Contents
Title
Typology of Polish Consumers in Regard to their Sustainable Behaviour
Author
Jadwiga Stobiecka
Classification JEL
A13, F18, M14, M31
Abstract
The article discusses some aspects of the theoretical and methodological problems of measurement and analysis of sustainable consumer behaviour in Polish conditions. It makes an attempt to identify consumer groups representing similar behaviours in this area. The author focuses on environmental, health-related, legal and local dimensions. All the four dimensions are represented by the same number of indicators –items in a Likert scale. The presented results refer to two models of confirmatory factor analysis, with attention given to 4 latent variables. A model which fits the data well is the one with 8 indicators. The use of a model with 12 indicators does not bring fully satisfactory results.The use of a model with 12 indicators does not bring fully satisfactory results. In order to isolate the homogeneous groups of consumers, k-means cluster analysis was performed three times – twice the arithmetic means obtained for each of the four dimensions were used (they were calculated on the basis of three or two observable variables), the third analysis took into account principal components. Eight observable variables were reduced to four continuous variables. In the next step, relatively homogeneous clusters were identified. Each time two clusters were obtained which differentiate all the 4 variables (at the level of at least p<0.005). A detailed description is presented of typology obtained on the basis of the model fitted the data best, and the manner of identifying homogenous groups, based on raw data. Polish consumers can be divided into two groups: “socially responsible” and “uncommitted”. Two out of 6 analysed demographic variables show statistically significant differences: professional status and declared financial condition. The identified groups differentiate some behaviours in the area of recycling, and 6 out of 10 Schwartz basic values.
Keywords
sustainable behaviour, typology, measurement scale, principal component analysis, confirmatory factor analysis.
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