Exploring the role of self-image congruence within the sustainable decision-making process and the changes in the attitude behaviour gap

Abstract

Although the Attitude-Behaviour Gap and the Self-Image Congruence have received much attention in past and current studies, the literature is lacking research on how these two concepts influence each other within the context of sustainable consumption behaviour. By focusing on the ethical clothing industry, the objectives of this research were to combine the two theoretical models in order to gain a deeper understanding of the role of self-image congruence in the context of ethical decision making and highlights how theses insights can help to bridgethe long-standing Attitude-Behaviour gap. A total of seventeen in-depth interviews were conducted and analysed through a grounded theory approach. Four overarching findings emerge from the data analysis: a gradual change in the Attitude-Behaviour Gap, the interdependence of Social, Situational and Individual Factors when engaging in complex decision-making, the importance of Brand Attributes, and the necessity of a cognitive match between the Actual and Ideal Self for accurate consumer behaviour predictions. This study’s contributions might be of interest to scholars and marketing practioners within the low-involvement green product industry.