Browsing by Author "Ganglmair-Wooliscroft A"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
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    A hierarchy of sustainable grocery shopping behaviours: Using Rasch modelling to explore adoption groups
    (John Wiley and Sons Ltd, 2022-11-14) Ganglmair-Wooliscroft A; Wooliscroft B
    Grocery shopping is a major contributor to unsustainable consumption in the developed world. This study constructs a hierarchy of sustainable grocery shopping (SGS), using a broad range of SGS consumption activities that contribute to an individual's aggregate grocery shopping. We confirm the suitability of Rasch modelling to construct the SGS hierarchy and, recognize the definitional equivalence between features of the Rasch model and Rogers' adoption groups. Our results are transformed into theoretically founded, empirically observed SGS adoption segments. SGS adoption groups are analysed with reference to multiple research streams. Our results show that the diffusion of SGS behaviours in a population is in its early stages and most SGS adoption segments undertake a limited number of SGS behaviours. Demographic characteristics do not contribute to explaining SGS membership, but personal values do. Personal values are also related to the observation of spill-over between items of similar behavioural difficulty, rather than within product categories. Only the most advanced SGS adoption groups consider sustainably sourced food as a decision criteria. We show the importance of investigating SGS with a systemic approach.
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    A systemic view of sustainable consumption behaviour in the context of disruption
    (Taylor and Francis Group on behalf of Westburn Publishers Ltd, 2025-03-20) Ganglmair-Wooliscroft A; Bulmer S; Palakshappa N; Dodds S
    The purpose of this paper is to provide a holistic exploration of sustainable consumption behaviour in the aftermath of a major disruption. Using Rasch Modelling, a hierarchy of sustainable consumption behaviours post-disruption was constructed (n=1005), consumers were grouped along the hierarchy based on the extent of their sustainable behaviour, and pre- and post-disruption behaviours were compared. The results indicate that consumer groups high in sustainable consumption behaviours further increased these behaviours post-disruption, whereas those with low sustainable consumption behaviours did not change. Our research finds that factors influencing sustainable consumption behaviour are complex and an external disruption did not lead to substantial behavioural change over time. The study makes an original contribution to theory by extending understanding of sustainability from a holistic perspective through the examination of a broad range of behaviours and multiple characteristics. Practically, the research is relevant for policy makers and those seeking to encourage sustainable behaviours.
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    New Zealand ethical consumption driven by universalism and personal achievement; can it also be fun?
    (Taylor and Francis Group on behalf of the Royal Society of New Zealand, 2024-10-24) Hasan S; Wooliscroft B; Ganglmair-Wooliscroft A
    Overconsumption and environmental pollution in New Zealand are leading to the depletion of its resources, threatening its ecosystem. This paper explores New Zealanders’ ethical and sustainable consumption behaviour, and the motivations and values that drive them. Seventy in-depth interviews with a variety of ethical consumers were conducted and analysed using laddering technique to uncover drivers behind ethical consumption habits. Results reflect the complexity and variety inherent in ethical consumption, and its motivations and drivers. Most ethical behaviours are environmentally focused, aimed at pollution reduction and environmental conservation. Ethical behaviours with a social focus are directed at the local or the international community. Social justice, equality and unity of nature (all sub-values of universalism) are revealed as drivers of ethical behaviours, and are complemented by personal achievement (feeling capable) and feelings of enjoyment–consuming ethically can also be ‘fun’. The complexity of the findings highlights the need for customised messaging from policymakers and businesses to increase ethical consumption behaviours in New Zealand.
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    Unsustainable Consumption: A Systemic Exploration of Everyday Behaviours
    (MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2025-02) Ganglmair-Wooliscroft A; Wooliscroft B; Paço A
    Overwhelming evidence suggests that we need to consume less and/or differently. Academic research and the popular media provide recommendations on what consumers should or should not do to live more sustainably. However, for the majority of consumers, the uptake of sustainable behaviours is low. Sustainable consumption finds itself in constant tension with mainstream ‘normal’ (unsustainable) behaviours. We not only need to understand more about sustainable consumption behaviours already undertaken (often by only a few consumers), but we also need a clearer picture of unsustainable consumption—the current behaviour that needs to be changed. We take a systemic approach to unsustainable consumption and, after an extensive literature review, develop a hierarchy of 25 unsustainable consumption behaviours that span multiple categories of everyday life, including the ‘big three’ (household energy use, food consumption, and personal transportation), recycling, cosmetics, and clothing purchases. Our results support that—for a broad sample of average consumers (n = 850)—unsustainable behaviours are cumulative and follow the same patterns. In everyday life, unsustainable behaviours of different categories are interspersed, supporting the need to explore multiple behaviours at the same time if systematic changes away from unsustainable consumption behaviours are required. It follows that we know in which order to address unsustainable consumption choices to move society towards more sustainable consumption norms.