IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/ijmark/v2020y2020i4d10.1007_s43039-020-00015-4.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The great Millennials’ trouble: leading or confused green generation? An Italian insight

Author

Listed:
  • Michelle Bonera

    (Università degli Studi di Brescia)

  • Anna Paola Codini

    (Università degli Studi di Brescia)

  • Giulia Miniero

    (Franklin University Switzerland)

Abstract

The paper purpose is to investigate the green consumption behaviour of the Millennials generation. The paper aims to understand if all Italian Millennials are similar in terms of green consumption and if there are differences in adopting and consuming green products. As Millennials are considered the driving generation of the sustainable movement, thanks to their lifestyle and behaviours, our study tries to comprehend whether these consumers can be considered the leading “Green Generation”. We performed a cluster analysis, using the non-hierarchical method by applying the k-medium algorithm, segmenting Millennials. The segmentation was performed according to the reasons underlying and against green consumption. Then, green values and green consumer behaviour of the segments were analyzed. The results of our research reveal the existence of different clusters of Millennial consumers in terms of green attitude. Some confusion about green issues in the Millennials generation emerges, contrasting with the literature. Our results do not necessarily imply a negative attitude towards green values by Millennials, but different green attitudes among the clusters.

Suggested Citation

  • Michelle Bonera & Anna Paola Codini & Giulia Miniero, 2020. "The great Millennials’ trouble: leading or confused green generation? An Italian insight," Italian Journal of Marketing, Springer, vol. 2020(4), pages 289-308, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:ijmark:v:2020:y:2020:i:4:d:10.1007_s43039-020-00015-4
    DOI: 10.1007/s43039-020-00015-4
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s43039-020-00015-4
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s43039-020-00015-4?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hume, Margee, 2010. "Compassion without action: Examining the young consumers consumption and attitude to sustainable consumption," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 45(4), pages 385-394, October.
    2. Malcolm J. Wright & Damon A. H. Teagle & Pamela M. Feetham, 2014. "A quantitative evaluation of the public response to climate engineering," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 4(2), pages 106-110, February.
    3. Christina W.Y. Wong & Kee‐Hung Lai & Kuo‐Chung Shang & Chin‐Shan Lu, 2014. "Uncovering the Value of Green Advertising for Environmental Management Practices," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 23(2), pages 117-130, February.
    4. Zimmer, Mary R. & Stafford, Thomas F. & Stafford, Marla Royne, 1994. "Green issues: Dimensions of environmental concern," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 30(1), pages 63-74, May.
    5. Luigi Bollani & Giovanni Peira & Erica Varese & Enrico Nesi & Maria Beatrice Pairotti & Alessandro Bonadonna, 2017. "Labelling and sustainability in the green food economy: Perception among millennials with a good cultural background," RIVISTA DI STUDI SULLA SOSTENIBILITA', FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2017(2), pages 83-101.
    6. Roberts, James A., 1996. "Will the real socially responsible consumer please step forward?," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 39(1), pages 79-83.
    7. Brent Smith, 2011. "Who Shall Lead Us? How Cultural Values and Ethical Ideologies Guide Young Marketers’ Evaluations of the Transformational Manager–Leader," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 100(4), pages 633-645, June.
    8. Tania Bucic & Jennifer Harris & Denni Arli, 2012. "Ethical Consumers Among the Millennials: A Cross-National Study," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 110(1), pages 113-131, September.
    9. Diamantopoulos, Adamantios & Schlegelmilch, Bodo B. & Sinkovics, Rudolf R. & Bohlen, Greg M., 2003. "Can socio-demographics still play a role in profiling green consumers? A review of the evidence and an empirical investigation," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 56(6), pages 465-480, June.
    10. Paco, Arminda & Raposo, Mario, 2010. "Green Consumer Market Segmentation: Empirical Findings from Portugal," Apas Papers 203, Academic Public Administration Studies Archive - APAS.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Pankaj Tiwari, 2023. "Influence of the Green Brand Image on the Green Word of Mouth of Millennials: a Mediation Study on Banks," Public Organization Review, Springer, vol. 23(1), pages 59-78, March.
    2. Francesca Pratesi & Lala Hu & Riccardo Rialti & Lamberto Zollo & Monica Faraoni, 2021. "Cultural dimensions in online purchase behavior: Evidence from a cross-cultural study," Italian Journal of Marketing, Springer, vol. 2021(3), pages 227-247, September.
    3. Iana Ivanova Tzankova & Catherine O’Sullivan & Alessandra Iva Facciuto & Luciana Sacchetti & Fabiana Fini & Elvira Cicognani & Annalisa Setti, 2023. "Engagement with Nature and the Home Environment: Wellbeing and Proenvironmental Behavior among Irish and Italian University Students during the COVID-19 Emergency," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(14), pages 1-10, July.
    4. Neil Richardson, 2022. "How new sustainability typologies will reshape traditional approaches to loyalty," Italian Journal of Marketing, Springer, vol. 2022(3), pages 289-315, September.
    5. Pankaj Tiwari, 2023. "Influence of Millennials’ eco-literacy and biospheric values on green purchases: the mediating effect of attitude," Public Organization Review, Springer, vol. 23(3), pages 1195-1212, September.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Fontes Eva & Moreira António C. & Carlos Vera, 2021. "The influence of ecological concern on green purchase behavior," Management & Marketing, Sciendo, vol. 16(3), pages 246-267, September.
    2. Wintschnig, Bea Alexandra, 2021. "The Attitude-Behavior Gap – Drivers and Barriers of Sustainable Consumption," Junior Management Science (JUMS), Junior Management Science e. V., vol. 6(2), pages 324-346.
    3. Lin Zhang & Liwen Chen & Zezhou Wu & Sizhen Zhang & Huanbin Song, 2018. "Investigating Young Consumers’ Purchasing Intention of Green Housing in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-15, April.
    4. Ipek Altinbasak-Farina & Gozde Guleryuz-Turkel, 2016. "How do consumers perceive the socially responsible activities of corporations: An emerging country?s perspective," Proceedings of Business and Management Conferences 4406923, International Institute of Social and Economic Sciences.
    5. Nathalie Lazaric & Fabrice Guel & Jean Belin & Vanessa Oltra & Sébastien Lavaud & Ali Douai, 2020. "Determinants of sustainable consumption in France: the importance of social influence and environmental values," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 30(5), pages 1337-1366, November.
    6. Piergiorgio Degli Esposti & Ariela Mortara & Geraldina Roberti, 2021. "Sharing and Sustainable Consumption in the Era of COVID-19," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-15, February.
    7. Erifili Papista & Athanasios Krystallis, 2013. "Investigating the Types of Value and Cost of Green Brands: Proposition of a Conceptual Framework," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 115(1), pages 75-92, June.
    8. Hassan Harajli & Ali Chalak, 2019. "Willingness to Pay for Energy Efficient Appliances: The Case of Lebanese Consumers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(20), pages 1-20, October.
    9. Gheorghe Orzan & Anca Francisca Cruceru & Cristina Teodora Bălăceanu & Raluca-Giorgiana Chivu, 2018. "Consumers’ Behavior Concerning Sustainable Packaging: An Exploratory Study on Romanian Consumers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-11, May.
    10. Sue Hornibrook & Claire May & Andrew Fearne, 2015. "Sustainable Development and the Consumer: Exploring the Role of Carbon Labelling in Retail Supply Chains," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(4), pages 266-276, May.
    11. Borham Yoon & Jinha Lee & Heejin Lim, 2023. "Campus Dining Sustainability: A Perspective from College Students," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-11, January.
    12. Ioannis Rizomyliotis & Athanasios Poulis & Kleopatra Konstantoulaki & Apostolos Giovanis, 2021. "Sustaining brand loyalty: The moderating role of green consumption values," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(7), pages 3025-3039, November.
    13. Sergio Valdelomar-Muñoz & Eva María Murgado-Armenteros, 2024. "Environmental Concerns of Agri-Food Product Consumers: Key Factors," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-16, July.
    14. Saayman, Melville & Krugell, Waldo F. & Saayman, Andrea, 2016. "Willingness to pay: Who are the cheap talkers?," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 96-111.
    15. Su, Lujun & Pan, Yue & Chen, Xiaohong, 2017. "Corporate social responsibility: Findings from the Chinese hospitality industry," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 240-247.
    16. Edwin Chukwuemeka Idoko & Chukwunonso Oraedu & Christian Chidera Ugwuanyi & Stephen Ikechukwu Ukenna, 2021. "Determinants of Smart Meter on Sustainable Energy Consumption Behavior: A Developing Country Perspective," SAGE Open, , vol. 11(3), pages 21582440211, July.
    17. Panwar, Rajat & Han, Xiaoou & Hansen, Eric, 2010. "A demographic examination of societal views regarding corporate social responsibility in the US forest products industry," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 12(2), pages 121-128, February.
    18. Jui-Che Tu & Xiu-Yue Zhang & Sin-Yi Huang, 2018. "Key Factors of Sustainability for Smartphones Based on Taiwanese Consumers’ Perceived Values," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-22, November.
    19. Caroline Moraes & Marylyn Carrigan & Carmela Bosangit & Carlos Ferreira & Michelle McGrath, 2017. "Understanding Ethical Luxury Consumption Through Practice Theories: A Study of Fine Jewellery Purchases," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 145(3), pages 525-543, October.
    20. Jonas Nilsson, 2008. "Investment with a Conscience: Examining the Impact of Pro-Social Attitudes and Perceived Financial Performance on Socially Responsible Investment Behavior," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 83(2), pages 307-325, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:ijmark:v:2020:y:2020:i:4:d:10.1007_s43039-020-00015-4. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.