Consumer myopia: a cross-cultural study about the attitude and sustainable behavior of university students

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5902/1983465937665

Keywords:

Sustainable consumption, Transcultural, Brazil, Germany

Abstract

Purpose

The present study has the general objective to verify the myopia level of Management students from different cultures.

Design/methodology/approach

For that purpose, the methodology chosen was, as for means, quantitative and qualitative, and as for purposes, exploratory and descriptive. The primary data were collected through questionnaires and interviews applied with Brazilian and German Management students.

Findings

Regarding the results, it was observed that the students of both countries have similar attitudes and behaviors concerning sustainability; moreover, it was verified moderate myopia concerning the environmental behavior of the students inside both universities despite cultural differences.

Research limitations/implications

The present study cannot generalize the results for the universe Brazil and Germany, one of the limitations of the study being the cult-unit researched. Only Management students of the two countries were studied, besides being sampled for convenience.

Social implications

In Bremen, the resource economy is cultural it was developed especially in the post-war periods with the restrictions imposed on the country. On the other side of the comparison, we have Fortaleza, a city in northeastern Brazil. The scourge of northeastern droughts has led the region to develop a culture of water and resource-saving.

Originality/value

The study empirically tested a new concept related to sustainability with people from two countries with different realities. The consumer myopia identifies the short-term view of consumers concerned only with their immediate personal satisfaction, and who do not envisage the possibility of allying this satisfaction with sustainability in the long term.

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Author Biographies

Iveltyma Ibiapina, Federal University of Ceará

Master in Administration and Controllership from the Federal University of Ceará (2017). A researcher at LESS - Study Group on Strategies for Sustainable Society. Graduated in Administration from the Federal University of Ceará (2016).

Marusa Hitaly Cunha, Federal University of Ceará

Master in Administration and Controllership from the Federal University of Ceará (2017). Specialist in Tax Management at Darcy Ribeiro Technology College. Bachelor of Business Administration from the State University of Ceará and Bachelor of Laws from the University of Fortaleza

Marlon Bruno Matos Paiva, Federal University of Ceará

He holds a degree in Business Administration from the State University of Ceará (2009). He holds a Master's degree in Administration and Controlling from the PPAC of the Federal University of Ceará, in the research line Organizational Studies and People Management. He is a doctorate student in Administration and Controllership from the PPAC of the Federal University of Ceará.

Cláudia Buhamra Romero, Federal University of Ceará

Full Professor at the Federal University of Ceará. Graduation in Administration from the Federal University of Ceará. Master's and Doctorate in Administration with the concentration in Marketing by FGV-SP, having completed a Master's degree from London Business School, England. Post-Doctorate in Marketing Administration in Montreal, Canada, at the John Molson School of Business at Concordia University, under the guidance of Prof. Michel Laroche.

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Published

2020-11-28

How to Cite

Ibiapina, I., Cunha, M. H., Paiva, M. B. M., & Romero, C. B. (2020). Consumer myopia: a cross-cultural study about the attitude and sustainable behavior of university students. Revista De Administração Da UFSM, 13(5), 959–976. https://doi.org/10.5902/1983465937665

Issue

Vol. 13 No. 5 (2020): Special Issue

Section

Articles

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