Examining Generation Z’s Attitudes, Behavior and Awareness Regarding Eco-Products: A Bayesian Approach to Confirmatory Factor Analysis

Tatjana Mamula Nikolić, Ivan Paunović, Mirjana Milovanović, Nenad Lozović and Marija Đurović
Additional contact information
Tatjana Mamula Nikolić: Faculty of Management, Metropolitan University, Tadeuša Košćuška 63, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Ivan Paunović: CENTIM—Centrum für Entrepreneurship, Innovation und Mittelstandsmanagement, Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences, 53359 Rheinbach, Germany
Mirjana Milovanović: Banja Luka College, Miloša Obilića 30, 78000 Banja Luka, Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Nenad Lozović: Faculty of Management, Metropolitan University, Tadeuša Košćuška 63, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Marija Đurović: Civil-Engineering School “Branko Žeželj”, Hajduk Stankova, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 5, 1-16

Abstract: The research examines Generation Z’s (Gen Z’s) attitudes, behavior and awareness regarding sustainability-oriented products in two European countries, located in the region of Western Balkans, Bosnia–Herzegovina and Serbia. The research deploys generational cohort theory (GCT) and a quantitative analysis of primary data collected through an online questionnaire among 1338 primary, high school and university students, all belonging to Generation Z. It deploys a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) by running both Maximum Likelihood (ML) and Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) procedures, the latter being suitable for binary variables, which have been deployed in the study. The results of MLCFA provide evidence that there is a statistically significant and relatively strong relation between sustainability and circular economy attitudes (SCEA) and sustainability and circular economy behavior (SCEB), while there is a statistically insignificant and relatively weak relation between sustainability and circular economy behavior (SCEB) and circular economy awareness (CEW). The results of the BCFA, which is based on MCMC procedure, are similar to the results based on a rather commonly used MLCFA procedure. The results also confirm that Gen Z knows more about the companies which recycle products than it does about the CE as a concept, while the vast majority is concerned about the future of the planet and is motivated to learn more about the CE through CE and various awareness-raising measures.

Keywords: generation Z; generational cohort; consumer behavior for sustainability; circular economy; eco-products; eco-certification; environmental certification; sustainability-oriented behavior; attitude-behavior gap for sustainability; Bayesian CFA; BCFA; Markov chain Monte Carlo (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:5:p:2727-:d:758926

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