Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 310-340 |
| Number of pages | 31 |
| Journal | Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science |
| Volume | 53 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| Early online date | 22 Jul 2024 |
| Publication status | Published - Mar 2025 |
Abstract
Tackling grand challenges and making sustainable development a reality through sustainable consumption crucially depends upon both companies’ activities as well as individuals’ consumption choices. In opinion polls, many consumers claim to favor sustainable products over conventional ones. However, a large gap remains between their stated purchasing intentions and actual decisions, posing a challenge for companies in predicting product demand and strategically managing their product portfolios. In this study, we develop a conceptual framework to demonstrate how companies can encourage sustainable consumption behavior among their customers by involving them in their corporate sustainability (CS) activities. We introduce psychological ownership as the underlying mechanism explaining how customer involvement in CS activities translates into changes in their consumption choices. We further argue that the link between customer involvement and psychological ownership depends on the type of a company’s CS—that is, whether CS is embedded in or peripheral to the company’s core business. The results from three experiments, including one field experiment conducted in collaboration with a fashion retailer and involving real customer purchase decisions, support our theorizing. The findings reveal the power of customer involvement as a marketing tool in promoting sustainable consumption.
Keywords
- Corporate sustainability (CS), CS embeddedness, Customer involvement, Psychological ownership, Sustainable consumption
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Business, Management and Accounting(all)
- Business and International Management
- Economics, Econometrics and Finance(all)
- Economics and Econometrics
- Business, Management and Accounting(all)
- Marketing
Sustainable Development Goals
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In: Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Vol. 53, No. 2, 03.2025, p. 310-340.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Activating the sustainable consumer
T2 - The role of customer involvement in corporate sustainability
AU - Reppmann, Manuel
AU - Harms, Stephan
AU - Edinger-Schons, Laura Marie
AU - Foege, Johann Nils
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2024.
PY - 2025/3
Y1 - 2025/3
N2 - Tackling grand challenges and making sustainable development a reality through sustainable consumption crucially depends upon both companies’ activities as well as individuals’ consumption choices. In opinion polls, many consumers claim to favor sustainable products over conventional ones. However, a large gap remains between their stated purchasing intentions and actual decisions, posing a challenge for companies in predicting product demand and strategically managing their product portfolios. In this study, we develop a conceptual framework to demonstrate how companies can encourage sustainable consumption behavior among their customers by involving them in their corporate sustainability (CS) activities. We introduce psychological ownership as the underlying mechanism explaining how customer involvement in CS activities translates into changes in their consumption choices. We further argue that the link between customer involvement and psychological ownership depends on the type of a company’s CS—that is, whether CS is embedded in or peripheral to the company’s core business. The results from three experiments, including one field experiment conducted in collaboration with a fashion retailer and involving real customer purchase decisions, support our theorizing. The findings reveal the power of customer involvement as a marketing tool in promoting sustainable consumption.
AB - Tackling grand challenges and making sustainable development a reality through sustainable consumption crucially depends upon both companies’ activities as well as individuals’ consumption choices. In opinion polls, many consumers claim to favor sustainable products over conventional ones. However, a large gap remains between their stated purchasing intentions and actual decisions, posing a challenge for companies in predicting product demand and strategically managing their product portfolios. In this study, we develop a conceptual framework to demonstrate how companies can encourage sustainable consumption behavior among their customers by involving them in their corporate sustainability (CS) activities. We introduce psychological ownership as the underlying mechanism explaining how customer involvement in CS activities translates into changes in their consumption choices. We further argue that the link between customer involvement and psychological ownership depends on the type of a company’s CS—that is, whether CS is embedded in or peripheral to the company’s core business. The results from three experiments, including one field experiment conducted in collaboration with a fashion retailer and involving real customer purchase decisions, support our theorizing. The findings reveal the power of customer involvement as a marketing tool in promoting sustainable consumption.
KW - Corporate sustainability (CS)
KW - CS embeddedness
KW - Customer involvement
KW - Psychological ownership
KW - Sustainable consumption
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85199292459&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s11747-024-01036-7
DO - 10.1007/s11747-024-01036-7
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85199292459
VL - 53
SP - 310
EP - 340
JO - Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science
JF - Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science
SN - 0092-0703
IS - 2
ER -