This feasibility study commissioned by the National Institute for Advanced Industrial Science and Technology in Japan (AIST) and supported by the Sustainable Consumption Unit (UNEP) provided an overview of approaches used in different disciplines for evaluating consumer behaviour. The study analysed the applicability of existing research concepts, theories, and tools for evaluating consumer satisfaction with product-service systems (PSS). It included a discussion of their strengths/weaknesses. | Customer satisfaction: review of literature and application to the product-service systems Final report to the Society for Non-Traditional Technology, Japan Oksana Mont Andrius Plepys Research Associates International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics at Lund University P. O. Box 196 Tegnersplatsen 4 SE- 221 00 Lund Sweden Phone: +46 46 222 0200 Fax: +46 46 222 0230 Lund, February 28 2003 1 Acknowledgments The authors would like to thank the National Institute for Advanced Industrial Science and Technology in Japan and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) of Japan for financially supporting this study and for useful comments on the drafts. We would like to thank our supervisor, Prof. Thomas Lindhqvist for valuable guidance and challenging comments. 2 Executive summary This feasibility study commissioned by the National Institute for Advanced Industrial Science and Technology in Japan (AIST) and supported by the Sustainable Consumption Unit (UNEP) provided an overview of approaches used in different disciplines for evaluating consumer behaviour. The study analysed the applicability of existing research concepts, theories, and tools for evaluating consumer satisfaction with product-service systems (PSS). It included a discussion of their strengths/weaknesses. BACKGROUND It has been recognised that eco-efficiency improvements at production and product design level can be significantly reduced or totally negated by rebound effect from increased consumption levels. In line with this problem factor 10 to 20 material and energy efficiency improvements have been suggested (Factor 10 Club 1994; Schmidt-Bleek 1996; Bolund, Johansson et al. 1998; Ryan 1998). The improvements, however, if not carefully done, may still lead to rebound effects through changes in resource prices. As a potential solution to the factor 10/20 vision, system level improvements have to be made, .
