2nd International Scientific Conference on Recent Advances in Information Technology, Tourism, Economics, Management and Agriculture – ITEMA 2018 – Graz, Austria, November 8, 2018, CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS published by the Association of Economists and Managers of the Balkans, Belgrade, Serbia; ISBN 978-86-80194-13-4
In recent years, the issues of sustainable development and how to achieve it are widely discussed in the scientific literature. At the same time, there is a lack of consensus at all levels of what sustainable development means and whose responsibility it is. If at the institutional level this issue seems to be well defined, the perception of the individual about the concept of sustainability and the associated roles is poorly explored. In this paper it is argued that people have different understanding of sustainability drivers and their importance which is combined with their individual perception of how effectively problems are solved forms a gap of unsustainability. This gap in citizens’ assessments can be seen as a motivating factor for their sustainable behavior.
Based on an empirical study this report aims at linking the demographic profile of respondents to their individual perception of unsustainability by analyzing the mismatch between the ideal view of sustainable development and its perceived current state. In order to measure this gap there is developed a measurement scale. The research builds on a survey with a sample of 200 participants from Bulgaria.
The data obtained are analyzed through descriptive statistical methods, correlation analysis and nonparametric tests. Characteristics such as gender, age, place of residence, social status, and forms of engagement with solving social and environmental problems are investigated. On the basis of the analysis there are defined specific areas where this gap is significant.
The results of the study can be used in profiling the segment of active people sensitive to the problems of sustainability. The constructed measurement scale can be used in further research of the role that the gap observed between the ideal view and the perceived reality might have as a trigger for sustainable behaviour.
sustainable development, perception of unsustainability, demographic profile, activism, sustainable behaviour, motivation
[2] United Nations (2015). Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. A/Res/70/1.
[3] Kinnear, T. C., Taylor, J. R., & Ahmed, S. A. (1974). Ecologically Concerned Consumers: Who Are They? // Journal of Marketing, 38(2), 20–24.
[4] Paço, A., & Raposo, M. (2009). “Green” segmentation: An application to the Portuguese consumer market. // Marketing Intelligence and Planning.
[5] Kaufmann, H.R., Ali Khan Panni, M.F., Orphanidou, Y. (2012). Factors Affecting Consumers’ Green Purchasing Behavior: An Integrated Conceptual Framework // The Amfiteatru Economic Journal, Academy of Economic Studies – Bucharest, Romania, vol. 14(31), pages 50-69, February.
[6] Mohr, M., & Schlich, M. (2016). Socio-demographic basic factors of German customers as predictors for sustainable consumerism regarding foodstuffs and meat products // International Journal of Consumer Studies.
[7] Bulut, Z. A., Cimrin, F. K., & Doagn, O. (2017). Gender, generation and sustainable consumption: Exploring the behaviour of consumers from Izmir, Turkey // International Journal of Consumer Studies, 41(6), 597–604.
[8] Joshi, Y., & Rahman, Z. (2017). Investigating the determinants of consumers’ sustainable purchase behaviour // Sustainable Production and Consumption, 10, 110–120.
[9] Schultz, P. W., Oskamp, S., & Mainieri, T. (1995). Who recycles and when? A review of personal and situational factors // Journal of Environmental Psychology, 15(2), 105–121
[10] Swami, V., Chamorro-Premuzic, T., Snelgar, R., & Furnham, A. (2011). Personality, individual differences, and demographic antecedents of self-reported household waste management behaviours // Journal of Environmental Psychology, 31(1), 21–26.
[11] Seacat, J. D., & Boileau, N. (2018). Demographic and community-level predictors of recycling behavior: A statewide, assessment // Journal of Environmental Psychology, 56, 12–19.
[12] Abrahamse, W., & Steg, L. (2009). How do socio-demographic and psychological factors relate to households’ direct and indirect energy use and savings? // Journal of Economic Psychology, 30(5), 711–720.
[13] Gaspar, R., Antunes, D., Faria, A., & Meiszner, A. (2017). Sufficiency before efficiency: Consumers’ profiling and barriers/facilitators of energy efficient behaviours // Journal of Cleaner Production, 165, 134–142.
[14] Schwartz, S. H. (1977) Normative Influences on Altruism // Advances in Experimental Social Psychology (Vol. 10, pp. 221-279): Academic Press.
[15] Ajzen, I. (1985) From Intentions to Actions: A Theory of Planned Behavior. In J. Kuhl & J. Beckmann (Eds.), Action Control: From Cognition to Behavior (pp. 11-39). Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg.
[16] Stern, P. C. 2000. Toward a Coherent Theory of Environmentally Significant Behavior // Journal of Social Issues, 56(3), 407-424.
[17] Kraleva, V. & Ivanov, S. (2018) Towards a General Model of Sustainable Involvement // Proceedings of the 10th International Scientific Conference “New Challenges of Economic and Business Development – 2018: Productivity and Economic Growth”, 10-12 May 2018, Riga, University of Latvia.
[18] Pamporov, A. (2009) Social Distances and Ethnic Stereotypes of Minority Groups in Bulgaria. Sofia: Open Society Institute.
[19] National Statistical Institute (NSI). 2011 Census.
[20] European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (2016) Second European Union Minorities and Discrimination Survey (EU-MIDIS II) Roma: Selected Findings. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union.
