Author
Listed:
- Marija Gombar
(General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia, Croatia)
- Marija Boban
(Faculty of Law, University of Split, 21000 Split, Croatia)
- Mirjana Pejić Bach
(Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
IEDC Bled School of Management, 4260 Bled, Slovenia)
Abstract
As digital consumption increasingly unfolds in hybrid phygital environments, algorithmic systems play a growing role in shaping user choices, perceptions of fairness, and sustainability-related behaviour. Prior research has examined sustainable consumption, digital nudging, platform trust, and consumer behaviour in digital settings, but has rarely integrated perceived algorithmic fairness, digital resilience, and algorithmic responsibility perception within a single user-centered framework. Addressing this gap, this study develops and tests a multidimensional model of sustainable platform behavior (SPB). Using a triangulated design that combines bibliometric support analysis, PLS-SEM modelling, multi-group analysis, and cluster-based user segmentation, the study identifies three distinct user types and examines the relationships among the focal constructs. The results show that perceived fairness significantly predicts ARP (β = 0.493, p < 0.001), while both ARP (β = 0.427, p < 0.001) and digital resilience (β = 0.263, p < 0.001) independently contribute to SPB. The findings indicate that sustainable platform behavior is shaped not only by intention, but also by fairness perceptions, adaptive user capacity, and responsibility-based evaluations of platform systems. The study offers a user-centered framework with practical implications for designing more responsible, transparent, and sustainability-oriented digital platforms.
Suggested Citation
Marija Gombar & Marija Boban & Mirjana Pejić Bach, 2026.
"Digital Trust and Phygital Responsibility: A User-Centered Model for Sustainable Consumer Behavior in Algorithmic Environments,"
World, MDPI, vol. 7(5), pages 1-22, May.
Handle:
RePEc:gam:jworld:v:7:y:2026:i:5:p:86-:d:1947080
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