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Environmentally Responsible Consumption: Construct Definition, Scale Development, and Validation

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  • Sudhanshu Gupta
  • Richa Agrawal

Abstract

Most environmental problems are rooted in human behaviour, especially consumption. While not consuming is not an option, it would help if all consumption could be measured for environmental responsibility. This study conceptualizes and operationalizes environmentally responsible consumption (ERC), and develops a standardized scale for measuring the same. Depth interviews, blog data analysis, and customer surveys were conducted to develop a standardized 38‐item ERC scale that captures ten unique behaviours pertaining to acquisition, use, and disposal. The scale is an improvement over available measures and compares favourably on several key parameters. The ERC scale could be potentially used by governmental and non‐governmental bodies, policymakers, and environmental groups, for gaining insights into current consumption behaviours of the general public or specific target groups, identifying specific behaviour/s that need improvement, and targeting and tracking such behaviours over time. It could also be used by businesses for identifying opportunities in green products and/or services. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment

Suggested Citation

  • Sudhanshu Gupta & Richa Agrawal, 2018. "Environmentally Responsible Consumption: Construct Definition, Scale Development, and Validation," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 25(4), pages 523-536, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:corsem:v:25:y:2018:i:4:p:523-536
    DOI: 10.1002/csr.1476
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    3. Yanping Gong & Jian Li & Julan Xie & Long Zhang & Qiuyin Lou, 2022. "Will “Green” Parents Have “Green” Children? The Relationship Between Parents’ and Early Adolescents’ Green Consumption Values," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 179(2), pages 369-385, August.
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