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Sustainable Development in the Digital Economy: Impact on Consumer Behavior
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Sustainable Development in the Digital Economy: Impact on 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: 31 March 2026 | Viewed by 2028

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Corina Ioanăș

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Accounting and Audit, Bucharest University of Economic Studies, 010552 Bucharest, Romania
Interests: sustainable development; accounting; consumer behavior; agent-based modeling; systems theory; grey systems theory; neutrosophic theory
Dr. Camelia Delcea

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Economic Informatics and Cybernetics, Bucharest University of Economic Studies, 010552 Bucharest, Romania
Interests: economic cybernetics; consumer behavior; agent-based modeling; sustainable development; gray systems theory; neutrosophic theory
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the new economic context characterized by the digitalization of the global economy, sustainable development is gaining increased attention, particularly regarding its effects on consumer behavior. The digital economy, driven by technologies such as artificial intelligence, e-commerce, blockchain, and data analytics, is reshaping the way consumers interact with products and services. At the same time, these technological advancements offer new opportunities for promoting sustainable development by enabling a more efficient use of resources, reducing waste, and fostering conscious consumerism.

With all this, the intersection between digital transformation and sustainable consumption remains underexplored. In this context, this Special Issue aims to investigate how digital technologies influence consumer behavior toward sustainability and how businesses and policymakers can leverage these trends, promoting sustainability practices.

Furthermore, a special focus will be put on the ways in which digital tools can reduce environmental impacts, create transparency in supply chains, and empower consumers to make informed, eco-conscious decisions.

Also, the digital economy offers both challenges and opportunities for sustainability: while online consumption and rapid technological advancement may contribute to resource depletion and overconsumption, new digital solutions have the potential to enhance consumer awareness, supporting sustainable production practices and the global sustainable development goals (SDGs), with a particular emphasis on SDG 12, on Responsible Consumption and Production.

This Special Issue aims to address a series of questions such as, but not limited to, the following:

  • (RQ1) How does digitalization impact consumer behavior toward sustainable consumption?
  • (RQ2) What is the role played by digital platforms and technologies in fostering responsible consumption and sustainability?
  • (RQ3) How can the digital economy support the transition to a circular, sustainable economy while mitigating overconsumption?

Through the Special Issue, we would like to invite scholars and practitioners to contribute research that explores the interaction between digital technologies and sustainable consumption. Thus, we welcome a wide range of contributions, including empirical research, case studies, literature reviews, bibliometric analyses and conceptual papers.

Kind regards,

Prof. Dr. Corina Ioanăș
Dr. Camelia Delcea
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

  • sustainable consumption
  • responsible consumption
  • sustainable development
  • digital economy
  • digital transformation
  • circular economy
  • e-commerce sustainability
  • sustainable development goals (SDGs)
  • green consumerism
  • consumer behavior

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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15 pages, 420 KiB  
Article
The Impact of Greenwashing Awareness and Green Perceived Benefits on Green Purchase Propensity: The Mediating Role of Green Consumer Confusion
by Nikolaos Apostolopoulos, Ilias Makris, Georgios A. Deirmentzoglou and Sotiris Apostolopoulos
Sustainability 2025, 17(14), 6589; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17146589 - 18 Jul 2025
Viewed by 252
Abstract
In response to the increasing demand for environmentally friendly products and the parallel rise of deceptive green marketing practices, this study examines the impact of greenwashing awareness and green perceived benefits on consumers’ propensity to purchase green products, with a focus on the [...] Read more.
In response to the increasing demand for environmentally friendly products and the parallel rise of deceptive green marketing practices, this study examines the impact of greenwashing awareness and green perceived benefits on consumers’ propensity to purchase green products, with a focus on the mediating role of green consumer confusion. Drawing upon data collected from 300 consumers in Greece through an online questionnaire, this study employed validated measurement scales and used multiple regression analyses to test its hypotheses. The findings reveal that both greenwashing awareness and green perceived benefits positively influence green purchase propensity. Additionally, green consumer confusion mediates the relationship between greenwashing awareness and green purchase propensity, indicating that the awareness of greenwashing reduces confusion and enhances consumers’ likelihood to choose genuinely green products. This study contributes to the literature by offering an integrated model that connects greenwashing awareness, green consumer confusion, and green perceived benefits in shaping green purchase propensity. Finally, the findings offer valuable insights for organizations to design clearer, more trustworthy green marketing strategies that minimize consumer confusion and foster informed green purchasing decisions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Development in the Digital Economy: Impact on Consumer Behavior)
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24 pages, 310 KiB  
Article
Technological Adoption Sequences and Sustainable Innovation Performance: A Longitudinal Analysis of Optimal Pathways
by Francisco Gustavo Bautista Carrillo and Daniel Arias-Aranda
Sustainability 2025, 17(13), 5719; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17135719 - 21 Jun 2025
Viewed by 580
Abstract
This study explores how the sequence and timing of Industry 4.0 technology adoption affect sustainable innovation in manufacturing firms. Using longitudinal data from the State Society of Industrial Participations, we track the adoption patterns of eight technologies, including industrial IoT, cloud computing, RFID, [...] Read more.
This study explores how the sequence and timing of Industry 4.0 technology adoption affect sustainable innovation in manufacturing firms. Using longitudinal data from the State Society of Industrial Participations, we track the adoption patterns of eight technologies, including industrial IoT, cloud computing, RFID, machine learning, robotics, additive manufacturing, autonomous robots, and generative AI. Sequence analysis reveals five distinct adoption profiles: data-centric foundations, automation pioneers, holistic integrators, cautious adopters, and product-centric innovators. Our results show that these adoption pathways differentially impact sustainability outcomes such as circular material innovation, energy transition, operational eco-efficiency, and emissions reduction. Mediation analysis indicates that data orchestration capabilities significantly enhance resource productivity in holistic integrators, generative design competencies accelerate biomaterial innovation in product-centric innovators, and cyber-physical integration reduces lifecycle emissions in automation pioneers. By highlighting how temporal complementarities among technologies shape sustainability performance, this research advances dynamic capabilities theory and emphasizes the path-dependent nature of sustainable innovation. The findings provide practical guidance for firms to align digital transformation with sustainability objectives and offer policymakers insights into designing timely support mechanisms for industrial transitions. This work bridges innovation timing with ecological modernization, contributing a new understanding of capability development for sustainable value creation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Development in the Digital Economy: Impact on Consumer Behavior)
42 pages, 3632 KiB  
Article
Decision-Making for Sustainable Digitalization Through Grey Systems Theory: A Bibliometric Overview
by Georgiana-Alina Crișan, Adrian Domenteanu, Mădălina Ecaterina Popescu and Camelia Delcea
Sustainability 2025, 17(10), 4615; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17104615 - 18 May 2025
Viewed by 412
Abstract
As the digitalization trend is progressively establishing a solid foundation in terms of both implementation and scientific research, its effects may be noticed across every sector of the economy. Therefore, offering sustainable solutions becomes essential for implementing digital transitions in a cohesive manner. [...] Read more.
As the digitalization trend is progressively establishing a solid foundation in terms of both implementation and scientific research, its effects may be noticed across every sector of the economy. Therefore, offering sustainable solutions becomes essential for implementing digital transitions in a cohesive manner. Additionally, the study of Grey systems is another topic that has relevance when investigating the implications of digitalization in sustainability. Grey systems theory is an elaborate decision-making technique that focuses on objects that incorporate both known and unknown information. This approach emerged from the notion of a “black box” in which “black objects” are defined by the absence of information. Grey systems address the gap between the “black objects” with unknown information and the “white objects” with complete knowledge. The interaction of these domains is centered on the requirement for a decision-making framework that facilitates a sustained digital transformation. The novelty of the paper consists of tackling the theory of Grey systems’ implications in the economy’s sustainable digitalization, where the literature review is rather scarce. Having considered a generous timespan of the investigation from 1997 to 2024, we gathered a large dataset of papers extracted from the ISI Web of Science database, which allows for relevant inferences in terms of research trends and thematic directions in the field. The analysis focused on emphasizing the research capabilities and landscape of this rapidly developing subject. The annual growth rate of published papers is 11.7%, indicating the increased interest of researchers in the study of this subject. The visualizations and tables used in the analysis were generated with the help of the “ Biblioshiny” (4.3.0) library from the R programming language and highlighted the main information related to topics, authors, journals, collaborations, and research networks. The present paper reviews the ten most cited publications in the dataset in order to provide a comprehensive assessment of the study on the concepts of Grey systems theory, digitalization, and sustainability to date. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Development in the Digital Economy: Impact on Consumer Behavior)
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