A Pro-Environmental Perspective on Gift-Giving : Understanding the Norms, Motives, and Emotions Behind this Sustainable Consumption

It is estimated that millions of packaged and unused gift items are sent to landfills every month, generating enormous amounts of waste borne by the environment. Proposing social recycling through regifting unused gift items as a probable solution, the authors proposed an integration of the norm activation model (NAM) and mediator emotions (pride-vs-guilt) along with perceived offensiveness as a moderating variable. A self-reported survey of 301 participants was used to empirically test the framework using a structural equation modeling technique (study 1). This study validated the appropriateness of sensitizing common individuals about the environmental concerns arising from the current practice of social gifting, in stimulating their intentions of regifting unused gift items. In addition, study 1 confirmed the moderating nature of perceived offensiveness and the appropriateness of the NAM mediator model. Thereafter, through experiment employing manipulations (study 2), the authors examined the relative effectiveness of experienced emotions (pride-vs-guilt) and motives (egoistic-vs-altruistic) in eliciting regifting intentions. Outcomes indicated pride emotions and altruistic appeal as significantly more effective in causing regifting intention. Further, extending to a different social context (study 3), the authors empirically showed that in the absence of an external nudge/manipulation, individuals having pride emotions, and altruistic motives still intrinsically intend to regift items when an opportunity arises. In addition to widening the scope of (re)gifting literature beyond the traditional social exchange perspective and economic context, this study outcomes contribute significantly to the practitioners by guiding them in developing more effective awareness campaigns and message appeals promoting regifting behavior among common individuals