Perceptions of eco-responsible initiatives of the brand and their impact on consumer engagement of generation Z

• Autorzy: Tarapata Jolanta

Identyfikatory

DOI

10.29119/1641-3466.2024.193.38

• Języki publikacji: EN

Abstrakty

EN

Purpose: The aim of the study is to present the relationship between generation Z consumers' perception of sustainable brand initiatives in the area of environmental protection and the degree of their cognitive, emotional and behavioral involvement in the brand. Design/methodology/approach: The study was conducted on a sample of 500 consumers in the period August-September 2023 throughout Poland (16 voivodeships). The sample selection was random. The research covered Generation Z consumers (aged 18 to 28), both sexes, and those from towns with different numbers of inhabitants who follow clothing brands on social media. The method used in the study was a diagnostic survey. Findings: The research results prove that the perception of brand's ecologically responsible initiatives determines young consumers’ involvement in all three spheres (cognitive, emotional and behavioral). In turn, the perception of these activities as ecologically irresponsible does not translate into their lack of involvement. Moreover, consumers who have no opinion on the activities undertaken by the brand that demonstrate their ecological responsibility declare their involvement in the brand to a similar extent as consumers who perceive these activities as responsible. Research limitations/implications: The research results encourage a more in-depth analysis of consumers' involvement in the brand, considering extended scales proving their involvement, as well as covering a larger population of respondents. Practical implications: Research results prove that a significant percentage of generation Z consumers do not have knowledge about ecologically responsible initiatives undertaken by their favorite brands. Hence, socially responsible brands that consider environmental protection in their activities should use more opportunities to communicate the activities to consumers, which are undertaken in this area, in order to create a more expressive image of a responsible brand, and thus strengthen their relationship with the brand, influencing their commitment. Social implications: A better understanding of the impact of environmentally friendly practices undertaken by companies/brands on shaping relationships with stakeholders. Originality/value: The article has primarily cognitive value, emphasizing the importance of the perception of ecologically responsible activities undertaken by brands in creating consumer involvement in the brand. Until now, little research has contributed to understanding the impact of brand activities perceived as sustainable on customer relationships from both cognitive, emotional and behavioral perspectives. The article therefore enriches the current theory of sustainable practices of brands and their relationships with consumers.

Słowa kluczowe

EN

perception; brand; ecological responsibility; consumer engagement

PL

percepcja; marka; odpowiedzialność ekologiczna; zaangażowanie konsumentów

• Wydawca: Wydawnictwo Politechniki Śląskiej
• Czasopismo: Zeszyty Naukowe. Organizacja i Zarządzanie / Politechnika Śląska
• Rocznik: 2024
• Tom: z. 193
• Strony: 685--700
• Opis fizyczny: Bibliogr. 46 poz.

Twórcy

autor

Tarapata Jolanta

• Military University of Technology in Warsaw, Faculty of Security, Logistics and Management, Institute of Organization and Management

• https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0783-6295

Bibliografia

• 1. Bernatt, M. (2009). Społeczna odpowiedzialność biznesu. Wymiar konstytucyjny i międzynarodowy, Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe Wydziału Zarządzania Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego.
• 2. Borkowska-Niszczota, M. (2015). Społeczna odpowiedzialność biznesu turystycznego na rzecz zrównoważonego rozwoju na przykładzie obiektów hotelarskich. Economics and Management, No. 1, pp. 368-392.
• 3. Bowden, J. (2009). The process of customer engagement: a conceptual framework. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, Vol. 17, No. 1, pp. 63-74.
• 4. Brodie, R.J., Hollebeek, L.D., Juric, B., Ilic, A. (2011). Customer Engagement: Conceptual Domain, Fundamental Propositions & Implications for Research in Service Marketing, Journal of Service Research, No. 14(3), pp. 252-271.
• 5. Brodie, R.J., Ilic, A., Juric, B., Hollebeek, L.D. (2013). Customer Engagement in a Virtual Brand Community – An Exploratory Analysis. Journal of Business Research, Vol. 66, No. 1, pp. 105-114.
• 6. Celsi, R.L., Olson, J.C. (1988). The Role of Involvement in Attention and Comprehension Processes. Journal of Consumer Research, No. 15, pp. 210-224.
• 7. Chen, X., Dahlgaard-Park, S.M., Wen, D. (2019). Emotional and rational customer engagement: Exploring the development route and the motivation. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, Vol. 30, pp. 141-157.
• 8. Chen, X., Sun, X., Yan, D., Wen, D. (2020). Perceived Sustainability and Customer Engagement in the Online Shopping Environment: The Rational and Emotional Perspectives. Sustainability, No. 12(7), 2674.
• 9. Chung, K.H., Yu, J.E., Choi, M.G., Shin, J.I. (2015). The effects of CSR on customer satisfaction and loyalty in China: The moderating role of corporate image. Journal of Economics, Business and Management, Vol. 3, No. 5, pp. 542-547.
• 10. Daszkiewicz, M. (2009). Budowanie relacji z otoczeniem – biznes wobec społecznej odpowiedzialności. In: M. Przybyła (Ed.), Wybrane aspekty zarządzania (pp. 205-222). Wrocław: Indygo Zahir Media.
• 11. Dyllick, T., Rost, Z. (2017). Towards true product sustainability. Journal of Cleaner Production, Vol. 162, pp. 346-360.
• 12. Furmańska-Maruszak, A., Sudolska, A. (2017). Relacje z pracownikami jako obszar wdrażania CSR. Organizacja i Kierowanie, No. 2, pp. 253-267.
• 13. Galbreath, J., Shum, P. (2012). Do customer satisfaction and reputation mediate the CSR–FP link? Evidence from Australia. Australian Journal of Management, Vol. 37(2), pp. 211-229.
• 14. Hajdas, M. (2009). Tożsamość marki korporacyjnej a wybór idei w marketingu zaangażowanym społecznie. Organizacja i Kierowanie, No. 3(137), pp. 55-67.
• 15. Hollebeek, L.D., Juric, B., Tang, W. (2017). Virtual brand community engagement practices: a re-fined typology and model. Journal of Services Marketing, Vol. 31, Iss. 3, pp. 204-217.
• 16. Hollebeek, L.D. (2011a). Demystifying Customer Brand Engagement: Exploring the Loyalty Nexus. Journal of Marketing Management, No. 27(7-8), pp. 785-807.
• 17. Hollebeek, L.D. (2011b). Exploring Customer Brand Management – Definition and Themes. Journal of Strategic Marketing, Vol. 19, No. 7, pp. 555-573.
• 18. Hollebeek, L.D. (2012). The Customer Engagement/Value Interface: An Exploratory Investigation. Australasian Marketing Journal, No. 21(1), pp. 17-24.
• 19. Hollebeek, L.D., Glynn, M.S., Brodie, R.J. (2014). Customer brand engagement in social media: conceptualization, scale development and validation. Journal of Interactive Marketing, No. 28(2), pp. 149-165.
• 20. Hollebeek, L.D., Srivastava, R.K., Chen, T. (2019). S-D logic-informed customer engagement: Integrative framework, revised fundamental propositions, and application to CRM. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, No. 47(1), pp. 161-185.
• 21. Huang, M.H., Cheng, Z.H., Chen, I.C. (2017). The importance of CSR in forming customer-company identification and long-term loyalty. Journal of Services Market, No. 31(1), pp. 63-72.
• 22. Kim, J., Taylor, C.R., Kim, K.H., Lee, K.H. (2015). Measures of perceived sustainability. Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science, No. 25, pp. 182-193.
• 23. Leonidou, C.N., Katsikeas, C.S., Morgan, N.A. (2013). “Greening” the marketing mix: Do firms do it and does it pay off? Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, No. 41(2), pp. 151-170.
• 24. Leoński, W. (2016). Narzędzia społecznej odpowiedzialności biznesu a wielkość przedsiębiorstwa. Studia Ekonomiczne. Zeszyty Naukowe Uniwersytetu Ekonomicznego w Katowicach, No. 254, pp. 89-98.
• 25. Liu, M.T., Wong, I.A., Shi, G., Chu, R., Brock, J.L. (2014). The impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance and perceived brand quality on customer-based brand preference. Journal of Services Marketing, Vol. 28(3), pp. 181-194.
• 26. Martínez, P., del Bosque, I.R. (2013). CSR and customer loyalty: The roles of trust, customer identification with the company and satisfaction. International Journal of Hospitality Management, Vol. 35, pp. 89-99.
• 27. Mittal, B., Lee, M.S. (1988). Separating Brand-choice Involvement from Product Involvement via Consumer Involvement Profiles. Advances in Consumer Research, No. 15(1), pp. 43-49.
• 28. Musiał, M., Kubacki, Ł. (2017). Społeczna odpowiedzialność biznesu w procesie zarządzania przedsiębiorstwami. Zeszyty Naukowe Politechniki Częstochowskiej Zarządzanie, No. 25 vol. 2, pp. 84-93.
• 29. Olejniczak, K. (2013). Wpływ wybranych czynników ekologicznego aspektu CSR na przewagę konkurencyjną przedsiębiorstw działających na terenie województwa śląskiego. Middle Pomeranian Scientific Society of the Environment Protection, Vol. 15, pp. 2840-2849.
• 30. Paliwoda-Matiolańska, A. (2009). Odpowiedzialność społeczna w procesie zarządzania przedsiębiorstwem. Warszawa: C.H. Beck.
• 31. Patterson, P., Yu, T., de Ruyer, K. (2006). Understanding Customer Engagement in Services. Advancing Theory. Maintaining Relevance. Proceedings of ANZMAC conference. Brisbane.
• 32. Ratajczak, M. (2013). Ekorozwój jako podstawa odpowiedzialnego biznesu (CSR) w obszarze środowiska naturalnego. In. Z. Pisz, M. Rojek-Nowosielska (Eds.), Społeczna odpowiedzialność organizacji. W poszukiwaniu paradygmatów, metodologii i strategii (pp. 149-159). Wrocław: Wydawnictwo UE.
• 33. Roztocka, K. (2018). CSR w kreowaniu wizerunku marki. Refleksje, No. 18, pp. 221-236.
• 34. Rupik, K. (2015). Customer Engagement Behaviour in the Fashion Industry. International Conference on Marketing and Business Development Journal, Vol. I, No. 1, pp. 338-346.
• 35. Sarkar, A., Sreejesh, S. (2014). Examination of the roles played by brand love and jealousy in shaping customer engagement. Journal of Product & Brand Management, No. 23(1), pp. 24-32.
• 36. Sashi, C.M. (2012). Customer engagement, buyer-seller relationships, and social media. Management Decision, No. 50(2), pp. 253-272.
• 37. Shiffman, L.G., Kanuk, L.L. (2010). Consumer Behavior. London: Pearson.
• 38. Sobotko, E., Kozłowski, W. (2017). CSR a marketing. Marketing i Rynek, No. 9, pp. 387-392.
• 39. Sudolska, A., Drabkowska-Skarba, M., Łapińska, J., Kędzielawski, G., Dziuba, R. (2020). Exploring corporate social responsibility practices in the clothing industry: The case of Polish and British companies. Fibres & Textiles in Eastern Europe, No. 28(1(139)), pp. 14-19.
• 40. van Doorn, J., Lemon, K.N., Mittal, V., Nass, S., Pick, D., Pirner, P., Verhoef, P.C. (2010). Customer Engagement Behavior: Theoretical Foundations and Research Directions. Journal of Service Research, No. 13(3), pp. 253-266.
• 41. van Doorn, J., Verhoef, P.C. (2011). Willingness to pay for organic products: Differences between virtue and vice foods. International Journal of Research in Marketing, Vol. 28(3), pp. 167-180.
• 42. Vivek, S.D. (2009). A Scale of Consumer Engagement, doctoral dissertation. Alabama: The University of Alabama.
• 43. Vivek, S.D., Beatty, S.E., Morgan, R.M. (2012). Customer Engagement: Exploring Customer Relationships beyond Purchase. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, Vol. 20, No. 2, pp. 122-146.
• 44. Wiechoczek, J. (2017). Zaangażowanie konsumenta a innowacje marketingowe producentów dóbr zaawansowanych technicznie. Studia Ekonomiczne. Zeszyty Naukowe Uniwersytetu Ekonomicznego w Katowicach, No. 337, pp. 204-210.
• 45. Witczak, O. (2016). Pomiar zaangażowania wobec marki w mediach społecznościowych – ujęcie modelowe. Studia i Prace Wydziału Nauk Ekonomicznych i Zarządzania. Uniwersytet Szczeciński, No. 43, vol. 2, pp. 371-380.
• 46. Witczak, O. (2017). Wymiary zaangażowania konsumenta wobec marki w budowaniu sieci relacji. Przedsiębiorczość i Zarządzanie, vol. XVIII, no. 4, cz. 2, pp. 249-258.