy: Consumer doesn’t want a chatty trainer https://inergency.com/ask-amy-consumer-doesnt-want-a-chatty-trainer/ Fri, 09 Feb 2024 11:45:34 +0000 https://inergency.com/ask-amy-consumer-doesnt-want-a-chatty-trainer/ Ask Amy: Consumer doesn’t want a chatty trainerDear Amy: Sometimes, I want some help with a skill. For example: skiing. I’m a perfectly competent skier, but I know I have some quirks in my form, and some one-on-one targeted work with an instructor might help me to straighten them out. Ditto weight-lifting and physical training. My problem is that signing up for […]]]> Ask Amy: Consumer doesn’t want a chatty trainer



Dear Amy: Sometimes, I want some help with a skill. For example: skiing.

I’m a perfectly competent skier, but I know I have some quirks in my form, and some one-on-one targeted work with an instructor might help me to straighten them out. Ditto weight-lifting and physical training.

My problem is that signing up for a lesson through a resort or a health club is such a roll of the dice. Half the time, I get an instructor who is bound up in their own schtick.

Last year I took a class with a teacher who spent most of the time showboating and regaling us with stories of ski issues he had helped people resolve in the past.

Another time, I got an instructor who was tediously insecure about giving pointers and advice, and constantly musing about how out of practice they were with giving lessons.

We’re all human, but it’s so frustrating to get put in the position of being a captive audience. This is a paid service, and the objective is to help me do better at something I care about. It’s not cheap, especially when it’s a one-on-one lesson.

Do you have advice about how to communicate with schedulers when I am contracting for a lesson, so that I get an instructor who fits my style?

I’ve tried, “I work better with female instructors” (in the ski scenario) and “I tend to work better with physical trainers closer to my age” (in the gym).

But when I say those things, I feel like I’m overstepping in some way. And no matter how pleasant I try to be when making the request, it’s often not received well.

I’d really appreciate your help! I might love to have a good experience this winter with a solid, productive ski lesson.

— Elie

Dear Elie: I can imagine your frustration. Private instruction can be extremely expensive; the idea is for you to soak up a lot of instruction in a concentrated amount of time. This encourages you to take the lessons you’re receiving and apply them later, on your own time.

Attentive and competent instructors also offer lessons that are vital to your safety.

Any time an instructor doesn’t instruct, or wastes your time and money by delivering unrelated monologues, you should notify management, ask for a refund and/or a gratis session with a different and more qualified trainer.

If you are looking to maximize your experience, your stated parameters to the scheduler (preferring to work with female or compatible age instructors) are insufficient. Be very specific in your query: “I will show up on time and ready to learn, but I need a trainer/instructor who devotes the class time to instruction. So if you can schedule me with a no-nonsense non-talker, I’d appreciate it.”

Dear Amy: My wife and I just welcomed our first child, and, of course, we are over the moon. Our baby was born healthy, but came into the world a couple of weeks ahead of schedule.

As parents of a newborn, we are concerned about our baby’s health.

My brother and sister-in-law have a 6-year-old son.

We love the parents and the child.

However, the parents have elected not to have their son vaccinated, and we are very concerned about exposing our nephew to his newborn cousin.

Your advice?

— New Parents

Dear New Parents: You and your wife must ask your child’s doctor for advice regarding your concern about exposing your baby to unvaccinated people.

From a parenting point of view, this is really your first test about how to create and enforce reasonable boundaries for physical contact with your child.

In the shorter term, you should limit all close contact until you two have your sea legs and your baby is healthy and thriving (perhaps after that one-month checkup).

During that checkup, go over your child’s vaccination schedule and ask about specific risks to the baby regarding contact with unvaccinated people before your baby is vaccinated.

Dear Amy: Like the woman who signed her question “In a Bad Place,” my husband was overreacting and angry, and I experienced her stress on a smaller scale.

I insisted that he see his doctor and he was evaluated and prescribed antidepressants.

My husband says it was the best thing that ever happened for him.

It really changed him back to his more positive personality.

— Grateful

Dear Grateful: I agree that this husband needs a mental health screening, and I hope this wife can somehow persuade him to see a doctor.

(You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.)

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, In The Know, to get entertainment news sent straight to your inbox.



]]>
320617
Innovative Delivery Methods in the Last-Mile: Unveiling Consumer Preference https://inergency.com/innovative-delivery-methods-in-the-last-mile-unveiling-consumer-preference/ Thu, 08 Feb 2024 06:44:24 +0000 https://inergency.com/innovative-delivery-methods-in-the-last-mile-unveiling-consumer-preference/ Innovative Delivery Methods in the Last-Mile: Unveiling Consumer Preference1. Introduction The last-mile delivery process is crucial in establishing direct physical interaction between consumers and e-commerce companies. This pivotal process facilitates this interaction and significantly influences overall e-commerce satisfaction. According to [1], approximately 75% of consumers are willing to spend more with e-commerce companies if satisfied with the last-mile delivery service. Similarly, a report […]]]> Innovative Delivery Methods in the Last-Mile: Unveiling Consumer Preference


1. Introduction

The last-mile delivery process is crucial in establishing direct physical interaction between consumers and e-commerce companies. This pivotal process facilitates this interaction and significantly influences overall e-commerce satisfaction. According to [1], approximately 75% of consumers are willing to spend more with e-commerce companies if satisfied with the last-mile delivery service. Similarly, a report [2] from the United Kingdom revealed that 50% of consumers express reluctance to make future purchases from e-commerce companies following dissatisfaction with the last-mile delivery experience. Consequently, last-mile delivery services have become a focal point for e-commerce companies striving to increase market share and enhance the consumer experience.
However, the increasing demands placed on traditional last-mile delivery method, coupled with the limitations of existing infrastructure, present formidable challenges. These challenges include, e.g., congestion, environmental impact, and operational costs [3,4,5,6]. In light of these challenges, there is a growing need to explore alternative strategies to enhance the efficiency and sustainability of last-mile delivery processes. Recognizing these challenges, the authors of [7] argue that a new approach to last-mile delivery is essential, giving rise to innovative methods designed to mitigate the negative impacts of traditional practices. In the traditional delivery method, shipments are delivered to recipients by delivery workers using vehicles that follow predetermined routes from delivery centers. Innovative last-mile delivery methods encompass a variety of strategies, technologies, or combinations, all aimed at enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of last-mile delivery. In some innovative delivery methods, such as smart parcel lockers and service points, the primary focus is the last-mile delivery location. Conversely, the focus is on the vehicles in bicycle, drone, and autonomous robot deliveries. As documented in [8], extensive research underscores the benefits of these innovative delivery methods, demonstrating their effectiveness in reducing emissions, alleviating congestion, lowering costs, and providing a more consumer-friendly form of delivery.
Despite all these advantages that innovative delivery methods offer or promise to offer, one of the main factors to consider is consumers. In today’s world of ever-increasing consumer demands, last-mile delivery research on consumer preferences and behavior is more critical than ever [9]. The authors of [10] argue that without solid evidence, it may be difficult for last-mile delivery firms to take advantage of drone delivery and adapt their business models to a more competitive environment. This assertion applies to various other innovative delivery methods. Although there is research on the benefits of these delivery methods, their limited use in practice and how consumers will react to the innovative delivery methods implemented are not clearly known. Therefore, it is necessary to consider consumers’ expectations in the creation phase of innovative delivery methods. Researchers emphasize the need for studies to assess consumer behavior for different innovative delivery methods [11,12,13,14,15,16].
There is a growing body of literature examining consumer behavior toward innovative delivery methods from a psychological perspective [11,12,15,16,17]. However, one stream of studies examining consumer behavior is the discrete choice experiment studies that quantitatively examine their sensitivities and trade-offs regarding innovative delivery methods with econometric models outside of psychological studies. When the discrete choice experiment literature is evaluated, the studies include the following: studies that examine a single delivery method/location [18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28], different delivery methods [3,10,29,30], and consumer preferences for different delivery locations [13,14,31,32].
In last-mile delivery, firms typically decide on the delivery method, while consumers determine the delivery address. Therefore, investigating consumer expectations regarding the place of delivery is crucial [7]. In the studies on delivery locations, the authors of [32] focused only on post offices, while the authors of [14] presented the two highly correlated delivery methods of service points and smart parcel lockers as separate alternatives. The authors of [31,33,34] did not focus on innovative delivery methods used in delivery to the address, although delivery points, service points, and smart parcel lockers were not presented as separate methods. Despite the introduction of innovative delivery methods in various markets, their impact on the choice of last-mile delivery and their potential to replace traditional delivery method have been studied to a limited extent and are not yet fully understood. For innovative delivery methods to work effectively, they need to reach a certain level of consumer preference. As in the case of Sainsbury’s, Somerfield, Asda, eBay, Google, and Webvan, last-mile delivery methods without a sustainable economic structure will struggle to balance pricing, consumer expectations, and service levels, jeopardizing sustainability [35]. These cases highlight the importance of the delivery context in which innovative delivery methods are offered. Incorporating innovative delivery methods into last-mile delivery without a comprehensive understanding of consumer expectations poses a significant challenge for companies aiming to implement these innovative methods successfully. Therefore, in order to make innovative delivery methods as practical as possible, understanding consumers’ preferences for last-mile delivery is essential. From a consumer perspective, the acceptance and effectiveness of these methods are not yet well understood, while there is a growing literature indicating their operational advantages. From an empirical perspective, there is a significant gap in understanding consumers’ reactions to innovative last-mile delivery methods and their impact on their preferences. Moreover, the attributes used in the studies may vary from region to region as a result of local conditions [13,15]. Consequently, it warrants investigation within the framework of a developing country where e-commerce is experiencing rapid growth.

This study aims to investigate how innovative delivery methods influence consumer preferences in last-mile delivery, and to offer insights into seamlessly integrating these methods into sustainable delivery structures. Through discrete choice experiments, this research quantitatively assesses consumers’ sensitivities to innovative delivery methods and the trade-offs they have to make. Properly establishing the attributes and levels of the last-mile delivery when presenting innovative delivery methods to consumers can significantly increase the likelihood of their adoption. Having extensive insights into consumer preferences helps e-commerce and last-mile delivery companies to implement these methods more effectively. For this aim, two research questions were formulated: Firstly, how do innovative last-mile delivery methods impact consumer preferences for last-mile delivery? Secondly, which attributes and levels of last-mile delivery need to be combined to shift consumer preferences from delivery to the addresses to delivery points?

3. Results

3.1. Descriptive Results

Table 2 illustrates the distribution of the sample based on sociodemographic variables.

While the survey attracted slightly more female respondents (54%) than males (46%), this disparity remains close to a balanced 50–50 distribution. Analyzing participant age groups revealed that 40% were born between 1983 and 2000, 28% between 1965 and 1982, 28% in 2001 and later, and 4% between 1945 and 1964. Regarding educational attainment, 46% of participants completed high school, 32% hold a bachelor’s degree, 11% possess a graduate degree, 6% have completed primary education, and 5% obtained an associate’s degree. Notably, the survey question concerning educational status was framed as “the school most recently graduated from”, encompassing university students within the high school graduate category. Consequently, the highest rate was attributed to high school education. Regarding employment, 35% work in the private sector, 23% are engaged in ongoing education, 19% work in the public sector, 11% are housewives, 7% are self-employed, 3% are unemployed, and 2% are retired. Regarding monthly household income, 41% of participants fall within the 13,001–26,000 ₺ range, 35% in the 5501–13,000 ₺ range, and 23% with incomes of 26,001 ₺ and above. Unfortunately, there is no available e-commerce usage data for the overall population, limiting direct comparisons with the sample. When comparing the sample to the broader population of Istanbul, a similar distribution was observed regarding the gender ratio, but notable disparities arose concerning education levels and age groups. This discrepancy is likely attributed to a higher representation of educated and young to middle-aged individuals among e-commerce users.

Table 3 presents the findings of the sample on e-commerce and last-mile delivery. Online shopping frequency among participants varied, with 29% shopping 12–24 times, 26% shopping 53 times or more, 24% shopping 25–52 times, 17% shopping 4–11 times, and 4% shopping 1–3 times annually. Notably, half of the participants (50%) shop online 25 or more times a year. The vast majority (99%) have used the delivery workers option, 27% have used service points, and 11% have experienced smart parcel lockers. Drones and autonomous robots, yet to be widely implemented, received no preference. Participants generally viewed delivery points as a viable option (65%), with 23% undecided and only 12% holding an unfavorable opinion. Regarding the preferred location for delivery points, store/grocery/market led at 48%, followed by public transportation stops (27%), chain markets (17%), gas stations (4%), and shopping malls (4%). Of the respondents, 62% believed that last-mile delivery methods will enhance the delivery process, 26% remained undecided, and 12% expressed a negative opinion.

3.2. Choice Model Estimation

Choice model estimation findings quantitatively revealed consumers’ preferences toward last-mile delivery, thus effectively filling the current research gap in understanding consumer responses to innovative delivery methods in last-mile delivery. Table 4 shows that the model demonstrated an acceptable fit with the data, as indicated by an adjusted McFadden R2 value of 0.1607. In the literature, an adjusted R value of 0.10 and above indicates an acceptable-fitting model [24,49,50].

The alternative-specific constant (ASC) represents each alternative’s characteristics in the not explicitly modeled choice set. Estimated alongside other parameters, it signifies the difference in fundamental utility when choosing a specific alternative relative to others in the set, holding all other attributes constant. Considered a fundamental variable influencing preference for unobservable characteristics, the ASC for delivery to the address was fixed at “0” with no p-value, indicating its reference status. In contrast, the delivery points’ ASC was −1.4841, a statistically significant value suggesting that individuals, considering unobserved characteristics, tend to avoid this alternative.

The delivery price attribute showed a statistically significant value of −0.0855, aligning with expectations that an increase in the price of a product or service corresponds to a decrease in perceived benefit. Consumers are willing to pay less for delivery in the context of e-commerce shopping. Survey respondents accorded substantial importance to delivery price when selecting the delivery to the address alternative. Similarly, the statistically significant value of the delivery price attribute at −0.0609 underscores its significance in choosing the delivery points alternative.

The delivery method attribute was characterized by three levels for delivery to the address: delivery workers, drone, and autonomous delivery robot, with the delivery workers set as the reference level, being the most widely used method. The values for drone (−0.1127) and autonomous delivery robot (−0.0299) were not statistically significant, indicating that the delivery method on selection of delivery to the address was not influenced. Survey respondents showed no distinct preference among the three delivery methods when opting for delivery to the address. Conversely, the service points were considered the reference level for the delivery points alternative, comprising service points and smart parcel lockers. The statistically significant value of smart parcel lockers (0.3372) suggests that participants consider the delivery method attribute in choosing the delivery points alternative, with a preference for smart parcel lockers.

The delivery term attribute, expressed as “within 2 h”, “within 24 h”, “between 25 and 48 h”, and “between 3 and 7 days on the desired day”, designated “3–7 days on the desired day” as the reference level to assess consumer preferences regarding the right to choose the delivery day. The levels “within 2 h” (1.9219), “within 24 h” (1.0245), and “between 24 and 48 h” (0.6487) were all statistically significant. As anticipated, delivery term emerged as a crucial attribute in selecting the delivery to address alternative, indicating a consumer preference for shorter delivery periods in e-commerce purchases. This suggests that, despite the option to choose the day, participants prioritized quicker delivery, demonstrating sensitivity to term constraints over waiting for a preferred day. Similarly, the delivery term attribute for the service points alternative, expressed as “within 2 h”, “within 24 h”, “between 25 and 48 h”, and “on the desired day between 3 and 7 days”, designated “3–7 days on the desired day” as the reference level. The values for “within 2 h” (1.4305), “within 24 h” (1.3612), and “between 25 and 48 h” (1.1543) were all statistically significant. This indicates that respondents are influenced by the delivery term attribute when choosing the service points alternative, showing a preference for shorter delivery times despite the right to choose a specific day.

The information and traceability attribute, encompassing “Notifications by SMS or e-mail when the package is received for shipping and the package is shipped to the consumer”, and “Notifications by SMS or e-mail when the package is received for shipping and the parcel is shipped to the consumer and live location tracking”, designated the first level as the reference level. The choice of this reference level aims to explore differences between real-time tracking and basic information provided to individuals. The value of the level “Notifications by SMS or e-mail when the package is received for shipping and the package is shipped to the consumer and live location tracking” was −0.0025, indicating statistical insignificance. This suggests that the information and tracking feature is not a significant factor in participants’ choice of delivery to the address alternative. While live location tracking reduces utility for participants, the effect needs to be more substantial to be generalized to the entire population, hinting that participants may perceive this attribute as unnecessary. The notification and traceability attribute also includes “Notification by SMS or e-mail when the package is received for shipment and placed at the delivery points” and “Notification by SMS or e-mail when the package is received for shipment and placed at the delivery points and live location tracking”, with the first level as the reference. The value of the level “Notifications by SMS or e-mail when the package is received for shipment and placed at the delivery points and live location tracking” was −0.3009 and statistically significant. This signifies that the information and traceability attribute influences participants’ choice of delivery points alternative. The negative utility of live location tracking implies that, contrary to expectations, participants perceive real-time tracking as a less desirable feature. This can stem from respondents considering the reference value sufficient and viewing the live tracking feature as unnecessary or cost-creating.

The attribute “Delivery time window” comprised four levels: “Weekdays between 09:00 and 18:00”, “Weekdays between 09:00 and 18:00 or weekdays between 18:00 and 22:00”, “Weekdays between 09:00 and 18:00 or weekdays between 18:00 and 22:00 or weekend between 09:00 and 18:00”, and “Weekdays between 09:00 and 18:00 or weekdays between 18:00 and 22:00 or weekend between 09:00 and 18:00 or weekend between 18:00 and 22:00”. The reference level was set as “Between 09:00 and 18:00 on weekdays” to understand consumers’ preferences for delivery options with broader time intervals. The values for the levels were 1.0280, 1.5856, and 1.5952, respectively. All levels showed statistical significance. This indicates that the delivery company’s working hours significantly influence the selection of a delivery to address alternative. Respondents expressed a preference for receiving deliveries within extended time intervals. The benefit derived by participants notably increased with the inclusion of 09:00–18:00 h on weekends, while the inclusion of 18:00–22:00 h on weekends provided limited additional benefit.

The pick-up accessibility, including “Between 09:00 and 22:00 on weekdays”, “Between 09:00 and 22:00 on weekdays and 09:00 and 22:00 on Saturdays”, “Between 09:00 and 22:00 seven days a week”, and “available for collection 24/7”, designated “Weekdays between 09:00 and 22:00” as the reference value to uncover consumer preferences for a broad time range. The respective values for the levels were 0.2702, 0.4698, and 0.1860. All three levels were statistically significant, indicating that the hours of delivery availability significantly influence participants’ choice of delivery points alternative. Contrary to expectations, available for collection 24/7 level yielded less benefit. Instead, participants derived the most benefit from the “09:00–22:00 seven days a week” level. This suggests that participants perceived this time interval as the most ideal. From their perspective, there is no greater benefit if delivery points are open outside these periods.

The distance attribute of the delivery points comprised the levels “500 m from your home/workplace”, “1000 m from your home/workplace”, “1500 m from your home/workplace”, and “2000 m from your home/workplace”. The corresponding level values were 0.8113, 0.7390, and 0.6452, respectively. All three levels were statistically significant. The distance of the delivery points plays a crucial role in participants’ choice of the delivery points alternative. This result indicates that as the distance increases, the benefit derived by participants from this attribute decreases. However, there was no significant difference in use between a 500 m distance and a 1500 m distance.

3.3. Relative Importance of Delivery to the Address

Table 5 indicates that for the delivery to the address alternative, the delivery term, delivery price, and delivery time window emerged as the most crucial attributes in respondents’ responses to the choice tasks, making a statistically significant contribution to the model. These three attributes collectively represent 98% of the relative importance. The delivery method held a 2% share among the remaining two attributes, while information and traceability did not carry any weight. Notably, delivery term (41%) and delivery price (31%) stood out as the most influential attributes, followed by delivery time window (26%). However, delivery method, information, and traceability attributes were not statistically significant.
Table 6 presents that in the context of the delivery points alternative, delivery price and delivery term emerged as the most impactful attributes influencing respondents’ decisions in the choice tasks. These two attributes collectively contribute to 66% of the relative importance. The remaining four attributes (distance, pick-up accessibility, delivery method, and information and traceability) constitute 34% of the overall importance. Specifically, delivery price (37%) and delivery term (29%) take precedence as the most crucial attributes, followed by distance (16%). Pick-up accessibility (9%) ranks fourth, while information and traceability (6%) and delivery method (3%) are considered the least important attributes. Importantly, all attributes were deemed statistically significant.

3.4. Martket Share Simulation

The simulation results revealed how consumer preferences shift under various scenarios, enabling firms to understand consumer reactions and adaptation processes better, thereby helping the creation of new last-mile delivery designs. Table 7 shows that diverse scenarios were formulated to discern participant preferences regarding various delivery methods. The initial scenario (reference), designed to mirror contemporary market conditions, notably saw over three-quarters of participants opting for delivery to their addresses, with the remaining preferring delivery to delivery points. The subsequent exploration centered on a price-centric scenario, aiming to elucidate the influence of pricing on the transition toward delivery points selection. Upon reducing the price discrepancy by 30 ₺, favoring the delivery points, an observable shift occurred, with 42% of respondents altering their preference. Another facet of investigation delved into the technology-oriented scenario, scrutinizing the impact of both the delivery method and the incorporation of live tracking attributes. The findings revealed a lack of discernible influence exerted by these attributes on decision-makers’ preferences. Moreover, the focus shifted to a distance-centric scenario, whereby a reduction in the proximity of the delivery points to 1500 m correlated with a 13% uptick in participant inclinations toward the delivery points. Conversely, scenarios featuring distances below this threshold exhibited only marginal enhancements favoring the delivery points. Lastly, analysis of the delivery term scenario underscored that expedited delivery times toward the delivery points elicited a surge in participant preferences for this specific delivery locale.

4. Discussion

Last-mile delivery is an important urban logistics activity that directly and indirectly affects the lives of several urban residents, whether they are e-commerce consumers or not. Problems experienced in last-mile delivery create internal and external costs and negatively affect economic, environmental, and social issues, the three pillars of sustainability. In order to reduce these negativities, innovative solutions are proposed at different stages of the last-mile delivery. Achieving the expected contribution from these innovations depends on the consumers, who have a key role in the last-mile delivery. This study investigated how innovative delivery methods influence consumer preferences in last-mile delivery.

When evaluating the delivery locations, it became clear that participants generally prefer deliveries to their own addresses. This trend suggests that consumers are increasingly opting for home delivery services, which are both familiar to them and frequently utilized. This preference aligns with existing literature [22,23,24,28,47] and reflects consumers’ inclination toward the convenience of shopping from home. E-commerce provides consumers with great convenience, such as shopping without leaving home. Home delivery service shows the consumers’ tendency to maintain the habit of not having to travel to pick up the order. Additionally, with growing competition in the Turkish last-mile delivery market and consumer-friendly legal developments, delivery services have evolved to prioritize consumer satisfaction. Attributes such as advance notifications, follow-up calls, and repeated delivery attempts further enhance consumer contentment, potentially driving increased demand for delivery to the address.
The first evaluated attribute was the delivery price. Our study confirmed that delivery price is a crucial factor influencing consumer choices for both delivery to the address and delivery to the delivery points. Analogous to delivery to the address, an increase in the price of delivery points corresponds to a decrease in consumer-perceived benefit. Notably, delivery price emerged as one of the most pivotal attributes for delivery to the address and delivery to the delivery points. These findings align with existing literature [3,10,22,25,26,28,29,31,51,52] and highlight the persistent importance of delivery cost in consumers’ decision-making processes. This emphasis on delivery price can be attributed to consumers’ price sensitivity [10]. Research in [53] indicated that approximately three-quarters of consumers opt for the cheapest delivery option. This consumer behavior, akin to seeking affordable products through e-commerce, underscores the significance of last-mile delivery in pursuing cost-effective solutions. Additionally, the prevalence of free delivery options by several e-commerce companies may deter last-mile delivery charges for them, fostering a heightened sensitivity among consumers. The authors of [54] suggest that despite competitive product prices, consumers exhibit a reluctance to pay for delivery, reinforcing the feasibility of incorporating last-mile delivery charges into the total price as a strategic policy.
The second evaluated attribute was the delivery method. Our findings revealed an interesting perspective on the influence of the delivery method on consumer preferences. Contrary to prior literature [3,10,29], we found that the delivery method did not significantly affect the choice of delivery to the address. This can be due to consumers placing higher priority on delivery terms and prices. Notably, our study added a new dimension to the existing literature by suggesting that consumers show no strong preference between traditional delivery methods and more technologically advanced ones, such as autonomous robots and drones, for home deliveries. This indicates a potential shift in consumer attitudes toward delivery technology, differing from the significant adaptation challenges reported in existing literature regarding the acceptance of autonomous robots and drones. In contrast to delivery to the address, participants leaned toward a delivery method without human interaction, potentially influenced by the perception that smart parcel lockers operate similarly to user-friendly bank ATMs. Notably, the delivery method emerged as a crucial attribute for the delivery points alternative, aligning with previous studies [10,23]. Participants preferred smart parcel lockers over service points options, a trend supported by similar findings in [14]. This preference can be attributed to the perceived ease of use and accessibility of smart lockers, similar to bank ATMs.
The third evaluated attribute was the delivery term. Our research underscored the significant role of the delivery term in consumer decision-making for both delivery to the address and delivery points. This finding is in line with previous research [3,10,25,29,51], which identified delivery speed as a critical competitive factor in e-commerce. Notably, the study in [1] highlighted the impact of delivery time on consumer loyalty, revealing that faster delivery services can persuade over half of consumers to switch brands or retailers. This emphasizes the strategic importance for companies to focus on expediting their delivery processes to align with consumer expectations.
The fourth evaluated attribute was information and traceability. Our findings revealed an interesting distinction in how consumers value information and traceability in last-mile delivery. While this attribute appeared not critical when consumers chose delivery to the address, it became significant in the context of choosing delivery points. This observation aligns with some studies [28] that report no substantial impact of tracking on delivery choices for delivery to the address, yet contrasts with others [19,25,48] that highlight the importance of information and traceability. One possible explanation for the diminished emphasis on tracking for delivery to the address can be that consumers find the standard level of information provided to be adequate. They may view additional tracking features as either superfluous or as adding unnecessary costs.
The fifth evaluated attribute was the delivery time windows. Our study highlighted the significance of delivery time windows in shaping consumer preferences for delivery to the address. The authors of [14] support the idea that increasing the hours of operation enhances utility, consistent with the findings of this study. However, the utility increase was noticeably limited after weekdays between 09:00 and 18:00 or weekdays between 18:00 and 22:00. This suggests that certain levels of working hours offered by firms are sufficient to satisfy consumers.
The sixth evaluated attribute was the pick-up accessibility. Our findings indicated that the accessibility of pick-up points, particularly the hours available for collection, plays a significant role in consumer preference for delivery points options. This is in line with the authors of [14], who found that extending pick-up hours generally enhances customer utility. The most contributing level of utility was “Between 09:00 and 22:00 h, seven days a week”. Interestingly, the available for collection 24/7 option provided less benefit, especially with an extended delivery timeframe. Participants may consider “Seven days a week between 09:00 and 22:00” the most suitable time interval, choosing based on when they can receive deliveries rather than broader time intervals.
The last evaluated attribute was distance. Our research confirmed that the proximity of delivery points is a key determinant in consumer choice, echoing the findings of prior studies [14,21,23,30,31]. This emphasizes the need for e-commerce and last-mile delivery companies to focus on the strategic placement of delivery points to ensure convenience and accessibility. The significance of location convenience is such that if consumers find smart parcel locker locations too distant or difficult to access, they are likely to seek alternative delivery services, as suggested in [51]. Consequently, the effective positioning of delivery points, ensuring they are within a reasonable distance for consumers, is crucial. This can significantly enhance the attractiveness and usage of these delivery options, contributing to their broader adoption in the market.

4.1. Theoretical Contributions

In an era where last-mile delivery solutions are evolving, this study emerges as a beacon of theoretical exploration, probing the uncharted territories of consumer preferences and decision-making within innovative delivery methods. While scholarly literature has experienced a surge in studies centered on these solutions since 2017, a substantial portion has predominantly evolved within the technology acceptance framework, leaving a gap in exploring these solutions through econometric models. This research makes a significant contribution by addressing this gap, employing and contextualizing econometric models within this domain, thereby enriching the literature on innovative delivery methods. An additional substantial contribution stems from the discrete choice experiment method, which traditionally concentrates on presenting delivery vehicle options or combining vehicles with delivery locations as alternatives. The literature on delivery locations remains underdeveloped [14,31,32,34], making this study a pioneering attempt to scrutinize innovative delivery methods explicitly tailored to the delivery location alternative.
Furthermore, while the prevalent delivery to address currently involves delivery workers, the imminent integration of drones and autonomous robots as innovative delivery solutions signals a transformative shift. This study is one of the few inquiries that delve into discerning consumer preferences between human-driven and machine-based delivery alternatives [3,10,29,30].

Recognizing the regional and cultural variations in consumer preferences, this study marks an initial attempt to utilize the discrete choice experiment method to explore last-mile delivery solutions in the context of Türkiye. The unique focus on Istanbul’s population offers distinctive insights, especially within the context of mega-cities, contributing significantly to the understanding of consumer behavior in densely populated urban areas.

In summary, this study significantly contributes to the academic domain by shedding light on the primary factors influencing consumer choice in last-mile delivery alternatives. Identifying and ranking key attributes for both delivery to the address and delivery points alternatives enriches the existing theoretical framework within the field of last-mile delivery. Additionally, this study offers insights into the nuanced differences in attribute importance between these two delivery modes, providing a deeper understanding of consumer preferences.

4.2. Practical Contributions

This study delineates a structured guide tailored for last-mile delivery enterprises, policymakers, and industry participants, facilitating navigation through the complex realm of consumer perception and operational efficacy. Embedded within this framework is a clarion call, a convergence of pragmatic measures stemming from meticulous analysis and strategic anticipation.

Firstly, last-mile delivery companies should implement comprehensive promotional campaigns to counter the initial negative perception of delivery points among consumers. Leveraging diverse methods, mainly through social media platforms, is pivotal to effectively reaching a wider audience. Additionally, introducing incentive-based practices, such as scoring systems and bonuses, can further encourage the adoption of delivery points.

Secondly, policymakers are crucial in mitigating the negative externalities caused by consumers’ preference for delivery to the address. Implementing regulations aligned with the characteristics identified in this study can significantly address these challenges; thus, positively impacting urban logistics.

Thirdly, strategic technology adoption is critical. The consumer acceptance of autonomous delivery robots and drones is likely to be more favorable if these technologies are integrated into an appropriate delivery structure, facilitating a smoother adoption process. Moreover, considering that the live tracking attribute is less valued by consumers, based on this study, firms should cautiously assess their usage data in pilot phases to ensure alignment with consumer expectations before scaling up investments.

Fourthly, the “09:00–22:00 seven days a week” timeframe was observed to be optimal. Adjusting this timeframe while aligning delivery points’ locations with supermarket chains, groceries, and stores can facilitate their use as delivery points.

Finally, companies can further promote the use of delivery points by strategically establishing them within a 1500 m range, considering consumer population densities.

4.3. Research Limitations and Future Directions

Despite its contributions, this study has certain limitations that warrant consideration. Primarily focused on the B2C domain of e-commerce, the research may need more insight into broader delivery landscapes, where various innovative methods are trialed. The exclusion of the return process, an integral part of e-commerce transactions, limits understanding of the holistic dynamics of last-mile delivery. Additionally, the reliance on consumer assumptions for innovative delivery methods, such as drones and autonomous delivery, may impact the generalizability and depth of analysis. Especially since the findings of this study differ from the literature for autonomous delivery robots and drones, there is a need for replication in different contexts to generalize the findings of the study. Moreover, the sampling technique limitations, subjectivity in attribute creation, and potential bias from prevailing delivery price systems can influence the findings. Addressing these limitations, future research endeavors can explore diverse geographical and cultural contexts beyond Istanbul, incorporating robust sampling methods to enhance generalizability and delving into diverse subgroup perspectives. Conducting comparisons across diverse groups can yield more homogenous results when analyzing the data on a subgroup basis. Incorporating varying delivery price structures, considering the status quo alternative, and employing alternative analysis methods, such as mixed logistic regression or latent class analysis, can provide a more comprehensive understanding of consumer behavior in last-mile delivery preferences.

5. Conclusions

This research sought to explore the impact of innovative delivery methods on consumer preferences in last-mile delivery and aimed to provide insights into the seamless integration of these methods within sustainable delivery frameworks. In this context, the study rigorously examined the attributes influencing consumer preferences for two distinct delivery alternatives: delivery to address and delivery points. In the delivery to address alternative, key determinants primarily revolved around the delivery price, delivery term, and delivery time window. Conversely, attributes such as information and traceability, and delivery method did not showcase any impact on this choice. Even the integration of advanced delivery technologies, such as drones, autonomous robots, and live location tracking, failed to significantly alter consumer preferences, emphasizing the enduring dominance of fundamental delivery attributes in shaping preferences within this alternative. In contrast, the selection of the delivery points alternative was notably influenced by a more comprehensive set of attributes, including delivery price, delivery term, delivery method, pick-up hours, information and traceability, and distance. Since delivery points are a new alternative, the determinants guiding choices extend beyond essential attributes. However, foundational attributes, such as delivery price and delivery term, retain significant importance, indicating their enduring impact despite the evolving nature of this alternative. The study suggests an avenue for steering consumers toward utilizing delivery points by strategically implementing various attributes and levels in the last-mile delivery process. This underscores the potential for tailored design within last-mile delivery alternatives to actively influence user behavior and encourage the utilization of these delivery points.

]]>
319700
Consumer Literacy in Virtual Brand Communities: Dimension Exploration and Scale Development https://inergency.com/consumer-literacy-in-virtual-brand-communities-dimension-exploration-and-scale-development/ Wed, 07 Feb 2024 08:02:01 +0000 https://inergency.com/consumer-literacy-in-virtual-brand-communities-dimension-exploration-and-scale-development/ Consumer Literacy in Virtual Brand Communities: Dimension Exploration and Scale DevelopmentVirtual brand communities are a new type of brand community born with the rapid development of Internet technology, in which consumers communicate information, express their views and opinions, and express their love for a specific brand [15]. At present, several scholars have conducted rich exploratory studies on virtual brand communities, but have not yet reached […]]]> Consumer Literacy in Virtual Brand Communities: Dimension Exploration and Scale Development


Virtual brand communities are a new type of brand community born with the rapid development of Internet technology, in which consumers communicate information, express their views and opinions, and express their love for a specific brand [15]. At present, several scholars have conducted rich exploratory studies on virtual brand communities, but have not yet reached a consensus on the definition of the concept of virtual brand communities. Kozinets [16] first defined the concept of the virtual brand community, which, according to him, is an online platform for members to communicate brand experiences and share brand attitudes. The study by Amine and Sitz [17] points out that a virtual brand community is a platform for brand experience and sharing of brand knowledge, values, etc., among enthusiasts of the same brand online, without geographical restrictions, using Internet technology. There are two main types of virtual brand community, the first one is initiated and established by companies [18], where members can exchange relevant content about the brand on the platform provided by the company. The second type is freely formed by brand enthusiasts or third parties [19], an online community that is not limited by geographical scope based on social relationships among consumers [20]. The object of this paper is a company-initiated virtual brand community, which is created by a company to establish and maintain social connections with consumers and potential consumers, so as to obtain timely and effective feedback from consumers on brand products or services [21]. Among the studies on virtual brand communities that have been conducted, some scholars have pointed out that virtual brand communities provide excellent conditions for value co-creation. For example, Tang and Jiang [22] argue in their study that value co-creation behavior relies on the environmental characteristics of the platform (e.g., ease of use of technology) and the connection characteristics among consumers (e.g., the interpersonal network established by interaction with each other). Based on the above studies, it can be seen that virtual brand communities have the following points in common: (1) the Internet as a technological tool, free from geographical constraints; (2) interactive communication as a basic form; (3) participants share the same brand preferences; and (4) positive effects on both brand merchants and consumers. Therefore, this study concludes that virtual brand communities are a kind of online co-creation value platform established by companies or brand operators to provide interactive communication for consumers with the same brand preferences. Although virtual brand communities are typical platforms for value co-creation, they also provide opportunities for value co-destruction to occur [23]. Whether communities are value co-creative or co-destructive, the level of consumers’ own literacy plays a key role.
]]>
318935