TY  - JOUR
A1  - Balderjahn, Ingo
A1  - Lee, Michael S. W.
A1  - Seegebarth, Barbara
A1  - Peyer, Mathias
T1  - A sustainable pathway to consumer wellbeing
BT  - the role of anticonsumption and consumer empowerment
JF  - The Journal of consumer affairs
N2  - This study investigates the effect of different anticonsumption constructs on consumer wellbeing. The study assumes that people will only lower their level of consumption if doing so does not also lower personal wellbeing. More precisely, this research investigates how specific subtypes of sustainable anticonsumption (e.g., voluntary simplicity, collaborative consumption, and debt-free living) relate to different states of consumer's wellbeing (e.g., financial, psychosocial, and subjective wellbeing). This work also examines whether consumer empowerment can improve personal wellbeing and strengthen the anticonsumption wellbeing relationship. The results show that voluntarily foregoing consumption does not reduce wellbeing and consumer empowerment plays a significant role in supporting sustainable pathways to consumer wellbeing. This study reasons that empowerment improves consumer sovereignty, but may be detrimental for consumers heavily concerned about debt-free living. The present investigation concludes by proposing implications for public and consumer policymakers wishing to promote appropriate sustainable (anticonsumption) pathways to consumer wellbeing.
Y1  - 2019
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1111/joca.12278
SN  - 0022-0078
SN  - 1745-6606
VL  - 54
IS  - 2
SP  - 456
EP  - 488
PB  - Wiley
CY  - Malden, Mass.
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Ziesemer, Florence
A1  - Hüttel, Alexandra
A1  - Balderjahn, Ingo
T1  - Anti-Consumption
JF  - Sustainability
N2  - Transcending the conventional debate around efficiency in sustainable consumption, anti-consumption patterns leading to decreased levels of material consumption have been gaining importance. Change agents are crucial for the promotion of such patterns, so there may be lessons for governance interventions that can be learnt from the every-day experiences of those who actively implement and promote sustainability in the field of anti-consumption. Eighteen social innovation pioneers, who engage in and diffuse practices of voluntary simplicity and collaborative consumption as sustainable options of anti-consumption share their knowledge and personal insights in expert interviews for this research. Our qualitative content analysis reveals drivers, barriers, and governance strategies to strengthen anti-consumption patterns, which are negotiated between the market, the state, and civil society. Recommendations derived from the interviews concern entrepreneurship, municipal infrastructures in support of local grassroots projects, regulative policy measures, more positive communication to strengthen the visibility of initiatives and emphasize individual benefits, establishing a sense of community, anti-consumer activism, and education. We argue for complementary action between top-down strategies, bottom-up initiatives, corporate activities, and consumer behavior. The results are valuable to researchers, activists, marketers, and policymakers who seek to enhance their understanding of materially reduced consumption patterns based on the real-life experiences of active pioneers in the field.
KW  - social innovation
KW  - sufficiency
KW  - collaborative consumption
KW  - expert interview
KW  - consumer behavior
KW  - sustainability
KW  - innovation policy
KW  - governance for sustainable development
KW  - consumer education
Y1  - 2019
U6  - https://doi.org/10.3390/su11236663
SN  - 2071-1050
VL  - 11
IS  - 23
PB  - MDPI
CY  - Basel
ER  -