Marketing Information Systems and Sustainable Consumption

Abstract

Sustainable consumption is an emerging issue in many economies and this had been evidenced by grouping such as United Nations which has embarked on sustainability programs to ensure effective production and development of individual well-being in the society. Previously, main concern of firms was in satisfaction of needs and wants with less concern of its effect both to the consumers and the business environment. Global conferences have emphasized the need to manage excessive demands and unsustainable lifestyles and redistribution of resources from the developed to developing states globally as to progress regional sustainability both in production and consumption.  Among other factors, sustainable consumption in firms can be ensured through measurement of operations and activities as well as information flow from the market to the firm and vice versa. The study focused on the marketing information systems. The main objectives of the study include: to review extant theoretical literature on the constructs of marketing information systems and sustainable consumption; to review extant empirical literature on the constructs of marketing information systems and sustainable consumption; to identify emerging theoretical and empirical gaps that forms the basis of future research on marketing information systems and sustainable consumption and to propose a conceptual model to respond to the gaps identified in the study. The literature reviewed suggested existence of relationship between MkIS and sustainable consumption. Even though various models and theories identify with the relationship, there is need for a unified model that explains the relationship. Further, from the empirical review, it emerged that the key elements that determine the effectiveness of a marketing information system is the information, the infrastructure of the MkIS, and the marketing orientation where the product offers are of superior value than that of competitors.

The main empirical gap identified was that firms that practiced sustainable consumption possessed sustainable consumption models, however the models did not translate to firm market performance and hence the need to establish impact of MkIS on sustainable consumption. Further, firms that practiced non sustainable consumption were viewed to be more profitable while those that practiced sustainable consumption cited the processes to be costly and unprofitable.  The study developed a conceptual model should future researchers opt to conduct an empirical review to validate the study.