Promoting Sustainable Consumer Behaviour: A Study of the Motivational Factors that Influence British Consumers' Purchase of Plant Based Meat
Author
Mortensen, Julie Wittrup Tølbøll
Term
4. term
Publication year
2019
Submitted on
2019-06-03
Pages
83
Abstract
Dette speciale undersøger, hvad der motiverer britiske forbrugere til at købe plantebaseret kød for at fremme mere bæredygtig forbrugeradfærd. Tre forskningsspørgsmål strukturerer arbejdet: (1) hvad der kendetegner britiske forbrugeres holdninger til plantebaseret kød, (2) hvordan disse holdninger påvirker motivationen for køb, og (3) hvordan viden om kødforbrugets miljøpåvirkninger indvirker på købsadfærd. Teoretisk bygger specialet på The Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen), A Theory of Human Motivation (Maslow) og Norm Activation Theory (Schwartz). Metodisk anvendes et mixed methods-design med spørgeskema bestående af lukkede og åbne spørgsmål, analyseret med både kvantitative opgørelser og kvalitativ tematisk kodning. Resultaterne viser, at holdningerne til plantebaseret kød er næsten ligeligt fordelt mellem positive og negative, med et mindre flertal af positive. Positive drivkræfter omfatter personlig sundhed, bekvemmelighed, produktets positive klimaeffekt og dets potentiale for at reducere kødforbrug. Væsentlige barrierer er høj pris, manglende viden og frustration over, at produktet efterligner konventionelt kød. Anbefalinger fra den nære omgangskreds kan imidlertid øge købsvilligheden og nuancere negative holdninger. For et mindretal spiller omdømme en motiverende rolle, mens det for de fleste er uden betydning. Den stærkeste motivationsfaktor er opfattelsen af, at plantebaseret kød bidrager positivt til at imødegå klimaforandringer. Selvom forbrugerne generelt har omfattende viden om kødforbrugets miljøkonsekvenser, omsættes denne viden ikke nødvendigvis til motivation hos alle, blandt andet fordi nogle lægger ansvaret for forandring på kollektive, politiske løsninger, mens andre ser individuel handling som virkningsfuld. Tilsammen giver fundene indblik i, hvordan britiske forbrugere potentielt kan motiveres til at inkludere mere plantebaseret kød i deres kost.
This thesis investigates what motivates British consumers to purchase plant-based meat in order to promote more sustainable consumption. It is guided by three research questions: (1) what characterizes British consumers’ attitudes toward plant-based meat, (2) how these attitudes affect purchase motivation, and (3) how knowledge about the environmental impacts of meat consumption influences purchasing. The study draws on the Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen), A Theory of Human Motivation (Maslow), and Norm Activation Theory (Schwartz). Methodologically, it employs a mixed methods design using a questionnaire with both closed and open-ended items, analyzed through quantitative summaries and qualitative thematic coding. Findings indicate that attitudes are almost evenly split, with a slight majority positive. Key positive drivers include personal health, convenience, perceived climate benefits, and the product’s role in reducing meat consumption. Major barriers are high price, lack of knowledge, and frustration that the product imitates conventional meat. Recommendations from close social contacts can increase willingness to buy and shift negative attitudes. Reputation motivates a small minority, while most consumers are indifferent to image. The strongest reported motivator is the perceived positive impact on climate change. Although consumers generally have substantial knowledge of meat’s environmental impact, this does not consistently translate into motivation, partly because some assign responsibility to collective political action while others believe in the efficacy of individual behavior. Together, these results offer insights into how British consumers might be encouraged to include more plant-based meat in their diets.
[This summary has been generated with the help of AI directly from the project (PDF)]
Keywords
Documents