Linking values and behaviour to understand sustainable consumption pattern of Indians

Abstract

Consumption and in particular sustainable consumption behaviour is expounded to be very unpredictable in literature. Most of the behavioural studies and models have not been able to predict consumer actions in different contexts and situations. The reason could be the fact that consumption is much more than just a social and economic process of buying goods, it is a mean of forming and expressing identity, a mean of articulating the characteristics of human mind that have developed due to cultural and societal influences. In this research, we are trying to explain consumption pattern by linking them to the personal values and beliefs of individuals. Personal values have been found to be an important factor in determining the type of product an individual would buy.