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Above and beyond? How businesses can drive sustainable development by promoting lasting pro‐environmental behaviour change: An examination of the IKEA Live Lagom project

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  • Patrick Elf
  • Amy Isham
  • Birgitta Gatersleben

Abstract

Current global changes require new business approaches driving sustainable development on all fronts. To date, most business approaches have focused on sustainable marketing and corporate social responsibility initiatives. In this field study, we examine IKEA's Live Lagom project, a 3‐year behaviour change initiative that aimed to explore how to go above and beyond conventional approaches demonstrating how businesses could support sustainable development by supporting their customers' attempts to live more sustainable lifestyles. We examined the effectiveness of the project involving multifaceted behaviour change interventions, testing for behavioural changes both during and after the project period. In addition, we explored changes in participants' attitudes towards the company. Findings show that the extensive set of interventions led to changes in pro‐environmental behaviours across all three participant groups with potentially positive impacts on the customer–company relationship. The article thus provides a call for further businesses to engage in similar behaviour change projects that would allow citizens to engage in more sustainable lifestyles and behaviours across contexts.

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  • Patrick Elf & Amy Isham & Birgitta Gatersleben, 2021. "Above and beyond? How businesses can drive sustainable development by promoting lasting pro‐environmental behaviour change: An examination of the IKEA Live Lagom project," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(2), pages 1037-1050, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:bstrat:v:30:y:2021:i:2:p:1037-1050
    DOI: 10.1002/bse.2668
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    1. Jing Shao & Asif Mahmood & Heesup Han, 2021. "Unleashing the Potential Role of CSR and Altruistic Values to Foster Pro-Environmental Behavior by Hotel Employees," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(24), pages 1-16, December.
    2. Qiang Wu & Jacob Cherian & Sarminah Samad & Ubaldo Comite & Huajie Hu & Stefan B. Gunnlaugsson & Judit Oláh & Muhammad Safdar Sial, 2021. "The Role of CSR and Ethical Leadership to Shape Employees’ Pro-Environmental Behavior in the Era of Industry 4.0. A Case of the Banking Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-20, August.

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