IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v11y2019i2p342-d196805.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Encouraging Environmental Commitment to Sustainability: An Empirical Study of Environmental Connectedness Theory to Undergraduate Students

Author

Listed:
  • Tai-Kuei Yu

    (Department of Business Administration, National Quemoy University, No. 1 University Road, Jinning Township, Kinmen County 89250, Taiwan)

  • Feng-Yi Lin

    (Department of Business Management, National Taipei University of Technology, No. 1, Sec. 3, Chung-Hsiao E. Road, Taipei 10608, Taiwan)

  • Kai-Yun Kao

    (Department of Business Management, National Taipei University of Technology, No. 1, Sec. 3, Chung-Hsiao E. Road, Taipei 10608, Taiwan)

  • Tai-Yi Yu

    (Department of Risk Management and Insurance, Ming Chaun University, 250 Zhong Shan N. Road., Sec. 5, Taipei 11103, Taiwan)

Abstract

Environmental commitment to sustainability is one of the most critical issues in the “emerging contaminants”, few studies have examined the role of commitment to pro-environmental behavior and environmental concerns. This study aimed to explore the relationship between environmental commitment and three forms of emotional association: place attachment and social identity, connectedness and concerned about nature. Using 1288 respondents and a structural equation modeling approach, results show that connection to nature enhanced social identity, place attachment, and environmental concern, which in turn increased environmental commitment to sustainability. Place attachment was not related to environmental commitment to sustainability. Further analysis suggested that the theoretical model relationship between connection to nature and environmental commitment to sustainability was mediated by social identity and environmental concern. The findings of this research can offer guidelines for policy makers and green educators who evaluate an environmental commitment so as to provide proper beliefs association with nature and promote social identity and place attachment by emerging contaminants in educational activities. This demonstrates the importance of using a series of robustness of social identity and place attachment instruments and more environmental concern to promote environmental commitment to sustainability. Interpretation of the findings reveals the potential role that environmental commitment to sustainability can play as a hub and catalyst for major emerging contaminants change by fostering recognition of environmental commitment as a way of change and combine schools and government sectors to connect the micro- and macro-levels.

Suggested Citation

  • Tai-Kuei Yu & Feng-Yi Lin & Kai-Yun Kao & Tai-Yi Yu, 2019. "Encouraging Environmental Commitment to Sustainability: An Empirical Study of Environmental Connectedness Theory to Undergraduate Students," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-21, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:2:p:342-:d:196805
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/2/342/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/2/342/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Magali A. Delmas & Maria J. Montes‐Sancho, 2010. "Voluntary agreements to improve environmental quality: symbolic and substantive cooperation," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(6), pages 575-601, June.
    2. Juelin Yin & Lixian Qian & Anusorn Singhapakdi, 2018. "Erratum to: Sharing Sustainability: How Values and Ethics Matter in Consumers’ Adoption of Public Bicycle-Sharing Scheme," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 149(2), pages 333-333, May.
    3. Juelin Yin & Lixian Qian & Anusorn Singhapakdi, 2018. "Sharing Sustainability: How Values and Ethics Matter in Consumers’ Adoption of Public Bicycle-Sharing Scheme," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 149(2), pages 313-332, May.
    4. Ramkissoon, Haywantee & Graham Smith, Liam David & Weiler, Betty, 2013. "Testing the dimensionality of place attachment and its relationships with place satisfaction and pro-environmental behaviours: A structural equation modelling approach," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 552-566.
    5. Birgitta Gatersleben & Niamh Murtagh & Wokje Abrahamse, 2014. "Values, identity and pro-environmental behaviour," Contemporary Social Science, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 9(4), pages 374-392, December.
    6. Harrison, R. Wes, 2013. "R. Wes Harrison," Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Southern Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 45, pages 1-2, 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. Toshima Makoondlall-Chadee & Chandradeo Bokhoree, 2024. "Understanding the Influencing Factors of Pro-Environmental Behavior in the Hotel Sector of Mauritius Island," Tourism and Hospitality, MDPI, vol. 5(4), pages 1-35, October.
    2. Serdar Cop & Uju Violet Alola & Andrew Adewale Alola, 2020. "Perceived behavioral control as a mediator of hotels' green training, environmental commitment, and organizational citizenship behavior: A sustainable environmental practice," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(8), pages 3495-3508, December.
    3. Mohd Yusoff Yusliza & Amirudin Amirudin & Raden Aswin Rahadi & Nik Afzan Nik Sarah Athirah & Thurasamy Ramayah & Zikri Muhammad & Francesca Dal Mas & Maurizio Massaro & Jumadil Saputra & Safiek Mokhli, 2020. "An Investigation of Pro-Environmental Behaviour and Sustainable Development in Malaysia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-21, August.

    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. Huang, Youlin & Qian, Lixian, 2021. "Consumer adoption of electric vehicles in alternative business models," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    2. Qian, Lixian & Yin, Juelin & Huang, Youlin & Liang, Ya, 2023. "The role of values and ethics in influencing consumers’ intention to use autonomous vehicle hailing services," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 188(C).
    3. Hye Jung Jung & Yun Jung Choi & Kyung Wha Oh, 2020. "Influencing Factors of Chinese Consumers’ Purchase Intention to Sustainable Apparel Products: Exploring Consumer “Attitude–Behavioral Intention” Gap," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-14, February.
    4. Kutaula, Smirti & Gillani, Alvina & Leonidou, Leonidas C. & Christodoulides, Paul, 2022. "Integrating fair trade with circular economy: Personality traits, consumer engagement, and ethically-minded behavior," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 144(C), pages 1087-1102.
    5. Nils Christian Hoffmann & Juelin Yin & Stefan Hoffmann, 2020. "Chain of Blame: A Multi-country Study of Consumer Reactions Towards Supplier Hypocrisy in Global Supply Chains," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 60(2), pages 247-286, April.
    6. Shuang Ma & Huimin Gu & Daniel P. Hampson & Yonggui Wang, 2020. "Enhancing Customer Civility in the Peer-to-Peer Economy: Empirical Evidence from the Hospitality Sector," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 167(1), pages 77-95, November.
    7. Li Wang & Feng Wei & Xin-an Zhang, 2019. "Why Does Energy-Saving Behavior Rise and Fall? A Study on Consumer Face Consciousness in the Chinese Context," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 160(2), pages 499-513, December.
    8. Libin Chen & Qi Wu & Lin Jiang, 2022. "Impact of Environmental Concern on Ecological Purchasing Behavior: The Moderating Effect of Prosociality," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-18, March.
    9. Xin Jiang & Zhihua Ding & Rong Liu, 2019. "Can Chinese residential low-carbon consumption behavior intention be better explained? The role of cultural values," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 95(1), pages 155-171, January.
    10. Huang, Youlin & Qian, Lixian & Tyfield, David & Soopramanien, Didier, 2021. "On the heterogeneity in consumer preferences for electric vehicles across generations and cities in China," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).
    11. Xi Chen & Qixing Qu & Ming-Hsiang Chen & Shaofen Fang & Yi Cheng, 2018. "The Sustainable Existence of China’s Bicycle-Sharing Market: To Oversupply or to Disappear," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-16, November.
    12. Selma Saracevic & Bodo B. Schlegelmilch, 2021. "The Impact of Social Norms on Pro-Environmental Behavior: A Systematic Literature Review of The Role of Culture and Self-Construal," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-21, May.
    13. Peng Shao & Jie Liang, 2019. "An Analysis of the Factors Influencing the Sustainable Use Intention of Urban Shared Bicycles in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-13, May.
    14. Aboul-Dahab, Sameh & Agag, Gomaa & Hassan Abdelmoety, Ziad, 2021. "Examining the influence of cultural and ethical ideology on consumers’ perceptions about the ethics of online retailers and its effects on their loyalty," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).
    15. Michael Etter & Christian Fieseler & Glen Whelan, 2019. "Sharing Economy, Sharing Responsibility? Corporate Social Responsibility in the Digital Age," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 159(4), pages 935-942, November.
    16. Aimee E. Smith & Natalina Zlatevska & Rafi M. M. I. Chowdhury & Alex Belli, 2023. "A Meta-Analytical Assessment of the Effect of Deontological Evaluations and Teleological Evaluations on Ethical Judgments/Intentions," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 188(3), pages 553-588, December.
    17. Chen, Ching-Fu & Lee, Chia-Han, 2023. "Investigating shared e-scooter users’ customer value co-creation behaviors and their antecedents: Perceived service quality and perceived value," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 147-154.
    18. Huang, Youlin & Qian, Lixian & Soopramanien, Didier & Tyfield, David, 2021. "Buy, lease, or share? Consumer preferences for innovative business models in the market for electric vehicles," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 166(C).
    19. Andrew Smith & Jennifer Johns, 2020. "Historicizing Modern Slavery: Free-Grown Sugar as an Ethics-Driven Market Category in Nineteenth-Century Britain," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 166(2), pages 271-292, October.
    20. Soliz, Aryana, 2021. "Divergent infrastructure: Uncovering alternative pathways in urban velomobilities," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).

    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:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:2:p:342-:d:196805. 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.