2024 journal article

Promoting Sustainable Consumption: The Roles of Consumers' Domain-Specific Environmental Knowledge and Personality Traits

SUSTAINABILITY, 16(2).

author keywords: sustainable consumption intention; domain-specific environmental knowledge; personality traits; textile and apparel industry; PLS-SEM; environmentally responsible behavior model
UN Sustainable Development Goal Categories
2. Zero Hunger (Web of Science)
4. Quality Education (Web of Science)
13. Climate Action (Web of Science)
14. Life Below Water (Web of Science)
15. Life on Land (Web of Science)
Source: Web Of Science
Added: February 12, 2024

Environmental sustainability, a pivotal facet of sustainable development, is explicitly emphasized and advocated. The textile and apparel (T&A) industry, which is resource-intensive, faces challenges in transitioning toward an ecologically friendly market. The shift toward sustainability is causing significant changes in consumer lifestyles and cultural practices, resulting in increased uncertainty in pro-environmental behaviors. This study adapts the environmentally responsible behavior (ERB) model to investigate how consumers’ subjective and objective domain-specific environmental knowledge (SUEK and OBEK) and personality traits—including personal environmental responsibility (PER), eco-centric and anthropocentric environmental beliefs (EEBs and AEBs), and internal and external environmental loci of control (IN-ELOC and EX-ELOC)—influence sustainable consumption intention (SCI) for T&A products. The data from 212 completed online survey questionnaires were analyzed using a two-stage partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) approach. The findings reveal that participants’ SUEK related to the T&A industry, and their PER and EEBs positively influence their SCI for T&A products. This research contributes to the literature on consumer SCI in the T&A industry and adds value to the existing ERB model, providing insights for brands, retailers, educators, policymakers, and stakeholders striving for a more sustainable industry.