Scholarly record
PERCEIVED SUSTAINABILITY AND CONSUMER TRUST IN DIGITAL SUSTAINABLE CONSUMPTION DECISION-MAKING
Abstract
The growing importance of sustainable consumption in the digital environment highlights the need to better understand how consumer perceptions and trust influence decision-making processes. Digital platforms increasingly shape how sustainability-related information is perceived and interpreted, making perceived sustainability and consumer trust critical factors in sustainable consumption decisions. This article presents the results of a study aimed at analysing how perceived sustainability and consumer trust influence sustainable consumption decision-making, with a focus on the role of digital environment factors in shaping sustainability perceptions. The study employs a quantitative approach based on survey data collected from digital consumers who regularly use online platforms and encounter sustainability-related information. Structural equation modelling is used to analyse how digital environment factors, including digital visibility, media influence, and information quality, affect perceived sustainability, consumer trust, and sustainable consumption decision-making. The results show that digital environment factors significantly influence perceived sustainability. Perceived sustainability, in turn, positively affects consumer trust, while consumer trust significantly contributes to sustainable consumption decision-making. Furthermore, perceived sustainability acts as a mediating variable, indicating an indirect effect of digital environment factors on consumer trust. The findings emphasize the importance of information quality, clarity, and reliability in shaping consumer perceptions of sustainability and trust. The study contributes to behavioural sustainability research by showing that perceived sustainability functions as a key mechanism linking digital environment factors with trust-based sustainable consumption decision-making.
Publication details
References13
Abele, L., Rivza, B., Rivza, P., Jermolajeva, E. (2023). Strategies for minimizing paper usage in Latvia municipalities. International Multidisciplinary Scientific GeoConference: SGEM, 23(4.2), 79-86. Available: https://doi.org/10.5593 /sgem2023V/4.2/sl8.10
Alamsyah, D. P., Febriani, R. (2020). Green customer behaviour: Impact of green brand awareness to green trust. Journal of Physics, Conference Series, Vol. 1477. Available: DOI: 10.1088/1742-6596/1477/7/072022
Confente, I., Scarpi, D., Russo, I. (2020). Marketing a new generation of bio-plastics products for a circular economy: The role of green self-identity, self-congruity, and perceived value. Journal of business research, 112, 431-439. Available: DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.10.030
Degirmenci, K., Breitner, M. H. (2017). Consumer purchase intentions for electric vehicles: Is green more important than price and range? Transport and Environment, 51, 250-260. Available: DOI: 10.1016/j.trd.2017.01.001
Dermody, J., Koenig-Lewis, N., Zhao, A. L., Hanmer-Lloyd, S. (2018). Appraising the influence of pro-environmental self-identity on sustainable consumption buying and curtailment in emerging markets: Evidence from China and Poland. Journal of business research, 86. Available: DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres. 2017.09.041
Do Paco, A., Shiel, C., Alves, H. (2019). A new model for testing green consumer behaviour. Journal of cleaner production, 207, 998-1006. Available: DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.10.105
Ng, P. M., Cheung, C. T., Lit, K. K., Wan, C., & Choy, E. T. (2024). Green consumption and sustainable development: The effects of perceived values and motivation types on green purchase intention. Business Strategy and the Environment, 33(2), 1024-1039. Available: DOI: 10.1002/bse.3535
Sahioun, A., Bataineh, A. Q., Abu-AlSondos, I. A., Haddad, H. (2023). The impact of green marketing on consumers' attitudes: A moderating role of green product awareness. Innovative Marketing, 19(3), 237-253. Available: http://dx.doi.org /DOI: 10.21511/im.19(3).2023.20
Sugandini, D., Susilowati, C., Siswanti, Y., & Syafri, W. (2020). Green supply management and green marketing strategy on green purchase intention: SMEs cases. Journal of Industrial Engineering and Management (JIEM), 13(1), 79-92. Available: DOI: 10.3926/jiem.2795
Temizkan, V. (2022). Investigating the effect of consumers' environmental values on green buying behavior. Business and Economics Research Journal, 13(3), 505-521. Available: DOI: 10.20409/berj.2022.386
Trivedi, R. H., Patel, J. D., & Acharya, N. (2018). Causality analysis of media influence on environmental attitude, intention and behaviors leading to green purchasing. Journal of cleaner production, 196, 11-22. Available: DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.06.024
Vilkaite-Vaitone, N., Skackauskiene, I., & DÃaz-Meneses, G. (2022). Measuring green marketing: Scale development and validation. Energies, 15(3), 718. Available: DOI: 10.3390/en15030718
Zhang, X., & Dong, F. (2020). Why do consumers make green purchase decisions? Insights from a systematic review. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(18), 6607. Available: https://doi.org /DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17186607