Investigating household waste separation behavior: the salience of an integrated norm activation model and the theory of planned behavior

Abstract

The recent perennial spate of flooding in Ghana has over the years caused hemorrhagic loss to lives and properties. In view of the inundation phenomenon, issues of waste management have been shot into prominence. The key among dominant suggestions to counteracting the situation has essentially converged around waste separation, which is an under researched area in Ghana. Against this background, the research seeks to investigate household waste separation behavior using an integrated theory of planned behavior and the norm activation model as the theoretical framework. Data were drawn using the questionnaire survey method and further analyzed using the structural equation modeling technique. The empirical results of data analysis drawn from 707 households confirmed a significant relationship between awareness of consequences and attitude, and subjective and personal norms. Subjective norm is significantly related to attitude and perceived behavior control. Moreover, attitude has a positive relationship with behavioral intention, whereas the relationship between perceived behavior control and behavioral intention is not significant. Finally, personal norm has a significant relationship with behavioral intention. The results also confirmed that the integrated model is useful and appropriate for predicting behavior. From the results, implications for pursuing and forging household waste separation behavior and suggestions for future research are outlined.