ORCID

0009-0005-9833-4504

Keywords

Marketing, Consumer Behavior, Consumer Psychology, Sustainability, Pro-environmental behavior, Green consumption

Abstract

Sustainability has become a central concern in the marketplace, and consumers increasingly consider the environmental impact of their purchases and consumption. My dissertation tackles three distinct sustainability issues in consumer contexts. Specifically, I study how firms’ sustainable initiatives could discourage consumers from engaging in pro-environmental behaviors (Essay 1), why consumers are motivated to support a band (e.g., positive word-of-mouth) for products made of eco-friendly materials compared to those made of eco-friendly processes (Essay 2), and when consumers may choose to repair the misbehaviors of distant others as opposed to those of close others (Essay 3). In my quest to answer these research questions, I shed light on three psychological mechanisms that consumers experience in sustainability contexts, including delegability (Essay 1), credit appropriation (Essay 2), and effort signaling (Essay 3). Together, my dissertation provides a deeper understanding of consumers’ pro-environmental behaviors (and the lack thereof) and the underlying psychological processes.

Completion Date

2026

Semester

Spring

Committee Chair

Xin He

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

College

College of Business

Department

Marketing

Format

PDF

Document Type

Dissertation

Identifier

DP0053180

Release Date

5-15-2028

Available for download on Monday, May 15, 2028

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