Towards sustainable consumption decision-making: Examining the interplay of blockchain transparency and information-seeking in reducing product uncertainty

Abstract

To facilitate the promotion of sustainable consumption decision-making, organizations might employ blockchain technology to offer transparent information regarding the sustainability of their products. Nonetheless, consumers often seek supplementary information from diverse sources. The inconsistent or conflicting information across these sources can complicate the process of making sustainable consumption decisions. Prior studies lack an understanding of how blockchain transparency and information-seeking shape individual decision-making regarding sustainable consumption. In this study, building on signaling theory, we have developed a model to understand how blockchain transparency and the consumers' information-seeking tendencies may reduce sustainable product uncertainty. To analyze our research model, first, we conducted five focus group interviews with 21 participants to understand their information needs while making sustainable consumption decisions in the context of the fashion apparel industry. The results of the focus groups helped us craft a scenario and user interface (UI) for a novel blockchain-based app for sustainable consumption. We then collected data from 282 European consumers and examined direct path coefficients and indirect moderated mediation effects. The findings highlight that blockchain transparency affects the trustworthiness of product sustainability and improves consumer satisfaction, which in turn reduces sustainable product uncertainty. The relationship between blockchain transparency and satisfaction is reduced by information-seeking. This finding implies that the consumers' experience of blockchain transparency in terms of enhanced satisfaction is not always consistent and instead depends on their inclination to seek information.