Sustainable Behavior with Respect to Managing E-Wastes: Factors Influencing E-Waste Management among Young Consumers

Swati Garg, Asad Ahmad, Dag Øivind Madsen () and Shahab Saquib Sohail ()
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Swati Garg: Department of Management, School of Management and Business Studies, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi 110062, India
Asad Ahmad: Department of Management, School of Management and Business Studies, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi 110062, India
Dag Øivind Madsen: USN School of Business, University of South-Eastern Norway, 3511 Hønefoss, Norway
Shahab Saquib Sohail: Department of Computer Science and Engineering, School of Engineering Sciences and Technology, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi 110062, India

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 1, 1-15

Abstract: With the proliferation of technological tools and the advancement in electronic devices and accessories, consumers across the world are changing and upgrading their electronic devices at an alarming rate. However, these developments have raised concerns related to electronic waste (E-waste). E-wastes contain toxic substances which may have a negative impact on both humans and the environment. This issue needs to be addressed by the research community, i.e., what would be the best way to get rid of existing devices? It is clear that countries need to work towards a more sustainable consumption pattern and consumers need to change their behaviour. The present study focuses on sustainable behaviour of consumers in terms of e-waste management. In this context, the study attempts to explore the factors influencing e-waste management among young consumers. In the present study, the Theory of Planned Behavior is extended by including the additional factors Government Policy, Environmental Concern, Financial Benefits and Awareness. A researcher-controlled sampling was employed to collect data from 524 respondents. Partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to validate the questionnaire constructs and confirm the relationships among the variables. The findings of the study suggest a significant role for government policy, financial benefits, environmental concerns, attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control in determining young consumers’ behavioural intentions toward the management of e-waste. The study findings have implications for both researchers and marketing practitioners.

Keywords: awareness; environmental concern; e-waste management; financial benefits; government policy; sustainable behaviour; theory of planned behaviour (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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