Understanding Sustainable Consumer Product Disposal Through Personality Traits: Implications for Profit with Purpose

Pratyush Ranjan and Sanjeev Varshney

Assistant Professor, Xavier Institute of Social Service (XISS), Ranchi, Email: [email protected]

Professor, XLRI - Xavier School of Management, Jamshedpur, Email: [email protected]

ABSTRACT:

Consumers’ decisions to not throw away usable but unwanted products and instead increase their usable lifetimes by choosing suitable end-of-life extending options (such as keeping, selling, donating, or giving away) can significantly help reduce waste generation and better utilization of resources. This study examines the role of personality traits in explaining individual differences in these sustainable disposal tendencies (SDTs) of consumers. It also explores the moderating role of self-monitoring in this relationship. Structural equation modeling was used to test hypothesised relationship of Big Five personality traits and SDTs of consumers using survey data of 409 individuals about their disposal decisions related to old but usable clothing. The results revealed that, among the Big Five personality traits, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Neuroticism and Openness were positively associated with SDTs. Self-monitoring was found to moderate the relationship in the case of Agreeableness, Neuroticism, and Openness. The findings suggest that personality traits provide valuable insights for understanding consumer disposition behavior. By highlighting how individual differences shape sustainable disposal decisions, this study contributes to the broader discourse on profit with purpose by demonstrating how responsible consumer behavior can support resource efficiency and long-term value creation. Based on this understanding, designing and framing personality-specific messages could influence consumers to adopt sustainable disposal options. Examination of disposal behavior of consumers in relation to personality traits of consumers provides a new dimension for studying disposal behavior. This study is an important step toward understanding the different relationships between each of the Big Five personality traits and the SDTs of individuals with regard to sustainable consumer disposal behavior.

Keywords: Disposition, Big Five Personality Traits, Self-monitoring, Sustainable Disposal Tendencies, Product Lifetime.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.70994/jjdms.11135.11156

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