IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v20y2022i1p177-d1012092.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

How Does Government Information Service Quality Influence Public Environmental Awareness?

Author

Listed:
  • Zhiwei Wang

    (School of Economics and Management, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221008, China
    Academy of Humanities and Social Sciences, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 221116, China)

  • Qiang Liu

    (Academy of Humanities and Social Sciences, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 221116, China)

  • Bo Hou

    (Academy of Humanities and Social Sciences, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 221116, China)

Abstract

The development of public environmental awareness has been an essential part of environmental governance in China and a prerequisite for the emergence of conscious environmental behaviors. However, the deeper factors influencing Chinese public environmental awareness are not yet fully understood. In this study, the perception of environmental pollution and the sense of political efficacy were introduced as variables to establish a public environmental awareness model, at the perception level, from the perspective of government information service quality. The correlations between different variables, as well as the working principles, were analyzed based on national environmental survey data. The results demonstrate that both external (the government information service quality) and psychological (the perception of environmental pollution and the sense of political efficacy) factors have significant positive influences on public environmental awareness, with the sense of political efficacy outperforming the perception of environmental pollution and the government information service quality. Analysis of the mediating effect reveals that government information service quality directly influences public environmental awareness; it also indirectly influences public environmental awareness through a chained mediating effect of the perception of environmental pollution and the sense of political efficacy. The results of the multiple-group analysis, with gender and urban–rural attributes as moderator variables, further show that, compared with men and urban residents, the impact of government information service quality and environmental pollution perception on women and rural people’s political efficacy is not significant. Therefore, it is suggested to optimize the government information service, improve the public’s perception of environmental pollution, and then promote the public’s sense of efficacy in the environment governance situation. Furthermore, the government should formulate differentiated strategies for different types of public to guide them to form a proactive awareness of environmental protection.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhiwei Wang & Qiang Liu & Bo Hou, 2022. "How Does Government Information Service Quality Influence Public Environmental Awareness?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(1), pages 1-15, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2022:i:1:p:177-:d:1012092
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/1/177/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/1/177/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hawkins, Darren & Brook, Lucas C. & Hansen, Ian M. & Hoopes, Neal A. & Tidwell, Taylor R., 2019. "Do Citizens See Through Transparency? Evidence from Survey Experiments in Peru," British Journal of Political Science, Cambridge University Press, vol. 49(1), pages 205-228, January.
    2. Huang, Huiping, 2016. "Media use, environmental beliefs, self-efficacy, and pro-environmental behavior," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(6), pages 2206-2212.
    3. Samuel D. Brody & B. Mitchell Peck & Wesley E. Highfield, 2004. "Examining Localized Patterns of Air Quality Perception in Texas: A Spatial and Statistical Analysis," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 24(6), pages 1561-1574, December.
    4. Wenjing Cai & Chun Yang & Bart A. G. Bossink & Jingtao Fu, 2020. "Linking Leaders’ Voluntary Workplace Green Behavior and Team Green Innovation: The Mediation Role of Team Green Efficacy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-17, April.
    5. Tu, Zhengge & Hu, Tianyang & Shen, Renjun, 2019. "Evaluating public participation impact on environmental protection and ecological efficiency in China: Evidence from PITI disclosure," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 111-123.
    6. Roberts, James A., 1996. "Green Consumers in the 1990s: Profile and Implications for Advertising," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 36(3), pages 217-231, July.
    7. Aarti Gupta, 2010. "Transparency in Global Environmental Governance: A Coming of Age?," Global Environmental Politics, MIT Press, vol. 10(3), pages 1-9, August.
    8. Zhang, Shengling & Li, Yue & Hao, Yu & Zhang, Yipeng, 2018. "Does public opinion affect air quality? Evidence based on the monthly data of 109 prefecture-level cities in China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 299-311.
    9. Xinshu Zhao & John G. Lynch & Qimei Chen, 2010. "Reconsidering Baron and Kenny: Myths and Truths about Mediation Analysis," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 37(2), pages 197-206, August.
    10. Haibo Ruan & Li Qiu & Jun Chen & Shuo Liu & Zhiyuan Ma, 2022. "Government Trust, Environmental Pollution Perception, and Environmental Governance Satisfaction," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(16), pages 1-18, August.
    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. Alexander Rojas & Douglas Molina-Orjuela & Laura Peña-Rodríguez & Andrea Hernández-Quirama & Mauricio Rojas-Betancur & Claudia Amaya-Castellanos & Laura A. Rodríguez-Villamizar & Alvaro J. Idrovo, 2023. "Contrary Perceptions of Environmental Health and the Governance of the Bucaramanga Metropolitan Area, Colombia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(19), pages 1-13, September.

    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. Maria Rodrigues & João F. Proença & Rita Macedo, 2023. "Determinants of the Purchase of Secondhand Products: An Approach by the Theory of Planned Behaviour," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-18, July.
    2. Leary, R. Bret & Vann, Richard J. & Mittelstaedt, John D. & Murphy, Patrick E. & Sherry,, John F., 2014. "Changing the marketplace one behavior at a time: Perceived marketplace influence and sustainable consumption," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 67(9), pages 1953-1958.
    3. Bret Leary, R. & Vann, Richard J. & Mittelstaedt, John D., 2017. "Leading the way: Motivating environmental action through perceived marketplace influence," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 79-89.
    4. Saeid Karimi & Genovaitė Liobikienė & Heshmatollah Saadi & Fatemeh Sepahvand, 2021. "The Influence of Media Usage on Iranian Students’ Pro-Environmental Behaviors: An Application of the Extended Theory of Planned Behavior," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-19, July.
    5. Wang, Chen & Chu, Zhongzhu & Gu, Wei, 2021. "Assessing the role of public attention in China's wastewater treatment: A spatial perspective," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    6. Antonetti, Paolo & Baines, Paul & Jain, Shailendra, 2018. "The persuasiveness of guilt appeals over time: Pathways to delayed compliance," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 14-25.
    7. Xinhua Zhao & Hui An, 2023. "Research on the Mechanism of Heterogeneous Corporate Environmental Responsibility in Z-Generation Consumers’ Sustainable Purchase Intention," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-19, June.
    8. Yongxun Xu & Xuechao Wei & Shih-Chih Chen, 2019. "Determinants and Mechanisms of Tourists’ Environmentally Responsible Behavior: Applying and Extending the Value-Identity-Personal Norm Model in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(13), pages 1-14, July.
    9. Lin Dong & Zuobao Wang & Yuxiang Zhou, 2023. "Public Participation and the Effect of Environmental Governance in China: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-16, March.
    10. Zhang, Hua & Xu, Tiantian & Feng, Chao, 2022. "Does public participation promote environmental efficiency? Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment of environmental information disclosure in China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    11. Gun-Soo Han, 2023. "Relationships between Outdoor Recreation-Associated Flow, Pro-Environmental Attitude, and Pro-Environmental Behavioral Intention," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-11, July.
    12. Anja Buerke & Tammo Straatmann & Nick Lin-Hi & Karsten Müller, 2017. "Consumer awareness and sustainability-focused value orientation as motivating factors of responsible consumer behavior," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 11(4), pages 959-991, October.
    13. Haisen Wang & Gangqiang Yang & Ziyang Yue, 2023. "Breaking through ingrained beliefs: revisiting the impact of the digital economy on carbon emissions," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-13, December.
    14. Ezlika M. Ghazali & Bang Nguyen & Dilip S. Mutum & Su-Fei Yap, 2019. "Pro-Environmental Behaviours and Value-Belief-Norm Theory: Assessing Unobserved Heterogeneity of Two Ethnic Groups," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-28, June.
    15. Fang Xu & Meng Tian & Jie Yang & Guohu Xu, 2020. "Does Environmental Inspection Led by the Central Government Improve the Air Quality in China? The Moderating Role of Public Engagement," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-27, April.
    16. S. Arunachalam & Sridhar N. Ramaswami & Pol Herrmann & Doug Walker, 2018. "Innovation pathway to profitability: the role of entrepreneurial orientation and marketing capabilities," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 46(4), pages 744-766, July.
    17. Bilgihan, Anil & Madanoglu, Melih & Ricci, Peter, 2016. "Service attributes as drivers of behavioral loyalty in casinos: The mediating effect of attitudinal loyalty," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 14-21.
    18. Hausman, Catherine & Stolper, Samuel, 2021. "Inequality, information failures, and air pollution," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    19. Kareklas, Ioannis & Muehling, Darrel D. & King, Skyler, 2019. "The effect of color and self-view priming in persuasive communications," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 33-49.
    20. Andreas Falke & Nadine Schröder & Claudia Hofmann, 2022. "The influence of values in sustainable consumption among millennials," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 92(6), pages 899-928, August.

    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:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2022:i:1:p:177-:d:1012092. 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: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    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.