A Novel Conceptual Framework for Examining Environmental Behavior in Large Organizations

Abstract

This article is concerned with the development of a conceptual framework of the key antecedents that lead to sustainable environmental behavior amongst employees within a large organizational setting. A range of quantitative and qualitative methods was employed in the study to examine behavior. Using the Cornwall National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom as a case study, the research demonstrated that both organizational and individual/cognitive factors served as key predictors for sustainable waste behavior. However, these factors did not work in isolation but rather, within a dynamic, holistic, intrarelated, and interrelated conceptual framework to ultimately determine individual behavior. The results suggest the need to address both categories of variables when developing policies to achieve greater sustainability in the behavior of employees within large organizations.

Sustainable Lifestyles: Sites, Practices, and Policy

“…However, recent research by geographers outside of the home environment has begun to demonstrate the importance of environmental practices at other sites of consumption. For example Tudor et al (2008) have explored the role of environmental behaviour in the workplace, demonstrating the ways in which certain learned practices in work life are connected to those in the home environment whilst others appear to remain separate, thus raising questions about the complexity of relationships between these two sites of practice.…”

Heritage tourism, CSR and the role of employee environmental behaviour

“…Individual factors which have been studied include attitudes and beliefs (Jones, 2010;Chun, Shin, Choi & Kim, 2013;Manika, Wells, Gregory-Smith & Gentry, 2014), norms (Scherbaum, Popovich & Finlinson, 2008;Carrico & Riemer, 2011), self-efficacy (Smith & O'Sullivan, 2012), habit (Siero et al, 1996), motivation (Lee, De Young & Marans, 1995;Tudor, Barr & Gilg, 2008), knowledge (Siero et al, 1984) and socio-demographics (Wehrmeyer & McNeil, 2000). The most comprehensive study of employee environmental behaviour within the tourism literature focused on individual (individual environmental beliefs, personal environmental norms, self-reported environmental behaviour) and organisational variables (green organisational climate) as well as demographics to explain employee behaviour (Chou, 2014).…”

The Engagement of Students in Higher Education Institutions with the Concepts of Sustainability: A Case Study of the University of Northampton, in England

“…In addition, the contextual environment within which staff and students operate also has to facilitate a change to the new habitual behaviours, and away from existing practices [35][36][37]. This might be achieved either by changing the contextual/situational factors and the degree of sacrifice required [9,[38][39][40][41][42] (e.g., access to recycling facilities), or by providing the staff and students with the ability to change their intentions and plan their intention-based (volition) behaviours accordingly (e.g., the influence of family, friends, neighbours, and education) [31,[43][44][45][46]. Similarly, [47] argues the need for multi-faceted, systematic approach.…”

“…It would perhaps have been better to focus on a select number of strongly linked and focused interventions/issues. These challenges would therefore have had an impact on changing the habits of the students, as the steps taken during the implementation phase of interventions play a crucial role in their success [37,41,49]. Managing so many initiatives made effective implementation of the overall P2 project difficult.…”