Sustainable consumption and third-party certified labels: consumers' perceptions and reactions

Brach, S., Walsh, G. and Shaw, D. (2018) Sustainable consumption and third-party certified labels: consumers' perceptions and reactions. European Management Journal, 36(2), pp. 254-265. (doi: 10.1016/j.emj.2017.03.005)

Abstract

Compared with conventional products, sustainable products continue to attract relatively lower market shares. To increase customer acceptance, many sustainable products feature third-party certified labels (TPCL), yet it is unclear whether TPCL are effective and what processes and boundary conditions define their role in consumer decision making. Across three experimental studies, this research determines that sustainable products are characterized by credence qualities, associated with increased perceptions of risk, which negatively influence consumers’ purchase intentions. Drawing on signaling theory, this study also shows that TPCL on sustainable products provide brand-like information cues that reduce the perceived risk of sustainable products. Finally, a third experimental study demonstrates that consumers must perceive TPCL as credible for them to reduce consumers’ risk perceptions.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Shaw, Professor Deirdre
• Authors: Brach, S., Walsh, G., and Shaw, D.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > Adam Smith Business School > Management
• Journal Name: European Management Journal
• Publisher: Elsevier
• ISSN: 0263-2373
• ISSN (Online): 1873-5681
• Published Online: 18 March 2017
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd.
• First Published: First published in European Management Journal 36(2): 254-265
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the publisher copyright policy