Sociodemographic Determinants of Sustainable Behavior in the Czech General Public

Abstract

The term “sustainable behavior” is not universally defined and there is no set of specific behaviors that, when combined, constitute sustainable behavior. In the regional context of the Czech Republic, research published on sustainable behavior often relates to purchasing and waste disposal behavior, as well as mobility choices. In a quantitative survey, 1,000 respondents from the Czech general public were inquired about the frequency of five selected sustainable behaviors. The objective of this research is to identify the subgroups of the general public sample that more frequently behave in a sustainable way than others by examining their sociodemographic characteristics. Findings from prior research on sociodemographic determinants of sustainability-related behaviors with a country-focus on the Czech Republic are consulted to derive hypotheses. Kruskal-Wallis tests and subsequent stepwise step-down analyses are used to identify the sociodemographic characteristics that influence the frequency of sustainable behavior. It is found that sustainable behavior significantly differs by gender, age, education, net monthly household income, economic activity, and the number of members in the household. The results of this study are of potential use for marketing management, helping to identify target groups for marketing or awareness raising campaigns. The study is embedded in a larger research project whose aim is to assess sustainability-related attitudes and behaviors among university students as compared to the general public in the Czech Republic and in Germany.