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Using the Norm Activation Model to Predict the Pro-Environmental Behaviors of Public Servants at the Central and Local Governments in Taiwan

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  • Wei-Ta Fang

    (Graduate Institute of Environmental Education, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei 11677, Taiwan)

  • Yi-Te Chiang

    (Graduate Institute of Environmental Education, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei 11677, Taiwan)

  • Eric Ng

    (School of Management and Enterprise, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD 4350, Australia)

  • Jen-Chieh Lo

    (Graduate Institute of Environmental Education, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei 11677, Taiwan)

Abstract

An understanding of the environmental value-action gap between public servants at the central and local governments is essential for the effective implementation of environmental policies, which is limited in the extant literature. This study has adopted the norm activation model to explore the pro-environmental behaviors of public servants at the central and local governments in Taiwan. A total of 7567 valid questionnaires were collected, and significant differences were evident between public servants at the central ( n = 3400) and local ( n = 4167) governments in personal norms, awareness of consequences, ascription of responsibility, and pro-environmental behaviors. Findings revealed that personal norms were the key factors predicting pro-environmental behaviors of public servants at both the central and local governments. Results also indicated that the awareness of consequences by public servants at the central government had a direct effect on their pro-environmental behaviors, which in turn had a significant effect on their ascription of responsibility. In contrast, awareness of consequences by public servants at the local government had no significant direct effect on their pro-environmental behaviors and had only a weak positive effect on their ascription of responsibility.

Suggested Citation

  • Wei-Ta Fang & Yi-Te Chiang & Eric Ng & Jen-Chieh Lo, 2019. "Using the Norm Activation Model to Predict the Pro-Environmental Behaviors of Public Servants at the Central and Local Governments in Taiwan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(13), pages 1-20, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:13:p:3712-:d:246282
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Enns, Alfred, 2022. "Die Bedeutung klimaschutzfördernder Entwicklungsprojekte und die Rolle der Salienz der ökologischen Norm für den internationalen Klimaschutz," KCN Schriftenreihe, FOM Hochschule für Oekonomie & Management, KCN KompetenzCentrum für nachhaltige Entwicklung, volume 3, number 3 edited by FOM Hochschule für Oekonomie & Management, KompetenzCentrum für nachhaltige Entwicklung (KCN), July.
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    4. Olawale Fatoki, 2023. "Antecedents of Workplace Energy Saving Behaviour: An Integration of the Theory of Planned Behaviour and Norm Activation Model," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 13(4), pages 394-403, July.
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    6. Ralph Hansmann & Claudia R. Binder, 2020. "Determinants of Different Types of Positive Environmental Behaviors: An Analysis of Public and Private Sphere Actions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-30, October.
    7. Audronė Minelgaitė & Genovaitė Liobikienė, 2021. "Changes in pro-environmental behaviour and its determinants during long-term period in a transition country as Lithuania," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(11), pages 16083-16099, November.
    8. Yuuki Nakano & Hiroki Hondo, 2023. "Narrative or Logical? The Effects of Information Format on Pro-Environmental Behavior," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-14, January.

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