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The Impact of Public Policies and Civil Society on the Sustainable Behavior of Romanian Consumers of Electrical and Electronic Products

Author

Listed:
  • Florin Vaduva

    (Faculty of Economic Sciences, Titu Maiorescu University Bucharest, 040051 Bucharest, Romania)

  • Luiela Magdalena Csorba

    (Faculty of Economic Sciences, Aurel Vlaicu University of Arad, 77, Revoluției Str., 310130 Arad, Romania)

  • Dan-Cristian Dabija

    (Department of Marketing, Babeș-Bolyai University Cluj-Napoca, 400591 Cluj-Napoca, Romania)

  • George Lăzăroiu

    (Faculty of Science and Engineering, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
    The Intelligent Communications and Computing Lab, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, ON M5B 1G3, Canada
    Department of Economic Sciences, Spiru Haret University, 030045 Bucharest, Romania)

Abstract

The negative impact of the waste generated by long-lasting products is a pressing issue for humanity. As such, socio-economic activities worldwide must be carried out according to sustainability principles, and governments have been increasingly pressured to develop laws and policies that protect the environment. The influence of civil society can boost the impact of public policies. For Romania, an emerging country, a well-developed legislation is needed, as well as the involvement of the administrative and civil sectors, not only in raising consumers’ awareness regarding the importance of recovering and recycling waste, but also in changing their purchasing behavior in the direction of ecological products. An empirical investigation was conducted to identify the direct and mediation effects of external factors on the behavior of electrical and electronic product consumers. Data were collected from 421 respondents and evaluated with latent variable analyses in the R statistical program. The originality of the study resides in articulating a novel relationship between recovery and recycling intentions and the preference for ecological products, enhancing understanding about sustainability in relation to electrical and electronic products. The link between recovering and recycling intentions and consumers’ preferences for ecological products was validated for the first time in our investigation. The study concludes that external factors have a meaningful direct and mediating effect on Romanian consumers’ green behavior.

Suggested Citation

  • Florin Vaduva & Luiela Magdalena Csorba & Dan-Cristian Dabija & George Lăzăroiu, 2024. "The Impact of Public Policies and Civil Society on the Sustainable Behavior of Romanian Consumers of Electrical and Electronic Products," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-16, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:3:p:1262-:d:1331880
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    References listed on IDEAS

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