Skip to main content

LUP Student Papers

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

The Complexity of Consumer Trust in Sustainability Communication

Dahl, Felix LU and Bakalarska, Anna LU (2018) BUSN39 20181
Department of Business Administration
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to gain insights on what evokes consumer trust for
(environmental) sustainability communication and shed light on how this trust impacts
consumers’ perception of sustainability. A literature review and qualitative data collection,
combining four focus groups and nine interviews, were the basis for a discussion on this
topic. This study found that what evokes trust in sustainability communication is a rather
complex dynamic which previous research has failed to explore. Preexisting studies have
instead focused on how a few attributes, such as the type of organization behind sustainability
communication, affect trust. This study also concluded that consumers might provide one
answer for what evokes their... (More)
The purpose of this study is to gain insights on what evokes consumer trust for
(environmental) sustainability communication and shed light on how this trust impacts
consumers’ perception of sustainability. A literature review and qualitative data collection,
combining four focus groups and nine interviews, were the basis for a discussion on this
topic. This study found that what evokes trust in sustainability communication is a rather
complex dynamic which previous research has failed to explore. Preexisting studies have
instead focused on how a few attributes, such as the type of organization behind sustainability
communication, affect trust. This study also concluded that consumers might provide one
answer for what evokes their trust when asked in general, and another when given an example
of sustainability communication to consider. Additionally, it was found that sustainability
communication has a somewhat complex impact on consumer perception of sustainability.
Although identifying high consumption levels in itself as a problem for environmental
sustainability and expressing skepticism for environmental claims made by business, they
were more focused on being sustainable by consuming sustainable products than decreasing
their sustainability. This study concluded that this depended on the notion that changing what
products to consume is easier than stopping to consume and the fact that business is trying to
drive sales through sustainability communication and offers. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Dahl, Felix LU and Bakalarska, Anna LU
supervisor
organization
course
BUSN39 20181
year
type
H1 - Master's Degree (One Year)
subject
keywords
Trust, Sustainability Communication, Sustainability, Green Marketing, CSR, Greenwashing, Skepticism, Consumption, Source of Communication
language
English
id
8948341
date added to LUP
2018-06-28 14:36:06
date last changed
2018-06-28 14:36:06
@misc{8948341,
  abstract     = {{The purpose of this study is to gain insights on what evokes consumer trust for
(environmental) sustainability communication and shed light on how this trust impacts
consumers’ perception of sustainability. A literature review and qualitative data collection,
combining four focus groups and nine interviews, were the basis for a discussion on this
topic. This study found that what evokes trust in sustainability communication is a rather
complex dynamic which previous research has failed to explore. Preexisting studies have
instead focused on how a few attributes, such as the type of organization behind sustainability
communication, affect trust. This study also concluded that consumers might provide one
answer for what evokes their trust when asked in general, and another when given an example
of sustainability communication to consider. Additionally, it was found that sustainability
communication has a somewhat complex impact on consumer perception of sustainability.
Although identifying high consumption levels in itself as a problem for environmental
sustainability and expressing skepticism for environmental claims made by business, they
were more focused on being sustainable by consuming sustainable products than decreasing
their sustainability. This study concluded that this depended on the notion that changing what
products to consume is easier than stopping to consume and the fact that business is trying to
drive sales through sustainability communication and offers.}},
  author       = {{Dahl, Felix and Bakalarska, Anna}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{The Complexity of Consumer Trust in Sustainability Communication}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}