Sustainability and Societal Relevance II: Evidence from the Field.
(A2025-126244)

AUTHORS

Maren Becker, ESCP Business School; Julian Wichmann, Tilburg University; Iris Steenkamp, Bocconi University; Alexander Edeling, KU Leuven; Janneke Koster, University of Groningen; Pascal Güntürkün, Vienna University of Economics and Business

ABSTRACT

Society at large increasingly expects companies to pursue not only profit maximization but also to recognize and act on their ecological and societal responsibilities. This shift is evident in consumers demanding eco-friendly products, firms adopting corporate social responsibility initiatives, institutional investors prioritizing ESG criteria, and governments incentivizing sustainable corporate practices. Hence, the marketing discipline must better understand these sustainable and societally relevant outcomes—such as emissions, energy use, overconsumption, and donations—and its role in improving them. This special session aims to address this need by highlighting cutting-edge research that explores outcomes related to sustainability and societal relevance. The session puts a particular emphasis on managerial impact and external validity by focusing on projects that use quantitative research methods and field data. The session features the following papers: The Effect of Energy Efficiency Relabeling on Purchase Decisions – Quasi-Experimental Evidence from the European Union Justus Böning1, Maximilian Kaiser2, Marten Ovaere3, Alexander Edeling1*, Siegfried Dewitte1 1KU Leuven, 2Unviersity of Hamburg, 3Ghent University This study examines the impact of the EU's 2021 energy efficiency label reform, replacing the A-plus system with a simplified A-G scale, on household purchase behavior. Using weekly online sales data for 466 refrigerator and freezer models across 10 EU retailers, the study finds a 10% decline in the purchase share of the lowest efficiency segment (F and G) within five months. Cluttered Closets: How Preference for Quantity Drives Unsustainable Fashion Consumption Janneke Koster1*, Maarten Gijsenberg 1, Marijke Leliveld1, Hans Risselada1 1University of Groningen Fashion is highly unsustainable, driven in part by overconsumption. This study aims to better understand overconsumption and the underlying mechanisms that drive it. Effects of Rejected Upgrading Attempts on Donor Relationship: A Study in Charitable Organizations Christian Hotz-Behofsits1, Pascal Güntürkün1*, Sven Mikolon2 1WU Vienna University of Economics and Business, 2Imperial College London Charitable organizations strive to increase subscribed donors — those who give fixed amounts regularly — for more stable income streams. However, upgrading ad-hoc donors (casual givers) to subscribed donors is challenging. Analyzing data from 180,000 donors, this study examines rejected upgrading attempts on future donations. Findings show that ad-hoc donors who reject such attempts tend to donate again sooner and at higher amounts than those not approached. Building Relationships with Farmers for Sustainability: Evidence from the Rwanda Coffee Sector Mohamed Abouaziza1, Rocco Macchiavello1, Ameek Singh1, Iris Steenkamp2* 1London School of Economics, 2Bocconi University Growing pressures from net-zero emissions targets and stricter climate regulations drive firms to introduce sustainability initiatives within their supply chains. However, effective implementation remains challenging, especially in emerging markets. In partnership with a global coffee trader, we examine the impact of a loyalty-building training program with coffee farmers in Rwanda (N = 2,959) on take-up and compliance with sustainability programs.