Centre for Sustainable & Socially Responsible Consumption

The Centre for Sustainable & Socially Responsible Consumption (CSSRC) aims to promote and advance the understanding of sustainable consumption and socially responsible consumption through developing and delivering internationally renowned research.

In today's world, sustainable and socially responsible consumption affects all of us, and so is everyone’s business. As we consume, we acquire items that are not only expected to meet our needs and wants today, but also leave resources for the future. However, this is not always the case given the plethora of easily available manufactured goods that can affect our purchase, use, and disposal decisions and lead to ‘blind consumption’ - a lack of consideration of how and where they have been sourced or produced. Consequences of such consumption can lead to issues such as food security, access to digital information, and pollution from transportation, with such inequalities being seen across the globe.

CSSRC provides a hub to explore and address topics that are currently globally relevant, through utilising a strong interdisciplinary focus. The Centre aims to grow and develop sustainable and socially responsible consumption research in the following areas where there is already demonstrable expertise within the membership:

Health & Well-being
Food & Nutrition
Trust & Branding
Societal Marketing
Digital Technology
Travel & Transport
Socially Responsible Production

Our Projects

FoodMAPP: Local Food supply communicated through a transactional searchable MAP based APPlication

The FoodMAPP project will enable local providers to supply and sell produce directly to consumers, reducing waste and food miles.

Publications

Read a selection of our publications below

2023

Appleton, K.M., 2023. Barriers to and Facilitators of the Consumption of Animal-Based Protein-Rich Foods in Older Adults: Re-Analysis with a Focus on Sustainability. Nutrients, 15 (2). DOI: 10.3390/nu15020470
Appleton, K.M. and Adams, C., 2023. A role for enjoyment for encouraging fruit consumption. Appetite, 187, 106609. DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2023.106609
Arden-Close, E., Thomas, S., Bush-Evans, R., Wang, R., Bolat, E., Hodge, S., Phalp, K. and McAlaney, J., 2023. Social norms and goal-setting interventions to promote responsible gambling in low-to-moderate online gamblers: protocol for a four-arm randomised controlled feasibility study. BMJ Open, 13 (3). DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-065400
Damianou, A., Vayona, A., Demetriou, G. and Katos, V., 2023. An actionable maturity planning model for smart, circular cities. Cities, 140. DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2023.104403
King, K. and Dickinson, J., 2023. Nearby nature in lockdown: Practices and affordances for leisure in urban green spaces. Leisure Studies, 42 (1), 100-117. DOI: 10.1080/02614367.2022.2092646
Le, T.H., Disegna, M. and Lloyd, T., 2023. National Food Consumption Patterns: Converging Trends and the Implications for Health. EuroChoices, 22 (1), 66-73. DOI: 10.1111/1746-692X.12272
Nayak, R. and Hartwell, H., 2023. The future of charitable alternative food networks in the UK: An investigation into current challenges and opportunities for foodbanks and community markets. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 7. DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2023.1187015
Polkinghorne, M., Bobeva, M. and Shahid, S., 2023. Managing Sustainable Projects: Analyzing Qualitative Interview Data Using the Recursive Abstraction Method. Sage Research Methods: Business, 1-26. DOI: 10.4135/9781529626520
Wang, R., Bush-Evans, R., Arden-Close, E., Bolat, E., McAlaney, J., Hodge, S., Thomas, S. and Phalp, K., 2023. Transparency in persuasive technology, immersive technology, and online marketing: Facilitating users’ informed decision making and practical implications. Computers in Human Behavior, 139. DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2022.107545
Whittall, B., Warwick, S.M., Guy, D.J. and Appleton, K.M., 2023. Public understanding of sustainable diets and changes towards sustainability: A qualitative study in a UK population sample. Appetite, 181. DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2022.106388

2022

Appleton, K.M., 2022. Appearance-based health promotion messages for increasing fruit and vegetable consumption: gender, age and adverse effects. Journal of Public Health (Germany). DOI: 10.1007/s10389-022-01746-8.
Ashraff, S., Williams, A.M. and Bray, J., 2022. Female Muslim identity and modest clothing consumption in the UK. Journal of Islamic Marketing. DOI: 10.1108/JIMA-05-2021-0167.
Deutrom, J., Katos, V., Al-Mourad, M.B. and Ali, R. 2022. The Relationships between Gender, Life Satisfaction, Loneliness and Problematic Internet Use during Covid-19: Does the Lockdown Matter? International Journal of Environmnetal Research and Public Health, 19 (3), 1325. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19031325.
Denegri-Knott, J., Jenkins, R. and Lindley, S., 2022. Valuing digital possesions: The role of affordances. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication. 27(6).
Discetti, R. and Anderson, M., 2022. Hybrid consumer activism in Fairtrade Towns: exploring digital consumer activism through spatiality. Consumption, Markets and Culture. DOI: 10.1080/10253866.2022.2144265.
Grote, M., Pilko, A., Scanlan, J., Cherrett, T., Dickinson, J., Smith, A., Oakey, A. and Marsden, G. 2022. Sharing airspace with Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs): Views of the General Aviation (GA) community. Journal of Air Transport Management, 102. DOI: 10.1016/jairtraman.2022.102218.
Lan, H., Lloyd, T., Morgan, W. and Dobson, P.W. 2022. Are food price promotions predictable? The hazard function of supermarket discounts. Journal of Agricultural Economics, 73 (1), 64-85. DOI: 10.1111/1477-9552.12448.
McEvoy, C.T., Appleton, K.M., et al., 2022. Trial to Encourage Adoption and Maintenance of a MEditerranean Diet (TEAM-MED): A randomised pilot trial of a peer support intervention for dietary behaviour cahnge in adults from a Northern European population at high CVD risk. British Journal of Nutrition, 128(7), 1322-1334. DOI: 10.1017/S0007114521003986.
Ndasi, W., Bolat, E. and Roushan, G., 2022. A comparative impact of cause-related marketing and sponsorship leveraged internet display advertising. International Journal of Internet Marketing and Advertising, 16(1-2_, 1-18. DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2022.120970.
Robinson, K., Muir, S., Newbury, A., Santos-Merx, L. and Appleton, K. 2022. Perceptions of body weight that varies by body mass index: Clear associations with perceptions based on personal control and responsibility. Journal of Health Psychology, 27 (1), 147-165. DOI: 10.1177/1359105320916540.
Rutherford, D. and Cownie, F., 2022. Teaching Advertising for the Public Good. Journal of Promotional Communications, 9(1).
Smith, A., Dickinson, J., Marsden, G., Cherrett, T., Oakey, A. and Grote, M. 2022. Public acceptance of the use of drones for logistics: The state of play and moving towards more informed debate. Technology in Society, 68 (February), 101883. DOI: 10.1016/j.techsoc.2022.101883.
Smith, H., Discetti, R., Bellucci, M. and Acuti, D. 2022. SMEs engagement with the Sustainable Development Goals: A power perspective. Journal of Business Research, 149, 112-122. DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.05.021.
Takeda, S., Secchi, D. and Bray, J. 2022. Ethics-related value acculturation: the case of Thai employees working at UK and Japanese MNCs in Thailand. Cross Cultural & Strategic Management, DOI: 10.1108/CCSM-10-2020-0204.
Whittall, B., Warwick, S.M., Guy, D.J. and Appleton, K.M., 2022. Public understanding of sustainable diets and changes towards sustainability: A qualitative study in a UK population sample. Appetite, 106338. DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2022.106388.

2021

Bray, J., Hartwell, H., Appleton, K., and Price, S., 2021. Consumer communication when eating out of home: the role of technology. British Food Journal, 123 (1), 373-386. DOI: 10-1108/BFJ-12-2019-0932.
Katos, V. and Efraimidis, P., 2021. Privacy in Data-Driven Circular Economy. In Jajodia, S. (Ed.) Encyclopedia of Cryptography, Security and Privacy, Springer
Apostolopoulos, T., Katos, V., Choo, K.K.R. and Patsakis, C., 2021. Resurrecting anti-virtualization and anti-debugging: Unhooking your hooks. Future Generation Computer Systems, 116, 393-405. DOI: 10.1016/j.future.2020.11.004.
Brunsø, K., Birch, D., Memery, J., Temesi, Á., Lakner, Z., Lang, M., Dean, D. and Grunert, K.G., 2021. Core dimensions of food-related lifestyle: A new instrument for measuring food involvement, innovativeness and responsibility. Food Quality and Preference, 91 (July), 104192. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2021.104192.
Bray, J., De Silva Kanakaratne, M., Dragouni, M. and Douglas, J., 2021. Thinking inside the box: An empirical exploration of subscription retailing. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 58 (January), 102333. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2020.102333.
Chen, Y., Perez-Cueto, F.J.A., Giboreau, A., Mavridis, I., and Hartwell, H., 2021. Consumer prefeences for the use of an innovative digital menu solution in public food service settings in four European countries. Food Quality and Preference, 94, 104324. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2021.104324.
Discetti, R. 2021. Campaigning for sustainable food: sustainably certified consumer communities. British Food Journal, 123 (3), 958-973. DOI: 10.1108/BFJ-06-2020-0457.
Grote, M., Cherrett, T., Oakey, A., Royall, P.G., Whalley, S., and Dickinson, J., 2021. How do dangerous goods regulations apply to uncrewed vehicles transporting medical cargos? Drones, 5 (2), 38. https://doi.org/10.3390/drones5020038.
Lin, H., Lloyd, T. and McCorriston, S. 2021. An Odd Crisis: Covid-19 and UK Food Prices, EuroChoices, 19 (3), 42-48. DOI: 10.1111/1746-692X.12291.
Liu, G., Ko, W.W., Ngugi, I. and Takeda, S., 2021. Network-Bonding Actions, Quality of Ties, and Channel Member Collaboration: Evidence from UK-based Small Firms. Journal of Small Business Management, 59 (1), 13-46. DOI: 10.1111/jsbm.12452.
Nayak, R. and Manning, L., 2021. Forgotten children: a socio-technical systems analysis of the 2004 and 2015 forced child labour reports from Indian cottonseed farms. Trends in Organized Crime. DOI: 10.1007/s12117-021-09426-x.
Ndasi, W., Bolat, E., and Roushan, G., 2021. A comparitive impact of cause-related marketing and sponsorship leveraged internet display advertising. International Journal of Internet Marketing and Advertising,16 (1-2), 1-18. DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2020.10039765.
Van Den Heuval, E., Murphy, J.L., and Appleton, K., 2021. The provision of recepies and single-use herb/spice packets to increase egg and protein intake in community-dwelling older adults: A randomised controlled trial. Public Health Nutrition, 24 (8), 2109-2122. DOI: 10.1017/S1368980020002712.
Yesiloglu, S., Memery, J., and Chapleo, C., 2021. To post or not to post? Examining motivations of brand related engagement types on social networking sites. Internet Research, 31 (5), 1849-1873. DOI: 10.1108/INTR-01-2020-0038.
Zheng, G., Chai, W.K., Katos, V., and Walton, M., 2021. A joint temporal-spatial ensemble model for short-term traffic predicition. Neurocomputing, 457, 26-39. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neucom.2021.06.028.

News from the Business School

05/04/2024

BU disaster management research projects recognised in UK Cabinet Office publication

Two research projects looking at disaster management and resilience in Sierra Leone have been profiled in a Cabinet Office publication.

25/01/2024

BU research incorporated in new National Constitution for Local Disaster Management Committees in Sierra Leone

The findings and methodology of a disaster management research project conducted by BU experts has been incorporated into a national disaster management constitution in Sierra Leone.

21/11/2023

Abuse of women athletes goes unchecked on mainstream social media sites

Social media posts that abuse women athletes can remain unmoderated on the official social media accounts of major sports clubs, new research has shown.

Our members

Professor Katherine Appleton — Professor In Psychology

Dr Elvira Bolat — Associate Professor in Digital Marketing

Professor Jeffery Bray — Professor in Consumer Behaviour

Professor Chris Chapleo — Professor

Dr Fiona Cownie — Professor

Professor Janet Dickinson — Professor in Sustainable Practice

Dr Roberta Discetti — Senior Lecturer in Business and Management

Professor Heather Hartwell — Professor

Professor Vasilis Katos — Professor

Professor Tim Lloyd — Professor Of Economics

Professor Juliet Memery — Professor In Marketing

Dr Angela Smith — Post-Doctoral Research Fellow

Dr Sachiko Takeda — Principal Academic In Corporate Social Responsibility

Anastasia Vayona — Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in Social Science & Policy

Associate members

Dr Samreen Ashraf — Principal Academic in Marketing

Professor Marcjanna Augustyn — Professor and Head of Department for Marketing Strategy and Innovation

Dr Milena Bobeva — Senior Principal Academic

Dayle Childs — Senior Lecturer in Sales and Sport Marketing

Dr Julia Hibbert — Principal Academic in Marketing

Dr Rebecca Jenkins — Deputy Head Of Department Communication and Journalism

Dr Guljira Manimont — Senior Lecturer in Business and Management (Marketing, Strategy and Innovation)

Current research students

Reem Albuhameed (PhD: Exploring the engagement/non-engagement behaviour of lurkers on social media)
Corinna Budnarowska (PhD: A narrative study of opinion leaders attitudes towards co-creation in the design process of prestige trainer purchases)
Emmanuella Onyinye Ejime (PhD: The role of psychological distance in a multi-channel complex service: A comparative analysis of motor insurance in the UK and Nigeria)
Caterina Frazon (PhD: Barriers, facilitators and strategies to increasing milk, yoghurt and soft cheese intakes: A cross-cultural perspective)
Soheon Kim (PhD: The technology-evoked time use rebound effect and its impact on pro-environmental consumer behaviour in tourism)
Jodie Lacey (PhD: Critically evaluating knowledge, motives, barriers, and consumer acceptability towards the inclusion of millet as a food source in the UK)
Wookjun Lee (PhD: The improvement of tourist intention to use public transport: a destination perspective)
Taalia Nadeem (PhD: E-Drone: A social science perspective of Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVS))
Takunda Nerutanga (PhD: Corporate Social Responsibility in developing countries: A study of Zimbabwe)
Luu Thuy Linh Pham (PhD: A study on psychological manipulation in branding: The case of promotion on social media and brandloyalty in the luxury industry)
Rama Permana (PhD: Understanding how rural destination travel practices can be made more sustainable)
Ta Phuc Thanh Tuan (PhD: A supply side perspective of the diffusion of mobile payment solutions in an emerging economy)