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Sustainable development and consumption: The role of trust for switching towards green energy

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  • Andrea Mezger
  • Pablo Cabanelas
  • Mª. Jesús López‐Miguens
  • Francesca Cabiddu
  • Klaus Rüdiger

Abstract

This paper develops a model that helps to explain the switching behaviour of private consumers towards green electricity suppliers. It is built upon neo‐institutional and neo‐behavioural theories, including a series of antecedents of trust as reputation, perceived environmental impact, the propensity to trust and perceived risk. This model is applied through Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) to a sample of 787 German electricity consumers. Results demonstrate that trust has a direct influence on switching behaviour towards a green electricity supplier. Furthermore, reputation, perceived environmental impact, propensity to trust and perceived risk influence the switching behaviour of electricity suppliers through trust as mediating variable. It draws a co‐habitation of neo‐institutional and neo‐behavioural theories in the construction of trust and the necessity to work on reducing consumers uncertainties.

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  • Andrea Mezger & Pablo Cabanelas & Mª. Jesús López‐Miguens & Francesca Cabiddu & Klaus Rüdiger, 2020. "Sustainable development and consumption: The role of trust for switching towards green energy," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(8), pages 3598-3610, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:bstrat:v:29:y:2020:i:8:p:3598-3610
    DOI: 10.1002/bse.2599
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    2. Raja Mazhar Hameed & Abdul Rafae Mazhar Raja, 2023. "The Impact of Green Awareness on Green Purchase Intentions with Mediating Effect of Green Trust: A Consumer Perspective," Journal of Policy Research (JPR), Research Foundation for Humanity (RFH), vol. 9(2), pages 60-67.
    3. Violeta Mihaela Dincă & Mihail Busu & Zoltan Nagy-Bege, 2022. "Determinants with Impact on Romanian Consumers’ Energy-Saving Habits," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-18, June.
    4. Hussain, Shahid & Seet, Pi-Shen & Ryan, Maria & Iranmanesh, Mohammad & Cripps, Helen & Salam, Abdul, 2022. "Determinants of switching intention in the electricity markets - An integrated structural model approach," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).

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