Abstract
This research aims to reveal cultural discrepancies in the purchase motives of groceries with environmentally friendly product attributes. The conceptual model builds on Schwartz’s value theory (1992); in addition, the Value-Belief-Norm model from Stern, Dietz, and Guagnao (1995) provides a means to explain how consumers’ values affect their behaviors. Expert interviews and focus group discussions conducted in the two culturally distinct countries of Austria and Sri Lanka analyze this agenda empirically. Results point to the role biospherical, altruistic, and egoistic values play in this context. The observations seem to hold true irrespective of culture, but country-specific factors, such as product price and availability, as well as individual factors, such as awareness of ecological and social issues and trust in certification should be considered as well.
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Notes
- 1.
For a more general context (not focusing on food) anticonsumption–on the micro level–describes actions against consumption or against specific products enabling consumers to express their values, ideas, beliefs, and overall identities (Seegebarth 2020, 34).
- 2.
We admit this as a limitation of our study because this might cause a selection bias toward more wealthy citizens in Sri Lanka.
- 3.
Cultural differences concerning timeliness and discussion discipline resulted in a less structured flow of the interviews and in turn longer durations (100–110 min).
- 4.
We analyzed focus and expert interviews separately but present results simultaneously for reason of clarity. In addition, we abstain from including exemplary verbatim of interviewees because of constraints in space.
- 5.
We use the term “social food” for food which was produced under fair conditions by neither exploiting workforce nor the environment.
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Wagner, U., Strobl, S. (2022). Consumers’ Value Systems in the Consumption of Sustainable Groceries: An Intercultural Study. In: Simões, C., Stancu, A., Grigore, G. (eds) Corporate Responsibility, Sustainability and Markets . Palgrave Studies in Governance, Leadership and Responsibility. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-79660-0_2
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