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High Involvement and Ethical Consumption: A Study of the Environmentally Certified Home Purchase Decision

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  • Lianne Foti

    (Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada)

  • Avis Devine

    (Schulich School of Business, York University, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada)

Abstract

Sustainable and energy efficient (SEE) attributes in the housing market have become a focus in Canada. Similarly, understanding the consumer’s decision-making process of this high-involvement ethical product has become a burgeoning area for researchers. This study describes the development of the subject, highlighting the nature of the ethical decision-making process and how it relates to this known intention–behaviour gap. An observation, followed by two studies consisting of in-depth interviews with real estate agents and sales representatives (n = 15) and home purchasers/consumers (n = 15), were conducted. Transcriptions were analysed qualitatively with NVivo Pro 12 software (NVivo Pro 12, QSR International Pty Ltd, Melbourne, Australia). Inductive thematic analysis revealed two main driving themes: information and trust in seller/realtor. Attribute investment return uncertainty was identified as a theme that affects the strength of the relationship between purchase intention and behaviour, whereas the trust in seller/realtor speaks to how and why this effect occurs. The findings present relationships among the driving factors that were identified by realtors and consumers in the SEE housing market, as well as barriers (investment return uncertainty) that prevent consumers from purchasing high-involvement ethical products.

Suggested Citation

  • Lianne Foti & Avis Devine, 2019. "High Involvement and Ethical Consumption: A Study of the Environmentally Certified Home Purchase Decision," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(19), pages 1-11, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:19:p:5353-:d:271510
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    1. Dimitris Georgantzis Garcia & Eva Kipnis & Efi Vasileiou & Adrian Solomon, 2021. "Consumption in the Circular Economy: Learning from Our Mistakes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-23, January.
    2. Monica-Maria Tomșa & Andreea-Ioana Romonți-Maniu & Mircea-Andrei Scridon, 2021. "Is Sustainable Consumption Translated into Ethical Consumer Behavior?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-14, March.
    3. Mohammad Nurul Alam & Osarodion Ogiemwonyi & Ibrahim. E. Hago & Noor Azlinna Azizan & Fariza Hashim & Md Sazzad Hossain, 2023. "Understanding Consumer Environmental Ethics and the Willingness to Use Green Products," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(1), pages 21582440221, January.
    4. Swetarupa Chatterjee & Naman Sreen & Jyoti Rana & Amandeep Dhir & Pradip H. Sadarangani, 2022. "Impact of ethical certifications and product involvement on consumers decision to purchase ethical products at price premiums in an emerging market context," International Review on Public and Nonprofit Marketing, Springer;International Association of Public and Non-Profit Marketing, vol. 19(4), pages 737-762, December.

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