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PUBLICATIONS


003 – Brand Love, Attitude, and Environmental Cause Knowledge: Sustainable Blue Jeans Consumer Behavior

Abstract

A blue jeans brand committed to the environmental cause could position itself as unique and socially responsible and attract environmentally driven consumers. This research study examines the relationship between brand love and consumers’ environmental cause knowledge and their willingness to recommend and pay a premium for sustainable blue jeans. To this end, this cross- sectional study comprises a snowball convenience sample of 978 Portuguese respondents, whose data were collected from December 2022 to January 2023. Positive associations between self-expression, brand love, loyalty, environmental cause knowledge, positive word-of-mouth, and willingness to pay a premium for sustainable blue jeans stand out.

There are differences in the willingness to pay a premium among generations, education levels, and consumers who are aware of sustainable line extensions and those who are not. The results may be helpful for brands, suggesting their communication should focus on creating increased proximity to consumers by enhancing their values and seeking to link their brands to intrinsic benefits and environmental stakes. This is the first study to incorporate knowledge of the environmental cause into a model linking brand love, brand loyalty, positive word-of-mouth, and willingness to pay a premium for sustainable blue jeans.


002 – Consideration of Sustainability in Projects: A Cross-Sectional Quantitative Analysis

Abstract

The consideration of sustainability in projects is one of the most critical global trends in project management today, as projects are instrumental in the sustainable development of organisations and society. In the growing literature on this topic, most studies take a qualitative approach, often based on single case studies, and quantitative studies are underrepresented. To address these limitations, this study aims to examine the extent to which different aspects and perspectives of sustainability are integrated into projects by reporting a quantitative analysis of the consideration of sustainability in 134 projects. The analysis used the Sustainable Project Management Maturity Model SPM3 to analyse the level at which sustainability was considered in the projects.

The results show that, on average, sustainability is considered at a reactive level, with the desired levels of consideration on average one level higher (proactive). When considering the different triple bottom line perspectives, the economic perspective scores highest, followed by the social and environmental perspectives. The study also shows that building-related projects score higher on sustainability considerations than other project types, as do larger projects. Limitations of the study include its European focus, the relatively small sample size, and the fact that the data was collected in different locations over a four-year period, which raises the possibility of subjective differences in the evaluation of individual projects. Nevertheless, the study can be seen as a ‘wake-up call’ for project practitioners, who need to be more proactive in this regard if projects are to be the route to sustainability.


001 – Technology and the Generation Gap: How E-Expertise Present in Youths Positively Affects Online Purchases

Abstract

This cross-sectional study addresses Portuguese online shoppers’ behavior toward Chinese online retailers, assessing the impact of financial, product, and time-convenience risks and demographic traits on their willingness to buy from those e-stores. The research relies on a survey of 1,432 participants who have shopped online at least once. Approximately half of the sample already buys from Chinese websites; age, financial, and time-convenience risks explain 21.5% of the variance of their purchase intention.

On the other hand, participants who buy on Chinese websites present significantly lower values of all risks and the intention to buy from Chinese websites, possibly reflecting a satisfactory transaction experience. Furthermore, a generation gap is evident as younger people feel more confident in dealing intuitively with and solving online issues, giving them the confidence necessary to purchase online from Chinese e-stores – perhaps geographically and ideologically distant – but brought closer by e-expertise (online dexterity).


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