Voluntary Carbon Offset Schemes in the Aviation Industry. What Are the Customers´ Purchase Drivers?

Masterarbeit aus dem Jahr 2020 im Fachbereich BWL - Marktforschung, Note: 2, Universität Wien (Fakultät für Wirtschaftswissenschaften), Sprache: Deutsch, Abstract: Within the scope of this work, it was investigated which properties of such a voluntary carbon offset product contribute significantly to the air travellers' willingness to purchase. For this purpose a Choice-Based Conjoint Analysis was used. As the issue of greenhouse gases and their origins becomes more and more central to the economy, actors in the aviation industry also need to increasingly reflect on their business models and adapt them where necessary. In addition to the so-called 'compliance markets', through which the aviation industry is mainly influenced by regulations, there is also the possibility of voluntary offsetting the CO2 emissions caused by flights. This option is transferred to the end consumer in the form of 'voluntary carbon offsets'. Previous research indicates above all the low level of awareness among air travellers on the subject of voluntary carbon offsets. After an introduction to the theoretical framework of pro-environmental behaviour of people and the principle of VCO, the methodology part provides an overview of conjoint analysis. This overview enables the selection of a suitable analysis with regard to practical implementation. Based on the theoretical part, the hypotheses are derived. The empirical part of the work is intended to answer the research questions. For this purpose, the appropriate method is brought to practical implementation through a survey questionnaire and the subsequent statistical analysis. In the discussion and final chapter of the thesis the results are interpreted to discuss possible explanations for why certain criteria are more important than others. In addition, the preferred levels within the attributes are analysed, which sheds more light on the needs of airline customers when making VCO purchases. The results of the study are valuable for business practitioners and can be used for a better understanding of how VCO schemes need to be offered to customers in order to maximize their WTO. They also make a scientific contribution to the voluntary carbon offset behaviour of air travellers and their evaluation of various product characteristics.