Pro-environmental Behavior Research Articles

‘Assertive + machine-written’ and ‘non-assertive + human-written’ just feel right: how do language assertiveness and typeface interact to impact environmental messaging persuasiveness in tourism?

The application of assertive language in environmental persuasion has produced mixed results. Besides the language content intensity such as assertiveness, this research proposes that a congruency of language content and visual presentation format such as typeface could be achieved to increase message persuasiveness of pro-environmental behaviors in the tourism domain. With three scenario-based experiments focusing on a garbage sorting initiative at a tourist attraction, a food waste reduction program in a restaurant, and an animal protection donation advocacy in a national park, respectively, the research demonstrated that matching assertive language with machine-written typeface, or non-assertive language with handwritten format, could enhance tourists’ compliance behaviors. The research also uncovered perceived fit and a subjective experience of feeling right as the underlying mechanism, and tourist involvement as a boundary condition for such a congruency effect. The theoretical and practical implications are also discussed.

Institutional structure of organization and employees’ pro-environmental behaviors: the mediating effect of employees’ organizational identification

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to enrich the literature on employee relations with a new model focusing on the effect of institutional structure and that of employees’ organizational identification on the relationship between institutional structure in an organization and employees’ pro-environmental behaviors, which represents an alternative approach for understanding employees’ pro-environmental performance.Design/methodology/approachWe collect multi-level and multi-source data from 52 four- or five-star hotels in China (N = 963). For data analysis, we adopt the approach of multilevel structural equation modeling.FindingsThe results suggest that organizations’ green institutional structure (G-structure) can significantly influence employees’ organizational identification, which in turn can increase their pro-environmental performance.Originality/valueWe propose a new multi-level theoretical perspective to explain employees’ pro-environmental behaviors. While prior studies on the issue mainly consider only the effects of such micro-level variables as ability, motivation and personality, we focus on the effect of organizational institution and its interaction with micro-level variables so that we can evaluate the effect a commonly-studied contextual variable, i.e. green institutions, on the behaviors. Moreover, in this new theoretical model, we also take into account the effect of another insufficiently-tested micro-level variable, i.e. employees’ identification, which has not been considered as frequently as other micro-level variables in studying employees’ pro-environmental performance. Our results highlight the importance of all these variables and suggest a valuable alternative model for more comprehensive research of employees’ green performance.

Understanding the antecedents of Chinese people’s pro-environmental behavior: the role of self-construal and news attention

This study aims to extend the attitude-intention-behavior model by adding news attention and interdependent self-construal as antecedents to understand the pro-environmental behavior of Chinese people. Results of the structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis based on web survey data of 715 Chinese individuals show that interdependent self-construal significantly and positively affected individuals’ attention to environmental news messages on new media platforms. Such news attention then positively affected their attitude toward pro-environmental behavior. In turn, pro-environmental behavioral attitude positively affected their pro-environmental behavioral intention. Finally, individuals’ pro-environmental behavioral intention positively led to their actual pro-environmental behavior. Besides, the results demonstrated that interdependent self-construal also significantly and positively affects individuals’ intention of engaging in pro-environmental behavior, but little evidence was found to support the significant association between interdependent self-construal and pro-environmental attitude. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed.

Forging green Horizons: Revealing Catalysts of pro-environmental behavior in emerging market

In recent years, environmental pollution has started to threaten global economies. The understanding of consumer behavior within the context of sustainable development has become increasingly important to deal with this growing ecological complexity. Urbanization has accelerated in Pakistan, resulting in urban consumers raising more environmental concerns and promoting eco-friendly products. These concerns have demonstrated their commitment to sustainability and pro-environmental behaviors, such as reducing waste materials (e.g., plastics) and pollutants (i.e., smoke, dust, etc.), thus supporting eco-friendly behaviors. Today, Pakistan's urban consumers are well-aware of environmental complexities. As such, environmental knowledge is the driver of consumers' pro-environmental behavior, affective commitment and social capital also compel individuals to acquire ecological knowledge to enhance consumer behavior. This research considers customers' environmental knowledge and affective commitment, both of which actively contribute to pro-environmental activity. It explores the relationship between environmental knowledge, affection commitment, social capital, and environmental behavior in Pakistan. Data was gathered from Pakistan's urban customers and analyzed using Covariance-based Structural Equation Modeling (CB-SEM). The results indicate that affective commitment and social capital have a positive and significant effect on environmental knowledge and behavior. Notably, the relationship between social capital, affective commitment, and environmental behavior is mediated by knowledge of environmental issues. Through its findings, this study fosters an understanding of environmental behavior and explains the sense of responsibility and greater commitment in individuals, which thus leads them toward sustainability.

Do Green Practices Influence Pro-Environmental Behavior? An Analysis of the Role of Green Mindfulness.

Purpose – This study aims to investigate the mediating role of green mindfulness in relationship between green practices and guest pro-environmental behavior in homestays in Arunachal Pradesh, India with special reference to Ziro valley. The study seeks to contribute valuable insights to the field of sustainable tourism by focusing on the specific dynamics at play in the ecologically diverse Ziro Valley, exploring the linkages that influence guests' environmentally friendly behaviors during their stay in homestays. Design/methodology/approach - The study was conducted in Ziro valley of Arunachal Pradesh, India from 282 domestic tourists visiting Ziro Valley, Arunachal Pradesh, India. Structured questionnaire was used to collect the data and stratified random sampling was adopted for the study. Ordinary least square structural equation modelling (OLS-SEM) was employed to measure the hypothesized relationships. Findings – The findings of the study show that, there exist both direct and indirect relationship between green attributes and pro-environment behavior. The mediating variable green mindfulness mediates the relationship between green attributes and pro-environment behavior among the respondents staying in the home stays in study area. The nature of mediation was partial mediation. Research implications – The findings emphasize the potential for green initiatives to not only align with environmental goals but also enhance the guest experience, creating a unique and immersive stay. Moreover, the study highlights a shared responsibility, urging both hosts and guests to actively engage in pro-environment behavior and embrace green mindfulness. Originality/value – This study explore the mediating role of green mindfulness between green practices and guest pro-environmental behavior in homestays in Ziro Valley, Arunachal Pradesh. The findings contribute unique insights to sustainable tourism, emphasizing the significance of green initiatives in enhancing guest experiences and fostering shared responsibility for environmental consciousness between hosts and guests.

A new composite index to assess environmental consciousness using survey data and big data: Empirical evidence from European consumers

Environmental consciousness is a multi-dimensional construct that encompasses several dimensions related to pro-environmental attitudes, beliefs and behaviours. The academic literature has attempted to conceptualise and operationalise environmental consciousness over the last 20 years, resulting in a wide variety of measures.However, the available measures are country-specific and with a predominant U.S. focus, based on convenience samples, and rather limited in terms of interpretability and external validity. To overcome these limitations, the present study develops an index of environmental consciousness at both the micro (consumer) and macro (country) levels, taking into account the four main dimensions of environmental consciousness: the affective, cognitive, active and dispositional dimensions. By analysing more than 27 000 “Eurobarometer 92.4” responses from consumers in the 28 EU Member States in 2019, this paper develops a comprehensive measure of consumer environmental consciousness that captures the heterogeneity across European countries. To assess the robustness of the index, the link between environmental consciousness and life satisfaction is also examined. The index is also compared with a big data-based index using Google Trends data on environmental search categories. The results show differences in environmental consciousness between European countries. The link between environmental consciousness and life satisfaction is also supported, in line with previous research in this area. Finally, the index appears to be strongly correlated with actual consumer search patterns on Google. The findings have implications for businesses willing to enter in new markets and policy makers on how to measure and assess environmental consciousness.

Dynamics of Lifestyle Change: The Effect of Pro-Environmental Behaviours on Australians

Dynamics of Lifestyle Change: The Effect of Pro-Environmental Behaviours on Australians

Dusting off the Social Identity Approach to Overcome Barriers From Climate Change Communication to Pro-Environmental Behaviours

Dusting off the Social Identity Approach to Overcome Barriers From Climate Change Communication to Pro-Environmental Behaviours

Can ‘Psychological Reactance’ be the Secret Sauce to Pro-Environmental Behaviours?

Can ‘Psychological Reactance’ be the Secret Sauce to Pro-Environmental Behaviours?

Human connection with nature improves wellbeing and pro-environmental behavior: A literature review

Given the world's continuous environmental concerns, there is a need for increased participation in nature protection. The ecological crisis of the last decade on Earth has become one of the causes of the rupture of society's relationship with nature. Such relationships can predict diverse attitudes, concerns, intentions, and pro-environmental behavior (PEB). A systematic literature review (SLR) aims to compare, study, and analyze journal articles that relate to issues related to nature as a major factor in pro-environmental behavior. The results of selecting articles indexed by SCOPUS found as many as 1716 publications. The 50 open-access publications of articles were chosen based on specific criteria and further examined to identify eight final articles that align with the Inclusion of Nature in Self (INS) scale. Pro-environmental behavior strengthens human relationships with nature and encourages a sense of ownership and involvement with the environment. Pro-environmental behavior refers to behaviors that are beneficial to the environment, such as supporting conservation policies, recycling, and participating in nature. Research using INS scale, which focuses on connections with nature, still has significant potential and should persist in making contributions to science and humanity.

Exploring social media determinants in fostering pro-environmental behavior: insights from social impact theory and the theory of planned behavior.

This study investigates the impact of social media on pro-environmental behavior (PEB) through the lenses of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Social Impact Theory. The research aims to elucidate how social media influences Environmental Attitude (EA) and Subjective Norms (SN), and how these factors contribute to Behavioral Intentions (BI) that ultimately affect PEB. Additionally, it examines the moderating effect of Perceived Behavioral Control (PBC) on the relationship between BI and PEB. To explore these relationships, the study employs a dual methodological approach using Variance-Based Structural Equation Modeling (VBSEM) and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN). Data were collected from two distinct samples: 1200 participants from Taiwan for the SEM analysis and 602 respondents for the ANN study. SEM was utilized to explore causal relationships, while ANN was employed to enhance predictive accuracy. The SEM analysis reveals that social media significantly affects both EA and SN, except for Social Networking Site Involvement (SNSI), which does not significantly impact EA. Additionally, the findings indicate that BI mediates the relationship between EA and PEB. However, BI does not mediate the SN-PEB relationship, and the link between SN and BI is found to be non-significant. Empirical evidence also suggests that PBC moderates the BI-PEB relationship, with a stronger influence observed under higher levels of PBC and a weaker influence under lower levels. These results underscore the complex dynamics between social media factors and pro-environmental behavior. The study concludes that while social media plays a significant role in shaping EA and SN, its impact on EA is not mediated by SNSI. Furthermore, PBC significantly moderates the BI-PEB relationship, highlighting its critical role in PEB. The discussion addresses the implications of these findings, acknowledges the limitations encountered, and suggests potential avenues for future research.

Effectiveness of pro-environmental interventions to support the potential of religious tourism in the Murung Kenanga Village

Religious tourism is a part of tourism that is closely related to religious aspects. In South Kalimantan, there are many tombs of ulama that are often used as pilgrimage destinations, one of which is in Murung Kenanga Village. However, the lack of knowledge about pro-environmental behavior has resulted in low public awareness of environmental cleanliness. This community service activity aims to increase public awareness of pro-environmental behavior. The method used in this community service is psychoeducation on pro-environmental behavior. The results of this community service activity show a significant increase in knowledge about pro-environmental behavior, which can support the potential of religious tourism among the people of Murung Kenanga Village.

Factors Influencing Students' Pro-Environmental Behavior: A Systematic Literature Review

Pro environmental behavior refers to individual efforts to protect the environment and minimize activities that can have a negative impact on the environment. The purpose of this research is to review the results of research on factors that influence students' pro-environment behavior. This research used the SLR method on articles sourced from National and International databases and obtained 20 articles published in 2019-2023. The results of the article analysis show that the factors that influence students' pro-environmental behavior are divided into 3 components, namely: 1) Socio-Demographic Factors (age, gender), 2) Internal Factors (Knowledge, Attitudes, Psychology, Values) and 3) External Factors ( Economic and Social Norma). Most research is carried out to examine students' pro-environmental behavior, namely knowledge, attitudes, gender and attitude factors. Further research is recommended to look at the influence of each factor to find out the strongest predictors so as to increase students' pro-environmental behavior.ABSTRAK: Perilaku pro lingkungan mengacu pada upaya individu untuk menjaga lingkungan dan meminimalkan kegiatan yang dapat berdampak negatif terhadap lingkungan.Tujuan penelitian ini untuk mereview hasil penelitian-penelitian tentang faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhi pro lingkungan siswa. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode SLR pada artikel-artikel yang bersumber dari database Nasional dan Internasional dan diperoleh 20 artikel yang diterbitkan pada tahun 2019-2023. Hasil analisis artikel menunjukan faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhi perilaku pro lingkungan siswa dikelompokkan menjadi 3 komponen yaitu: 1) Socio-Demographic factors (age, gender), 2) Internal Factors (Knowledge, Attitude, Psychology, Personal Norma) dan 3) External Factors (Economic and Social Norma). Penelitan paling banyak dilakukan untuk meneliti perilaku pro lingkungan siswa yaitu faktor pengetahuan, sikap, jenis kelamin dan sikap. Penelitian lebih lanjut disarankan melihat pengaruh dari masing-masing faktor untuk mengetahui prediktor yang paling kuat sehingga mampu meningkatkan perilaku pro lingkungan siswa.

The Impact of Seeking and Processing Environmental Information Related to Microplastics on Pro-environmental Behavior Intentions : Focusing on the Risk Information Seeking and Processing Model (RISP)

The Impact of Seeking and Processing Environmental Information Related to Microplastics on Pro-environmental Behavior Intentions : Focusing on the Risk Information Seeking and Processing Model (RISP)

Using an Instagram campaign to influence knowledge, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and behavioral intentions for sustainable behaviors.

Climate change poses one of the most pervasive threats to the planet today. Intervention is required to promote pro-environmental behaviors among individuals to curb its effects. Borrowing several constructs from the Theory of Planned Behavior, we designed and evaluated a campaign, delivered primarily through Instagram, to shift sustainability-related cognitions and behaviors among university students. An online survey was distributed to undergraduate students at a Northern California university and collected responses from 1,552 participants. Comparing students who self-reported exposure to the campaign with those who were not exposed, students who observed the campaign materials had more knowledge about (p < .001), greater perceived social norms about (p < .001), and greater intentions to perform sustainable behaviors (p < .001). There were also increases in sustainable behaviors during the campaign, compared to the previous academic term. Implementing campaigns inspired by behavior change theories may be one viable strategy to increase individual sustainable behaviors for climate change mitigation.

Applying protection motivation theory to examine tourist’s pro-environmental behaviour: case study of Lahijan, Iran

Purpose This study aims to examine the pro-environmental behavior of tourists in one of the northern cities of Iran, Lahijan, by applying the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT). Design/methodology/approach The sample consists of a total of 180 tourists who had traveled to Lahijan city in Guilan province. Data is analyzed using descriptive analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM) technique using Smart PLS 3.0. Findings The results confirm the importance of PMT in explaining the pro-environmental behavior of tourists. The findings of this study show the significant relationship between vulnerability, severity, self-efficacy, response efficacy, response cost and maladaptive perception with tourist’s pro-environmental behavior. Moreover, rewards are not related to pro-environmental behavior. Practical implications This study provides a better understanding of how to motivate tourists toward pro-environmental behavior. It also contributes to reinforcing PMT by adding evidence from tourism research and delivers profiles for tourism providers. Originality/value The study contributes to the understanding of the predictors of pro-environmental behavior of tourists in Iran using a full PMT which encompasses three concepts of threats appraisal, coping appraisal and maladaptive perception.

Paths from simple game-targeted pro-environmental behaviors to more diverse pro-environmental behaviors: Empirical evidence from the Ant Forest app

Game interventions have drawn much attention for their playful features and “painless” promotion of simple game-targeted pro-environmental behaviors (GPEBs), which could spill over to more “costly” prosocial behaviors for pro-environmental causes (PSBPs). The literature places much emphasis on game-targeted mechanisms (e.g., enjoyment and competition) to explain the impacts of game interventions, but pays little attention to non-game-targeted mechanisms to explore their spillover effect. Using online survey data from 1246 Chinese residents, this paper first compares players’ and nonplayers’ levels of engagement with GPEBs and with two common PSBPs, finding a positive spillover effect from game-targeted simple behaviors to more diverse PSBPs. Based upon goal theory, self-perception theory, and learning theory, the paper then examines the underlying mediating mechanisms of the positive relationship between GPEBs and PSBPs for subsamples of players and nonplayers respectively. The results demonstrate that individual awareness of problem and self-efficacy could be enhanced through engaging in simple GPEBs, which could spill over to more challenging and “costly” PSBPs, including charitable giving and volunteering for pro-environmental causes. The study provides important insights on helping to encourage specific types of more challenging PSBPs not directly targeted by the game.

Transformational Leadership and Sustainable Practices: How Leadership Style Shapes Employee Pro-Environmental Behavior

Organizations committed to sustainability and reducing their environmental footprint depend largely on the pro-environmental performance of their employees. This study investigates how environmentally specific transformational leadership (ESTL) shapes employee pro-environmental performance, as well as the mediating role of employee environmental awareness and the boundary condition of emotional exhaustion at work. Data were collected from 264 participants across three waves. The findings reveal that ESTL exerts a positive influence on employee environmental awareness, which in turn enhances pro-environmental performance. Additionally, the positive indirect effect of ESTL on pro-environmental performance through environmental awareness is moderated by emotional exhaustion, being stronger when the emotional exhaustion level is low. These findings highlight the critical role of leadership in fostering environmental sustainability within organizations and the importance of considering employee psychological well-being in the process. Our research contributes to the understanding of how specific leadership behaviors can drive pro-environmental actions in the workplace, offering practical implications for organizational leaders aiming to enhance environmental performance.

The Role of Muslim Families in Children's Education on Environmental Ethics

This study examines the role of Muslim families in children's education regarding environmental ethics. It aims to understand how Muslim parents' integration of Islamic values such as amanah, caliphate, and tawhid can effectively instill awareness and pro-environmental behavior in children. This research explores various parenting methods, including stories from the Qur'an and Hadith, practical activities like gardening and recycling, and discussions and reflections on environmental issues using the literature review method. The findings reveal that children educated with this approach exhibit high ecological awareness and proactive behavior in ecological conservation. However, challenges such as lack of knowledge and resources and differences in cultural and geographical contexts affect the effectiveness of this education. The study concludes that there is a need for support from formal education institutions and communities to strengthen environmental education at home. With the right approach and adequate support, environmental education based on Islamic values has excellent potential to form a generation that cares about the environment. This research provides important insights for developing holistic environmental education programs rooted in religious values.

Development and validation of the Environmental Health Literacy Index: a new tool to assess the environmental health literacy among university students.

Environmental health literacy (EHL) is a rather recent concept that applies health literacy skills to environmental issues. Research in this field is still at the beginning, and there is currently no existing tool in the literature designed to comprehensively assess individual general EHL among university students. The aim of our study is to fill this gap through the validation of the Environmental Health Literacy Index (EHLI) in such a target group. We adapted a previously administered survey, originally completed by 4778 university students from various Italian universities. Starting from the original questionnaire, our methodology involved a three-round item selection process, followed by a comprehensive evaluation of the instrument's psychometric properties. The EHLI consists of 13 Likert-type items, covering three primary domains of health literacy: functional (six items), interactive (three items), and critical (four items). The Cronbach's alpha coefficient is 0.808 for the global scale, while it stands at 0.888 for the functional, 0.795 for the critical, and 0.471 for the interactive components. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve reached a value of 0.643. Spearman correlation analysis revealed a significant yet slight correlation between EHLI and both functional health literacy score and the extent of pro-environmental behaviors adoption. Our study serves as an important initial step in developing a tool able to evaluate the EHL of university-aged individuals. Further research efforts may improve the questionnaire's validity and completeness, as well as to explore its applicability to different age groups.