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When sustainability backfires : A review on the unintended negative side-effects of product and service sustainability on consumer behavior

Author

Listed:
  • Diletta Acuti

    (University of Portsmouth)

  • Marta Pizzetti

    (EM - EMLyon Business School)

  • Sara Dolnicar

    (UQ [All campuses : Brisbane, Dutton Park Gatton, Herston, St Lucia and other locations] - The University of Queensland)

Abstract

The existential need for more sustainable production and consumption has attracted substantial scholarly interest, which has focused on the positive outcomes of corporate sustainability. Negative side-effects have been largely neglected. This study contributes (1) by synthesizing past research into such negative side-effects from a diverse set of business disciplines; (2) by conceptualizing—for the first time—unintended negative side-effects of product and service sustainability; and (3) by developing a research agenda guiding researchers in addressing the most important knowledge gaps. The synthesis of 94 articles identifies three main cognitive mechanisms (information elaboration, product perception bias, and self-perception) and several emotionally aversive states (anxiety, shame, guilt, regret, distress, reduced enjoyment, frustration, discomfort, stress, and embarrassment) that are responsible for unintended negative side-effects resulting from product and service sustainability. Immediate managerial implications from this study include the critical importance of simple corporate sustainable communication that does not require consumers to dedicate substantial cognitive resources. Important future research directions include the investigation of the effects of green hushing and the development and testing of practical ways to help companies to avoid the sustainability liability trap, which leads to reduced demand because of sustainable features of products or services.

Suggested Citation

  • Diletta Acuti & Marta Pizzetti & Sara Dolnicar, 2022. "When sustainability backfires : A review on the unintended negative side-effects of product and service sustainability on consumer behavior," Post-Print hal-04381310, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04381310
    DOI: 10.1002/mar.21709
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-04381310v1
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Information complexity; Systematic review; Negative effect; Product perception; Self‐perception; Sustainability; Sustainable consumption;
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