SUSTAINABLE CONSUMPTION BEHAVIORS OF YOUNG CONSUMERS: A STUDY FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF CONSUMER ENGAGEMENT

Abstract

The rapid increase in production activities, technological developments and the globalization process have led to a change in consumption habits and an increase in the desire for faster and more consumption. This change in consumption processes has rapidly depleted limited resources and brought them to the point of extinction. Faced with this situation, threatening the lives of current and future generations, the concept of sustainability, which has been on the agenda for the last 30 years, has come to the fore. Thus, concepts such as sustainable development, sustainable life, and sustainable consumption have become important. The development goals published by the United Nations include achieving green growth in the context of sustainable consumption by 2030. In this context, it is important to support and encourage sustainable consumption. It is essential to encourage the participation of the younger generation, who grew up in a society of overconsumption, in sustainable consumption. The literature shows that the concept of consumer engagement is a strategic and important tool for encouraging consumers to perform certain consumption behaviors. However, in studies on sustainable consumption behavior, little attention has been given to the subject of consumer engagement. This study aimed to reveal the sustainable consumption behaviors of young consumers through consumer engagement. In this context, the intermediary role of consumer engagement in the impact of environmental attitude and perceived environmental responsibility on sustainable consumption behavior has been examined. Therefore, quantitative research was carried out by choosing the questionnaire technique and the 134 analyzable data obtained were tested with the Structural Equation Model using AMOS v21. The results show that young consumers' perceived responsibility and environmental attitudes have a statistically significant and positive influence on their sustainable purchasing behavior. Also, the results indicate that consumer engagement plays a partially mediating role in the relationship between environmental attitudes, perceived environmental responsibility, and sustainable consumption behavior.

Keywords

• Sustainable Consumption
• Consumer Engagement
• Young Consumers

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