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Purpose In this paper, the authors challenge traditional views of project management and sustainable development as purportedly complementing each other. Rather, the authors apply a projectification perspective from a multi-disciplinary approach to sustainable development. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how we can better understand the interface between projects and sustainable development through the study of its practices.Design/methodology/approach The authors do this by outlining the global and the local dimensions of sustainable development as a business objective. For that reason, the authors also make a distinction between sustainability in projects and sustainable development through project coordination.Findings From the framing of sustainable development as projectification, the authors contribute with a set of research implications on how to proceed towards a better understanding of sustainable development through project coordination.Originality/value The paper contributes to a growing field of interest regarding the interfaces between project management and sustainable development.

Trafikverket har gett TRUM (Transportforskningsenheten vid Umeå Universitet) i uppdrag att utreda framtidens mobilitet innefattande frågor såsom privatpersoners attityder och normer till resande med bil och däribland självkörande bilar, betalningsvilja, syn på ägande inställning till individuellt resande gentemot kollektivt resande, samt intressenters förväntningar på ett framtida tillgängligt transportsystem. Därutöver önskar Trafikverket ökad förståelse kring arbetssätt och metoder för att möta teknikutveckling och framtida mobilitet. Syftet med föreliggande rapport är att svara på dessa frågeställningar utifrån litteraturstudier och intervjuer.

Det huvudsakliga underlaget för rapporten är en genomgång av litteratur relaterad till transporter, mobilitet och historiska såväl som framtida trender. Fokus har varit på persontransporter kopplat till människors beteende, samt vad privatpersoner, framtidsspanare och företrädare för bil- och teknikbranschen tror kommer att hända med personresande i framtiden. Utöver litteraturstudien genomfördes sex intervjuer under januari och februari 2016. Intervjuerna gjordes med syfte att öka förståelsen för hur människor resonerar kring mobilitet och transporter i dagsläget och hur de tror att vi kommer att resa i framtiden. Utifrån litteraturgenomgången och intervjuerna kan konstateras att attityder till elbilar generellt sett är positiva. Hinder för ett bredare genombrott utgörs av uppfattade prisskillnader, räckviddsångest och uppfattad brist på laddinfrastruktur. Som drivkrafter kan nämnas ökat miljömedvetande och alltmer positiva attityder bland flera olika aktörer, till exempel teknikutvecklare. När det gäller självkörande bilar är attityderna mer varierande. Bland annat lyfts säkerhetsfaktorer, tillgänglighet och det faktum att flera bilmodeller redan idag utrustas med olika typer av autonomifunktioner. Enligt olika bedömningar kommer koncept såsom Mobility as a Service och liknande att leda till förändrade attityder och normer när det gäller både privat och kollektivt resande. Avslutningsvis lämnas förslag på hur dessa och andra förändringar kan följas och förstås utifrån ett planeringsperspektiv. Olika metoder och perspektiv är viktiga för att skapa en bild över framtida utveckling redan idag, framförallt kopplat till de miljöutmaningar samhället står inför.

This paper seeks to determine the decision-making route relating to hedonic and environmental motivation in green innovation adoption and to show how two similar green innovations can motivate consumers differently. It also aims to determine the effect of domain-specific innovativeness (DSI) on emotions and green identity on environmental motivations. The paper focuses on two types of green transport innovations: shared e-bikes and e-scooters. Four models were tested using structural equation modelling based on survey data from 800 shared e-bike and e-scooter users. The results reveal that the decision to use shared e-bikes follows a cognitive route, while shared e-scooter use follows an affective route. Additionally, findings show that DSI significantly affects positive emotions in the use of both shared microvehicles. However, green identity only impacts the environmental motivations in shared e-bike use.

Over the last decade, the growth in demand for green innovations has become apparent. This can be linked to increased consumer awareness of the environmental problems that the world is facing. This review presents the determinants of consumer green innovation adoption across domains identified in marketing literature. We included and synthesized 47 articles published between 2010 and July 2021 in top marketing journals. After identifying the determinants, we grouped them into four categories: (1) Social, (2) Personal, (3) Innovation, and (4) Contextual and external level determinants, or what we refer to as the SPICe determinants. This categorization is based on the source of the motivation, which is social, individual, innovation-related, or contextual. We found a lack of focus on the consumer aspects in green innovation adoption studies, highlighting the need for more research regarding what motivates consumers to adopt these new environmental products. Furthermore, we showed that no sole determinant could predict green innovation adoption alone. Consequently, we outlined several agendas and questions that future studies could tackle and explore.

The growing awareness of environmental issues can be linked to the demand for green transport innovations. Consumer behavior studies have pointed to the importance of consumer innovativeness (CI) and green perceptions in the adoption of green innovations. The purpose of this paper is to identify how users and nonusers of shared micromobility perceive the greenness of shared e-bikes and e-scooters and how CI affects shared microvehicle adoption. The paper also analyses the relationships between green perceptions and environmental referent cognitions?biospheric values, environmental knowledge, ascription of responsibility, and environmental attitudes. Shared e-bike and e-scooter users and nonusers in Copenhagen and Stockholm were surveyed using an online questionnaire. Results revealed that users consider themselves innovative and perceive the shared microvehicles as relatively green, while nonusers do not. When comparing users, CI and green perceptions relate to shared e-bike use, but notably, only CI is linked to shared e-scooter use. The results also show that environmental knowledge and environmental attitudes are related to green perceptions. The practical and theoretical implications of the results are discussed.

The creator economy features a pertinent, growing role of content creators and -viewers, revealing this service sub-sector’s rising economic, and strategic, contribution. In parallel, though the customer/stakeholder journey concepts are gaining traction, little is known about the interdependence characterizing online content creators’ and viewers’ (users’) engagement through their respective role-related journeys, as, therefore, explored further in this article. Building on prior literature, we argue that the unfolding of a content viewer’s journey with a creator’s content is fueled by the former’s engagement in their content-related interactions, in turn also impacting the content creator’s journey. To explore these issues, we adopt interdependence theory’s core interactional tenets (i.e., perceived interaction outcomes [i.e., costs/rewards], comparison level, and comparison level for alternatives) and theorize regarding their respective effect on viewers’ journey-based content engagement. We posit that viewers’ engagement also impacts the content creator’s journey, as summarized in a set of Propositions. Overall, the Propositions illustrate how interdependence theory-informed interactional tenets affect content viewers’ and creators’ interdependent role-related journeys, offering novel insight.

While consumer engagement (CE) in the context of artificially intelligent (AI-based) technologies (e.g., chatbots, smart products, voice assistants, or autonomous cars) is gaining traction, the themes characterizing this emerging, interdisciplinary corpus of work remain indeterminate, exposing an important literature-based gap. Addressing this gap, we conduct a systematic review of 89 studies using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) approach to synthesize the AI-based CE literature. Our review yields three major themes of AI-based CE, including (i) Increasingly accurate service provision through AI-based CE; (ii) Capacity of AI-based CE to (co)create consumer-perceived value, and (iii) AI-based CE's reduced consumer effort in their task execution. We also develop a conceptual model that proposes the AI-based CE antecedents of personal, technological, interactional, social, and situational factors, and the AI-based CE consequences of consumer-based, firm-based, and human-AI collaboration outcomes. We conclude by offering pertinent implications for theory development (e.g., by offering future research questions derived from the proposed themes of AI-based CE) and practice (e.g., by reducing consumer-perceived costs of their brand/firm interactions).

While misinformation has been around for centuries, the effects of online brand-related misinformation on consumers’ engagement remain tenuous. Addressing this gap, we develop the concept of online brand-related misinformation engagement, a consumer’s (e.g. cognitive/emotional) resource investment in their interactions with misinformation about brands. Recognizing the persuasive nature of misinformation, we draw on Cialdini’s Weapons of Persuasive Influence to develop a typology comprising three positively valenced online brand-related misinformation engagement sub-types (i.e. reciprocal, social proof-, and consistency-based misinformation engagement), and three negatively valenced online brand-related misinformation engagement sub-types (i.e. repudiating, thwarting, and oppositional misinformation engagement). We then develop a Weapons of Influence-informed model that outlines the effect of online brand-related misinformation authority and scarcity on consumers’ brand-related misinformation evaluation (liking), and its subsequent effect on their positive or negative online brand-related misinformation engagement, respectively. While consumers’ positive online brand-related misinformation engagement is predicted to yield online misinformation continuation or -intensification, its negative counterpart will generate online misinformation adjustment or -correction.

Determinants influencing consumer eco-innovation adoption and green curtailment behaviors in a travel context are at the center of this thesis. Previous research on green consumer behavior has uncovered that internalized personal attitudinal factors such as values, beliefs, and norms are influential in determining mainly non-consumption and post-purchase behaviors. This thesis extends the understanding of a moral basis of green consumer behavior by exploring the influences of attitudinal factors on both car curtailment behaviors, and on consumer adoption of a high involvement eco-innovation – the alternative fuel vehicle. The integrated influences of innovation specific characteristics, car habits, knowledge and social norms, are also examined. Furthermore, differences between AFV adopters and non-adopters are explored, and the notion of consumers performing purchase and curtailment behaviors for different reasons is utilized in the development of nuanced profiles of three distinct consumer groups. Four studies, which build on two quantitative data collections on adopters and non-adopters of AFVs in Swe­den, are included in this thesis.

In the first study, similarities and differences among adopters and non-adopters of AFVs, and the effects of attitudinal factors (values, beliefs, and norms), knowledge, and sociodemo­graphics on the adoption decision are analyzed. The results show that knowledge and personal norms are strong predictors of AFV adoption and that the VBN theory is applicable in this context. The main implication from the study is that high-involvement green purchase deci­sions, such as eco-innovation adoption, can be viewed as morally based.

In the second study, a set of determinants influencing both curtailment of car use and willing­ness to adopt a less environmentally harmful vehicle are analyzed. Biospheric values, per­sonal proenvironmental norms, and car habit strength are found to influence both types of behaviors in different ways. The main implication from this study is that green purchase deci­sions and curtailment behaviors within a specific context are determined by partly different factors but personal norm is a strong predictor of both types of behaviors.

The third study extends the findings from the previous one in segmenting consumers on cur­tailment behaviors and proenvironmental purchases. Three distinct types of consumers emerge from the data. The Non-greens are found to exhibit the lowest levels of green attitudes and behaviors, and the strongest car habits. The Curtailers are distinguished by performing primar­ily reductionist behaviors, and by being the most willing to reduce negative environ­mental impact of car use. The Ecovators are found to be the most inclined to purchase eco-innovations and also display the greenest values. The study shows that green consumers are a heterogeneous group that can be separated on the basis of green curtailment behaviors and proenvironmental purchase decisions, and that there seems to be no inherent contradiction in being an early adopter of new green technology (such as the AFV) and also having high levels of proenviron­mental values, beliefs, and norms.

In the final study, innovation specific characteristics and consumer innovativeness factors are integrated with normative and attitudinal determinants influencing AFV adoption. The results show that personal and social norms, consumer novelty seeking, and four perceived innovation characteristics influence the adoption decision. Differences between AFV adopters’ and non-adopters’ ratings of AFV specific attributes are also analyzed. The contribution of this study is the integration of VBN theory and the DOI framework and the empirical conclusion that eco-innovations need to deliver on both traditional and proenvironmental attributes in order to be perceived as attractive by consumers.

In sum, this thesis demonstrates the importance of proenvironmental personal norms for consumer adoption of a high involvement eco-innovation such as the AFV.

Currently there is an ongoing push towards a circular economy. Governments, the EU, green NGOs, think-tanks, companies and their industry organizations are all advocating more circular solutions meaning that the current linear take-make-use-lose model of consumption should be replaced with a reuse-repair-recycle circular model. The circular economy is being heralded as one of the main, if not the only, solution to the current pressing sustainability problems such as climate change and biodiversity loss. Companies are struggling to develop business models that are more in line with this circular thinking, closely related to the so-called sharing economy, where sharing of product take priority over ownership. Car sharing, tool libraries, and repair shops are some examples that are starting to attract consumers, although progress hitherto has been slow. In order to attract consumers, words such as refurbished, zero-waste, recycled, and recyclable are being used by marketers. At the surface it might be easy to get the impression that the circular economy is already here and that consumers can go on consuming as before as long as the products are part of the circular system. Might it even be so that an increasing focus on the circular economy could detract attention from the necessary reduction of consumption and material throughput? The purpose of this chapter is to critically examine the problems and possibilities of the circular economy and discuss how it is related to (un)ethical marketing and what is necessary if the circular economy is to contribute to solving the pressing sustainability problems. This is done by discussing how the circular economy can be promoted together with consumption reduction, the necessity of certain policies and regulations, and the importance of handling consumer lock-in and potential rebound effects in making the circular economy not only technically achievable but also more ethical.

Lately it has been argued that climate change must become a morally loaded issue in order for consumers and societyto begin to tackle climate unfriendly behaviors. However, few studies deal with the issue of why environmental problems ingeneral and climate change in particular are not viewed as moral issues and also how different moral issues are related toeach other in a consumption context. In particular, perceptions of to what degree an issue is morally relevant, and how thisperception is related to environmental and climate related consumption behaviors, as well as individual values, are problemsaddressed in this paper. The purpose of this paper is then to analyze and present how young consumers view different typesof morally loaded behaviors and relate these perceptions to environmentally significant consumption behaviors in general,and climate related behaviours in particular. The initial analysis shows that out of eleven problems, poverty (hunger and lackof drinking water), the environmental situation, and climate change were perceived as the most serious ones. Further on, often factors the respondents associated climate change primarily to rising carbon dioxide levels, the thawing of glaciers andrising sea levels. Correlational analysis of the initial data material shows that young consumers with norms related to climatechange are more prone to decrease their climate unfriendly behavior. However, norms related to social situations such ashelping others, are viewed as more morally loaded than norms related to environmental issues and climate change. Theexplanation might be that environmental and climate change issues are perceived as more abstract than everyday normssurrounding social behaviors. 

For business and environmental reasons, increased understanding of green consumer behavior is essential. This paper addresses consumer adoption and non-adoption of a high involvement eco-innovation (the alternative fuel vehicle, AFV). The purpose is to integrate two research streams to explore factors driving and hindering adoption. The factors are rooted in environmental psychology research and the diffusion of innovation literature. Survey results on Swedish car owners are reported. The results indicate that adopters and non-adopters differ on norms, attitudes, novelty seeking and on how innovation attributes are perceived. Furthermore, the results show that the groups rank car attributes such as fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions differently. The main contribution of the paper is the integration of norms and attitudes together with consumer adoption factors in analyzing green consumer behavior in relation to a high involvement product. The implications for business and marketing strategy and for environmental policy are discussed.

Marknadssynsättet breder ut sig i stora delar av samhället idag i takt med att offentliga verksamheter privatiseras och bolagiseras. Detta synsätt, hävdas det här, har även nått universitets- och högskolevärlden, vilket visar sig i bland annat ökade utgifter för annonsering. Oavsett om marknadssynsättets intåg på universitetsarenan beror på resursfördelningssystemet, ökat antal högskolor, eller internationalisering, får det konsekvenser för hur studenter och lärare ses och definieras av både sig själva och av andra aktörer. Till exempel ärvs tankar från marknadssynsättet kring studenter som kunder av utbildning (marknadsorienteringssynsättet) eller studenter som produkter (produktorienteringssynsättet) som skall erbjudas på en (arbets)marknad. Dessa olika synsätt får i sin tur konsekvenser för hur relationen fungerar mellan studenter och lärare i vardagen på universitetet. Bland annat blir studenter i och med dessa synsätt, bedömare av utbildningskvalitet, utbildning blir en handelsvara och kursutbuden justeras efter tillfälliga studentpreferenser istället för av långsiktiga lärandemål. Syftet med detta papper är att diskutera marknadssynsättet utifrån marknadsorienterings- och produktorienteringssynsätten samt de konsekvenser det får för synen på, och relationen mellan universitetslärare och studenter. Därutöver syftar pappret till att ställa detta synsätt mot ett medproducentsynsätt samt diskutera vad ett sådant skulle kunna innebära, samt komma med förslag på hur det skulle kunna utvecklas.

Within the traditional view of the business administration discipline perhaps the topic of marketing is responsible for promoting the most of unsustainable values and behaviours. Many are the marketing courses and textbooks that implicitly or explicitly promote increasing consumption, questionable sales tactics and unethical pricing strategies. Based on this, marketing has been perceived as part of the problem rather than the solution to societal problems such as the depletion of natural resources, overconsumption, pollution and unhealthy lifestyles. However, researchers and teachers in marketing at universities and business schools are realizing this problem and this realization sometimes carries over into courses and textbooks on green marketing, sustainability marketing, green marketing management, marketing ethics and ethical marketing. In fact, in recent years most of the large publishing houses have started to supply textbooks for these types of courses to cater to this demand. In view of the sustainability discussion and the importance of researchers and teachers in business administration interacting with students on these topics the question arises what these types of textbooks communicate. What types of sustainability issues are presented in relation to marketing, and from what perspectives? The purpose of this working paper is thus to present a review of recent textbooks in the area of sustainability marketing and analyse how sustainability and marketing perspectives are presented in these. In short, in what way does this recent stream of textbooks in green marketing facilitate or hinder the development of business as unusual?

Research emphasises sound as an important variable in servicescapes. However, sounds have been operationalized mainly as different types of music in empirical research. This paper explores the influence of nature sounds on consumer perceptions of attributes in a car parking facility. Responses from field experiments consisting of 600 consumers in three groups are analyzed. The results show that consumers perceive the servicescape to be significantly safer and less crowded when sounds are introduced. Furthermore, a nature sound evokes higher curiosity, better mood, lower stress levels, and higher willingness to return, than a manmade sound. Research and marketing implications are discussed.

Climate change has become one of the main issues in environmental and sustainability discussions during the last decade. Acting to reduce climate change can be viewed as a prosocial behavior, and previous research has found that personal norms are important in explaining these types of behavior, together with other attitudinal factors. In this study we use Moral Foundations Theory (MFT) to explore the antecedents of personal climate change norms together with three attitudinal factors: problem awareness, social norms and adherence to the New Ecological Paradigm. Analyzing data from a nationwide survey (N = 1086) conducted in Sweden, we find that the moral foundations concerning harm and fairness are positively associated with personal climate change norms, whereas authority has a negative relation. However, the moral foundations from MFT contribute less in explaining personal climate change norms compared with the attitudinal factors included in the study. Theoretical and empirical implications are discussed.

In this chapter we take a look at some, primarily, environmental sustainability issues in Sweden. Sweden is in many aspects a rich country with high social and economic welfare and it usually comes out as a country that has handled environmental challenges well. However, from a consumption perspective, Swedish consumers are among the world leaders when it comes to metrics such as ecological footprint and carbon dioxide emissions per capita. By using two paradigmatic views, the Dominant Social Paradigm (DSP) and the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) we analyze sustainability in Sweden with a particular focus on energy use. We look at sustainability in the three broad areas of policies, corporate activities and consumption and in these areas we delve deeper into environmental sustainability issues concerning recycling and waste, energy efficiency, circular business models, sustainable consumer behaviors in relation to cars and transport, and responsible investments. We end the chapter by discussing implications for the future and the analytical framework and by developing a middle ground which we call ambiguous wavering.

One of the most pressing sustainability issues currently concerns personal car use. From an environmental consumer psychology viewpoint, a substantial knowledge base has developed concerning curtailment behaviors focusing on, for example, the reduction of personal transport. However, little has been done from a marketing perspective using that knowledge to understand proenvironmental technology choices and purchase behaviors. In this paper we use a cluster analytic approach to group consumers on replacement intentions for alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) and willingness to reduce negative impact of transportation (curtailment). We use data from a sample of 4,000 adopters and non-adopters of AFVs in Sweden (European market leader of AFVs), when developing profiles of uninformed, shallow green and deeper green consumers. After confirming the results using discriminant analysis, we profile the groups on attitudinal factors, proenvironmental behaviors and adoption of AFVs. Finally we draw conclusions and present theoretical and marketing implications of our results.

Although the private passenger car brings consumers freedom of mobility and expression, the downsides to the car focused society are also becoming obvious. Perhaps air pollution and the squandering of dwindling fossil oil resources are the most commonly discussed issues. In order to reduce emissions and to consume less oil, the traditional approach has been to influence consumers to curtail their car use and influence them to switch to other modes of transportation. Considering the increasing private car use in most countries this approach has had limited effect. Another approach winning ground currently is the path of technological development, where new types of vehicles have been developed that are marketed as having a lesser environmental impact than the conventional fossil oil fuelled cars. From a consumer perspective these new alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs), running on fuels such as ethanol, natural/biogas and to some extent on electricity, can be viewed as proenvironmental innovations. The problem is that much research within environmental psychology has focused primarily on curtailment behaviors rather than on understanding consumer adoption of purportedly proenvironmental innovations. For example, Stern and colleagues have developed the value-belief-norm (VBN) theory postulating that activated personal norms influence consumers’ proenvironmental behaviors. Although well proven, the VBN-theory has mainly focused on curtailment behaviors. From a consumer behavior point of view, less is known about consumer adoption of proenvironmental innovations.

This study used a cluster analytic approach with the purpose of arriving at a nuanced picture of consumers, in relation to green purchase and curtailment behaviors. Based on Swedish car owners’ values, beliefs, norms, habits, and personal capabilities, three clusters emerged that were validated using discriminant analysis: non-greens, curtailers, and ecovators. The profiling constructs showed that ecovators (ecological innovators) had the highest levels of green beliefs and were found to be innovators with respect to a high involvement eco-innovation (the alternative fuel vehicle). Marketing and policy implications together with suggestions for further research on proenvironmental consumer behavior are provided.

Chapter 7: Much research on consumer environmentally significant behaviours has focused on behaviours that reduce environmental harm, such as saving energy and water. Although determinants of curtailment behaviours are important to understand, for environmental reasons it is also vital to understand the factors that drive or hinder consumers to adopt innovations that are less harmful for the environment, i.e. eco-innovations. In this chapter we discuss two types of consumer behaviours as part of the solution to environmental sustainability issues and detail the marketing challenge in encouraging consumers to adopt such behaviours. We arrive at the marketing challenge matrix where determinants of adoption and non-adoption of curtailment behaviours and eco-innovations is illustrated. The matrix proposes different ways to encourage wider adoption of these behaviours. Since drivers are both similar and different for curtailment behaviours and eco-innovation adoption, but the overall goal is similar, an understanding of these factors and how to handle them in marketing efforts will contribute in the ongoing attempts at achieving environmental sustainability.

Environmental problems are increasingly becoming everyday issues of international organizations, national governments, and individual consumers. In consumer behavior research considerable effort has been focused on understanding environmentally significant behaviors. One such research stream uses the value-belief-norm theory (VBN) to explain and predict a number of relatively low involvement proenvironmental consumer behaviors such as household energy use. However, many consumer behaviors with significant impact on the environment are categorized as high involvement behaviors where VBN theory has not yet been employed. The aim of this paper is to arrive at a better understanding of consumer adoption of a high involvement eco-innovation using VBN theory. As an example of a high involvement eco-innovation the alternative fuel vehicle (AFV) which runs on fossil oil-alternative fuels such as electricity and biofuels is used. A representative sample of adopters and non-adopters of these vehicles in Sweden were surveyed. Differences between adopters and non-adopters on sociodemographic and VBN factors were analyzed and the explanatory ability of the different factors on adoption was analyzed using logistic regression. The results showed that early adopters had a higher level of education and were much more likely to live in multi-person households compared to non-adopters. In terms of attitudinal factors, adopters exhibited higher levels of proenvironmental values, beliefs, and personal norms (PNs). Furthermore the results established that VBN factors were successful in explaining the early adoption of a high involvement eco-innovation such as the AFV. The implications for consumer research, public policymakers, and for marketers of eco-innovations are discussed.

Purpose – Knowledge of green consumer behavior is important for environmental and business reasons. The purpose of this study is to examine thedeterminants of green curtailment behaviors and consumer adoption of innovations marketed as green (eco-innovations), and to analyze factorsexplaining these two types of green behaviors.

Design/methodology/approach – The results from a survey on adopters and non-adopters (N = 1,832) of alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) arereported. Regression analysis on willingness to curtail car use and willingness to adopt a so-called environmentally friendly car are used to identifysignificant determinants across the behavioral categories.

Findings – The results show that values, beliefs, norms, and habit strength determine willingness to curtail and willingness for eco-innovationadoption. Personal norms have a strong positive influence on willingness for the behaviors and habit strength has a negative influence. The otherdeterminants have varying influence depending on type of behavior.

Research limitations/implications – A limitation of this study concerns the focus on only one eco-innovation. However, since the adoption of AFVs isa high involvement behavior, the results carry implications for other high involvement products as well.Practical implications – Attitudinal factors and habits in combination prove to be effective determinants for curtailment behaviors and willingness toadopt eco-innovations. In addition, previous adoption is found to be a strong determinant of future willingness to adopt.

Originality/value – The contribution of the paper is the two-sided approach on green consumer behavior and the result that values, beliefs and normsnot only predict low involvement post-purchase behaviors but also adoption of high involvement eco-innovations.

Although much consumer adoption research focuses on the innovation-decision process, little research examines the motives for continuous use of the innovation after adoption. For proenvironmental innovations, the continued use of the innovation in an environmental way is imperative in order to reach intended environmental benefits. The aim of this paper is to examine factors influencing continuous usage of an adopted innovation. We report an empirical study carried out in Sweden on adopters of alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs). The results show that contextual and attitudinal factors, personal capabilities, and how-to knowledge significantly influence continuous adoption. Implications for further research on proenvironmental innovations and continuous adoption are presented.

The increase of passenger cars and the use of them has been identified as one cause of the increase in emissions of fossil carbon dioxide (CO₂) and thus global warming. One way to slow this acceleration of emissions is to replace the current fleet of conventional vehicles (CV) running on fossil based fuels for one that is fuelled by alternative fuels (AF) such as bioethanol and/or biogas. A key stakeholder in this process is the consumer. Without consumers purchasing alternative fuel vehicles (AFV:s) and filling them up with AF:s, a decrease in the emissions fossil CO₂ will be hard to achieve. The purpose of this paper is to increase the understanding of consumer attitudes and behaviors in relation to cars and fuels in a time of a possible market breakthrough of a more environmentally friendly technology. A mail-in survey was conducted on private car owners in Sweden during the winter of 2006. The sample consisted of approximately 4000 car owners, of which 1000 were owners of AFV:s, and the final response rate was close to 50%. Together with measuring attitudes and behavior towards cars and fuels, other environmentally friendly behaviors were also included, such as recycling, conserving energy and buying of organically grown food. By comparing owners of AFV:s and owners of CV:s, differences between the groups are identified and discussed. By presenting these differences, policy makers, vehicle and fuel producers, and consumers, can gain initial insights into a progressing market breakthrough for AFV:s and AF:s.

This chapter addresses the concept of corporate citizenship (CC) which has gained increasing attention both in society in general and in academic circles. Based on a review of the concepts of corporate social responsibility and CC we argue that the debate on CC has been developed in a promising way the last few years. Although the extended view of CC, which views corporations as administering citizenship rights, is a theoretical advancement there is also an apparent lack of focus on individual citizens in order to understand responsibility-taking in society overall. We address this problem by introducing the notion of political consumerism and citizen consumers into the CC conceptualization. By analyzing the responsibilities of both corporations and citizens the possibility of achieving a sustainable future is increased. From this line of arguing we develop a conceptual model, called the CC-matrix, in which we describe the consumer inclusion into the academic CC debate. Thereafter, we discuss the model in depth and present some ideas for future research into corporate and consumer responsibilities for sustainability.

This paper addresses the concept of corporate citizenship (CC) which has gained increasing attention both in society in general and in academic circles. Based on a review of the concepts of corporate social responsibility, stakeholder view of the firm and CC we argue that the debate on CC has been developed in a promising way the last few years. Although the extended view of CC, which views corporations as administering citizenship rights, is a theoretical advancement there is also an apparent lack of focus on private or individual citizens in order to understand responsibility-taking in society overall. We address this problem by introducing the notion of political consumerism and citizen consumer into the CC conceptualization. By analyzing the responsibilities of both corporations and citizens the possibility of achieving a sustainable future is increased. From this line of arguing we develop a conceptual model, called the CC-matrix, in which we describe the consumer inclusion into the academic CC debate. Thereafter we discuss a case (the Black Spot sneakers) in relation to this model and present some ideas for future research into corporate and consumer responsibilities for a sustainable future.

During the last few decades, ecosystem degradation has grown to become a major topic among several actors in society. While larger companies are generally incorporating environmental practices to varying degrees, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are often argued to be lagging. Given this development, this study examines the role of two important strategic orientations, market orientation (MO) and entrepreneurial orientation (EO), and their contribution to commitment to sustainability. Questionnaire responses from 450 SMEs were analyzed showing that both MO as well as EO significantly impacts commitment to sustainability, but in different ways. Theoretical and practical implications of findings are discussed.

Ecosystem degradation and social sustainability have become important issues in the corporate sphere during the last few decades. However, research discussing corporate social responsibility and related concepts has often focused on larger companies, sometimes neglecting the specifics of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The main purpose of this study is to examine the relationships between two common strategic orientations, market orientation (MO) and entrepreneurial orientation (EO), in relation to sustainability commitment, sustainability practices and management values in SMEs. Questionnaire responses from 450 Swedish SMEs were analyzed, confirming the influence of MO, EO and sustainability practices on commitment to sustainability, implying that firms committed to sustainability see both market and entrepreneurial advantages of sustainability. The results also show that different parts of MO and EO differ in importance for commitment to sustainability among SMEs. Implications concern the importance for firms and policy makers to work with sustainability issues using both internal and external perspectives.

Fritidsresor svarar för drygt hälften av personresandet i Sverige mätt i kilometer. Huvuddelen av dessa resor (59 %) görs med bil, medan de kollektiva färdmedlen svarar för 10 %. Fritidsresorna är också längre än övriga resor, ca 51 km i genomsnitt. En överflyttning av i alla fall en del av fritidsresorna med bil till kollektiva färdmedel skulle ge märkbara effekter på koldioxidutsläpp, utsläpp av andra cancerogena ämnen samt trängsel i trafiken. I ett av Energimyndigheten finansierat projekt har vi undersökt hur olika åtgärder uppfattas av människor med olika transportresurser (tillgång till olika färdmedel och ekonomi) och transportbehov, vilka skillnader som finns mellan individer, och hur åtgärder kan utformas och presenteras för att upplevas som mer attraktiva. En del i projektet har riktats mot människors val av färdmedel vid semesterresor, och vilken roll tåg kan ha i detta val. Denna rapport handlar om just semesterresor, och hur människor värderar olika färdmedelsattribut vid längre resor.

Existing research on environmental, ethical and social consumer behavior has focused on proenvironmentaland pro-social attitudes but less on marketing factors such as opinion leadership and opinion seeking. In contrast, the main aim here is to analyze how non-adopters, potential adopters and early adopters of electric vehicles (EVs) differ concerning traditional environmental psychology attitudinal factors and opinion leadership/seeking. Data from a questionnaire survey is used (N = 1,192). Results show significant differences between the groups and that early adopters exhibit opinion leadership traits as well as more pro-environmental personal norms. Implications of these and other findings are discussed.

Transportation accounts for a large and growing part of carbon dioxide emissions. With an increasing vehicle fleet worldwide private car use is becoming an acute problem in need of urgent attention and action. Policy interference and cleaner cars are not enough; alternative fuel vehicles such as electric vehicles need to be adopted by consumers as well. Previous research on pro-environmental consumer behavior and sustainable consumption has proven the importance of norms and pro-environmental attitudes. However, little research has focused on understanding interpersonal influence found influential in consumer behavior research relating to innovation adoption. Consumer opinion leading and opinion seeking are two such interpersonal influence attitudinal constructs that have not been empirically analyzed in relation to sustainable consumption and alternative fuel vehicles. The main aim of this study is thus to analyze the influence of a set of attitudinal constructs on electric and flexfuel vehicle adoption: personal norms, social norms, ecological attitudes, opinion leading, and opinion seeking. Data from a questionnaire survey on three groups of electric vehicle adopters and non-adopters is used (N=1,192). The results confirm the importance of personal norms, opinion leading and opinion seeking in the three groups also when controlling for socio-demographic factors. The main contribution of this study is that it shows the importance of both interpersonal influence and attitudinal factors as drivers for eco-innovation adoption. The study also contributes in showing that electric vehicle and flexfuel vehicle adopters differ in relation to non-adopters on several factors.

During the last years, many governments have set targets for increasing the share of biofuels in the transportation sector. Understanding consumer behavior is essential in designing policies that efficiently increase the uptake of cleaner technologies. In this paper we analyze adopters and non-adopters of alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs). We use diffusion of innovation theory and the established notion that the social system and interpersonal influence play important roles in adoption. Based on a nationwide database of car owners we analyze interpersonal influence on adoption from three social domains: neighbors, family and coworkers. The results point primarily at a neighbor effect in that AFV adoption is more likely if neighbors also have adopted. The results also point at significant effects of interpersonal influence from coworkers and family members but these effects weaken or disappear when income, education level, marriage, age, gender and green party votes are controlled for. The results extend the diffusion of innovation and AFV literature with empirical support for interpersonal influence based on objective data where response bias is not a factor. Implications for further research, environmental and transport policy, and practitioners are discussed.

Understanding public responses to environmental policies can help in achieving a move towards more renewable energy. Focusing on two types of public responses to a policy, namely public acceptance and public support, this study utilizes a survey of car owners (N = 1422) to explore public responses to an environmental transport policy in Sweden. The results demonstrate higher levels of public acceptance than support for the policy and that adopters of Alternative Fuel Vehicles (AFVs) are more prone to accept and support the policy by expressing higher intentions for continuous AFV adoption. Results of regression analyses show that policy acceptance can be explained by environmental beliefs and previous experience with AFVs. In addition, public support is also explained by public acceptance, even when controlling for other factors, which lends support to the deduction that policy acceptance can be theorized as antecedent to policy support. This study emphasizes the importance of understanding different types of public responses to an energy policy in order to recognize drivers for, and barriers against, successfully implementing a policy and communicating it with the public.

Understanding ethical buying behaviour is an important component in the study of sustainability. Multiple studies on fair trade have been conducted in established markets in Europe, with limited but increasing research in emerging markets. This study used a questionnaire survey to investigate South African consumers’ ethical buying behaviour, using conjoint analysis to imitate the multi-attribute decision consumers face when buying coffee. Based on previous research, factors concerning consumers’ personal values, willingness to pay, and knowledge are combined. In the results, participants were segmented based on their willingness to pay for fair trade labelled coffee and these segments were then compared in terms of their fair trade knowledge and personal values. The study profiled four different segments and concluded that conventionalism, rationalism, sincerity, and personal satisfaction did not differ significantly across segments. The segment ‘Fair Trade Lovers’, however, exhibited higher levels of humanitarianism than the segment ‘Brand Likers’, and were willing to pay a higher fair trade premium. While knowledge of fair trade did not differ significantly between segments, the total sample displayed above average fair trade knowledge and 63% were willing to pay a 10% premium. Insights from this study suggest that marketing managers promoting fair trade in emerging markets can design more effective targeting and promotional strategies by highlighting the psychological determinants affecting the willingness to pay for fair trade products.

Sedan januari 2006 är in- och ut-passage genom tullarna i Stockholm belagt med en avgift för bilister. Som ett led i riksdagens mål att helt eliminera utsläppen av växthusgaser 2050 och ha en bilpark oberoende av fossila bränslen 2030 (Regeringens proposition 2008/09:162) undantogs sk miljöbilar från trängselskatten mellan 2006 och 2009. I denna studie har vi undersökt om undantaget av miljöbilar från trängselskatten i Stockholm påverkade sannolikheten att köpa etanolbil (E85). Våra resultat visar att undantaget för etanolbilar i trängselskatten hade en signifikant effekt på etanolbilsförsäljningeni Stockholm.

Policymakers have made several attempts to introduce local and national policies to reduce CO₂ emissions and stimulate the consumer adoption of alternative fuel vehicles (ethanol/E85 cars). The purpose of this paper is to analyze how a local policy measure impacts the composition of the car fleet over time. More specifically, we take advantage of the natural experiment setting caused by the introduction of the Stockholm congestion tax (2006) to analyze how the tax affected purchases of ethanol cars that were exempted from the tax. To estimate effects, we employ a Difference-in-differences methodology. By using a comprehensive database of the car fleet and car owners, sociodemographic and geographic factors are analyzed, which is unique in the existing literature. Our results suggest that the congestion tax had a significant impact on ethanol car purchases although the effect fades away over time. Furthermore, there is a positive relationship between the level of education and ethanol car purchases. Previous adoption of an ethanol car is found to be the strongest predictor of ethanol car purchases. Finally, data indicate that Stockholmers substantially increased purchases of ethanol cars half a year before the introduction of the congestion tax, which we refer to as an anticipation effect.

The availability and marketing of goods and services proclaimed as socially, environmentally and ethically (SEE) responsible has grown during the last few decades. Previous research has mainly focused on why and how customers purchase products that fill certain responsibility criteria. However, little attention has been paid to how SEE attributes influence consumer sat-isfaction of SEE profiled goods or services. This study examines the impact of a set of techni-cal and functional quality attributes on customer satisfaction in a socially responsible invest-ment (SRI) setting using a quantitative survey method with Swedish private investors as respondents. The results indicate that financial performance of the SRI mutual fund and social, environmental, and ethical quality are important predictors of customer satisfaction in different ways. The study highlights the notion that if customers are satisfied with how the SRI mutual fund works with SEE issues, customers may be more likely to invest (and re-invest) in SRI, thus making a difference on a larger scale and in the longer term concerning sustainability issues. This paper represents one of the first attempts to study the SRI investors and motives behind this specific consumer behavior. As such it utilizes a consumer perspec¬tive on CSR issues in that it approaches both the demand side (consumer demand) and supply side (capital investments) of the financial system. Further research from this perspective is likely to add to our knowledge on how consumers can engage as private investors in CSR issues.

In the last few decades it has become ever clearer that humankind faces many serious environmental challenges. As the corporate sector has been identified as an important actor to address these challenges, understanding why certain companies choose to adopt sustainability initiatives, while others do not, is an important question. However, little previous research has addressed how sustainability is linked with core business strategies and concepts. In this chapter, we address this gap by highlighting how corporate strategic orientations relate to adherence to an ecological worldview and different measures of sustainability performance. Using an analytical framework where companies are classified according to their level of market and entrepreneurial orientation, we find that companies high in these orientations also display higher levels of integration of sustainability in corporate strategies and culture. The main implication of this study points to the importance of market and entrepreneurial strategic orientations among companies committed to sustainability values and practices.