Cleaner and Responsible Consumption最新文献

The agricultural sector is responsible for a large share of natural resource use and climate impact. A sustainable food system transition requires amongst others that a majority of consumers begins to eat more plant based. However, so far, only a niche or minority of consumers eats primarily plant based. With a conceptual background in positive tipping points in sustainability transitions and social network theory, this paper uses a segmentation analysis of representative consumer survey data in Denmark to characterize segments that differ in psychographic drivers or barriers of meat reduction. From the eight segments found, three are already part of the niche, three emerge as opposed to plant-based, but two are potential next consumers. We discuss how to trigger behaviour change towards eating more plant-rich in ways that match the segments potential motivations and barriers and contribute to literature and work on sustainable food systems transitions.

With the popularity of food delivery applications in Indonesia, there is a need to promote responsible consumption habits, specifically in mitigating food waste. This study examined the influence of promotion, knowledge, and subjective norms on sustainable food waste behaviour among Generation Z individuals in Indonesia. The study involved an online survey of 561 Generation Z users of meal delivery platforms, with data analysis conducted using Structural Equation Modeling-Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) through SMART-PLS 4 software. The study contradicted that promotion and knowledge directly affect food waste reduction behaviour. Promotion can positively impact responsible food waste behaviour when mediated by price consciousness and perceived behavioural control. Knowledge requires attitude and perceived behavioural control to influence responsible food-wasting. It became apparent that subjective norms directly affected responsible food waste and were mediated by attitude. The antecedent variables examined in this study explained a 63.7% variance of sustainable behaviour towards food waste, indicating moderate explanatory power. Promotion conducted by food delivery service applications, accompanied by information and practical strategies to enhance consumers' perceived behavioural control, can increase the likelihood of sustainable food waste behaviour among Generation Z consumers, particularly price-conscious consumers. To foster positive attitudes and subjective norms towards sustainable food waste behaviour, policymakers can incentivize academic institutions, culinary businesses, and influencers to promote food waste reduction.

The relevance of efficient direct material input through both export market and domestic material sources offers useful material and resource productivity guidelines from both economic and environmental sustainability dimensions. In the current context, the drivers of material and resource efficiency in the Nordic region are examined by utilizing requisite empirical approaches over the period 1995–2020. The investigation revealed that economic activities which are characterized by Gross domestic product (GDP) alongside the growth of urban population and utilization of oil energy are all detrimental to the region's resource efficiency. It implies that material utilization efficiency cannot be optimized with the current trend of the region's GDP, urban population growth and the use of dirty energy. Contrarily, the findings, further revealed that alternative energy utilization vis-à-vis renewables are key indicators to spur material and resource efficiency in the region, thus throwing more support for the region's unavoidable energy transition goal. These highlighted results alongside the Granger causality inference offer sustainable development measures that are specifically motivated through the improvement of efficient and optimization of output.

The literature on the Circular Economy (CE) has shown considerable expansion over recent years, with various studies striving to guide corporate entities in transitioning from linear to circular production paradigms. While larger businesses and multinational corporations have been a central focus, a significant gap exists in understanding the transformation journey of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) towards circularity. This research aims to enhance the existing body of knowledge by mapping the knowledge at the intersection of SMEs and the CE. This study utilizes an exploratory approach and leverages network analysis and content analysis to scrutinize 126 academic papers indexed on Scopus. The findings indicate that the field is bifurcated into nascent and early-growth stages. Although CE appears as the prevalent theme in most of the papers surveyed, an emerging group of academics has begun to delve into the domain of SMEs and CE. Further to identifying thematic clusters, this research explores the main references from these two phases by exploring their contents. The study provides a series of recommendations for future research alongside methodological guidelines for theoretical and empirical investigations.

The purpose of this study was to explore consumers' perspectives on how brands should communicate the sustainability of apparel and to integrate these perspectives into the development of an apparel sustainability index label. Prior research indicates that consumers have an interest in the sustainability of the apparel they consume, however, the apparel industry has yet to develop a universal method for communicating such information directly to consumers. To address this interest, focus groups were conducted with a total of 22 participants. Framed by Signaling Theory, four emergent themes were used as the basis of the index label development: Many Birds, One Seed; Show Me a Picture; Catch My Attention; and Earn My Trust. Based on the findings, a double-sided, color-coded apparel label featuring an apparel sustainability index, icons and a logo was created. This consumer-facing apparel sustainability index label can be utilized by apparel brands to meet consumers’ needs for transparency, as well as encourage sustainable apparel consumption. Future studies can empirically test responses to the label by consumers and apparel brands.

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the complex interplay between sustainable business practices (SBP) and turnover intention (TI), emphasizing how sustainability initiatives impact employee retention and organizational commitment.

Methodology

A bibliometric analysis of 325 articles from the Scopus database, spanning 2013–2023, was conducted using Bibliometrix in R-Studio, systematically addressing five pivotal research questions related to SBP and TI. Articles were chosen based on predefined search terms, focusing on SBP, job satisfaction, and TI, and adhered to strict inclusion/exclusion criteria.

Findings

Organizations adopting SBP witness a significant decrease in TI, attributed primarily to enhanced job satisfaction and fortified organizational commitment. Concurrently, the literature on SBP and TI has seen an evolutionary shift from predominantly environmental concerns, such as carbon emissions and waste management, to broader socio-economic sustainability dimensions encompassing social responsibility, community engagement, and economic growth. International collaboration in this realm has proven vital, with significant contributions from countries such as Spain, China, and the UK. Leadership efficacy, supportive organizational culture, and emphasis on work-life balance are pivotal in strengthening the SBP-TI bond.

Implications for theory and practice

Beyond academic interest, understanding the SBP-TI relationship is crucial for managers and policymakers. Effective SBP integration within organizational strategies can simultaneously promote sustainability and reduce turnover. This emphasizes the practical need for leadership, a supportive culture, and work-life balance to achieve environmental and socio-economic sustainability goals while retaining employees.

Originality and value

By presenting an integrated perspective on SBP and TI, this research provides invaluable insights for organizations aiming to harmonize their sustainability objectives with employee retention strategies.

In the retail industry, majority of the traditional inventory management methods commonly focus on minimizing business costs but fail to consider implications on environmental sustainability. Existing inventory classification methods have failed to consider the interaction among the different performance indicators for a timely recognition of the potential dead stocks and dead stocks in the inventory. This study aims to identify and effectively classify potential dead stocks and dead stocks through an enhanced inventory classification method that integrates the remaining product shelf life as an indicator for timely recognition of dead stocks. The study also aims to provide guidelines in setting up decision rules needed in objectively classifying inventory based on each performance indicator through an automated algorithm with decision rules. Using data sets taken from open databases that provide real-world data, results show that the automated algorithm can effectively detect the presence of dead stocks and distinguish such inventory from potential dead stocks in the system which existing inventory classification methods are unable to do. One-Way ANOVA Tests performed showed that the proposed classification method can consistently classify inventory across different retail data sets while Monte Carlo simulation was used to simulate the amount of inventory that becomes dead stocks in a multi-period inventory management system. Results show that 17% of these potential dead stocks, if undetected, become dead stocks in the following period. Over a ton of carbon emissions is prevented with lesser dead stock waste disposal. The value of this study lies in the fact that classifying inventory to detect the presence of potential dead stocks is an essential first step in solving the dead stock problem not just for business profitability but also for sustainable resource consumption and a sustainable environment.

Circular fashion is a new concept shift towards a more sustainable fashion industry. Consumers' awareness of the fashion industry's environmental and social damage is increasing, along with the transformation of their purchasing habits. Circular economy appears to be a solution to these issues. Nonetheless, users' awareness of the principles of circular economy might benefit their application in real life. This research studies the relationships between awareness and attitudes towards the principles of circular economy as well as the mediators, which are namely, benefits and enablers. The main purpose of this study is to test a hypothesised model through structural equation modeling with Partial Least Squares. The results show that the principles have a positive relationship to the attitudes, benefits, and enablers of circular economy. Additionally, the effect of gender on consumers' attitudes towards sustainable fashion is worth analysing since it seems to play a significant role.

Compressed air systems are recognised as significant energy users and are characterised by their notably inefficient energy consumption. This ensures their significance and potential for decarbonisation through cleaner and more responsible energy consumption in manufacturing facilities, such as marine equipment manufacturing plants in the shipbuilding industry, in order to address the various economic and regulatory challenges related to energy use and climate change. In the relevant literature, there are numerous studies on various energy-saving measures for compressed air systems; however, none concentrates on the problem of short-cycling phenomena and associated energy-saving potential. In this study, using a novel and systematic energy audit methodology, a detailed energy audit of a rotary-type screw air compressor was conducted at a marine equipment manufacturing plant in Türkiye. The systematic energy audit methodology was based on the measurement of power consumption and the evaluation of various operation parameters to assess the existing performance of the compressor, including compressed air demand, compressed air production, cycle speed, air tank volume, specific capacity, and duty cycle. The audit results revealed that the air compressor was short cycling, resulting in excessive energy consumption. Comprehensive technical and economic assessments were conducted to determine the root cause of the compressor's short cycling and to identify energy-saving potentials. It was determined that the compressor was oversized relative to the plant's compressed air demand patterns, while the air tank was inadequately sized, causing the compressor to engage in short cycling. To replace the existing short-cycling compressor, a scenario analysis revealed that the deployment of an optimised system consisting of a fixed-speed baseload compressor and a variable-speed trim compressor can reduce the plant's energy consumption for the compressed air system by a significant 73%. This results in annual energy savings of 74,160 kWh, annual cost savings of €9.373,8, and an annual reduction of approximately 49,9 tonnes of carbon emissions. This application requires an initial investment of €24.280 and is anticipated to redeem itself in 2,2 years. Moreover, it is anticipated to generate a net present value of €147.602 over its 20-year lifespan.

Dark patterns, the manipulation and deliberate presentation of information to influence consumer decision-making, can lead to unintended purchases and overconsumption. Past studies have established the prevalence of dark patterns in e-commerce. Yet, few studies have investigated the differential effects of dark patterns on the consumption choices of different groups of consumers. Similarly, few studies have examined the effectiveness of interventions countering dark patterns which may reduce unintended consumption. This study seeks to 1) investigate the effects of low-stock message, activity message, countdown timer, and limited-time message dark patterns and its influence on product selection decisions, 2) determine if demographic variables would predict susceptibility to dark patterns, and 3) explore the effectiveness of video- and activity-based dark patterns awareness intervention. 195 adult volunteers aged 19 to 53 participated in this experiment. Results indicated that participants were significantly more likely to select products with dark patterns. The use of limited-time message dark pattern was significantly more effective than other dark patterns in inducing consumption. Older individuals tend to be more susceptible to dark patterns. No clear evidence for the effectiveness of video- and activity-based dark patterns awareness intervention was found. Several study limitations were noted. We note how companies can support cleaner and responsible consumption by refraining from using dark patterns. On individuals, the implications of dark patterns on unintended consumption, in a world with aging populations and post-pandemic accelerated e-commerce were discussed.