| Title |
Leveraging technology to communicate sustainability-related product information: Evidence from the field |
| ID_Doc |
76977 |
| Authors |
Bashir, H |
| Title |
Leveraging technology to communicate sustainability-related product information: Evidence from the field |
| Year |
2022 |
| Published |
|
| DOI |
10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.132508 |
| Abstract |
The information gap between businesses and consumers concerning the sustainability impacts of products and services is considered a key obstacle impeding sustainable consumption. To that end, mobile technologies, such as QR codes, have been identified as a useful tool that can bridge this information gap by providing consumers with sustainability-related product information at the point of purchase. However, the literature offers scarce insights into the factors that influence consumers' intention to use QR codes for sustainability-related product information in daily consumption decisions. This paper investigates this relationship in two studies of consumer acceptance of QR codes. Study 1 utilises the Technology Acceptance Model to study the factors that may affect consumers' intention to scan QR codes with sustainability information. The results show that the perceived ease of use and the perceived usefulness of the QR codes are significant predictors of consumers' attitudes towards and intentions to scan QR codes. Further analysis shows that QR codes visuals and written appeals may also affect scan intention. The extant literature lacks evidence from investigations of real-life behaviour. Study 2 contributes to this gap in the literature by investigating the usage of QR codes in a field experiment. The results show an overall scan rate of 4.22% for the QR codes, with consumers scoring high on perceived usefulness of QR codes, perceived sustainability quality of the product and preference for using QR codes in the future. Importantly, QR codes with a suggestive appeal were scanned at higher rates than that of QR codes without such appeal. The paper thus responds to calls for research on how companies can leverage marketing innovations using technology to communicate sustainability-related product information to consumers and stimulate sustainable consumption. |
| Author Keywords |
Marketing innovation; QR Codes; Technology; Sustainable consumption |
| Index Keywords |
Index Keywords |
| Document Type |
Other |
| Open Access |
Open Access |
| Source |
Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED) |
| EID |
WOS:000821833900003 |
| WoS Category |
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology; Engineering, Environmental; Environmental Sciences |
| Research Area |
Science & Technology - Other Topics; Engineering; Environmental Sciences & Ecology |
| PDF |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.132508
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