Sustainability and Immateriality - Motivations of users/consumers as drivers of sustainability

Abstract

At present, it is necessary to analyse how users/consumers perceive sustainability, in order to determine the characteristics, aspects, attributes, etc. that, according to their criteria, must have sustainable products, services and product-service systems (hereinafter SPS). This can be used to identify new approaches to sustainability or to assess whether the current model is adequate, to see whether society's concept of sustainability should be rethought or maintained. The purpose of this study is to analyse, from the point of view of some experts, whether the proposed motivations of users/consumers are related to sustainability; since it is considered that the study of collective actions from the emotions can become a conscious motivating motor that would have the purpose of transforming a reality, in this case, the relation between users/consumers and sustainability. The present analysis is the result of previous research (Rivera et al (2015), Rivera & Hernándis (2016) y Rivera-Pedroza (2017)) in which another type of complementary needs of people as users/consumers of products and services are recognized, to investigate how diverse motivations and aspirations, which are not only basic needs, are aspirations or motivations that can be given in terms of sustainability. The research is carried out on the basis of an instrument that could capture the opinion of individual experts on the subject, to achieve the validity of experts or "face validity"; (Sampieri, Collado, & Lucio, 2010), according to "qualified voices". In this regard, the instrument contains eleven drivers based on motivations (needs, emotions, values) belonging to an immaterial context of sustainability in products/services, seeking the expert's valuation, but with a "user role"; on motivations generating alternative approaches to sustainability in products and services. The analysis of these motivations, within the current context, provides value in the analysis of the behaviours of people involved in the environmental social movements within the emerging design and sustainability scenarios.