Changing behaviour: Increasing the effectiveness of workplace interventions in creating pro-environmental behaviour change

• Published in: Journal of organizational behavior Vol. 34; no. 2; pp. 211 - 229
• Main Authors: Unsworth, Kerrie L., Dmitrieva, Alina, Adriasola, Elisa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.02.2013; John Wiley & Sons; Wiley Periodicals Inc
• Subjects: Behavior modification; Behavioural changes; Energy conservation; Environmental conservation; Environmental management; Environmental psychology; goal hierarchy; Goals; Industrial and organizational psychology; Intervention; Interventions; motivation; Occupational psychology; Organizational behavior; Personality psychology; pro-environmental behaviour; Psychology; Renewable energy; self-concordance; Social psychology; Studies; Workplaces
• ISSN: 0894-3796; 1099-1379
• DOI: 10.1002/job.1837

There is a great deal of research outlining interventions to increase pro-environmental behaviour, many of which are aimed at employees. However, to date the results for these have not lived up to their initial promise. Instead of offering another intervention, we propose a model which identifies psychological conditions under which these interventions are most likely to succeed. Through the integration of previously separate literatures from experimental social psychology, organisational psychology, organisational behaviour and environmental psychology, we suggest that the degree to which the intervention-related goal is efficacious and attractive, self-concordant, in conflict with other goals, and perceived to be completed will affect the level and type of behaviour change. Our model aims to provide actionable knowledge that extends our understanding of the effectiveness of workplace interventions designed to increase green organisational behaviour.