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

Lian Zeng (), Marguerite Moore and Lori Rothenberg
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Lian Zeng: Department of Textile and Apparel, Technology and Management, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
Marguerite Moore: Department of Textile and Apparel, Technology and Management, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
Lori Rothenberg: Department of Textile and Apparel, Technology and Management, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 2, 1-17

Abstract: 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.

Keywords: sustainable consumption intention; domain-specific environmental knowledge; personality traits; textile and apparel industry; PLS-SEM; environmentally responsible behavior model (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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