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

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

The manuscript addresses a current and relevant topic. 

The authors have done a good job, with the following points standing out:

- The literature gap and the research question are clearly identified;

- The hypotheses are adequately grounded in the literature;

- Although half of the hypotheses have not been validated, the discussion of the results is well-founded;

- The Conclusions, Implications, Limitations and Future Research chapter is well prepared.

In terms of weaknesses, the following are highlighted:

- The theoretical framework is a little sparse when it comes to explaining the Environmentally Responsible Behavior (ERB) Model;

- There is no reference to support the statement "Homogeneous samples reduce measurement errors in behavioral research linked to subject heterogeneity (e.g., age, education, income)", in section 3.1;

- The measurement model presented several problems: unreliability of several items and a construct; the removal of these items and the construct greatly weakened the measurement model. Question: was the questionnaire pre-tested?

- In the analysis of the structural model, the collinearity of the structural relationships was not checked using the VIF.

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

Pag 2 row 78 -81

Please reformulate “deficiency in the literature” with knowledge on preliminary stage  or limited evidence or poor understanding of ..etc

“Literature Deficiency” is not appropriate

Row 353

Consider to replace

…Consumers who prioritize nature over material interests with

Consumers who genuinely consider nature concerns over material interests

Comments

The paper outlines an adapted Environmentally Responsible Behavior (ERB) model to explore how relevant forces influence sustainable consumption intention for in the context of textile and apparel (T&A) industry, particularly sensitive to eco- friendly transition exigencies.

The originality of the topic lies with enhanced explanatory power of the proposed research framework for all stakeholders of eco-business landscape confronted with rising uncertainty of consumer pro- environmental behaviour. The results are particularly important for T&A marketing managers, seeking guidance to calibrate promotion policy in order to confront challenges of eco-friendly transition.

The paper contribution deepens our knowledge about domain-specific environmental knowledge and personality traits factors affecting of consumers’ sustainable consumption intention (SCI).

Discussion and conclusions are consistent with evidence and argumentation addresses similar resource- intensive sectors where managers exhibit the same concerns and need to find plausible answers to their challenging responsibility. Promoting sustainable consumption is a common responsibility for policy makers, firms of resource intensive sectors and eco -sensitive consumers.  An ecologically friendly market must exploit a common knowledge base where the cost and benefits of environmental sustainability are exposed, explained and credible addressed with effective sustainable consumption promotion.

Based on their results the authors suggest specific recommendations for academic research, community of practice and policymakers, which outlines the opportunity to enhance interdisciplinary approach to eco-friendly transition. The results also address the need for relevant measurements of   effective both environmentally responsible policy and sustainable consumption promotion.

The text is clear and easy to read.

minor correction

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report

Research questions are relevant, complex and analytical.

Scope of the Research:

The study explores the impact of consumers' environmental knowledge and personality traits on sustainable consumption intention (SCI) within the Textile and Apparel (T&A) industry. The study employs the ERB model theory by Hines et al. and utilizes Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) for data analysis.

Relevance of the Research:

The paper contributes to improving the Interdisciplinary Application of Consumer Behavior Models. The research contributes by bridging sustainability and consumer behavior through the application of the ERB model to predict consumers' SCI in the T&A industry. This interdisciplinary approach enhances consumer behavior theories and provides insights into sustainable practices within the context of sustainable development.

The study recognizes knowledge as a multidimensional construct, distinguishing between subjective and objective environmental knowledge. The findings emphasize the challenges in measuring consumer knowledge, especially in the absence of accepted norms for environmental behaviors.

The ERB model is extended to the T&A industry context, incorporating specific knowledge elements related to the industry (subjective and objective environmental knowledge) and introducing a new personality trait element (general environmental beliefs).

Abstract: is correctly formulated in terms of its structure and content. It effectively introduces the topic, highlights the importance of 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 (EEB and AEB), as well as internal and external environmental locus of control (IN-ELOC and EX-ELOC) - influence sustainable consumption intention (SCI) for T&A products.

KEYWORDS – are accordingly.

Minor suggestions for future research improvement:

Future research is recommended to focus on developing and validating scales for measuring cognitive and affective constructs in the T&A context. This includes scales for subjective and objective environmental knowledge, as well as personality traits.

The study acknowledges the dynamic nature of environmental sustainability in the T&A industry and suggests that future research should consider broader aspects of sustainability, including social sustainability. Representative measurement items should be included to address the evolving landscape.

Future research should investigate the intention-behavior gap by exploring the link between SCI and actual behaviors. Situational factors can be considered as potential moderators to provide a more nuanced understanding.

Conclusions and impact

The findings suggest that T&A companies should streamline their environmental messaging, actively promote pro-environmental initiatives, and enhance consumer engagement in marketing efforts to meet the needs of environmentally conscious consumers.

Regarding consumer sustainable development education, educators are encouraged to incorporate diverse categories of knowledge and relevant skills, emphasizing the significance of approaching problem-solving from multiple perspectives.

Policymakers and non-government organizations are advised to prioritize the development of comprehensive environmental standards and regulations. Public service initiatives should be designed to address individuals' passive feelings during implementation and stimulate pro-environment actions.

References

References should be improved with more up-to-date papers on the topic as this is topical subject for many journals. There are good references but many of them are old, like 10, 15, 20 years ago, and should be countered by more recent ones.

Congratulations.

Minor English editing.

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx