IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v9y2017i7p1132-d102958.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Non-Adaptive Behavior in the Face of Climate Change: First Insights from a Behavioral Perspective Based on a Case Study among Firm Managers in Alpine Austria

Author

Listed:
  • Ulrike Meinel

    (alpS-Center for Climate Change Adaptation, Grabenweg 68, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
    Institute of Geography, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 52f, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria)

  • Karl-Michael Höferl

    (Institute of Geography, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 52f, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria)

Abstract

Although climate change can induce large-scale impacts on industrial supply chain networks, first empirical studies suggest that adaptation to climate change is only slowly emerging as a management topic in firms. The present study examines why managers often do not engage their firms in adaptations to climate change. Thereby the study focuses, in particular, on the lack of strategic adaptation, which we define as anticipatory and target-oriented action with the purpose of increasing resilience to climate change. In order to investigate causes of lacking strategic adaptation in firms, the study employs a behavioral perspective based on the reasoned action approach. Thus, the study examines how barriers and motivational factors jointly shape the non-adaptive behavior of firm managers. Such causes of non-adaptive behavior are examined by comparing different classes of non-adaptors based on a case study in the manufacturing industry of the Austrian state of Tyrol. The obtained results underline recent criticism on barrier-centered analyses of non-adaptation by demonstrating the importance of motivational factors. Moreover, results point to the changeable nature of the identified causes of non-adaptive behavior by clarifying interactions between them and by suggesting influences from background factors.

Suggested Citation

  • Ulrike Meinel & Karl-Michael Höferl, 2017. "Non-Adaptive Behavior in the Face of Climate Change: First Insights from a Behavioral Perspective Based on a Case Study among Firm Managers in Alpine Austria," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(7), pages 1-18, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:9:y:2017:i:7:p:1132-:d:102958
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/9/7/1132/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/9/7/1132/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Xiaolong Feng & Mingyue Liu & Xuexi Huo & Wanglin Ma, 2017. "What Motivates Farmers’ Adaptation to Climate Change? The Case of Apple Farmers of Shaanxi in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(4), pages 1-15, March.
    2. Busch, Timo, 2011. "Organizational adaptation to disruptions in the natural environment: The case of climate change," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 27(4), pages 389-404.
    3. Mathias Onischka & Christa Liedtke & Nino David Jordan, 2012. "How To Sensitize The Financial Industry To Resource Efficiency Considerations And Climate Change Related Risks," Journal of Environmental Assessment Policy and Management (JEAPM), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 14(03), pages 1-26.
    4. Kristin Stechemesser & Jan Endrikat & Nico Grasshoff & Edeltraud Guenther, 2015. "Insurance Companies’ Responses to Climate Change: Adaptation, Dynamic Capabilities and Competitive Advantage," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance - Issues and Practice, Palgrave Macmillan;The Geneva Association, vol. 40(4), pages 557-584, October.
    5. Shardul Agrawala & Maëlis Carraro & Nicholas Kingsmill & Elisa Lanzi & Michael Mullan & Guillaume Prudent-Richard, 2011. "Private Sector Engagement in Adaptation to Climate Change: Approaches to Managing Climate Risks," OECD Environment Working Papers 39, OECD Publishing.
    6. Marianne Bertrand & Antoinette Schoar, 2003. "Managing with Style: The Effect of Managers on Firm Policies," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 118(4), pages 1169-1208.
    7. Monika Winn & Manfred Kirchgeorg & Andrew Griffiths & Martina K. Linnenluecke & Elmar Günther, 2011. "Impacts from climate change on organizations: a conceptual foundation," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20(3), pages 157-173, March.
    8. Ajzen, Icek, 1991. "The theory of planned behavior," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 50(2), pages 179-211, December.
    9. Aysha Fleming & Frank Vanclay & Claire Hiller & Stephen Wilson, 2014. "Challenging dominant discourses of climate change," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 127(3), pages 407-418, December.
    10. Martina K. Linnenluecke & Andrew Griffiths & Monika Winn, 2012. "Extreme Weather Events and the Critical Importance of Anticipatory Adaptation and Organizational Resilience in Responding to Impacts," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(1), pages 17-32, January.
    11. Barton Loechel & Jane Hodgkinson & Kieren Moffat, 2013. "Climate change adaptation in Australian mining communities: comparing mining company and local government views and activities," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 119(2), pages 465-477, July.
    12. Manuel Gottschick, 2015. "How stakeholders handle uncertainty in a local climate adaptation governance network," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 132(3), pages 445-457, October.
    13. Shane Fudge & Michael Peters, 2011. "Behaviour Change in the UK Climate Debate: An Assessment of Responsibility, Agency and Political Dimensions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 3(6), pages 1-20, June.
    14. G. Biesbroek & Catrien Termeer & Judith Klostermann & Pavel Kabat, 2014. "Analytical lenses on barriers in the governance of climate change adaptation," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 19(7), pages 1011-1032, October.
    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. Ulrike Meinel & Ralf Schüle, 2018. "The Difficulty of Climate Change Adaptation in Manufacturing Firms: Developing an Action-Theoretical Perspective on the Causality of Adaptive Inaction," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-16, February.
    2. Johann Jacob & Pierre Valois & Maxime Tessier, 2021. "Using the Theory of Planned Behavior to Predict the Adoption of Heat and Flood Adaptation Behaviors by Municipal Authorities in the Province of Quebec, Canada," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-16, February.

    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. Ulrike Meinel & Ralf Schüle, 2018. "The Difficulty of Climate Change Adaptation in Manufacturing Firms: Developing an Action-Theoretical Perspective on the Causality of Adaptive Inaction," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-16, February.
    2. Tiberio Daddi & Niccolò Maria Todaro & Maria Rosa De Giacomo & Marco Frey, 2018. "A Systematic Review of the Use of Organization and Management Theories in Climate Change Studies," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(4), pages 456-474, May.
    3. Federica Gasbarro & Jonatan Pinkse, 2016. "Corporate Adaptation Behaviour to Deal With Climate Change: The Influence of Firm‐Specific Interpretations of Physical Climate Impacts," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 23(3), pages 179-192, May.
    4. Jennifer Steeves & Swenja Surminski, 2014. "Taking an organisational approach to private sector adaptation � the case of Tata Teleservices in India," GRI Working Papers 171, Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment.
    5. Alina Averchenkova & Florence Crick & Adriana Kocornik-Mina & Hayley Leck & Swenja Surminski, 2015. "Multinational corporations and climate adaptation – Are we asking the right questions? A review of current knowledge and a new research perspective," GRI Working Papers 183, Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment.
    6. Markus Groth & Peer Seipold, 2017. "Prototypische Entwicklung eines Sensibilisierungs- und Analyseansatzes zur unternehmerischen Anpassung an die Folgen des Klimawandels," Sustainability Nexus Forum, Springer, vol. 25(3), pages 203-211, November.
    7. Markus Groth & Annette Brunsmeier, 2016. "A cross-sectoral analysis of climate change risk drivers based on companies’ responses to the CDP’s climate change information request," Working Paper Series in Economics 364, University of Lüneburg, Institute of Economics.
    8. Jeremy Galbreath, 2014. "Climate Change Response: Evidence from the Margaret River Wine Region of Australia," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 23(2), pages 89-104, February.
    9. Federica Gasbarro & Francesco Rizzi & Marco Frey, 2016. "Adaptation Measures of Energy and Utility Companies to Cope with Water Scarcity Induced by Climate Change," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(1), pages 54-72, January.
    10. E. Jakku & P. J. Thorburn & N. A. Marshall & A-M. Dowd & S. M. Howden & E. Mendham & K. Moon & C. Brandon, 2016. "Learning the hard way: a case study of an attempt at agricultural transformation in response to climate change," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 137(3), pages 557-574, August.
    11. Martina Linnenluecke & Andrew Griffiths & Peter Mumby, 2015. "Executives’ engagement with climate science and perceived need for business adaptation to climate change," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 131(2), pages 321-333, July.
    12. Jorge Rivera & Viviane Clement, 2019. "Business adaptation to climate change: American ski resorts and warmer temperatures," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(7), pages 1285-1301, November.
    13. Jeremy Galbreath & Daniel Tisch, 2022. "Sustainable development in the wine industry: The impact of the natural environment and gender‐diverse leadership," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(6), pages 1869-1881, December.
    14. George Halkos & Antonis Skouloudis & Chrisovaladis Malesios & Konstantinos Evangelinos, 2018. "Bouncing Back from Extreme Weather Events: Some Preliminary Findings on Resilience Barriers Facing Small and Medium‐Sized Enterprises," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(4), pages 547-559, May.
    15. Johann Jacob & Pierre Valois & Maxime Tessier, 2021. "Using the Theory of Planned Behavior to Predict the Adoption of Heat and Flood Adaptation Behaviors by Municipal Authorities in the Province of Quebec, Canada," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-16, February.
    16. Thomas A. Tsalis & Ioannis E. Nikolaou, 2017. "Assessing the Effects of Climate Change Regulations on the Business Community: A System Dynamic Approach," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(6), pages 826-843, September.
    17. Julia Hillmann, 2021. "Disciplines of organizational resilience: contributions, critiques, and future research avenues," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 15(4), pages 879-936, May.
    18. Jennifer DeBoer & Rajat Panwar & Jorge Rivera, 2017. "Toward A Place‐Based Understanding of Business Sustainability: The Role of Green Competitors and Green Locales in Firms' Voluntary Environmental Engagement," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(7), pages 940-955, November.
    19. Yoon, Hyungseok & Tashman, Peter & Benischke, Mirko H. & Doh, Jonathan & Kim, Namil, 2024. "Climate impact, institutional context, and national climate change adaptation IP protection rates," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 39(1).
    20. Julián Andres Díaz Tautiva & Joana Huaman & Roberto D. Ponce Oliva, 2024. "Trends in research on climate change and organizations: a bibliometric analysis (1999–2021)," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 74(1), pages 227-261, February.

    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:9:y:2017:i:7:p:1132-:d:102958. 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.