Personal values, norms, situational factors and sustainable consumption behaviours of beverage consumers in Central Uganda

Abstract

Human consumption behaviours have significant adverse effects on the environment. Such challenges can be mitigated by adopting sustainable consumption behaviours. The study was anchored on the Value Belief Norm (VBN) and the Attitude Behaviour Context (ABC) theories, to investigate the role of personal values, norms and situational factors on sustainable consumption behaviours of beverage consumers in Central Uganda. The study objectives were: to examine the relationship between personal values and sustainable consumption behaviours, personal values and norms, and norms and sustainable consumption behaviours. The study tested the mediating effect of norms, the moderating impact of situational factors, and the moderated mediation relationship. It also explored the commonly practised sustainable consumption behaviours of beverage consumers. The study used a sequential explanatory mixed-methods approach. Four hundred respondents were selected using a multi-stage random sampling technique to collect the quantitative data, whereas the qualitative data were collected from ten purposively selected key informants. The quantitative data were analysed using structural equation modelling in AMOS and conditional process analysis in PROCESS Macro, while qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis in the ATLAS.ti software. The findings show positive relationships between personal values and sustainable consumption behaviours (β = 0.803, p <0.01), personal values and norms (β = 0.611, p <0.01), norms and sustainable consumption behaviours (β = 0.322, p <0.05), the mediating effect of norms (β = 0.197, p <0.05), and the moderating influence of situational factors (β = 0.094, p <0.05). The study also provides evidence of a moderated mediation relationship (β = 0.0562, 0.0071–0.115). The qualitative findings identified three behaviours: donation, public-sphere behaviours and using refillable bottles that had not been measured in the quantitative phase. The researcher recommends that for sustainable consumption behaviours to be practiced, vendors of beverage products should intensify communicating sustainability information using various media outlets, implement bottle recovery mechanisms, and introduce alternative sustainable product packaging. Also, policymakers should amend environmental policies, enforce penalties for non-compliance, introduce sustainability education programmes and make recycling and waste disposal facilities accessible.