Sustainable Attitudes Research Articles

Climate change perception and adaptation of residents in Hong Kong

Abstract Climate change has induced increasingly alarming impacts on urban environment. Adaptation is one of the most common measures to mitigate the impacts and reduce vulnerability. This study explored the individual adaptation from a cognitive and psychological perspective that has rarely been adopted. The current study aims to measure the risk perception (RP) and perceived adaptive capacity (PAC) of individuals and explore the relationships of the two factors with the attitude and behavior on sustainable adaptation. Some 483 successful questionnaire samples were collected through telephone surveys in Hong Kong. Our major findings include: (1) the inconsistent results from regression analysis of PAC as a single construct and results from factors of PAC obtained from exploratory factor analysis; (2) higher level of PAC in terms of “Mental flexibility, knowledge and interest in global warming” promotes sustainable attitude on adaptation and frequency of use of electrical fan; (3) sustainable attitude of individuals is weaker when they perceive a high effectiveness in their adaptive action and availability of resource; and (4) individuals demonstrating higher level of risk perception uses air-conditioners more frequently. The results showed that some individuals might express maladaptations which may potentially lead to a deterioration of overall public adaptation and long-term sustainability in the society. Such an aberrant response would imply a need for education on concepts of risk and sustainability on climate change adaptation to rectify the misconception.

Ecological Security of Communities in Polish Cities

Compared to issues related to the economy, politics, social or military concerns, attempts to preserve ecology and the natural environment have a relatively short history. Anthropogenic environmental changes in many cases have a direct impact on one's quality of life and the functioning of urban centers, states and communities. Pressure exerted by human economic activity on the environment is demonstrated, above all, by reductions in air, water, and soil quality, worse acoustic climate, and limited access to green spaces. The most detrimental undertakings have a negative impact on the level of ecological security in cities are transport, domestic heating of buildings, industrial activities, and heating processes. The main goal of this paper is to identify the perception of the ecological security of the residents of the biggest urban centers. Urban environment security is a very broad issue. It covers both natural phenomena, where human impact is minimal, levels of urban sustainable development and attitudes of the city dwellers. Recently, citizen awareness of the importance of environmental challenges in Polish cities’ development has surged, including awareness of the desire to live in a cleaner environment and to breathe clean air. The topic is more and more often discussed in public debate, above all during periods of peak contaminant concentrations. The situation serves as a stimulus for citizens to mobilize, often through various social movements while local governments take actions oriented at changing methods of domestic heating, more eco-friendly mobility and the enhanced environmental education of society.

Integrating Environmental Sustainability Content Into an RN-to-BSN Program: A Pilot Study

The link between environmental sustainability, climate change, and health outcomes makes environmental sustainability an important topic for educators to include in nursing curricula. Students completed a sustainability in nursing learning module, over a 4-week period, during which students created blog posts based on the learning materials and clinical practice observations. The Sustainability Attitudes in Nursing Survey questionnaire was incorporated to measure changes in student attitudes regarding sustainability. Descriptive statistics indicated that students had higher average scores on the posttest for all variables except one measurement. Paired t-test results revealed statistically significant differences in nine sustainability attitude items in the pretest and posttest scores. These findings suggest that the intervention likely contributed to improved attitudes about sustainability in the workplace. Results of this study are promising because the brief intervention had a significant effect on practicing nurses' attitudes about sustainability in their work environments. [J Nurs Educ. 2020;59(11):637-641.].

Exploring preferences and sustainable attitudes of Airbnb green users in the review comments and ratings: a text mining approach

The sharing economy platforms for accommodation have emerged as a disruptive model that has revolutionized the tourist lodging sector and modified tourist consumption patterns. Airbnb is the paradigm of this business model, with approximately 300 million users and more than 7 million listings worldwide. However, studies that have attempted to explore the consumer experiences of green Airbnb users are still scarce, especially those using big data approaches. The present study explores the preferences and attitudes of green Airbnb users by analyzing the online review published in Inside Airbnb using text mining and sentiment analysis. Findings reveal six latent aspects among which the “sustainability” predominates in the online opinions of green Airbnb users, situating sustainability in relation to the most positive emotion of the Plutchik model. Moreover, the results of the analysis suggest a positivity bias in the online reviews of green Airbnb users. Managerial implications for sustainability, consumer behavior management, and marketing fields are discussed.

Higher Education Students’ Assessments towards Gamification and Sustainability: A Case Study

Some academics are pushing for teaching staff to implement didactical practices to obtain sustainable behavior. Moreover, a fundamental element of gamification in all educational stages is the noteworthy effect it has on student motivation. In our study, we examined higher education students’ assessments in the University of Malaga on the design of educational gamification and the teaching criteria that relate to gamification, and its effect on student’s motivation, the applications of gamification, and the attitude towards sustainability. A questionnaire was administered to students studying for degrees in education from the University of Malaga. A total of 187 valid surveys were obtained. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was computed for these data based on an exploratory–confirmatory model and using SmartPLS version 3.3.2. A positive relationship between assessment of students’ motivation and sustainability attitude was found. We found that the opinions of the students about the role of their training and teaching design material in education would affect students’ motivation and the sustainability behavior, although the power of this last construct is moderate.

KENTSEL HİZMETLER VE AKILLI KENTLER

It is a known fact that the world is going through a permanent process of change and transformation. Depending on the current time frame and living conditions, the differences in cities affect both individuals and local governments. Urban planning tries to create improvements in the living conditions of urban people by making the moves to keep up with the age. The important thing is to be able to demonstrate sustainable attitude while ensuring the quality of urban life. Because urban planning should exist not to save the day, but to shape the future of cities. In other words, when trying to create cities of the future, it is necessary not to destroy the future of cities. One of the moves in which technological developments can be used for this purpose is smart cities. This study discusses the importance of smart city components for local governments by addressing the concept of smart city in different dimensions. The goal of local governments is sustainable, effective, efficient and, most importantly, accessible service planning, which will cover all urbanites in carrying out the tasks set out by law. Since the potential of information and communication technologies to produce fast and intelligent solutions is known, the transition to smart cities has gained importance. In our country, smart cities are well known for their value for sustainable urban approach. Understanding smart urban practices that may be a collective vision for more livable cities of the future is a road map for our cities and our country. In this process, the synthesis of cultural values should not be forgotten.

Analysis of Sustainability Knowingness, Attitudes and Behavior of a Spanish Pre-Service Primary Teachers Sample

In the context of climatic emergency, teaching for sustainability is crucial to transform damaging behavioral social paths into sustainable ones. In this contribution, we focus on the relevance of the Degree in Primary Education to reach this change, assessing through the Sustainability Consciousness Questionnaire (SCQ) the sustainability awareness of a sample of 151 students of this bachelor’s degree. SPSS and JASP statistical programs were used for data analyses and graphical representations. The results support that this test is appropriate to estimate the different dimensions of sustainability consciousness of Spanish pre-service primary teachers. Specifically, we found that these students assign higher scores to items of sustainability knowingness and sustainability attitudes above all in the social dimension. Some gender differences are found in sustainability behavior, which is higher in the male subset for the economic dimension. Correlation analysis reveals positive associations between sustainability knowingness and sustainability attitudes, whereas sustainability behavior is positively related to both constructs but only in the social dimension. These results highlight the necessity of teaching sustainability looking for behavioral changes in the Degree of Primary Education.

Motorsport Event Attendees: Who are They, What is Their Environmental Worldview, And How Does It Relate to Trip Spending?

The relationship between economics and sustainability within the event industry is becoming increasingly important. Events with a reputation of not being sustainable (i.e., motorsport events) are chronically underserved in the literature. This research incorporated the revised New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) as a theoretical foundation to assess sustainability attitudes of motor racing event attendees at a series of major racing events in Monterey County, California (USA). The NEP assessment created the basis for examining relationships between sustainability attitudes and motorsport event patrons' characteristics including demographic information, tourist patrons' total trip spending, and per-day spending. Interestingly, patrons attending these traditionally nonenvironmentally sustainable events were found to have similar NEP scores to other event and nonevent research. Sustainability attitudes were not significantly different based on demographic variables, including age and income. However, an inverse relationship was found between environmental attitudes and spending. Tourist patrons with a less sustainable environmental worldview spent more per day and more per trip than those with a more sustainable environmental worldview. These surprising results provide a basis for industry and academic discourse within event management, sustainability, and marketing.

As Práticas Sustentáveis nas Atividades Técnicas de Secretariado

Entende-se que as atitudes sustentáveis são comportamentos que levam em consideração a preservação do meio ambiente, bem como a minimização da degradação ambiental provocada pelas organizações. Com isso, problematiza-se como o profissional de secretariado pode estar envolvido nesse contexto, já que ele desempenha atividades-meio de assessoria à organização. Nesse aspecto, este trabalho tem o objetivo de elencar práticas de sustentabilidade que podem ser desempenhadas nas atividades técnicas de Secretariado. Para tanto, os procedimentos metodológicos foram embasados na pesquisa bibliográfica e exploratória, sob a abordagem qualitativa. Os dados foram coletados através de questionário estruturado no Google Forms aos estudantes de Secretariado no período de 02 a 15 de maio de 2018, e analisados sob o método da análise de conteúdo. Os sujeitos da pesquisa são os que, naquele momento, estavam estagiando ou trabalhando, pois era necessário conhecer as suas atitudes de sustentabilidade que são realizadas no ambiente de trabalho. Como principal resultado, tem-se que os estudantes conhecem um pouco o termo sustentabilidade e os R’s de Sustentabilidade, o que contribui para terem atitudes mais sustentáveis e de preservação do meio ambiente. Conclui-se, portanto, que é possível ressignificar o arquivamento de documentos, o atendimento telefônico, o agendamento dos compromissos, o planejamento e organização de viagens, a organização de eventos e o gerenciamento de reuniões com práticas sustentáveis.

Exploring landscape preference through photo-based Q methodology. Madrid seen by suburban adolescents

The needs and group practices of adolescents have great impact on public spaces. Further understanding how and why they value certain environments is instrumental to better integrate their perspective in the design and management of our landscapes, as well as in raising environmental awareness and fostering sustainable attitudes and practices. We present the findings of a workshop on landscape preference carried out with a secondary school in the suburbs of Madrid. With participants between the ages of 11 and 16, photo-based Q methodology in combination with qualitative data allowed for the identification of groups sharing similar viewpoints, general trends, as well as exploring the structure and meaning behind consensus and disagreement photographs. Findings show overall positive valorisation towards green spaces, especially those where urban greenery is combined with recognizable architectural elements. Familiarity with the landscape type seems to encourage positive rankings, and preference towards well-known cultural sites manifests at older ages. Among the wide array of photo-elicitation techniques devoted to the assessment of landscape preference, photo-based Q methodology has seldom been used. However, this intuitive, effective, and inexpensive technique can be carried out in short and enjoyable sessions, showing great potential to be applied in geographical and environmental education.

The terror of death and consumers’ sustainability attitudes

Abstract Applying Terror Management Theory, this research attempts to investigate how the terror of death perception affects consumers' sustainability attitudes under the contingent condition of religiosity. This field study was conducted in Malang, Indonesia. The findings disclose that both mortality salience and self-esteem increase materialism. Materialism is found to intensify consumers’ sustainability attitudes of green concern and consumer social responsibility (CnSR). It is also found that religiosity strengthens the effect of mortality salience on materialism and that of materialism on CnSR. Contrarily, religiosity weakens the effects of materialism on green concern. However, there is no statistical support for the moderating effect of religiosity on the linkage between self-esteem and materialism.

Determinants of sustainable behavior of firms and the consequences for customer satisfaction in hospitality

• Unique data set connecting 974 hotels and 62,766 customer satisfaction ratings. • Novel measurement for sustainable behavior in hospitality. • Innovativeness and sustainability attitude affect sustainable behavior. • Implementation of sustainability measures depends on perceived advantages. • Sustainable behavior of a firm has positive influence on customer satisfaction. The literature on determinants of firm sustainable behavior and its effects on firm performance is rich. However, there are still important questions that lack definitive conclusions. One revolves around factors mediating the link between organizational determinants and firm sustainable behavior, which may still be regarded as a black box. Another stresses the impact of sustainable behavior on customer satisfaction. Using a sample of survey data from 974 small and medium-sized German hotels and 62,766 independent reviews, this paper examines the links between innovativeness, managers’ sustainability attitudes and firm sustainable behavior while taking into account perceived advantages of sustainable behavior as a mediator. Furthermore, the relationship between sustainable behavior and customer satisfaction is examined. A model is proposed and tested using structural equation modeling. The results confirm innovativeness and sustainability attitudes as determinants of sustainable behavior and perceived advantage as a mediator. Sustainable behavior shows a positive relation to customer satisfaction.

Formas de aquisição da água para consumo na comunidade do quilombo Castainho PE

Este trabalho fundamenta-se em uma reflexão sobre a gestão da água e suas ressonâncias na comunidade quilombola do Castainho, localizada em Garanhuns/PE. O principal objetivo foi descrever as condições e as formas de aquisição da água para consumo nessa comunidade, suas relações com a promoção da saúde e as transformações sociais, ambientais e comportamentais, na incorporação da sustentabilidade ambiental e enfrentamento da distribuição inadequada da água na comunidade. Trata-se de uma pesquisa-ação, com abordagem qualitativa, onde buscamos por meio dos Círculos de Cultura (CC) compreender a incorporação de atitudes sustentáveis na relação homem/natureza bem como as formas de acesso ao recurso hídrico, tão importante e essencial para a manutenção e existência da vida. Além do CC também foi utilizada a análise de documentos. O trabalho propiciou uma reflexão crítica junto aos sujeitos participantes sobre suas práticas atuais e condições quanto usuários de um serviço público, ao qual possuem direitos adquiridos, porém não tem acesso de fato à água tratada e encanada em suas casas. Através dos CC foi possível discutir as repercussões dessa problemática na saúde e sua repercussão social, apropriando-se de novos elementos, acessando informações, estratégias e instrumentos de intervenção e gerando novas possibilidades e desafios junto aos sujeitos.

Business students’ value priorities and attitudes towards sustainable development

Business students of today are future executives in companies and governments. Therefore, their education for sustainability needs to be carefully considered. However, very little is known about business students in terms of their value priorities and attitudes towards sustainable development. Value priorities guide attitudes, but they are more abstract and long-lasting. Teachers who understand their students’ value priorities and attitudes could develop and customize their teaching accordingly. Our goal in this study is to measure business students’ value priorities and their attitudes towards sustainability. We compare the results obtained from students in a university business school with a comparable nationwide sample. Our results show that there are differences in almost all values among business students and the comparable sample, in particular in universalism and power. Interestingly, attitudes to sustainable development are equally or even more favorable among business students. As a theoretical contribution in the field of education for sustainability we combined Sterling’s three levels of sustainability education into our considerations and suggest that the evolvement of students’ values and sustainability attitudes measured regularly should be reflected against them or a corresponding categorization.

Sustainable Entrepreneurship in the Agriculture Sector: The Nexus of the Triple Bottom Line Measurement Approach

The field of entrepreneurship is considered essential for the economy, and many researchers around the world have studied it from diverse perspectives. The outcomes of this research are not yet consensual. Today, it is gaining attention and consensus due to the increasing pressure of sustainable development, so there is a need for academic research to examine this field by incorporating sustainability value creation practices and the efforts of current entrepreneurs towards said goal, especially in the case of the agricultural sector. Accordingly, this study aims to address the problem of what drives students to incorporate sustainable agriculture in their entrepreneurial ventures. Moreover, we aim to determine whether the value placed in the triple bottom line affects the intention to establish sustainable businesses. The study is based on five antecedents of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TBP) and was designed to explore the mechanism underlying the intention to promote sustainable entrepreneurship in agriculture. The primary objective was to collect and analyze the data using the partial least square structural equation model (PLS-SEM) to test the determinants. The results revealed that the indicators of a favorable sustainable attitude, supportive subjective norms, control behaviors, adequate opportunity recognitions, and encouraging the triple bottom line had strong influences on the intention of promoting sustainability in entrepreneurship. Besides, the attitudes, subjective norms, opportunity recognition, and sustainability values can also predict students’ significant positive intentions toward sustainable agriculture in entrepreneurship. The research findings contribute to the literature by providing an empirical basis for the formulation of policies to encourage students to start an agribusiness, thereby improving the effectiveness of entrepreneurship education development programs and bridging the gap between sustainable entrepreneurial intentions and actions. Therefore, the insight into the determinants of sustainable entrepreneurship can be an essential step toward designing a practical and durable policy mechanism for the implementation of the triple bottom line when developing entrepreneurial agriculture education programs.

The relationships among adult sustainability attitudes, psychological well-being, nature relatedness, and interest in scientific issues

The psychological construct of nature relatedness has received increasing attention in the research on pro-environmental attitudes and psychological well-being. Public interest in scientific issues is an important issue in scientific literacy research. The aim of this research was to examine the relationships among adult interest in scientific issues, nature relatedness, sustainability attitudes, and their psychological well-being. Probability proportional to size sampling, which is a method used to divide a population into several stratums (systematic sampling was used for these stratums according to their size in proportion to the population), was conducted. Four hundred thirty-three citizens aged between 18 and 70 years were involved as participants. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was utilized to test specific theory-based hypotheses. The results revealed that adult interest in scientific issues had a direct effect on adult nature relatedness, which, in turn, had direct effects on sustainability attitudes and psychological well-being. It was also found that adult interest in scientific issues had a partial and indirect mediation effect on the sustainability attitudes of the participants. This research has provided additional insights since the proposed model has demonstrated that individuals interested in scientific issues were more likely to experience better well-being and possess positive sustainability attitudes, which are promising findings.

ACHIEVING HUMAN NEEDSTHROUGH DESIGNING AN INTERIOR DESIGN RATING TOOL

This study's purpose is to increase interior designers' sustainable attitude through suggesting a strategy for an Interior Design Rating Tool designed for that purpose. Pearl Rating Tool of Estidama of Abu Dhabi is the first tailored to the Middle East region. Its aim is to create more sustainable communities, cities and global enterprises and to balance the four pillars of sustainability: environmental, economic, cultural and social. As sustainability in designing interior spaces is the same in importance as in designing and constructing buildings and designing communities; this study suggested a strategy for an Interior Design Pearl Rating Tool for Estidama. Ten sustainable interior design criteria are included with the most important strategies to be met so that the interior designer should be aware of the four pillars of sustainability it has to balance between. In addition, designers have to learn about the maximum credit score they can achieve through fulfilling human needs, wants and values in the built environment. This strategy is designed to be presented to designers before starting their project in order for their project to be rated.

Sustainability implementation in restaurants: A comprehensive model of drivers, barriers, and competitiveness-mediated effects on firm performance

Abstract This study examines sustainability implementation in restaurants by theorizing and testing a comprehensive model of antecedents and effects. It represents positive and negative pressures toward sustainability respectively by entrepreneurs’ attitude and barriers to sustainability, while hypothesizing that customer satisfaction and competitiveness mediate effects of these practices on firm performance. Covariance-based structural equation modeling is used to analyze survey data on 334 restaurants in North Italy. Results show that sustainability attitude exerts pressure toward sustainability, while barriers in terms of costs, fear of regulation or skepticism about benefits have negative, but lower, effects. Sustainability implementation positively contributes to firm performance, but only via two intermediate measures of business success: competitiveness and customer satisfaction. The study fills a gap in the literature by presenting a whole construct of sustainability, by testing two mediating effects not yet hypothesized and by highlighting in the same model the role of factors enabling and deterring sustainability.

Food Waste Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behavioral Intentions among University Students

After policy change, educational programming has been cited as one of the most powerful tools for improving food systems and decreasing food waste. University students represent a population in which emerging habits, skills, and identity may be targeted easily and changed through on-campus educational programming. To understand how to best implement programming on impacts of food, food waste, and related issues, the factors that underlie students’ behaviors related to food waste must be understood. We analyzed factors that influence food waste–related behaviors within a university student population to understand the potential for improving targeted, school-based food waste diversion programming. Four hundred and ninety-five students were surveyed to: (1) identify self-reported knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to food waste; (2) explore underlying factors driving food waste–related behaviors through exploratory factor analysis (EFA); and (3) understand the interactions between factors within a regression framework. Participants reported that they most often left food on their plate because it did not taste good or they had overestimated portion size. A majority of participants already performed many food waste reduction behaviors, and were both interested in taking action and aware that their efforts could make a difference. Food management skills, compost attitudes, sustainability attitudes, and reported household food waste were correlated, in various ways, with both intent to reduce and reported food waste reduction behaviors. Opportunities for improving university-related food waste programming through this data are explored. See the press release for this article.

The Effect of Religion on the Effectiveness of Ecological Advertising

Abstract Attitudes toward ecological consumption can trigger environmentally responsible intentions and behaviors. Understanding how ecological messages can influence attitudes is essential to mitigate climate change. This paper analyzes how religious affiliation (or lack of), can influence attitudes toward green advertising and explores the role of religious affiliation in the effectiveness of ecological messages. The findings indicate that religious affiliation has an influence on the degree of effectiveness of each message. So, green communications can be a useful tool to persuade atheists to develop more sustainable attitudes when they are exposed the benefits that can be achieved with green behavior. However, persuasive environmental messages, in general, do not generate major changes of attitude among Catholics. Businesses, NGO s, states, educators and society in general should acknowledge that environmental discourses fostering sustainable behavior. Furthermore, messages depicting the problems of environmental behavior have no repercussion on atheists and little on Catholics.