Pro-environmental attitudes and behaviours of young adults in shaping the market offer in the international dimension

Abstract

Objective: The objective of the article is to identify selected pro-environmental behaviours (along with their determinants) of young adults from Polish and Spanish universities and to determine which of them should be taken into account in shaping the market offer of modern international companies.

Research Design & Methods: The basis for the conclusions was qualitative research conducted with the use of an online questionnaire. The survey covered students of Polish universities, from whom 540 completed questionnaires were obtained, and students of a Spanish university – 54 questionnaires. The analysis of cross-tabulation in various sections was carried out using the Pearson Chi-square statistics, the contingency coefficient and Cramer's V coefficient.

Findings: Young adults from Spain less often than respondents in Poland believe that their lifestyle is environmentally friendly and are more critical of the intensity of involvement of modern people in pro-environmental activities. The positive opinion of Polish students about themselves does not correlate with their behaviour – they participate in protest marches or monitor the network activity of pro-environmental organisations less often than Spanish students. In the case of respondents from Spanish university, essential determinants of their pro-environmental activity turned out to be the following variables: “a source of income” and “a form of study”, while for students from Polish universities, these were “gender” and “a year of birth.”

Implications & Recommendations: The pro-environmental elements of the product offer will be appreciated faster in the Spanish market than in the Polish market. At the same time, the offer with such elements will be more popular among younger people, women, and people from big cities. It will be easier to convince the Spanish community of the restrictions on using private cars in urban spaces. The pro-environmental elements of the job offer will be essential only for almost 20% of candidates from Spain and nearly 10% of applicants from Polish universities.

Contribution & Value Added: Describing the intensity of pro-environmental behaviour of young adults from selected universities in Poland and Spain. Separating statistically significant relationships between selected pro-environmental behaviours of young adults from the Polish and Spanish markets and their demographic characteristics.

Keywords

pro-environmental attitudes, consumer behaviour, young adults, the Polish market, the Spanish market

Author Biography

Robert Lisowski

Robert Lisowski, PhD eng., an assistant professor at the Department of Enterprise Management at the Faculty of Management of the AGH University of Science and Technology in Cracow. A graduate of the Faculty of Management at the AGH in Cracow. The doctor of economic sciences degree in the discipline of management science.

Mariola Mamcarczyk

Mariola Mamcarczyk, PhD, an assistant professor at the Department of Economics of the Cracow University of Economics. A graduate of the Faculty of Economics and International Relations at the University of Economics in Cracow, specialising in real estate management. She obtained a doctorate in Economics in the field of Economics in 2017. She focuses scientific activity on sport, the development of sports infrastructure and local development.

Anita Proszowska

Anita Proszowska, PhD eng., assistant professor in the Department of Enterprise Management in the Faculty of Management, AGH University of Science and Technology in Cracow. A graduate of the Faculty of Management at the AGH in Cracow. The doctor of economic sciences degree in the discipline of management science. The main area of current scientific interests is the market behaviour of buyers.

Mariano Soler-Porta

Mariano Soler-Porta, Professor in the Department of Accounting and Management and in the Master’s Degree in Business Administration and Management (MBA) at the University of Málaga (Spain). Expert in Business Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Comprehensive Business Management. Degree in Business Administration and Management.

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