Perceptions of Sustainability and Consumer Intention in Last-Mile Deliveries: The Mediating Role of Incentives and Perceived Sacrifice

Abstract

Last-mile deliveries have become one of the most critical and problematic stages of logistics systems with the proliferation of e-commerce. This process has sparked significant debates not only in terms of operational costs but also regarding its environmental and social impacts. This study aims to the effect of sustainability perception in last-mile deliveries on consumers’ intention to choose these services in the future. Additionally, the study analyzes how this relationship is shaped through incentives offered by the companies and the level of sacrifice perceived by consumers. In this study the perception of sustainability was examined in its environmental, social, and economic dimensions, and data collected from 347 participants using snowball sampling were analyzed using quantitative methods. The findings reveal that the perception of environmental sustainability has a direct and significant effect on consumer intention. In contrast, the results indicate that the effects of the perceptions of social and economic sustainability on consumer intention are not direct but emerge through incentives. On the other hand, the findings show that perceived altruism does not play a significant mediating role in this relationship. These findings suggest that awareness alone is insufficient for the adoption of sustainable delivery practices; consumer behavior is shaped in conjunction with incentive mechanisms. This study contributes to the literature by identifying the effects of different dimensions of sustainability perception on consumer behavior and by elucidating the role of mediating mechanisms in this process.

Keywords

• E-Commerce
• Logistics
• Last-Mile Delivery
• Sustainability
• Consumer Intent

Son Kilometre Teslimatlarında Sürdürülebilirlik Algısı ve Tüketici Niyeti: Teşviklerin ve Algılanan Fedakarlığın Aracılık Rolü

Abstract

Son kilometre teslimatları, e-ticaretin yaygınlaşmasıyla birlikte lojistik sistemlerin en kritik ve aynı zamanda en problemli aşamalarından biri haline gelmiştir. Bu süreç yalnızca operasyonel maliyetler açısından değil, aynı zamanda çevresel ve sosyal etkileri bakımından da önemli tartışmaları beraberinde getirmektedir. Bu çalışma, son kilometre teslimatlarında sürdürülebilirlik algısının tüketicilerin bu hizmetleri gelecekte tercih etme niyetleri üzerindeki etkisini incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Ayrıca, bu ilişkinin firma tarafından sunulan teşvikler ve tüketicilerin algıladıkları fedakârlık düzeyi aracılığıyla nasıl şekillendiğini analiz etmektedir. Araştırma kapsamında sürdürülebilirlik algısı çevresel, sosyal ve ekonomik boyutlarıyla ele alınmış ve kartopu örnekleme ile 347 katılımcıdan elde edilen veriler nicel analiz yöntemleri kullanılarak değerlendirilmiştir. Elde edilen bulgular, çevresel sürdürülebilirlik algısının tüketici niyeti üzerinde doğrudan ve anlamlı bir etkisi olduğunu ortaya koymaktadır. Buna karşılık sosyal ve ekonomik sürdürülebilirlik algılarının tüketici niyeti üzerindeki etkisinin doğrudan değil, teşvikler aracılığıyla ortaya çıktığı belirlenmiştir. Diğer yandan, algılanan fedakârlığın bu ilişkide anlamlı bir aracılık rolü üstlenmediği görülmüştür. Bu bulgular, sürdürülebilir teslimat uygulamalarının benimsenmesinde yalnızca farkındalığın yeterli olmadığını; tüketici davranışlarının teşvik mekanizmalarıyla birlikte şekillendiğini göstermektedir. Çalışma, sürdürülebilirlik algısının farklı boyutlarının tüketici davranışı üzerindeki etkilerini ayrıştırarak ve bu süreçte aracı mekanizmaların rolünü ortaya koyarak literatüre katkı sunmaktadır.

Keywords

• E-Ticaret
• Lojistik
• Son Kilometre Teslimatı
• Sürdürülebilirlik
• Tüketici Niyeti

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