This thesis begins with the simple observation that the term ‘green consumption’ would have appeared, at the very least, oxymoronic to those concerned with environmental issues some thirty years ago. Yet now it is a commonplace aspect of popular, academic and policy discourse in the global north. In recognizing the diversity of products and services that fall under the rubric of ‘green consumption,’ this project situates it as a form of discursive positioning and a potential set of a practices that indicate a ‘friendly’ or benign association between consumption and the environment. The thesis has three components. Firstly, it reviews the literature on consumer culture and environmentalism, highlighting relevant thematic debates concerning the critique of consumer culture and its potential effects upon the environment. Secondly, the thesis constructs a post-Foucauldian ‘analytics of green consumption’ in order to understand such a radical shift in representations of consumption and environmental thinking. Thirdly, the thesis employs this analytics to examine two dominant ‘environmentalities’ or programmes of green consumption – Eco Labelling and the Ecological Footprint – wherein the advanced liberal rhetorics of ‘choice,’ ‘freedom’ and ‘responsibility’ are found to operate in different ways. Drawing upon the work of Rose (1999), Barry et al. (1996) and others, the thesis shows how these ‘informational’ techniques are predicated upon and reproduce specific conceptions of consumer behaviour, encouraging the formation of ‘green consumer-subjects.’ It is argued that the terrain of consumption has become the primary locus where political, social, economic and cultural elements overlap to shape the decisions of consumers. The field of consumption is being restructured around lifestyle choice-driven models of responsible subjectivity, with consumption becoming the key means for shaping the conduct of individual citizens. The thesis goes on to argue that such a market-based approach to engendering green consumption is problematic in terms of its conception of how consumer choice and freedom are constrained, raising difficult issues for policy efforts in this area. The thesis also points toward the limits of post-Foucauldian analyses of green consumption, especially the impossibility of knowing whether, and for what reasons, practices of green consumption are taken up by consumers. / Thesis (Master, Sociology) -- Queen's University, 2009-09-25 08:48:47.876

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The ingrained economic, political, and cultural structures in society create difficulties for people to change consumption habits because they have existed in society for a long time where individuals’ social networks affect consumption. The purpose of this research has been to highlight and analyze the effect of the connection between social network and consumption and to reflect on how one's social network affects consumption habits. A quantitative survey using the 2018 Living Costs and Food Survey dataset with 5000 respondents was conducted for this reason. Social cost was used as a measure to highlight the effect it has on consumption. The result highlighted that material products acted as symbolic capital that the respondents consumed to strengthen their social ties that existed within their social networks.

Purpose – The purpose of this master thesis is to examine factors influencing green consumption and to explain the moderating effect of market maturity on these factors in developed and emerging markets.Design/methodology/approach – In this research the pragmatism epistemology was employed as the scientific perspective of the current research. Deductive reasoning has been selected as scientific approach. The formulation of hypotheses, the collection and analysis of the data were based on and derived from existing theories. In line with deductive approach the collected data was analyzed quantitatively within cross-sectional time horizon. SSPS program was applied to process the collected research data and present the research results. The data was collected via online survey (Google Forms) in Russia and Sweden as well as credible and reliable secondary resources.Findings – Based on correlation and multiple regression analysis it was found that factor perceived consumer effectiveness positively (Beta=0.227) and significantly (Sig.<0.05) influences green consumption among young people in Sweden. Price is determined to affect negatively (Beta=-0.279) and significantly (Sig.<0.05) green consumption among young people in Sweden. Perceived consumer effectiveness positively (Beta=0.225) and significantly (Sig.<0.05) influences green consumption among young people in Russia. The presence of moderating effect of market maturity was not revealed within the conducted research. That means the level of development of countries (in case of Sweden and Russia) does not make a significant influence on the association between studied factors and green consumption among young people. Perceived consumer effectiveness is determined to be the main driving factor which pushes the younger generation toward sustainable consumption both in Sweden and Russia.Research limitations – the first limitation relates to the size of the sample. Although the sample of 100 respondents for each country (Sweden and Russia) was considered adequate, still a larger sample size could have provided more heterogonous findings and might have led to a different conclusion. Another limitation considers geographical and industrial boundaries. The research applies the theoretical model to the context of only two particular countries, namely, Sweden and Russia by focusing on consumption of green products from FMCG industry. With this regard, the findings of the study might not be fully suitable for other emerging and developed countries or other industries. Also, the application of non-probability sampling limited the authors to add more validity to the research. The last limitation is such a phenomena as socially desirable responding or response biases that means a tendency to choose the desirable response or the most moderate response.Practical implications – The findings ensure a better understanding of the content of moderating effect of market maturity and explain more in details how particular factors influence green consumption in emerging and developed markets. The model conceptualized by the authors is supposed to be a good basis for future researches aimed at examining moderating effect of market maturity on relationship between green consumption and factors influencing it in other emerging and developed markets besidesRussia and Sweden. In practice a special emphasis on perceived consumer effectiveness by the companies which market green products and target young consumers could helpthem to supply their products more successfully both in developed and/or emerging countries. Particularly, they need create a perception among potential consumers that buying green products contributes to sustainability and solution of environmental problems by elaborating particular strategies. As the research revealed a negative and significant relation between price and green consumption on the developed market it is important that managers consider price policy while marketing green products among young generation in developed countries.

Under de senaste åren har det skett en ekonomisk tillväxt vilket bidragit till att människan konsumerar mer än någonsin. Den ökade konsumtionen har en negativ påverkan på miljön där exempelvis livsmedelsbranschen står för ungefärliga 44-57 procent av de totala växthusutsläppen. Då överkonsumtionen har en negativ påverkan på världen har det blivit allt viktigare att konsumenter blir medvetna om deras konsumtion och dess påverkan på miljön. Forskare menar att konsumenter bör ta till sig ett mer miljöanpassat konsumentbeteende där ett alternativ är att börja konsumera ekologiskt. Tidigare forskare har identifierat att det finns ett attitydgap hos konsumenter gällande ekologisk konsumtion. Attitydgapet innebär att konsumenter uppger sig ha en positiv attityd gentemot att konsumera ekologiska produkter men när de väl ska konsumera väljer de i flesta fall att konsumera konventionella produkter. Varför detta attitydgap existerar har blivit diskuterat av ett flertal forskare. Ett flertal faktorer har blivit identifierade och en gemensam faktor som ett flertal forskare identifierat är informationsbrist (kunskapsbrist). Studier visar att konsumenter möjligtvis inte besitter den kunskap som är nödvändig för att få dem att välja att konsumera ekologiska produkter. En anledning till varför dem möjligtvis inte besitter denna kunskap är då informationen angående innebörden av att konsumera ekologiskt är bristfällig samt att den information som företag använder inte är effektiv. Vår studie har studerat vilken kunskap konsumenter faktiskt besitter gällande KRAVmärkta livsmedelsprodukter, vilket är Sveriges största ekologiskt certifierade märke. Vidare har vår studie studerat om konsumenterna uppfattar att det finns en informationsbrist gällande innebörden av att konsumera KRAV samt vilken sorts information som är mest effektiv för livsmedelsföretagen att använda i deras marknadskommunikation. Studiens resultat visar att respondenterna besitter en relativt låg kunskap gällande KRAV och dess innebörd. Majoriteten av respondenterna uppger korrekta svar i enkätfrågorna men samtidigt uppvisar dem att de flesta känner en stor osäkerhet på om deras angivna svar varit korrekt eller inte. Detta resulterar i att vi författare tolkar att dessa respondenter har en måttlig kunskapsbrist då de inte är säkra på att deras svar varit korrekta. Vidare visar resultatet av vår studie att respondenterna uppfattar att företag kommunicerar innebörden av att konsumera KRAV-märkta livsmedelsprodukter i låg grad. Ytterligare visar studien att den mest effektiva metoden företag inom livsmedelsbranschen bör använda i dess kommunikation av KRAV-märkta livsmedelsprodukter är negativ information. Negativ information innebär att företag använder information i dess marknadskommunikation som triggar konsumenternas negativa känslor. Resultatet av studien visar även att den negativa informationen endast är effektiv att använda om den är ”moderat”, det vill säga måttlig. Om information är extrem visar resultatet att den inte är effektiv att använda för att kommunicera KRAVmärkta livsmedelsprodukter.

A presente tese teve como objetivo identificar fatores que influenciam o comportamento de consumo ambientalmente mais favorável e, a partir desse processo, evidenciar subsídios às decisões de marketing social voltado para a adoção desse comportamento. Para atender a esse objetivo, buscou-se organizar o referencial teórico inicialmente com um entendimento sobre o relacionamento entre marketing societal e marketing social, passando pelas aplicações de marketing verde e de marketing de idéias. Na seqüência, esse referencial incorporou aspectos teóricos que envolvem o comportamento do consumidor, bem como estudos aplicados à verificação desse comportamento sob a ótica ambiental. A análise exploratória realizada a partir desse referencial teórico-empírico evidenciou a presença de distintas dimensões comportamentais dentro do construto do comportamento de consumo ambientalmente favorável, além das conclusões controversas envolvendo vários fatores de influência sobre essas dimensões comportamentais, o que deu encaminhamento para a realização de uma pesquisa de campo que contribuísse para a identificação dos fatores com influência comum nessas dimensões comportamentais. O modelo de pesquisa de campo foi de caráter descritivo, utilizando o método quantitativo por levantamento amostral junto a 509 consumidores responsáveis pelas compras do domicílio, com idade a partir de dezoito anos, residentes na Região do ABC Paulista. Os resultados gerados, a partir da utilização da técnica de análise multivariada denominada General Linear Models (GLM), mostraram três fatores de influência comum estatisticamente significante sobre as dimensões comportamentais ambientalmente mais favoráveis (interesse ambiental, inconveniência de ser ambientalmente amigável e grau de comprometimento ambiental), do conjunto de vinte e um fatores integrados ao modelo, além de outros seis descartados durante o processo de estruturação desse modelo. Esse resultado, acrescido de orientações provenientes da análise exploratória, sugeriu o desenho de um modelo de comportamento de consumo ambientalmente favorável, cuja aplicação poderá ser implementada em novos estudos, bem como um conjunto de subsídios às decisões do composto de marketing social voltado para a adoção do comportamento ambientalmente mais favorável. / This current work has the purpose of identifying factors that influence the most environmentally favorable consumer behavior and, from this process on, evidence support to social marketing decisions oriented to the adoption of such behavior. In order to understand such purpose, an organization of the theoretical references was sought, initially trying to understand the relationship between societal marketing and social marketing, moving on to green marketing applications and the marketing of ideas. After that, these references incorporated theoretical aspects that involve consumer behavior, as well as studies applied to the verification of such behavior under the environmental standpoint. The exploratory analysis carried out after this empirical theoretical set of references evidenced the presence of distinct behavioral dimensions inside the environmentally favorable consumer behavior. Besides that, the controversial conclusions involving several influence factors regarding these behavioral dimensions, led to the performance of a field research that contributed with the identification of factors that bear common influence in those behavioral dimensions. The adopted research model was the one of descriptive character, using the quantitative method by sampling 509 consumers responsible for their household purchases, aged over eighteen, resident in the São Paulo State ABC Region. The generated results, after the use of the multivaried analysis called General Linear Models (GLM), showed three factors of statistically significant common influence over the most environmentally favorable behavioral dimensions (environmental interest, inconvenience of being environmentally friendly and degree of environmental commitment), out of a set of twenty-one factors integrated to the model, besides six others turned down during this model structuring process. This result, added with orientations from the exploratory analysis suggested the drawing of a environmentally favorable consumer behavior model, whose application may be implemented in new studies, as well as a set of inputs to social marketing decisions made in order to adopt the environmentally favorable behavior.

Abstract The issue article discusses is the strategy of green building products, whose main targets are categorized new-built buildings and at-hand buildings. Although green buildings have been elementarily valued and got promoted internationally and officially, the present employers have too many reasons or causes to be engaged in it. That¡¦s the core that the articles study. With the promotion of the government, new-built green buildings have risen to the nine-itemed index from the former seven-itemed index, which make the government laws and environmental protection more perfect, but this doesn¡¦t mean the whole green buildings have walked into the right path, and need more push from the producers, government, and academies. The study suggests that the biggest obstacle for the overall green building promotion is the technology and price. The hard obtainment of the former blocks the participants, while the cost or the selling price of the latter is also the most important issue to overcome in term of the present stage. Through the data collection and analysis, expert interview, and the individual case visit, if there is a budgeted consideration, people basically won¡¦t take into account the establishment of green buildings. The fastest promotion is about the government organization official buildings, large electronic industry, or manufacturing industry. The building expenses will be taken back within the limited years, and it is likely to be involved in them. Therefore, the skills of the individual green building case are so simple and rare that further leads to the delay of the skills and development of green buildings. But due to the external natural environment and continuingly changing climate, consumers¡¦ needs for the healthful characteristic of residential products change, and then green products form. Through the green consumption and green sales, which achieve the green selling purpose of the strategy about the green building products? Furthermore, the new skills among green building products go on coming about and changing and internationally Germany has become the world-wide first country to reach the goal of reducing air release from the greenhouses in the Kyoto Negotiation Book, which becomes the greenest country. Also, America proposes the LEED certificate (green house rating system), which is just like the internationally interchangeable standard for the green buildings. America and strictly legislative Germany both own the critical points about the green economy launch. Based on all above mentioned, which can bring new thought and mirror for the local. That can offer the reborn chance to the at-hand buildings, and bring up future green buildings to be the turning points of global forever surviving. Meanwhile, it leaves creatures and non creatures of the planet a ever-developing base as well. Key words: green building, green consumption, green sales, new-built buildings, at-hand buildings

The objective of this study is to explore possible factors affecting college students¡¦ preference for fair trade coffee. The investigated factors included four of the values listed in Sheth, Newman and Gross's (1991a) theory of consumption values, as well as price, convenience (of buying fair trade coffee), and demographic variables. The values were functional value, social value, emotional value, and epistemic value. This study further divided emotional value into caring value and mood value; the formal reflected caring about farmers, child labor and the environment/ecology, and the latter focused on the possibility of having a good mood from consuming fair trade coffee. A convenience sample of 198 college students studying in Kaohsiung who often drank coffee were interviewed. Results from regression analysis suggest that college students would be more intended to buy fair trade coffee if they believed it had high caring value or high mood value. Furthermore, respondents spending less than 200 NTD per month on coffee were less intended to buy fair trade coffee than those spending between 200 NTD and 499 NTD per month on coffee were. Finally, functional value, social value, epistemic value, prices, and convenience¡Xall assessed by respondents' perceptions¡Xdid not have significant impact on the respondents¡¦ preference for fair trade coffee. Based on these findings, several recommendations were made to the government, schools, and organizations interested in promoting fair trade coffee.

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