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Consciousness for sustainable consumption: scale development and new insights in the economic dimension of consumers’ sustainability

Author

Listed:
  • Ingo Balderjahn

    (University of Potsdam)

  • Anja Buerke

    (HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management)

  • Manfred Kirchgeorg

    (HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management)

  • Mathias Peyer

    (University of Potsdam)

  • Barbara Seegebarth

    (Technische Universität Braunschweig)

  • Klaus-Peter Wiedmann

    (Leibniz University of Hannover)

Abstract

The “triple bottom line” concept (planet, people, and profit) represents an important guideline for the sustainable, hence future-oriented, development of societies and for the behaviors of all societal members. For institutions promoting societal change, as well as for companies being confronted with growing expectations regarding compelling contributions to sustainable changes, it is of great importance to know if, and to what extent, consumers have already internalized the idea of sustainability. Against the background of existing research gaps regarding a comprehensive measurement of the consciousness for sustainable consumption (CSC), the authors present the result of a scale development. Consciousness was operationalized by weighting personal beliefs with the importance attached by consumers to sustainability dimensions. Four separate tests of the CSC scale indicated an appropriate psychometric quality of the scale and provided support for this new measurement approach that incorporates the environmental, social and economic dimensions of sustainability.

Suggested Citation

  • Ingo Balderjahn & Anja Buerke & Manfred Kirchgeorg & Mathias Peyer & Barbara Seegebarth & Klaus-Peter Wiedmann, 2013. "Consciousness for sustainable consumption: scale development and new insights in the economic dimension of consumers’ sustainability," AMS Review, Springer;Academy of Marketing Science, vol. 3(4), pages 181-192, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:amsrev:v:3:y:2013:i:4:d:10.1007_s13162-013-0057-6
    DOI: 10.1007/s13162-013-0057-6
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    References listed on IDEAS

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