Consumer attitudes: drivers of unlawful disposal of solid waste products

ABSTRACT

The consumer attitudes towards how they participate in the disposal of solid waste products is a crucial concern in Ghana. The attribution theory in social psychology emerged in the literature as a paradigm that seeks to explain the consumer attitudes towards solid waste products disposables that are negative and individualistic. This study estimates the motivational factors to consumer attitudes and unlawful disposal of solid waste products in Bono Region of Ghana. The results indicated the direct path dimensions of the analysed hostile aggression was CoE (−0.103), SE (0.040), CR (−2.547), p (0.011), learned helplessness was CoE (0.112), SE (0.052), CR (−2.133), p (0.033), and beliefs was CoE (0.049), SE (0.049), CR (0.988), p (0.323). Beliefs were not significant. However, hostile aggression and learned helplessness were significantly related to the unlawful disposal of solid waste products. The mediation for advertising message type was EST (0.622), SE (0.038), p (0.000) significant indirect effect towards the unlawful disposal of solid waste products and moderation interaction for existential consumer EST (0.002), SE (0.000), CR (70.939), p (0.000) was significant towards the unlawful disposal of solid waste products. The results suggest that many consumers who throw away solid waste products participate in unlawful disposal practices.

KEYWORDS:

• Theory of attribution
• motivational factors
• unlawful disposal
• Ghana

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Availability of data and materials

This study used primary and secondary data sources. Primary data sources were obtained from the participants in the field, and secondary data sources were obtained from the literature or past studies. Therefore, the main data source was used in this study.

Ethics approval and consent to participate

A survey statement was provided on the questionnaire to ensure participants’ confidentiality regarding their contributions towards this study. Further, the University of Professional Studies Research Ethics Committee approved the questionnaire for the fieldwork.

Additional information

Funding

The authors received no funding

Notes on contributors

Abraham Yeboah

A Y writing - conceptualisation, original draft, data curation, methodology, formal analysis and interpretation of the data of attitudes towards unlawful disposal of solid waste products;

Vida Owusu-Prempeh

O. P V Writing – review and editing, supervision, conceptualization

Ofosu Agyekum

O. A Writing – review and editing, supervision, conceptualisation, formal analysis and interpretation

Ebenezer Kwame Addae

E KA Writing – review and editing, supervision, conceptualization

Nana Owusu-Frimpong

N OF Conceptualisation, supervision, software, review and editing