the global community on a daily basis. Sustainability is now
accepted, at least in principle, as a crucial requirement that
business organizations must address moving forward. The
number of publications on multinational enterprise management of sustainability issues is growing (Burritt et al.
2018).
Companies have become sustainable when the mutual
responsible benefits of employees, clients, and organizations
with whom the company cooperates are visible—this transpires when the marketing approach is focused on responsible activities both on the organization’s and client’s side.
The increase in the value of a responsible company with this
approach should translate into an increase in the satisfaction
of all stakeholders. The treatment of sustainable marketing is
based on the general approach to achieving social, economic, and ecological results (Dahlstrom and Crosno 2018).
The nature of socioeconomic challenges presented in the
“Agenda 2030” (The Sustainable Development Goals
Report 2017) with 17 goals for sustainable development to
be achieved by 2030, makes it extremely important to
increase the investment in changing the attitudes of both
businesses and consumers. The strength of the market
economy is, on the one hand, the attitude of enterprises and
their leaders, and on the other—the involvement of consumers; the entire society is involved in the debate and
activities affecting economic development, exploration but
also protection of natural resources, and active participation
in the sustainable economy of the planet.
Business development cannot exist without a consumer.
A conscious, responsible consumer is the driving force of
sustainable economic growth! Thus, a conscious and
responsible society can easily make changes in its lifestyle
by changing its consumption patterns, thus affecting the
behavior of other market participants.
Unfortunately, current patterns of consumption and production are clearly unsustainable. High levels of resource
use, toxic pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions are
causing irreversible damage to ecosystems, biodiversity, and
the natural cycles of water, carbon, nitrogen, and soil.
Averting climate change requires a 90% reduction in
greenhouse gas emissions. Meanwhile humanity’s way of
life, particularly in the northern hemisphere, far exceeds the
natural capacity of earth to provide energy, land, and water
(The Quaker Council for European Affairs (QCEA) 2011).
Bocken (2017) argues that—to mitigate negative
human-induced impact on the planet, society, and the
economy—consumption patterns need to be changed
urgently and that companies can apply individual, social,
and wider contextual influencing tactics to encourage sustainable consumption.
Marketing is a powerful institution. Over the years,
marketing has proven it has the ability to improve lives,
sustain livelihoods, strengthen societies, and benefit the
world at large. Businesses can use social marketing-type
techniques and business model innovation to drive sustainable consumption and further a sustainable lifestyle (Bocken
2017). Sustainability as a vital element is a challenge for
product developers too. Sustainable production brings new
opportunities for companies. However, consumers typically
do not purchase sustainable products. Hosseinpour et al.
(2016) claim the main reason behind this is that consumers
lack essential knowledge about the attributes of sustainable
products.
There is a growing awareness that specialty retailers may
have a vital role to play in promoting more sustainable
patterns of consumption and production. The European
Commission and a number of the UK’s leading retailers,
along with several of their European counterparts, launched
a “retail forum” as part of an initiative to increase sustainable
consumption (Jones et al. 2011).
Determinants such as attitude, belief, knowledge, and
trust strengthen consumers’ decisions to select sustainable
products (Hosseinpour et al. 2016). Studies on consumer
purchase behavior suggest that attitude is one of the most
effective factors (Hosseinpour et al. 2016). For example, an
attitude favoring environmentally friendly behavior, such as
a positive attitude toward organic food, is one of the major
predictors of the four determinants. After the determinant
attitude, belief, and knowledge are also significant factors for
customers’ behavior regarding sustainable product consumption. If a customer believes by engaging in a particular
behavior he/she might contribute positively or negatively to
society, their assessment can affect their attitude. Furthermore, general knowledge about the concept of sustainability
can change a person’s attitude toward that concept (Hosseinpour et al. 2016). Trust is another significant factor of
sustainable purchasing behavior (Seretny 2018). Trust is also
a multidimensional concept. Mutual loyalty must be built on
trust. A company’s basic task is to gain the customer’s
confidence by delivering quality products or services but
also by treating the environment and society in which it
operates in a responsible manner.
Selvefors et al. (2011) claim sustainability is a key
component of innovation from a technology and business
perspective. Sustainability measures are constantly increasing within product development and design. Approaches
such as Design for the Environment and Product Stewardship introduce methods to reduce the environmental impact
of products throughout their entire life cycle. Research
presented by Selvefors et al. (2011) concludes that in order
to reduce a product’s environmental and social impact
specifically during the usage phase, a behavioral perspective
could be integrated into a product’s design in addition to
technological aspects. He suggests that Design for
284
M. Seretny and D. Gaur
accepted, at least in principle, as a crucial requirement that
business organizations must address moving forward. The
number of publications on multinational enterprise management of sustainability issues is growing (Burritt et al.
2018).
Companies have become sustainable when the mutual
responsible benefits of employees, clients, and organizations
with whom the company cooperates are visible—this transpires when the marketing approach is focused on responsible activities both on the organization’s and client’s side.
The increase in the value of a responsible company with this
approach should translate into an increase in the satisfaction
of all stakeholders. The treatment of sustainable marketing is
based on the general approach to achieving social, economic, and ecological results (Dahlstrom and Crosno 2018).
The nature of socioeconomic challenges presented in the
“Agenda 2030” (The Sustainable Development Goals
Report 2017) with 17 goals for sustainable development to
be achieved by 2030, makes it extremely important to
increase the investment in changing the attitudes of both
businesses and consumers. The strength of the market
economy is, on the one hand, the attitude of enterprises and
their leaders, and on the other—the involvement of consumers; the entire society is involved in the debate and
activities affecting economic development, exploration but
also protection of natural resources, and active participation
in the sustainable economy of the planet.
Business development cannot exist without a consumer.
A conscious, responsible consumer is the driving force of
sustainable economic growth! Thus, a conscious and
responsible society can easily make changes in its lifestyle
by changing its consumption patterns, thus affecting the
behavior of other market participants.
Unfortunately, current patterns of consumption and production are clearly unsustainable. High levels of resource
use, toxic pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions are
causing irreversible damage to ecosystems, biodiversity, and
the natural cycles of water, carbon, nitrogen, and soil.
Averting climate change requires a 90% reduction in
greenhouse gas emissions. Meanwhile humanity’s way of
life, particularly in the northern hemisphere, far exceeds the
natural capacity of earth to provide energy, land, and water
(The Quaker Council for European Affairs (QCEA) 2011).
Bocken (2017) argues that—to mitigate negative
human-induced impact on the planet, society, and the
economy—consumption patterns need to be changed
urgently and that companies can apply individual, social,
and wider contextual influencing tactics to encourage sustainable consumption.
Marketing is a powerful institution. Over the years,
marketing has proven it has the ability to improve lives,
sustain livelihoods, strengthen societies, and benefit the
world at large. Businesses can use social marketing-type
techniques and business model innovation to drive sustainable consumption and further a sustainable lifestyle (Bocken
2017). Sustainability as a vital element is a challenge for
product developers too. Sustainable production brings new
opportunities for companies. However, consumers typically
do not purchase sustainable products. Hosseinpour et al.
(2016) claim the main reason behind this is that consumers
lack essential knowledge about the attributes of sustainable
products.
There is a growing awareness that specialty retailers may
have a vital role to play in promoting more sustainable
patterns of consumption and production. The European
Commission and a number of the UK’s leading retailers,
along with several of their European counterparts, launched
a “retail forum” as part of an initiative to increase sustainable
consumption (Jones et al. 2011).
Determinants such as attitude, belief, knowledge, and
trust strengthen consumers’ decisions to select sustainable
products (Hosseinpour et al. 2016). Studies on consumer
purchase behavior suggest that attitude is one of the most
effective factors (Hosseinpour et al. 2016). For example, an
attitude favoring environmentally friendly behavior, such as
a positive attitude toward organic food, is one of the major
predictors of the four determinants. After the determinant
attitude, belief, and knowledge are also significant factors for
customers’ behavior regarding sustainable product consumption. If a customer believes by engaging in a particular
behavior he/she might contribute positively or negatively to
society, their assessment can affect their attitude. Furthermore, general knowledge about the concept of sustainability
can change a person’s attitude toward that concept (Hosseinpour et al. 2016). Trust is another significant factor of
sustainable purchasing behavior (Seretny 2018). Trust is also
a multidimensional concept. Mutual loyalty must be built on
trust. A company’s basic task is to gain the customer’s
confidence by delivering quality products or services but
also by treating the environment and society in which it
operates in a responsible manner.
Selvefors et al. (2011) claim sustainability is a key
component of innovation from a technology and business
perspective. Sustainability measures are constantly increasing within product development and design. Approaches
such as Design for the Environment and Product Stewardship introduce methods to reduce the environmental impact
of products throughout their entire life cycle. Research
presented by Selvefors et al. (2011) concludes that in order
to reduce a product’s environmental and social impact
specifically during the usage phase, a behavioral perspective
could be integrated into a product’s design in addition to
technological aspects. He suggests that Design for
284
M. Seretny and D. Gaur