Environmental considerations in the organizational context: A pathway to pro-environmental behaviour at work

Angela Ruepert,Kees Keizer,Linda Steg,Fridanna Maricchiolo,Giuseppe Carrus,Adina Dumitru,Ricardo García Mira,Alexandra Stancu,Daniela Moza

doi:10.1016/j.erss.2016.04.004

Abstract

Encouraging pro-environmental behaviour at work can result in a significant reduction in environmental problems. Research revealed that general environmental considerations such as biospheric values and environmental self-identity are important antecedents of private pro-environmental behaviour. Yet, the question remains whether such general environmental considerations also predict pro-environmental behaviour at work. We propose a parsimonious theoretical model (the VIP-model) in which biospheric values affect personal norms to behave pro-environmentally at work and pro-environmental actions via the environmental self-identity. A study involving a diverse sample of employees from different European organizations supported the VIP-model, showing that biospheric values and environmental self-identity influence personal norms, and that stronger personal norms encouraged various self-reported pro-environmental behaviours at work to some extent. The VIP-model yields promising, cost-efficient strategies to encourage pro-environmental behaviour at work.

Highlights

Human behaviour causes many environmental problems due to greenhouse gas emissions, pollution and the use of natural resources, raw materials and energy [21,48]
Stronger biospheric values were associated with a stronger environmental self-identity (R2 = 0.34; F(1,530) = 273.73, ␤ = 0.58, p < 0.001)
The relationship between biospheric values and personal norms to behave pro-environmentally at work was partially mediated by environmental self-identity. These results suggest that people with strong biospheric values have a stronger environmental self-identity, which in turn strengthens their feelings of moral obligation to behave pro-environmentally at work. These results suggest that general environmental considerations are an important source for people’s personal norms to behave pro-environmentally at work, explaining a substantial proportion of the variance in personal norms, as for personal norms to behave proenvironmentally at home

Summary

Introduction

Human behaviour causes many environmental problems due to greenhouse gas emissions, pollution and the use of natural resources, raw materials and energy [21,48]. These environmental problems are partly caused by environmental behaviour, which refers to any behaviour that has an impact on the environment, both good and bad [52,53]. Studies on private and household pro-environmental behaviour yielded important insights in factors encouraging pro-environmental behaviour, the question remains whether results of these studies can be generalized to pro-environmental behaviour in the organizational context How can we encourage such pro-environmental behaviour at work? studies on private and household pro-environmental behaviour yielded important insights in factors encouraging pro-environmental behaviour, the question remains whether results of these studies can be generalized to pro-environmental behaviour in the organizational context

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Conclusion