Research Questions: “What knowledge do Generation Y consumers’ have about sustainability in the fast fashion industry?” and “How do the factors of the attitude-behavior gap influence the Generation Y consumers in their decision making for fast fashion clothes?”       Problem Formulation: Sustainability as a topic has regained great attention over the last couple of years. Generation Y consumers’ demand for more sustainable actions, especially in fast fashion, puts increasing pressure on the industry. As the biggest consumer cohort, it is important for fast fashion companies to meet their needs and demands for more sustainable actions to stay competitive. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to explore the perception of sustainability of Generation Y consumers’ in the fast fashion industry by looking at eight factors that influence the attitude-behavior gap, namely Price Sensitivity, Ethical Obligation, Lack of Information, Subjective Norm, Quality, Inertia, Cynicism and Guilt. Additionally, the previous knowledge about sustainability in the fast fashion industry of this generation will be investigated by using the triple-bottom line approach of economic, environmental and social aspects. Methodology: This thesis utilized a qualitative methodology by conducting semi-structured interviews. The research consists of 6 participants from the Generation Y. The interviews were performed personally face-to-face. Findings/Conclusions: The findings indicate that the factors of the attitude-behavior gap still influence Generation Y consumers’ in their purchase decisions for fast fashion brands. They are more hesitant to invest in acquiring clothes from fast fashion retailers, as they see them as violating to the society and the environment. Therefore, Generation Y consumers would rather purchase sustainable clothes from sustainable companies that are behaving and producing their clothes in a right, sustainable and ethical way. Hence, their attitude indicates to be similar to their potential purchasing behavior. Furthermore, Generation Y consumers’ hold a broad, detailed knowledge about sustainability of all three parts of the triple bottom line.

 The majority of Americans profess to hold pro-environmental attitudes and intend to engage in environmentally friendly behavior. Yet their actions tell a different story. The goal of this study was to explain the gap between widely held pro-environmental attitudes and the lack of corresponding individual and collective behavior. Using both quantitative and qualitative methods and applying the principles of grid-group cultural theory, cognitive sociology, and identity theory I examined the meanings people ascribe to the environment, how they think about behavior relative to the environment, and justifications for the performance of environmentally significant behavior. I administered an on-line survey to a nationally representative sample of individuals. By applying grounded theory methods to the textual data generated by open-ended survey questions I developed a model of environmentally signficant behavior which describes the underlying factors that influence the performance of pro-environmental behavior. Individuals develop environmental socio-cognitive schemas based on the ways in which they use the six cognitive acts (perceiving, focusing, classifying, signifying, remembering, and timing) in thinking about the environment. They use these environmental socio-cognitive schemas to filter and interpret environmental discourse, construct a body of environmental knowledge, and guide environmentally significant behavior. According to this study, the explanatory link between pro-environmental attitudes and pro-environmental behavior lies in the concept of proximity. Performance of pro-environmental behavior is driven by the distance individuals perceive themselves to be from environmental issues. Attitudes toward the environment remain abstractions whereas behavior is situational. Individuals from different cultural groups hold different ideas about the relationship between humans and nature, the extent and severity of environmental issues, and how those issues should be addressed. The findings from this study provide a foundation for developing effective strategies for influencing environmentally significant behavior. This study is important because environmental issues are real, their potential impact is substantial, and time is of the essence in addressing them.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the factors that influence consumers to act socially responsible (CnSR) to provide guidance for CSR work practices in the context of fast food. Method: To answer the research questions a qualitative method has been used where empirical findings have been collected through secondary data and 16 semi-structured interviews. The study has been guided by a deductive approach where an analytical framework, based on previous research, has been the basis when collecting and analyzing the data. Conclusions: One conclusion that can be drawn is that fast food companies are working with the environmental aspect of CSR. Although, the current efforts are not enough to encourage consumers’ socially responsible (CnSR) behavior. Another conclusion of this study is that even though consumers have a positive attitude toward CSR, internal and external factors, especially environmental knowledge, motivation, and economic factors, have an influence on CnSR behavior not being achieved in the context of fast food. Value was the only factor that seemed to result in CnSR behavior. For this reason, fast food companies should provide more concrete information and offer smaller menus or trial samples at a lower price to increase consumers’ motivation to behave socially. Consequently, this could also make them value the more sustainable products in the future. Lastly, another conclusion is that Consumer-Company congruence (C-C congruence) was not achieved as there existed a lack in consumer CSR credibility and consumer CSR awareness. Based on this, it is obvious that fast food companies need to improve both their marketing communication on social media and their in-store promotion.

In order to slow down, if not stop, climate change, we all need to contribute to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions. This knowledge has been with us for a long time, but nevertheless emissions have not decreased, but rather increased. To understand the reason why we don't act in line with what we know, we need to study behaviors. In this paper we focus on behaviors at the individual level. The gap that exists between what we know and what we do has many names where it is studied from different perspectives, and to understand what creates this gap is very complex. There is therefore not just one answer to this question and many different complementary theories and models are needed. The majority of the studies carried out on the subject examine perceptionsof the gap among people without higher education in environmental science, which has contributed to knowledge being, in many cases,seen as one of the main contributing factors to inaction.In our study, we want to contribute with a perspective on the gapin people who already have a higher education in environmental science. We conducted a qualitative study with three focus group interviews with environmental science students at Linköping University. The results show that, despite higher education and knowledge, there are variousindividual, structural and responsibility factors thathinder individuals fromactingenvironmentally friendly. Throughout the analysis the situational aspect comes into play and that knowledge of the complexity of environmental and climate issues can in many cases contribute to inaction. / För att kunna bromsa, om inte stoppa, klimatförändringarna behöver vi alla bidra till att minska våra växthusgasutsläpp. Denna vetskap har funnits med oss länge, men trots det har inte utsläppen minskat utan snarare ökat. För att förstå orsaken till varför vi inte agerar i linje med vad vi vet behöver vi studera beteenden. I denna uppsats fokuserar vi på beteenden på individnivå. Det gap som finns mellan vad vi vet och vad vi gör har många namn (e.g. value-action gap, attitude-behavior gap) där man studerar det utifrån olika perspektiv. Att förstå vad som skapar detta gap är mycket komplext. Det finns därmed inte ett rätt svar på denna fråga utan det behövs många olika kompletterande teorier och modeller. Majoriteten av de studier som gjorts undersöker uppfattningar om gapet hos personer utan högre utbildning inom miljövetenskap. Vilket har bidragit till att bristande kunskap i många fall setts som en av de största bidragande faktorerna till overksamhet. Vi vill därmed i vår studie bidra med ett perspektiv på gapet utifrån personer som redan har en högre utbildning inom miljövetenskap, och kallar således gapet för knowledge-action gap. Vi genomförde en kvalitativ studie med tre fokusgruppsintervjuer med miljövetarstudenter från Linköpings universitet. Resultatet visar på att det, trots en högre utbildning och kunskap, finns många olika, individuella, strukturella och ansvarsrelaterade, faktorer som gör att en individ inte agerar miljövänligt. Genomgående i analysen för dessa är att den situationella aspekten spelar in samt att kunskapen om miljö-och klimatfrågans komplexitet i många fall kan bidra till overksamhet.

Fashion democratization over the last few decades made fashion products available at lower costs to everyone in society. It alarmingly increased consumption, leaving drastic impacts on the world's sustainability both on the social and environmental fronts, thereby leading to water and land pollution, dangerous working conditions, sweatshops, wage exploitation, and gender discrimination. Our study, therefore, sheds some light on addressing this core problem of fashion sustainability by focusing on the problem from the consumers’ perspectives because researchers conclude that consumers hold power to mitigate this issue to a greater extent by becoming sustainable. However, in many cases, consumers show the attitude-behavior gap when it comes to consuming sustainable fashion. The area of actual sustainable fashion consumers is also under-researched. Therefore, we conducted our research in this area and used qualitative methods for it. We identified a small group of 16 sustainable transitional fashion consumers who have started their sustainable fashion consumption journey. We performed an inductive process study of these transitional consumers' journeys and developed a Conceptual ‘Consumer Journey Map’ from unsustainability towards sustainability. We used semi-structured interviews for data collection. By studying their entire process of transition, we identified a number of constraints that retained them from making the transition towards sustainable fashion consumption, such as Social Influence, Trend and Newness, Unaesthetic Appearance and Lack of Variety, Lacking Sizes and Fitting, Low price, and Lower Income, Lack of Knowledge and Information and Greenwashing by the brands. However, the enablers that pushed them to become sustainable were Influence from Sustainable social circles, Tangible Experiences, Quality and Longevity, and Feelings of guilt and remorse which are presented in ourconceptual ‘C-E Framework.' Our research also identified conceptual ‘Levels of Sustainability,’ where consumers reuse or reduceor reject to pass Level one. To reach Level two, a consumer has to begin combining any two of these behaviors. However, to reach the final Level X, a consumer needs to reuse, reduce, and reject simultaneously. A consumer passes through these different levels from being a ‘self’ consumer to be a ‘social’ one and finally converting into a ‘sacrifice’ consumer in their journey.

The purpose of this study is to provide a deeper understanding to business managers, of how the Swedish Generation Y consume furniture and if there is a want of consuming more green furniture. The thesis identifies previous research of sustainability development within furnishing and the phenomenon of attitude-behavior gap among consumers. Hence, the purpose of investigating consumer’s behavior and attitudes, the qualitative method has been used to understand the processes and influence factors of the contextualized setting. Further, this study follows a deductive approach because of the unexplored research area and due to the importance of studying sustainability within furnishing from a new point of view.   Continuously, the literature review of this thesis includes previous established scientific research and theories concerning; green practices within the furniture industry; the characteristics of Generation Y; and the phenomenon of attitude-behavior gap. From the literature review a conceptual framework has been conducted to illustrate the main concepts and their relation, which are examined in this study. These concepts have been used to analyze the empirical data originating from interviews of 37 consumers within Generation Y in Sweden. From the purpose of this thesis the research resulted in two clear research questions that were defined as; (1) How does the behavior and consumption pattern of Gen Y occur when consuming furniture?; and (2) Which are the needs and wants of Gen Y in Sweden, when it comes to sustainable furniture? In the conclusion chapter, the answer of these research questions is completed together with the theoretical and practical implications.    The main theoretical implication from this research is the finding that an attitude-behavior gap exists within Generation Y when consuming furniture. This gap is present due to barriers and influencing factors which are; (1) consumers lack of knowledge; (2) the limited supply and information from companies; (3) the unclear or lack of green furniture marketing; and (4) companies not being transparent in their actions.   Finally, the practical implications of this study presents suggestions for furniture companies and how they can increase their green operations to meet the request of Generation Y. Companies should focus on marketing sustainable furniture to a larger extent in order to raise the awareness of  Generation Y and to be more transparent in the supply chain and business operations, so the consumers can have a greater insight in the process. By implementing these recommendations, companies will improve Generation Y's purchasing of sustainable furniture as well as increase their awareness regarding green furniture consumption.

The fast fashion industry has a large negative impact on the environment and its workers. Consumers purchasing fast fashion are reinforcing the dominant social paradigm, the assumption that humans are superior and the Earth’s resources unlimited. Even though customers are reconsidering their fashion consumer behavior, they often fall back to making unsustainable choices. Research has shown that communication strengthens ethical consumption and supports reducing the attitude-behavior gap. This study proposes that sustainable communication encourages fashion customers to reason with themselves in a way their behavior evolves to be more sustainable. The aim is to investigate customers’ reception and interaction with sustainable communication using the example of the ethical fashion brand Nudie Jeans. Based on the theories of the attitude-behavior gap and sustainable communication, semi-structured in-depth interviews with Nudie Jeans customers were conducted. The analysis of the interview responses demonstrates the initial presence of an attitude-behavior gap and low awareness of sustainable communication among customers. The research indicates that after customers have developed an awareness of sustainable concerns in the fashion industry, a fashion brand can succeed in encouraging customers to adjust predominant consumption patterns towards more ethical ones. On this basis, it is recommended that ethical fashion brands continuously use transparent sustainable communication to educate consumers about the environmental and social maladministration in the fashion industry.

Background: China's rapidly growing beauty consumer market has led to environmental deterioration and Chinese citizens are aware of this important issue, however, despite positive pro-environmental attitudes, consumers are reluctant to buy green products. This issue is known as the attitude-behavior gap, and existing research lacks information on how this gap operates in the Chinese beauty market. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to use the ACB (Affective, Cognitive, Behavioral) Attitude Model to explore how the attitude-behavior gap works in the Chinese beauty market, specifically, the attitudes of Chinese consumers and how they influence behavior. Method: This study was an exploratory qualitative study in which 30 Chinese participants were interviewed in 3 focus groups consisting of 10 participants each. For the purpose of this study, participants' attitudes toward beauty and personal care products were investigated. Conclusion: The empirical findings show that green knowledge is considered the most important factor in the attitude-behavior gap, as consumption habits and patterns hinder purchase behavior. Second, is health consciousness, where purchase behavior is hindered by the skepticism of product attributes and insufficient information. Third, self-image, as overpackaging makes consumers think that it is detrimental to their image of green consumption. Finally, social influence is the least important factor, as Chinese people are collectivistic and purchasing behavior is more likely to be influenced by surroundings. By prioritizing these four factors, beauty companies and marketers can understand what is preventing Chinese consumers from purchasing beauty and personal care products, and then have the appropriate marketing strategies to respond.

This thesis investigates through focus groups the effect of greenwashing from theenvironmentally conscious consumer perspective. The study deepens the understanding of attitudes and purchase intentions before and after the revealing that the marketing campaignwere criticized as greenwashing. The respondents' thoughts, perceived credibility andpurchase intention contributed to the fact that patterns regarding attitude and purchase intention could be distinguished. Through Rausch and Kopplin's green extension of Ajzen's Theory of Reasoned Action and the theory of The Green Gap, the respondents' attitudes and purchase intentions could be interpreted. Before revealing the information of greenwashing, the respondents were already critical of the messages in all shown cases. Despite an interpreted negative attitude, the respondents pointed out that they could consider buying the products. After the revealing of greenwashing, a sense of affirmation was perceived in the focus groups. The credibility of the marketing is thus considered to have been negatively damaged, but the respondents justify future purchases based on other positive sustainable attributes that the products or companies have. A revealing of greenwashing in a generally environmentally conscious consumer segment is thusinterpreted to be of less importance, where other factors justify that the purchase intention remains.

The subject of sustainable development is growing in relevance, and never before has research on the subject been as essential. Research shows that the globalization of the clothing industry has a significant impact on both climate and society. Furthermore, consumers today demand sustainably produced products, and they are willing to pay more to support such companies. Despite this, research shows that there is a gap between consumers' expressed demand for sustainable alternatives and their purchasing behavior in favor of sustainable organizations . This gap is often referred to as the 'attitude-behaviour gap' (ABG), which refers to the gap between positive attitudes and consumer behavior. The purpose of this study is to explore the area described as the 'attitude-behaviour gap' between consumers' CSR requirements and purchasing behavior. Specifically, this phenomenon will be examined within the clothing industry with the help of the following questions: "Are Swedish consumers' sustainable attitudes transformed into purchasing behavior within the clothing industry?" if not; "Which factors possibly influence ABG in the Swedish clothing industry?". Method: The study has been based on a qualitative approach where interviews with consumers have been carried out. The interviews were conducted in a semi-structured manner and analyzed thematically based on an analysis model designed from previous research. Results: The study has confirmed that ABG also exists in Swedish consumers. The results show that negative CSR information damages the company's relationship with consumers and in many cases leads to a loss of customers. In contrast, positive CSR information is not as significant. For consumers to switch to sustainable consumption, certain core factors need to be met; first, the consumer needs to have sufficient information and a personal interest in CSR. The consumer's perception of price, the availability of sustainable alternatives and the attributes of the clothes are also central factors. In addition to this, peripheral factors can influence consumers' purchasing behavior. These factors have been explained as company image and credibility, peer pressure, and consumer familiarity. / Ämnet hållbar utveckling växer sig allt större i relevans och aldrig förr har forskning kring ämnet varit så väsentligt. Forskning visar på att globaliseringen av klädindustrin har en betydande påverkan på både klimat och samhälle. Vidare efterfrågar konsumenter idag hållbart producerade produkter och att de är villiga att betala mer för att stödja sådana företag. Trots detta så visar forskning att det finns ett glapp mellan konsumenters uttalade efterfrågan på hållbara alternativ och deras köpbeteende i förmån för hållbara organisationer. Detta gap benämns ofta som ‘attitude-behavior gap’ (ABG) som refererar till mellanrummet mellan de positiva attityderna och konsumenternas beteenden. Syftet med denna studie är att utforska området som beskrivits som ‘attitude-behavior gap’ mellan konsumenters CSR krav och köpbeteende. Specifikt kommer detta fenomenet att granskas inom klädindustrin med hjälp av följande frågeställningar:“Omvandlas svenska konsumenters hållbara attityder till köpbeteenden inom klädindustrin?” om inte; “Vilka faktorer påverkar eventuellt ABG i den svenska klädindustrin?”. Metod: Studien har utgått från ett kvalitativt tillvägagångssätt där intervjuer med konsumenter har genomförts. Intervjuerna genomfördes på ett semistrukturerat sätt och analyserades tematiskt baserat på en analysmodell som utformats från tidigare forskning. Resultat: Studien har bekräftat att ABG existerar även hos svenska konsumenter. Resultaten visar på att negativ CSR-information skadar företagets relation till konsumenterna och leder i många fall till en förlust av kunder. Däremot är inte positiv CSR-information lika betydande. För att konsumenterna ska övergå till hållbar konsumtion behöver vissa kärnfaktorer uppfyllas; dels behöver konsumenten ha tillräckligt med information och en personlig angelägenhet gentemot CSR. Centralt är även konsumentens prisuppfattning, de hållbara alternativens tillgänglighet och klädernas attribut. Utöver detta kan perifera faktorer påverka konsumenternas köpbeteenden. Dessa faktorer har förklarats som företagets image och trovärdighet, grupptryck, samt konsumentens familjaritet.