Differentiating and Synthesizing Socially Responsible Consumption: A Multi-Level Conceptual Framework and Future Research Directions

Abstract

Important societal and environmental issues need to be addressed in the current day. The study of socially responsible consumption (SRC) has emerged as a discipline that prepares academics and professionals to act as communities capable of addressing such issues. We aim to extend the current knowledge of SRC in the business and management domains by first differentiating the concept from other interchangeably used concepts such as ‘ethical consumption,” ‘green consumption,” ‘socially conscious consumption,’ and ‘sustainable consumption,’ followed by a systematic literature review approach. We show that SRC is conceptually distinct and encompasses the broadest scope compared to the four similar concepts within the business and management domains. Furthermore, a systematic review of 64 articles published over the past decade (2013–2023) has revealed various themes related to consumers, consumption, firms, and products. We discuss these themes from both macro and micro perspectives and develop a multi-level conceptual framework to advance the holistic understanding of SRC in business and management domains. Additionally, we outline future research avenues for each theme at both the macro and micro levels as well as in terms of theory, context, and methods. Ultimately, this study enriches the knowledge of SRC in the business and management domains by (A) differentiating the construct and defining its conceptual boundaries, (B) synthesizing SRC research and identifying emerging research themes at both macro and micro levels, and (C) offering a multi-level conceptual framework and potential future research directions (FRDs).