Special Issue "Digital Consumption, Privacy Issues and Sustainability"

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2021.

Special Issue Editors

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Lucia Porcu
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Marketing and Market Research, Universidad de Granada, Granada 18071, Spain
Interests: integrated marketing communications; e-WOM; customer brand engagement; omnichannel communication; digital consumption
Dr. Nuria Rodríguez-Priego
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Economic Analysis, Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid 28049, Spain
Interests: consumer behavior; digital consumption; privacy; cibersecurity

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The widespread use of the Internet and smartphones is prompting citizens to participate in a consumer revolution and to lay the foundations for the proliferation of online stores. These changes in demand make it possible to consume goods and services at any time and from anywhere, which has an impact on the possibilities of consumption. The development of faster Internet connections and online payment methods is influencing the acceptance of technology and the expansion of electronic commerce. Consumers can buy products and services with a low effort and establish commercial relationships with suppliers that are at a considerable distance. This has potential benefits for consumers as it increases the availability of products and services, but it also has some drawbacks. For example, when personal and financial information is shared with the online store, this can influence privacy concerns regarding the use and storage of confidential and potentially sensitive data, among other privacy issues. Likewise, it can raise some environmental concerns, such as the transport and logistics direct consequences of the acquired goods, questioning the sustainability of online consumption.

From a company point of view, digitization has lowered entry barriers to various markets, leading to increased competition and potential effects on prices. On the other hand, traditional companies have been forced to redirect their way of operating to adapt to the digital market. At the same time, the consumer is more integrated into the production process, since it is easier for the company to know their preferences, detect new market segments, and choose the right pricing strategy.

In this context, this Special Issue aims to identify digital consumption, privacy issues challenges, and related emergent questions from varied approaches.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Lucia Porcu
Dr. Nuria Rodríguez-Priego
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All papers will be peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • digital consumption
  • privacy
  • sustainable online consumption
  • digital behavior

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

Article
Developing and Validating a Behavioural Model of Cyberinsurance Adoption
Sustainability 2021, 13(17), 9528; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13179528 - 24 Aug 2021
Viewed by 269
Abstract
Business disruption from cyberattacks is a growing concern, yet cyberinsurance uptake remains low. Using an online behavioural economics experiment with 4800 participants across four EU countries, this study tests a predictive model of cyberinsurance adoption, incorporating elements of Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) and [...] Read more.
Business disruption from cyberattacks is a growing concern, yet cyberinsurance uptake remains low. Using an online behavioural economics experiment with 4800 participants across four EU countries, this study tests a predictive model of cyberinsurance adoption, incorporating elements of Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) and the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) as well as factors in relation to risk propensity and price. During the experiment, participants were given the opportunity to purchase different cybersecurity measures and cyberinsurance products before performing an online task. Participants likelihood of suffering a cyberattack was dependent upon their adoption of cybersecurity measures and their behaviour during the online task. The consequences of any attack were dependent upon the participants insurance decisions. Structural equation modelling was applied and the model was further developed to include elements of the wider security ecosystem. The final model shows that all TPB factors, and response efficacy from the PMT, positively predicted adoption of premium cyberinsurance. Interestingly, adoption of cybersecurity measures was associated with safer behaviour online, contrary to concerns of “moral hazard”. The findings highlight the need to consider the larger cybersecurity ecosystem when designing interventions to increase adoption of cyberinsurance and/or promote more secure online behaviour. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Consumption, Privacy Issues and Sustainability)
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