IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v14y2022i2p808-d722634.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Does Entrepreneur Moral Reflectiveness Matter? Pursing Low-Carbon Emission Behavior among SMEs through the Relationship between Environmental Factors, Entrepreneur Personal Concept, and Outcome Expectations

Author

Listed:
  • Li Cai

    (School of Management, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China)

  • Agyemang Kwasi Sampene

    (School of Management, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China)

  • Adnan Khan

    (School of Management, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China)

  • Fredrick Oteng-Agyeman

    (School of Management, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China)

  • Wenjuan Tu

    (School of Management, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China)

  • Brenya Robert

    (College of Economics and Management, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China)

Abstract

The intensity and severe impact of carbon emissions on the environment has been witnessed globally. This study aims to unravel how environmental factors, personal factors, and entrepreneur outcome expectations affect entrepreneur low-carbon emission behavior (LCB) through the lens of social cognitive theory (SCT). To achieve the aims of this study, we gathered data from 1015 entrepreneurs and small, medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Jiangsu province of China to analyze the predictors of entrepreneur low-carbon behavior. The proposed relationships were tested using the partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) technique. The findings from the study indicate that environmental factors (i.e., climate change (CC), public media (PM), and corporate social responsibility (CSR) have a significant and positive relationship with entrepreneur LCB. Moreover, entrepreneur green production self-efficacy (GPS) is positively associated with entrepreneur LCB. The findings further revealed that entrepreneur personal concepts such as entrepreneur self-monitoring (SM), entrepreneur self-esteem (SE), and entrepreneur self-Preference (SP) significantly and completely affect entrepreneur GPS. Likewise, entrepreneur moral reflectiveness (EMR) substantially moderates the relationship between entrepreneur green production outcome expectation and LCB. This study concludes with recommendations for researchers interested in enhancing knowledge in this field. In summation, this study shows that a behavioral science viewpoint is critical for improving knowledge of low-carbon environment, CC drivers, mitigation strategies, and sustainable transition to our complex environment.

Suggested Citation

  • Li Cai & Agyemang Kwasi Sampene & Adnan Khan & Fredrick Oteng-Agyeman & Wenjuan Tu & Brenya Robert, 2022. "Does Entrepreneur Moral Reflectiveness Matter? Pursing Low-Carbon Emission Behavior among SMEs through the Relationship between Environmental Factors, Entrepreneur Personal Concept, and Outcome Expect," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(2), pages 1-22, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:2:p:808-:d:722634
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/2/808/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/2/808/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Carolina Grottera & Emilio Lèbre La Rovere & William Wills & Amaro Olímpio Pereira Jr, 2020. "The role of lifestyle changes in low-emissions development strategies: an economy-wide assessment for Brazil," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(2), pages 217-233, February.
    2. Robert Gifford & Christine Kormos & Amanda McIntyre, 2011. "Behavioral dimensions of climate change: drivers, responses, barriers, and interventions," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 2(6), pages 801-827, November.
    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. Wenjuan Tu & Rui Shi, 2022. "Influence of Environmental Regulation on the International Competitiveness of the High-Tech Industry: Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-15, December.

    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. Jarke-Neuert, Johannes & Perino, Grischa & Schwickert, Henrike, 2021. "Free-Riding for Future: Field Experimental Evidence of Strategic Substitutability in Climate Protest," SocArXiv sh6dm, Center for Open Science.
    2. Andreas Andreou & Panagiotis Fragkos & Theofano Fotiou & Faidra Filippidou, 2022. "Assessing Lifestyle Transformations and Their Systemic Effects in Energy-System and Integrated Assessment Models: A Review of Current Methods and Data," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-24, July.
    3. Zagaria, Cecilia & Schulp, Catharina J.E. & Zavalloni, Matteo & Viaggi, Davide & Verburg, Peter H., 2021. "Modelling transformational adaptation to climate change among crop farming systems in Romagna, Italy," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 188(C).
    4. Koasidis, Konstantinos & Marinakis, Vangelis & Nikas, Alexandros & Chira, Katerina & Flamos, Alexandros & Doukas, Haris, 2022. "Monetising behavioural change as a policy measure to support energy management in the residential sector: A case study in Greece," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    5. Pinky Kumawat & Cristina Pronello, 2021. "Validating Italian General Ecological Behaviour Questionnaire of Travellers Using Dichotomous Rasch Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-25, October.
    6. Esther Cuadrado & Luis Macias-Zambrano & Isabel Guzman & Antonio J. Carpio & Carmen Tabernero, 2023. "The role of implicit theories about climate change malleability in the prediction of pro-environmental behavioral intentions," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 25(10), pages 11241-11261, October.
    7. Radha Yadav & Dharmendra Kumar & Anil Kumar & Sunil Luthra, 2023. "How does anticipatory trauma reaction and climate‐friendly behaviour make an affect at the individual level? The role of social norms and self‐efficacy," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(7), pages 4028-4045, November.
    8. Diamantis Koutsandreas & Evangelos Spiliotis & Haris Doukas & John Psarras, 2021. "What Is the Macroeconomic Impact of Higher Decarbonization Speeds? The Case of Greece," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-19, April.
    9. Monica Fait & Dirk Meissner & Gian Luca Gregori & Filippo Monge & Valentina Cillo, 2022. "To act or to react? The role of responsiveness in corporate social performance disclosure in preventing plastic pollution in the travel and tourism sector," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(6), pages 2065-2082, November.
    10. Hongpeng Guo & Yujie Xia & Chulin Pan & Qingyong Lei & Hong Pan, 2022. "Analysis in the Influencing Factors of Climate-Responsive Behaviors of Maize Growers: Evidence from China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(7), pages 1-17, April.
    11. Patrick O. Waeber & Natasha Stoudmann & James D. Langston & Jaboury Ghazoul & Lucienne Wilmé & Jeffrey Sayer & Carlos Nobre & John L. Innes & Philip Fernbach & Steven A. Sloman & Claude A. Garcia, 2021. "Choices We Make in Times of Crisis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-18, March.
    12. Dalia Streimikiene & Tomas Balezentis & Irena Alebaite, 2020. "Climate Change Mitigation in Households between Market Failures and Psychological Barriers," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-21, June.
    13. Sabrina Bresciani & Francesca Rizzo & Alessandro Deserti, 2022. "Toward a Comprehensive Framework of Social Innovation for Climate Neutrality: A Systematic Literature Review from Business/Production, Public Policy, Environmental Sciences, Energy, Sustainability and," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-21, October.
    14. Nilgen, Marco & Rode, Julian & Vorlaufer, Tobias & Vollan, Björn, 2024. "Measuring non-use values to proxy conservation preferences and policy impacts," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    15. Staudacher, Myriam K. & Decker, Alexander J., 2021. "Guidelines für erfolgreiches Marketing von digitalen Lösungen gegen Lebensmittelverschwendung zur Ansprache von Generation Z in Deutschland," PraxisWISSEN Marketing: German Journal of Marketing, AfM – Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Marketing, vol. 6(01/2021), pages 25-55.
    16. Fang, Hongliang & Wang, Yan-Wu & Xiao, Jiang-Wen & Cui, Shichang & Qin, Zhaoyu, 2021. "A new mining framework with piecewise symbolic spatial clustering," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 298(C).
    17. Slocum, Alexander H. & Gessel, David J., 2022. "Evolving from a hydrocarbon-based to a sustainable economy: Starting with a case study for Iran," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    18. Nathalie Lazaric & Fabrice Guel & Jean Belin & Vanessa Oltra & Sébastien Lavaud & Ali Douai, 2020. "Determinants of sustainable consumption in France: the importance of social influence and environmental values," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 30(5), pages 1337-1366, November.
    19. Garaffa, Rafael & Cunha, Bruno S.L. & Cruz, Talita & Bezerra, Paula & Lucena, André F.P. & Gurgel, Angelo C., 2021. "Distributional effects of carbon pricing in Brazil under the Paris Agreement," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    20. Janet Salem & Manfred Lenzen & Yasuhiko Hotta, 2021. "Are We Missing the Opportunity of Low-Carbon Lifestyles? International Climate Policy Commitments and Demand-Side Gaps," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-18, November.

    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:14:y:2022:i:2:p:808-:d:722634. 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.