Analysis of socially responsible consumption: A segmentation of Spanish consumers

Abstract

The fight against the environmental and social problems faced by humanity requires a change in the consumption system. A new consumer is required, who takes into consideration that their acts are part of the cause of these problems, but also part of the solution to them. In order to design effective campaigns to promote socially responsible consumption, it is valuable to understand the profile of consumers who are most likely to act in this way. The objective of this work is to identify and describe segments of consumers according to their degree and type of socially responsible behavior. To do this, a survey of 415 Spanish consumers was conducted, using a multidimensional scale to measure socially responsible consumption. Four segments were identified: highly responsible, sensitive to origin, moderately responsible, and indifferent. Moreover, the individuals from these segments do not differ from each other due to their sociodemographic characteristics, but rather due to their attitudes towards these problems. Emotional engagement and the perception of personal effectiveness are the variables that differentiate the individuals in each segment, whereas the perception of personal gain is insignificant.