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Sustainability
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The Intersection of Product Quality and Consumer Behavior
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The Intersection of Product Quality and Consumer Behavior

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Economic and Business Aspects of Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 May 2023) | Viewed by 22825

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Esi A. Elliot

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
International Business and Marketing Department, University of Texas at Rio Grande Vakley, Edinburg, TX 78539, USA
Interests: global innovation; sustainability; ethnic markets
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Annan Anthony

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Business and Computer Science, Caldwell University, Caldwell, NJ 07006, USA
Interests: financial innovation; development finance and investments
Dr. Carmina Cavazos

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Management, Marketing and Entrepreneurship Department, Barney School of Business, University of Hartford, West Hartford, CT 06117, USA
2. Faculty of Public Accounting and Administration (FACPyA), Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon (UANL), San Nicolas de los Garza, NL 66451, Mexico
Interests: sustainability; global consumer behavior and marketing strategy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues:

1. The intersection of product quality and consumption experience has been determined by extant research to be moderated by consumer behavior (Gilal, Zhang, and Gilal, 2018). Consumer behavior is the journey a consumer pursues to purchase, use and dispose of products. The consumer experience is therefore sustainable consumption, whilst the production of quality products is determined to be sustainable production. The intersection of product quality and consumption thus dovetails into sustainable consumption and sustainable production (SCP), which have been defined as improving the quality of life of the consumer without promoting environmental degradation nor compromising the resource needs of future generations (Kazimeras, 2012). Product quality helps firms establish their brand recognition, profitability and customer loyalty and is therefore sustainable.

2. Product quality refers to how well a product satisfies customer needs, serves its purpose and meets industry standards. Product quality helps companies earn customer loyalty, establish brand recognition and manage their costs. Customers often buy more from companies they know and trust, and businesses can reduce costs regarding product returns, defects and losses. 

Product quality is the collection of all the features and characteristics of a product that contribute to its ability to meet the customer needs and requirements. It is the ability of the product to fulfil what the end user wants and perceives as value. There has been increased recognition that more attention needs to be paid to marketing area for simultaneous sustainable consumption and production. Although there have been a few studies in this area of product quality and consumer behavior, this problem of sustainability relating to quality products and consumer behaviors is still insufficiently explored in marketing and international business. Sustainable consumption has become an important societal issue as environmental problems such as global warming and COVID-19 force us to consider the needs of future generations and work towards a better quality of life without compromising on the quality of products. Thus, sustainable consumption should be explored in consumer behavior as well as in product innovation contexts.

Sample Topics

This Special Issue seeks submissions that address any of the topic areas below, as well as similar field-based aspects and examinations:

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Sustainable development goals in business;
  • Pulling together sustainable consumption and production;
  • The intersection of sustainability, marketing and public policy;
  • How to shift consumer behavior to become more sustainable;
  • The importance of sustainability to consumers;
  • The development of sustainable products/services to assist companies with positive consumer reaction;
  • Sustainable innovation and market performance;
  • Theoretical and conceptual frameworks to implement a sustainability systems to address environmental and social improvements with new product development;
  • Governance, strategy, management policy and control mechanisms to handle sustainability issues;
  • Theoretical and conceptual frameworks to estimate the benefits of sustainability in product development;
  • Critical evaluation and cost–benefit analysis of sustainable policies and implementation challenges on firm–consumer interactions;
  • Theoretical and conceptual frameworks to estimate the benefits of sustainability in business;
  • Long-term macroeconomic, social, labor, distributional and financial stability impacts of sustainability;
  • Linking the role and services of product quality in business for sustainable development for firms and their consumers;
  • Analyzing the sustainability impacts of climate shocks and policies on firm product quality and consumer behavior;
  • Impact of sustainability policies on consumption opportunities, entrepreneurs and consumer behavior;
  • Discussion on recommendations and suggestions of improvement in sustainability policies and strategies for global challenges;
  • Designing the sustainable strategies for better product quality and corresponding consumer behavior;
  • Analyzing the global economic impacts of environmental and social sociability system implementation on firms.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Esi A Elliot
Dr. Annan Anthony
Dr. Carmina Cavazos
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 submissions that pass pre-check are 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 2400 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

  • sustainability
  • product quality
  • consumer behavior
  • consumption

Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 529 KiB  
Article
Making a Brand Loved Rather Than Sustainable? Cosmopolitanism and Brand Love as Competing Communication Claims
by Christoph Bey and Dirk C. Moosmayer
Sustainability 2023, 15(13), 10402; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151310402 - 01 Jul 2023
Viewed by 1070
Abstract
Sustainability labels on products improve consumers’ product quality perceptions, suggests existing research. To understand this link in detail, the interaction of attitudes towards sustainability and attitudes towards the brand are explored. Theoretically, a branding view is contrasted with moral consumer cosmopolitanism: the view [...] Read more.
Sustainability labels on products improve consumers’ product quality perceptions, suggests existing research. To understand this link in detail, the interaction of attitudes towards sustainability and attitudes towards the brand are explored. Theoretically, a branding view is contrasted with moral consumer cosmopolitanism: the view that people consider sustainability issues a planetary challenge that must be met by all of humanity. The theory is tested using the case of a global hazelnut spread brand and investigating the interaction between attitudes toward the brand (branding view) and attitude toward firm-NGO collaboration (cosmopolitanism) on consumers’ intention to purchase. Stepwise moderated regression analysis is applied to a sample of 109 French responses from an online consumer survey. Analyses show that for those who rated brand attitude in the highest category (brand lovers), the effect of NGO attitude on purchase intention was negative. By theoretically integrating branding and a cosmopolitan lens, the study contributes to the nascent debate around the potential negative effects of eco-labels. The negative moderation implies that sustainability researchers take a more nuanced approach to different levels of brand attitude and that brand managers consider withholding their sustainability performance from their brand lovers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Intersection of Product Quality and Consumer Behavior)
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22 pages, 517 KiB  
Article
Quality of Mandatory Social Responsibility Disclosure and Total Factor Productivity of Enterprises: Evidence from Chinese Listed Companies
by Qi Ban and Huiting Zhu
Sustainability 2023, 15(13), 10110; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151310110 - 26 Jun 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 812
Abstract
This study attempts to determine whether improving the quality of mandatory corporate social responsibility (CSR) information disclosure can have a positive impact on a firm’s development. To this end, an empirical analysis is conducted to establish a relationship between the quality of mandatory [...] Read more.
This study attempts to determine whether improving the quality of mandatory corporate social responsibility (CSR) information disclosure can have a positive impact on a firm’s development. To this end, an empirical analysis is conducted to establish a relationship between the quality of mandatory CSR information disclosure and a firm’s total factor productivity (TFP), using data from A-share listed companies in China over the period 2009–2020. The results show that: (1) Improving the quality of mandatory CSR disclosure leads to a significant increase in a firm’s TFP. (2) By alleviating a firm’s financing constraints and agency costs, the improved quality of mandatory CSR disclosure effectively enhances the firm’s investment efficiency and innovation capacity, leading to higher TFP. This research extends the influence of CSR disclosure on the economic development outcomes of Chinese firms, and provides theoretical guidance for the development and improvement of CSR disclosure mechanisms in emerging economies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Intersection of Product Quality and Consumer Behavior)
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18 pages, 774 KiB  
Article
Save the Trip to the Store: Sustainable Shopping, Electronic Word of Mouth on Instagram and the Impact on Cosmetic Purchase Intentions
by Eleanor Kohler, Emmanuel Mogaji and İsmail Erkan
Sustainability 2023, 15(10), 8036; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15108036 - 15 May 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2724
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many brands to stop using cosmetic testers to avoid the risk of spreading the infection, jeopardising the future of cosmetic testing. Consequently, consumers must find alternative methods to conduct their information searches and, more importantly, the prospects of [...] Read more.
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many brands to stop using cosmetic testers to avoid the risk of spreading the infection, jeopardising the future of cosmetic testing. Consequently, consumers must find alternative methods to conduct their information searches and, more importantly, the prospects of shopping online without going to the store to test the product. With the enormous prospects of social media cosmetic electronic word of mouth (eWOM), it is imperative to examine the influence of cosmetic eWOM on social media and for cosmetic marketers to understand the antecedents that result in cosmetic consumers making a purchase. The adapted information adoption model was validated through structural equation modelling based on 341 eligible surveys. The results confirmed that information quality, source credibility, information usefulness, and information adoption are the key antecedents in eWOM on Instagram when investigating purchase intentions in the colour cosmetic industry. This study is one of the pioneers in empirically testing the relationship between information quality and source credibility on information usefulness and, subsequently, the relationship between information usefulness, information adoption, and purchase intentions in a western market based on the cosmetic industry. These new insights provide practical implications for a cosmetic marketer, suggesting the key variables leading to purchase intentions in cosmetic eWOM, which can be utilised in marketing techniques. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Intersection of Product Quality and Consumer Behavior)
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14 pages, 481 KiB  
Article
Mall Environment and Mall Value as Antecedents of Customer Loyalty in Shopping Malls: Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa
by Ogechi Adeola, Isaiah Adisa, Adenike Moradeyo and Oserere Ibelegbu
Sustainability 2023, 15(4), 3051; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043051 - 08 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3362
Abstract
Shopping malls contribute significantly to a nation’s economic activities, as demonstrated by the significant investment in sub-Saharan Africa’s retail industry. The impact of shopping malls on communities’ socio-economic conditions cannot be overlooked, as they have implications for employment opportunities, national income, and infrastructure [...] Read more.
Shopping malls contribute significantly to a nation’s economic activities, as demonstrated by the significant investment in sub-Saharan Africa’s retail industry. The impact of shopping malls on communities’ socio-economic conditions cannot be overlooked, as they have implications for employment opportunities, national income, and infrastructure development. However, as the number of malls in urban areas increases, it is important for retail operators to understand the factors that attract and sustain customer loyalty. This study adopts a regression analysis approach to identify the factors influencing customer loyalty in shopping malls. Mall environment and mall values were used as predictors of customer loyalty. The study was conducted in Lagos State, Nigeria, due to the prevalence of shopping malls and the nature of the urban settlement. A survey of 300 respondents was conducted, with 277 responses found usable. The findings indicate that the mall value has a significant positive effect on customer loyalty, but the mall environment does not. However, there is a significant and positive joint effect of both the mall value and mall environment on customer loyalty. Additionally, the study finds that age plays a major role in mediating these predictive relationships. The practical implication for shopping mall investors and operators in Africa’s retail market is provided. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Intersection of Product Quality and Consumer Behavior)
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22 pages, 616 KiB  
Article
The Quality of Corporate Social Responsibility Information Disclosure and Enterprise Innovation: Evidence from Chinese Listed Companies
by Qi Ban
Sustainability 2023, 15(1), 238; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15010238 - 23 Dec 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2503
Abstract
The Chinese government has implemented a series of corporate social responsibility (CSR)-related policies in recent years, aiming to achieve high-quality economic development and transformation. To assess the effectiveness of these CSR policies, this study empirically explores the relationship between the quality of CSR [...] Read more.
The Chinese government has implemented a series of corporate social responsibility (CSR)-related policies in recent years, aiming to achieve high-quality economic development and transformation. To assess the effectiveness of these CSR policies, this study empirically explores the relationship between the quality of CSR information disclosure and corporate innovation performance using data from A-share listed companies in Shanghai and Shenzhen, China, from 2009 to 2020. The results show that: (1) Improvement in the quality of CSR information can significantly improve corporate innovation performance. (2) Further analysis reveals that the improvement of CSR information quality not only helps to reduce the agency costs and alleviate the financing constraints of enterprises but also reduces the cost of external interpretation of corporate innovation projects and conveys a good corporate image by attracting the attention of analysts and the media, which all contribute to the improvement of corporate innovation performance. This study further refines the mechanism of the impact of CSR disclosure on firms’ innovation performance, which may provide guidance to governments in developing and improving CSR disclosure systems in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Intersection of Product Quality and Consumer Behavior)
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15 pages, 304 KiB  
Article
Digital Financial Services and Strategic Financial Management: Financial Services Firms and Microenterprises in African Markets
by Esi A. Elliot, Carmina Cavazos and Benjamin Ngugi
Sustainability 2022, 14(24), 16994; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142416994 - 19 Dec 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1433
Abstract
This study highlights the impact of digital financial services as enhancing the capacity of development goals as well as social sustainability. The selected emerging markets are Ghanaian financial service providers (FSP)s and microenterprise customers (CME)s, where we examine how “Ubuntu”, an African philosophy [...] Read more.
This study highlights the impact of digital financial services as enhancing the capacity of development goals as well as social sustainability. The selected emerging markets are Ghanaian financial service providers (FSP)s and microenterprise customers (CME)s, where we examine how “Ubuntu”, an African philosophy of humanism, legitimizes spaces for a more democratic, egalitarian, and ethical engagement of human beings. This study adopts a grounded theory methodology for investigation of the phenomena with a sample size of 70 relationship managers. The findings further existing sustainability literature pertaining to social sustainability and consumer wellbeing. We contribute to theory by presenting a psychological perspective which be leveraged for digital financial services branding to expand usage within communal systems. This leverage of Ubuntu becomes especially relevant when there is the need to compensate for deficits in weak business infrastructures in low-income but expanding markets. Our study highlights digital financial services can be used to improve the emotional and psychological consumer wellbeing and to strengthen business relationships, meeting joint goals of market share expansion, brand image enhancement and profitability. This perspective also contributes to social sustainability on a global scale since the Western world depends on quality products from emerging markets. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Intersection of Product Quality and Consumer Behavior)
14 pages, 773 KiB  
Article
Green Packaging, Environmental Awareness, Willingness to Pay and Consumers’ Purchase Decisions
by Mahmoud Abdulai Mahmoud, Ernest Kafui Kwasi Tsetse, Ernest Edem Tulasi and Donne Komla Muddey
Sustainability 2022, 14(23), 16091; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142316091 - 01 Dec 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 7948
Abstract
This study examined green packaging, environmental awareness, and willingness to pay for green products in consumers’ purchase decisions. A cross-sectional survey was employed in collecting data from 218 respondents in Ghana. Purposive sampling was used to select respondents for the study. The data [...] Read more.
This study examined green packaging, environmental awareness, and willingness to pay for green products in consumers’ purchase decisions. A cross-sectional survey was employed in collecting data from 218 respondents in Ghana. Purposive sampling was used to select respondents for the study. The data were analyzed using SPSS software for descriptive statistics and partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to test our hypotheses. The study found that consumers’ environmental awareness had a positive and significant impact on green purchasing decisions. However, the impact of green packaging was not found to be significant on consumers’ purchase decisions in Ghana. The study further revealed that consumers’ willingness to pay for green products positively and significantly predicted consumer purchase decisions. Some recommendations are suggested for theoretical and managerial considerations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Intersection of Product Quality and Consumer Behavior)
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17 pages, 1076 KiB  
Article
A Study of the Relationship between Marketing and Investment in Technology Development in Transport Company
by Darius Bazaras, Margarita Išoraitė and Kristina Vaičiūtė
Sustainability 2022, 14(19), 12927; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141912927 - 10 Oct 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1622
Abstract
The article examines road transport technological development processes through the prism of marketing. Technological development alternatives of road transport companies were analysed and evaluated according to the influence of marketing on the development and competitiveness of the company’s services. During the structural and [...] Read more.
The article examines road transport technological development processes through the prism of marketing. Technological development alternatives of road transport companies were analysed and evaluated according to the influence of marketing on the development and competitiveness of the company’s services. During the structural and technological development analysis, the marketing factors determining the components of the technological development process were determined. The analysis of scientific literature sources revealed the level of scientific problem research, which is associated with the notion that technology development is influenced by consumer demand, digital transformation, data availability, and complex processes in the logistics supply chain. When compiling the expert evaluation questionnaire, the criteria of the influence of marketing factors on the development of road transport technologies and the quality of the transport company’s vehicles were singled out. The research reveals that elements of the marketing strategy of transportation companies are elastically related to personalised customer expectations and automated customer choice tracking capabilities. The results can also include quick response to troubleshooting, CO2 reduction measures, ensuring process continuity, improved safety, and demand planning. The article’s scientific novelty has been achieved by determining new elements of interaction between marketing and technology development in the transport company. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Intersection of Product Quality and Consumer Behavior)
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