Evolutions in the ecologically conscious consumer behaviour in Greece

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine simultaneously all types of ecologically conscious consumer behaviour (ECCB) during the current economic crisis in Greece and investigate some of the factors able to affect it; to reveal the distances between the results of this study and those of previous studies in the same geographical area; and to present a detailed profile of the ecologically conscious consumers’ (ECCs) market segment. Design/methodology/approach – An effort was made to examine simultaneously all types of ECCB, namely pro‐environmental purchasing behaviour, recycling behaviour, pro‐environmental post‐purchasing behaviour and pro‐environmental (non‐purchasing) activities. A set of demographic, attitudinal and personality variables was added in the investigation. The relevant research objectives were set and they were accomplished by a quantitative survey of a large enough ‐‐ for the urban area of Thessaloniki ‐‐ probability sample. Findings – All ECCB types were found to be positively related to consumers’ education, attitudes towards recycling and locus of control over politics; and to be related negatively to environmental unconcern. Strong inter‐relationships among all the ECCB types were revealed. Cluster analysis indicated that the ECCs segment counts for 16 per cent, a size considerably smaller than a decade ago. Research limitations/implications – A remaining social desirability effect despite the effort to eliminate it. Limited understanding of the economic crisis's consequences. Incomplete profile of ECCs. Practical implications – Managers of ecological products, managers in charge of recycling programmes and executives working with the ecological organizations should all be aware that they share the same target group, that of ECCs. They should study carefully the characteristics of ECCs and choose the most appropriate communication strategies. Social implications – Environmental protection undoubtedly affects quality of life. Understanding better ecologically related consumer behaviour provides the necessary basis for corporate socially responsible strategies. Public policy makers in charge of environmental protection programmes need to increase people's locus of control and recycling attitudes while eliminating their unconcern towards environmental issues. Originality/value – The paper is an effort to overcome the usual fragmentary examination of ecological behaviours. All types of ECCB were examined under an integrated theoretical framework and they were found to be inter‐related. This is the first study to examine the impact of the economic crisis in Greece on pro‐environmental behaviours.