Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.
The aims and objectives of the project were as follows: to provide information about investors, particularly ethical/green investors, in order to determine whether people are prepared to incur economic costs in expressing their preferences; to critically examine the authenticity of ethical and green trusts; to assess the likely impact of ethical green investment on policy; to contribute to the development of economic psychology. This study used a mixture of quantitative and qualitative methodology. The methods employed included a questionnaire study of ethical investors; 50 interviews and discussions with key personnel in the ethical/green investment movement; a case study of the workings of Friends Provident Stewardship; 14 focus group discussions (comprising on average seven participants each) with 45 non-ethical investors and 49 ethical/green investors; 20 telephone interviews with investors who specifically take a financial loss in investing ethically; and finally a computer simulation study of the investment choices of 27 'ethical' investors and 29 'standard' investors. For the second edition of the study (2003), qualitative material (the 14 focus group discussions) not previously included in the UKDA dataset, was added to the study.
Main Topics:
The dataset comprises the replies of 1146 ethical/green investors to a six-page questionnaire. Questions covered: investors' willingness to take a financial loss to invest ethically; their preferences for the form ethical/green investing should take as well as their more general attitudes and perceptions. Demographic information includes political and pressure group affiliation, age, occupation and the proportion of their investments made ethically. The additional element of transcriptions from 13 of the focus groups addresses a similar range of issues with further reference to the respondents' personal interests, family relationships and other qualitative issues.
Simple random sample
Postal survey
Questionnaires were sent out with the regular newsletters of the Unit Trusts concerned. Focus group
