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The role of social norms in incentivising energy reduction in organisations

Author

Listed:
  • Peter Bradley

    (University of the West of England, Bristol)

  • Matthew Leach

    (University of Surrey)

  • Shane Fudge

    (University of Surrey)

Abstract

This study was part of a collaborative trial for an energy feedback intervention, providing detailed individual desk based energy feedback information to help individuals reduce energy in an office environment. Although the intervention was individually based, this paper explores the social context in which the intervention took place, and in particular attempted to measure changes in normative influence (descriptive and injunctive norms) around specific energy services, before and after the intervention. Results from the study identified that social norms around certain energy services changed as a result of the intervention, and the level of descriptive norms was found to have an effect on the energy efficiency of participants. Additionally interviews which were carried out during the study are insightful in helping understand how norms emerge and spread with the influence of social context and related factors. Interviews indicate strong interactions between technologies/technology policy and social context. The findings are highly relevant in the current age of fast paced technology change where businesses and governments often make decisions on what ICT technologies shall be introduced and used (such as smart metering), without fully considering the two way relationship between these technologies and social context.

Suggested Citation

  • Peter Bradley & Matthew Leach & Shane Fudge, 2014. "The role of social norms in incentivising energy reduction in organisations," Working Papers 20141404, Department of Accounting, Economics and Finance, Bristol Business School, University of the West of England, Bristol.
    • Handle: RePEc:uwe:wpaper:20141404
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    File URL: http://www2.uwe.ac.uk/faculties/BBS/BUS/Research/Economics%20Papers%202014/1404.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    3. Noah J. Goldstein & Robert B. Cialdini & Vladas Griskevicius, 2008. "A Room with a Viewpoint: Using Social Norms to Motivate Environmental Conservation in Hotels," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 35(3), pages 472-482, March.
    4. Gachter, Simon & Fehr, Ernst, 1999. "Collective action as a social exchange," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 39(4), pages 341-369, July.
    5. Greenberg, Jerald & Ashton-James, Claire E. & Ashkanasy, Neal M., 2007. "Social comparison processes in organizations," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 102(1), pages 22-41, January.
    6. Murtagh, Niamh & Nati, Michele & Headley, William R. & Gatersleben, Birgitta & Gluhak, Alexander & Imran, Muhammad Ali & Uzzell, David, 2013. "Individual energy use and feedback in an office setting: A field trial," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 717-728.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    Cited by:

    1. Idahosa, Love Odion & Akotey, Joseph Oscar, 2021. "A social constructionist approach to managing HVAC energy consumption using social norms – A randomised field experiment," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    social norms; social context; organization; CSR; environmental; energy; demand response; smart metering; behaviour; descriptive norms; injunctive norms;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q41 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Demand and Supply; Prices
    • Q57 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Ecological Economics

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