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Unsustainable consumption is an important cause of the continued deterioration of the global environment. The authors compare the ecological impact of anticonsumption lifestyles and environmental concern. Findings indicate that high scores on anticonsumption lifestyles (voluntary simplicity, frugality, and tightwadism) and environmental concern are associated with lower ecological impact. More precisely, the findings show that these lifestyles are not associated with a reduction in consumption, as their stereotypes would imply. Voluntary simplicity (β = −.286) and tightwadism (β = −.216) show a stronger association with lower ecological impact (i.e., are less harmful to the environment) than environmental concern (β = −.190), whereas frugality (β = −.089) is not associated with reduced impact after demographic variables were controlled for. The findings pertaining to voluntary simplicity and tightwadism suggest that resisting consumption is an alternative path toward more sustainable consumption. Public policy makers and marketers can build on these findings and include reduced consumption and sufficiency in their sustainability strategies.

The increasing complexity of the Edge–Cloud Continuum (ECC), driven by the rapid expansion of the Internet of Things (IoT) and data-intensive applications, necessitates implementing innovative methods for automated and efficient system management. In this context, recent studies focused on the utilization of self-* capabilities that can be used to enhance system autonomy and increase operational proactiveness. Separately, anomaly detection and adaptive sampling techniques have been explored to optimize data transmission and improve systems’ reliability. The integration of those techniques within a single, lightweight, and extendable self-optimization module is the main subject of this contribution. The module was designed to be well suited for distributed systems, composed of highly resource-constrained operational devices (e.g., wearable health monitors, IoT sensors in vehicles, etc.), where it can be utilized to self-adjust data monitoring and enhance the resilience of critical processes. The focus is put on the implementation of two core mechanisms, derived from the current state-of-the-art: (1) density-based anomaly detection in real-time resource utilization data streams, and (2) a dynamic adaptive sampling technique, which employs Probabilistic Exponential Weighted Moving Average. The performance of the proposed module was validated using both synthetic and real-world datasets, which included a sample collected from the target infrastructure. The main goal of the experiments was to showcase the effectiveness of the implemented techniques in different, close to real-life scenarios. Moreover, the results of the performed experiments were compared with other state-of-the-art algorithms in order to examine their advantages and inherent limitations. With the emphasis put on frugality and real-time operation, this contribution offers a novel perspective on resource-aware autonomic optimization for next-generation ECC.

Climate change and other crises are putting strict limits on our consumption of energy and resources. Therefore, these constrains need to be integrated into engineering, which is currently prone to wastage, for systematically infusing frugality into products for widespread sustainable development. This paper presents a novel approach in engineering that systematically aids designers in going frugal by explicitly accounting for uncertainties while creating the optimal frugal part/product in any sector. The stochastic frugal approach is a holistic design method that integrates various stages of product-development with deterministic and stochastic techniques. In doing so, design significantly influences pillars of engineering including manufacturing and supply chains. A new model of reliability has been presented that explicitly accounts for nominal- and over-loading conditions in design. Both the factor of frugality and monte carlo simulation technique have been employed in the exemplification of the stochastic frugal approach with a shaft. The example on shaft - simplicity notwithstanding - unfolds the intricacies and confirms the ability of the new design-approach to create advanced frugal products that are highly reliable. This approach can be applied to any part/product in any sector and is suitable for use with machine learning.

Purpose Second-hand/used goods channels compete with existing traditional channels to satisfy consumers’ needs that are unmet by traditional retail networks. However, most studies on online shopping have largely ignored online second-hand/used good purchases. This study aims to use Thaler’s mental accounting model, principal–agent perspective and contamination theory to highlight the differences in the value sought by online new goods and second-hand shoppers. Design/methodology/approach A conceptual framework linking perceived uncertainty, perceived acquisition value and e-loyalty was developed and tested using structural equation modelling. The moderating effects of product type (new vs second-hand) and frugality were also included. Findings The paper found strong support for the model. Results showed that online second-hand shoppers were more uncertain and perceived lesser levels of acquisition value when compared to new goods shoppers. They were also less frugal. Online shoppers are also more likely to buy products with sensory attributes (experience goods) in new goods websites and products with non-sensory attributes (search goods) from second-hand websites. The authors recommend various ways in which managers can increase perceived value for the online shopper. Research limitations/implications Future studies can extend this investigation by including transaction value or other hedonic values to verify their impact on acquisition value and e-loyalty. While the authors found support for the notion that consumers who buy used goods online are less frugal, there is some research that could point to the opposite. Hence, research can investigate this topic in depth in more countries to throw more light on this. Practical implications To sustain themselves in a competitive online market, retailers need to understand the value sought by consumers. This study provides empirical evidence of the importance of acquisition value for new goods and second-hand shoppers. Originality/value No recent research has compared the value sought by online second-hand and new goods shoppers. This study contributes to the understanding of the acquisition value perceived by consumers in online new goods and second-hand shopping channels.

PurposeThis research focuses on the consumption behavior of young consumers by examining their ecological consciousness and several self-oriented and psychological variables (fashion-orientation, frugality and psychological ownership toward the environment) that may trigger their sustainable purchase behavior. The research used “Psychological Ownership Theory” to examine sustainable purchase behavior in the context of apparel consumption.Design/methodology/approachTo gather data, a multi-method approach is used, including a scenario-based choice experiment (n = 62) and a structured survey (n = 338) using an online self-administered questionnaire. Data analysis was done using SPSS AMOS version 25 and PROCESS SPSS macro.FindingsThe results of the two studies revealed the mediation effect of “psychological ownership toward the environment” between ecological consciousness and sustainable purchasing behavior. Furthermore, fashion-orientation was found to be a significant moderating variable influencing sustainable purchase behavior; however, the impact of frugality was insignificant.Originality/valueThis research is one of the first that examined the mediation impact of psychological ownership of the environment in sustainable purchasing behavior using multi-method. The research focuses on the ecological consciousness of young consumers that develop psychological ownership.

PurposeThis study examines the impact of servitization in the form of repair and maintenance services on consumers' quality perceptions, purchase intentions and recommendation intentions while considering consumer frugality as a moderator in the retail ready-to-wear sector.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative approach based on consumer research was pursued. Study 1 tested the research model using a fictitious ready-to-wear brand within an experimental design. To increase the generalizability of results, Study 2 retested the model with a well-known ready-to-wear brand. For both studies, regression, mediation and moderation analyses were conducted in SPSS.FindingsBoth studies showed that servitization positively influences perceived quality. Servitization positively affects purchase intentions and recommendation intentions indirectly via the mediating role of perceived quality. Frugality moderates the relationship between servitization and perceived quality for the fictitious brand (Study 1), whereas it is not significant for a well-known ready-to-wear brand (Study 2). Servitization positively influences perceived quality regardless of consumers' frugality levels for a stronger brand.Originality/valueThis study suggests and tests an original conceptual model that relies on signaling theory. It is among the first studies to examine the impact of servitization on retail fashion consumers' quality perceptions and consequent purchase and recommendation intentions. This study also contributes to the literature by presenting empirical findings based on consumer research on servitization while considering frugality as a moderator.Practical implicationsBundling products with additional services can contribute to quality perceptions and consequently to purchase and recommendation intentions for ready-to-wear brands.

Consumers often behave differently than they would ideally like to behave. We propose that an anticipatory pain of paying drives “tightwads” to spend less than they would ideally like to spend. “Spendthrifts,” by contrast, experience too little pain of paying and typically spend more than they would ideally like to spend. This article introduces and validates the “spendthrift‐tightwad” scale, a measure of individual differences in the pain of paying. Spending differences between tightwads and spendthrifts are greatest in situations that amplify the pain of paying and smallest in situations that diminish the pain of paying.

Research on the optimization of donation solicitations has focused on language and content rather than appearance. The present work considers how a solicitation’s appearance influences donor response. The results indicate that potential donors make inferences about the soliciting organization based on the aesthetics of the solicitation materials. In general, highly aesthetic elements increase perceptions of organizational professionalism, which consequently leads to greater donations. However, aesthetic enhancement can backfire; when high levels of aesthetics with cost implications (e.g., embossed cardstock, gold ink) are combined with high levels of aesthetics without cost implications (e.g., attractive background, appealing font), perceptions of organizational wastefulness discourage donations. Thus, the most effective solicitation is not the most beautiful but rather one offering high levels of aesthetics without cost implications and low levels of aesthetics with cost implications. The studies demonstrate these effects in the field and in the lab and also identify moderators of the negative effect of aesthetics with cost implications on donations.

PurposeThe objective of this study is to examine Chinese consumers' behavioural intentions to reduce restaurant food wastage (i.e. intentions to order moderate meal size, and to pack leftovers) in a group context from both psychological and cultural perspectives.Design/methodology/approachThis paper used an online self-administered survey for data collection. The measurements were either adopted or adapted from prior studies on pro-environmental behaviours. Using data from 311 Chinese consumers, the authors analysed restaurant food wastage in China by utilising PLS-SEM.FindingsBy applying an extended value-attitude-behaviour (VAB) hierarchy with information publicity, it is found that materialism, frugality consciousness, information publicity and environmental concern are important factors in influencing individuals' behavioural intentions to reduce food waste in a group dining-out context.Originality/valueDrawing upon perspectives of Chinese consumers, this paper outlines key promoters and barriers to food waste mitigation, and provides meaningful insights to policymakers, NGOs, industry stakeholders and even consumers on how to effectively overcome the food waste challenge at the consumption stage in the context of Chinese culture.