IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/natres/v43y2019i3p181-193.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Towards sustainable consumption: Predicting the impact of social‐psychological factors on energy conservation intentions in Northern Cyprus

Author

Listed:
  • Peter Ansu‐Mensah
  • Murad A. Bein

Abstract

The incessant demand and consumption of energy services among individuals’ is increasing throughout the world. Individuals’ electricity consumption in Northern Cyprus has risen considerably. However, the demand for electrical energy services on the island is heavily reliant on imported fossil fuels. Burning fossil fuels has adverse effects on its environment. Therefore, sustainable energy consumption is required and individuals are targeted for energy conservation to reduce electricity consumption. Against this background, using the Structural Equation Modeling approach, this research incorporates social‐psychological factors; personal norms, positive and negative emotions into the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) model to assess the relationships among the variables, explain their impact on consumers’ electricity conservation intentions and enhance the explanatory power of the model. Data was conveniently obtained from a quantitative sample of 400 electricity consumers. The results indicate that negative emotions have the strongest significant influence on intentions, but personal norms have the least effect on intentions to save electricity. Furthermore, the study revealed that our expanded TPB model can provide improved explanatory power more than the original TPB. Policy implications, limitations and future research are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Peter Ansu‐Mensah & Murad A. Bein, 2019. "Towards sustainable consumption: Predicting the impact of social‐psychological factors on energy conservation intentions in Northern Cyprus," Natural Resources Forum, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 43(3), pages 181-193, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:natres:v:43:y:2019:i:3:p:181-193
    DOI: 10.1111/1477-8947.12174
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/1477-8947.12174
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/1477-8947.12174?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Tan, Chin-Seang & Ooi, Hooi-Yin & Goh, Yen-Nee, 2017. "A moral extension of the theory of planned behavior to predict consumers’ purchase intention for energy-efficient household appliances in Malaysia," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 459-471.
    2. Kenneth Gillingham & Karen Palmer, 2014. "Bridging the Energy Efficiency Gap: Policy Insights from Economic Theory and Empirical Evidence," Review of Environmental Economics and Policy, Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 8(1), pages 18-38, January.
    3. Barr, Stewart & Gilg, Andrew W & Ford, Nicholas, 2005. "The household energy gap: examining the divide between habitual- and purchase-related conservation behaviours," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(11), pages 1425-1444, July.
    4. Ding, Zhihua & Wang, Guangqiang & Liu, Zhenhua & Long, Ruyin, 2017. "Research on differences in the factors influencing the energy-saving behavior of urban and rural residents in China–A case study of Jiangsu Province," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 252-259.
    5. Botetzagias, Iosif & Malesios, Chrisovaladis & Poulou, Dimitra, 2014. "Electricity curtailment behaviors in Greek households: Different behaviors, different predictors," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 415-424.
    6. Zhou, Kaile & Yang, Shanlin, 2016. "Understanding household energy consumption behavior: The contribution of energy big data analytics," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 810-819.
    7. Guo, Zhifeng & Zhou, Kaile & Zhang, Chi & Lu, Xinhui & Chen, Wen & Yang, Shanlin, 2018. "Residential electricity consumption behavior: Influencing factors, related theories and intervention strategies," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 81(P1), pages 399-412.
    8. Nilsson, Andreas & Bergstad, Cecilia Jakobsson & Thuvander, Liane & Andersson, David & Andersson, Kristin & Meiling, Pär, 2014. "Effects of continuous feedback on households’ electricity consumption: Potentials and barriers," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 17-23.
    9. Georges, Emeline & Cornélusse, Bertrand & Ernst, Damien & Lemort, Vincent & Mathieu, Sébastien, 2017. "Residential heat pump as flexible load for direct control service with parametrized duration and rebound effect," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 187(C), pages 140-153.
    10. Abrahamse, Wokje & Steg, Linda, 2009. "How do socio-demographic and psychological factors relate to households' direct and indirect energy use and savings?," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 30(5), pages 711-720, October.
    11. Eleni Papaoikonomou & Gerard Ryan & Matias Ginieis, 2011. "Towards a Holistic Approach of the Attitude Behaviour Gap in Ethical Consumer Behaviours: Empirical Evidence from Spain," International Advances in Economic Research, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 17(1), pages 77-88, February.
    12. Martinsson, Johan & Lundqvist, Lennart J. & Sundström, Aksel, 2011. "Energy saving in Swedish households. The (relative) importance of environmental attitudes," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(9), pages 5182-5191, September.
    13. Candice Stevens, 2010. "Linking sustainable consumption and production: The government role," Natural Resources Forum, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 34(1), pages 16-23, February.
    14. Octav-Ionut Macovei, 2015. "Applying the Theory of Planned Behavior in Predicting Proenvironmental Behaviour: The Case of Energy Conservation," Acta Universitatis Danubius. OEconomica, Danubius University of Galati, issue 11(4), pages 15-32, August.
    15. Yu, Yihua & Guo, Jin, 2016. "Identifying electricity-saving potential in rural China: Empirical evidence from a household survey," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 1-9.
    16. repec:kap:iaecre:v:17:y:2011:i:1:p:77-88 is not listed on IDEAS
    17. Han, Heesup & Hyun, Sunghyup Sean, 2018. "What influences water conservation and towel reuse practices of hotel guests?," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 87-97.
    18. Alexandra-Gwyn Paetz & Elisabeth Dütschke & Wolf Fichtner, 2012. "Smart Homes as a Means to Sustainable Energy Consumption: A Study of Consumer Perceptions," Journal of Consumer Policy, Springer, vol. 35(1), pages 23-41, March.
    19. Wang, Shanyong & Lin, Shoufu & Li, Jun, 2018. "Exploring the effects of non-cognitive and emotional factors on household electricity saving behavior," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 171-180.
    20. Oikonomou, V. & Becchis, F. & Steg, L. & Russolillo, D., 2009. "Energy saving and energy efficiency concepts for policy making," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(11), pages 4787-4796, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Saman Attiq & Amanda M. Y. Chu & Rauf I. Azam & Wing-Keung Wong & Sumia Mumtaz, 2021. "Antecedents of Consumer Food Waste Reduction Behavior: Psychological and Financial Concerns through the Lens of the Theory of Interpersonal Behavior," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(23), pages 1-18, November.
    2. Peter Ansu-Mensah & Monica Ansu-Mensah & Desmond Kuupiel, 2021. "What Evidence Exists on Individuals’ Sustainable Consumption Practices in Africa? A Scoping Review Protocol," International Review of Management and Marketing, Econjournals, vol. 11(5), pages 12-17.
    3. Peter Ansu-Mensah, 2021. "Green product awareness effect on green purchase intentions of university students’: an emerging market’s perspective," Future Business Journal, Springer, vol. 7(1), pages 1-13, December.
    4. Lanlan Li & Huayang Ming & Ranran Yang & Xuan Luo, 2020. "The Impact of Policy Factors and Users’ Awareness on Electricity-Saving Behaviors: From the Perspective of Habits and Investment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-23, June.
    5. Guanfeng Yan & Binwen Liu & Yanjie Li & Mingnian Wang & Tao Yan, 2024. "Antecedents of Electricity-Saving Behavior in Mountain Road Tunnel-Construction Sites: A Multi-Level Modeling Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(6), pages 1-20, March.
    6. Shariq Zia & Salman Hussain Paracha & Humaira Nadeem & Naveed Mushtaq, 2021. "Are Pakistani Consumers Ready To Go Green: A Study Of Buying Intentions Of Pakistani Consumers," Bulletin of Business and Economics (BBE), Research Foundation for Humanity (RFH), vol. 10(4), pages 126-138, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Wang, Shanyong & Lin, Shoufu & Li, Jun, 2018. "Exploring the effects of non-cognitive and emotional factors on household electricity saving behavior," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 171-180.
    2. Trotta, Gianluca, 2018. "Factors affecting energy-saving behaviours and energy efficiency investments in British households," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 529-539.
    3. Le Thi Dieu Hien & Khuu Ngoc Huyen & Thi Hong Loc Hoang, 2023. "Factors Affecting Energy-Saving Intentions among Youth in Vietnam," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 13(6), pages 603-609, November.
    4. Nieves García-de-Frutos & José Manuel Ortega-Egea & Javier Martínez-del-Río, 2018. "Anti-consumption for Environmental Sustainability: Conceptualization, Review, and Multilevel Research Directions," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 148(2), pages 411-435, March.
    5. Sylwia Słupik & Joanna Kos-Łabędowicz & Joanna Trzęsiok, 2021. "Energy-Related Behaviour of Consumers from the Silesia Province (Poland)—Towards a Low-Carbon Economy," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-23, April.
    6. Saqib Ali & Habib Ullah & Minhas Akbar & Waheed Akhtar & Hasan Zahid, 2019. "Determinants of Consumer Intentions to Purchase Energy-Saving Household Products in Pakistan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-20, March.
    7. Biao Luo & Mengzhen Nie & Hongmei Ji, 2023. "The Influence of Internet Celebrities’ Expertise and Attraction on Residents’ Intention to Purchase Household Energy-Saving Products in the Context of an Online Community," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-13, April.
    8. Samdruk Dharshing & Stefanie Lena Hille, 2017. "The Energy Paradox Revisited: Analyzing the Role of Individual Differences and Framing Effects in Information Perception," Journal of Consumer Policy, Springer, vol. 40(4), pages 485-508, December.
    9. WeiYu Ji & Edwin H. W. Chan, 2019. "Critical Factors Influencing the Adoption of Smart Home Energy Technology in China: A Guangdong Province Case Study," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-24, November.
    10. Botetzagias, Iosif & Malesios, Chrisovaladis & Poulou, Dimitra, 2014. "Electricity curtailment behaviors in Greek households: Different behaviors, different predictors," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 415-424.
    11. Fiorillo, Damiano & Sapio, Alessandro, 2019. "Energy saving in Italy in the late 1990s: Which role for non-monetary motivations?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 165(C), pages 1-1.
    12. Lopes, M.A.R. & Antunes, C.H. & Martins, N., 2012. "Energy behaviours as promoters of energy efficiency: A 21st century review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 16(6), pages 4095-4104.
    13. Morgane Innocent & Agnès François-Lecompte & Nolwenn Roudaut, 2020. "Comparison of human versus technological support to reduce domestic electricity consumption in France," Post-Print hal-02450849, HAL.
    14. Liu, Chang & Lin, Boqiang, 2020. "Is increasing-block electricity pricing effectively carried out in China? A case study in Shanghai and Shenzhen," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).
    15. Jin Zhang & Lianrui Ma & Jinkai Li, 2021. "Why Low-Carbon Publicity Effect Limits? The Role of Heterogeneous Intention in Reducing Household Energy Consumption," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-17, November.
    16. Xin, Yongrong & Long, Dengjie, 2023. "Linking eco-label knowledge and sustainable consumption of renewable energy: A roadmap towards green revolution," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 207(C), pages 531-538.
    17. Xuan Liu & Qiancheng Wang & Hsi-Hsien Wei & Hung-Lin Chi & Yaotian Ma & Izzy Yi Jian, 2020. "Psychological and Demographic Factors Affecting Household Energy-Saving Intentions: A TPB-Based Study in Northwest China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-20, January.
    18. Yue, Ting & Long, Ruyin & Chen, Hong, 2013. "Factors influencing energy-saving behavior of urban households in Jiangsu Province," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 665-675.
    19. Innocent, Morgane & Francois-Lecompte, Agnès, 2018. "The values of electricity saving for consumers," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 136-146.
    20. Karim Khan & Anwar Shah & Jaffar Khan, 2016. "Electricity Consumption Patterns: Comparative Evidence from Pakistan’s Public and Private Sectors," Lahore Journal of Economics, Department of Economics, The Lahore School of Economics, vol. 21(1), pages 99-122, Jan-June.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wly:natres:v:43:y:2019:i:3:p:181-193. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://doi.org/10.1111/(ISSN)1477-8947 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.