An Approach to Applying the Ability-Motivation-Opportunity Theory to Identify the Driving Factors of Green Employee Behavior in the Hotel Industry

Abstract

In the context of climate change and all other harmful effects of pollution, companies should improve their environmental performances. As part of their strategies, companies should explore the consequences of their environmental practices from the perspective of internal stakeholders and must be more attentive to employee environmental behavior. This study’s purpose was to identify the motives that encourage the employees of a green hotel to adopt pro-environmental behaviors. Qualitative research was conducted using semi-structured interviews among three-star hotel employees from Brașov, Romania. This research uses the ability-motivation-opportunity (AMO) theory that could lead to a better understanding of employee green behavior. Data analysis revealed that less than half of the respondents have a proper understanding of the concept of environment and only a third of them are aware of the harmful effects caused by people, both at work and at home. Moreover, most of the respondents know little of the measures implemented by the hotel in order to reduce resource consumption, the extrinsic motivation being dominant. Consequently, the results lead to the recommendation that the hotel managerial team should invest in the employees’ training and motivation, creating a corporate environment and a proper organizational culture to develop green behaviors among the employees. The results of this study should be a starting point for those hotels, which face the challenge of involving their employees in the process of greening their activity.

Promoting green employee behaviour from the lens of green transformational leadership

“…We based the current study on two theories of, i.e. resource based view and social exchange theory, which are still underdeveloped in the field of green human resource management especially green employee behaviour (Hameed et al ., 2021; Sibian and Ispas, 2021). Employees are considered as one of the most critical resource for an organisation to achieve sustained competitive advantage.…”

Factors predicting pro-environmental behavior: the case of baby diapers

“…Because of the positive self-esteem that conserving the environment provides, many individuals are intrinsically driven to engage in pro-environmental actions (Graves et al , 2013). External factors, including the initiatives a hotel has put in place for visitors to consider to reduce resource use, can also have an impact on PEB (Sibian and Ispas, 2021).…”

Influencing factors and mechanism of tourists’ pro-environmental behavior – Empirical analysis of the CAC-MOA integration model

“…It means that individual behavior intentions are more likely to be triggered by individual motivation (i.e., whether they want to do it or not), opportunity (i.e., whether they support it or not), and ability (i.e., whether they are in a condition to do it or not). The MOA theory has been widely applied in the research fields of human resource management and marketing ( Van Waeyenberg and Decramer, 2018 ; Kellner et al, 2019 ; Sibian and Ispas, 2021 ).…”

“…The validity of MOA theory in predicting and explaining behavior was tested. Based on the MOA theory, Sibian and Ispas (2021) found that hotel employees’ insufficient ability in environmental awareness, concern, and skills had an inhibitory effect on employees’ green behavior. Ability (e.g., experience) related to the practice of pro-environmental tourism activities helps tourists to better understand the person-environment relationship, which is beneficial in promoting pro-environmental behavior.…”