Preditores subjacentes à intenção do consumidor para a coprodução e o consumo upcycling

Abstract

The growing interest in conscious and responsible consumption practices has shaped consumers' willingness to adopt the upcycling practice. The practice of upcycling has emerged as an innovative approach to consumption, gaining prominence as a more sustainable alternative to the conventional production of consumer goods. In this context, the main objective of the thesis was to investigate how the determining predictors influence the consumer's intention to adhere to the practice of artisanal co-production and the consumption of upcycling products. The thesis is that, in addition to environmental issues, involving each individual's ecological awareness, there are other intrinsic and extrinsic factors - (personal norms, beliefs, subjective norms, behavioral control, facilitating conditions), together with autonomy and entrepreneurial opportunity to opening new businesses, which are drivers and determinants for consumers to embrace self-production and upcycling consumption. Furthermore, knowing the predictors of upcycling can facilitate the promotion of public actions and policies to value and expand this practice, increasing its more sustainable nature. The research is descriptive and quantitative in nature. Studies were carried out with consumers and a specific category of professionals in the practice of upcycling, using multivariate data analysis and structural equation modeling to establish transparency between the proposed constructs and understand the point of view of the subjects investigated. The results indicate that the factors that predict and positively develop consumer willingness to co produce and acquire upcycling were Behavioral Intention, followed by the Function of interactions and perceived facilitating conditions, involving skills, knowledge and inspirations. The thesis progresses in relation to the proposed theoretical model, by adding and analyzing the influence of the predictive factors of autonomy, empowerment and entrepreneurial opportunity for opening new businesses, proving that these predictors have a positive impact on the consumer's intention to join artisanal upcycling co-production.