Matching Items (15)
Description
This study investigates how well prominent behavioral theories from social psychology explain green purchasing behavior (GPB). I assess three prominent theories in terms of their suitability for GPB research, their attractiveness to GPB empiricists, and the strength of their empirical evidence when applied to GPB. First, a qualitative assessment of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), Norm Activation Theory (NAT), and Value-Belief-Norm Theory (VBN) is conducted to evaluate a) how well the phenomenon and concepts in each theory match the characteristics of pro-environmental behavior and b) how well the assumptions made in each theory match common assumptions made in purchasing theory. Second, a quantitative assessment of these three theories is conducted in which r2 values and methodological parameters (e.g., sample size) are collected from a sample of 21 empirical studies on GPB to evaluate the accuracy and generalize-ability of empirical evidence. In the qualitative assessment, the results show each theory has its advantages and disadvantages. The results also provide a theoretically-grounded roadmap for modifying each theory to be more suitable for GPB research. In the quantitative assessment, the TPB outperforms the other two theories in every aspect taken into consideration. It proves to 1) create the most accurate models 2) be supported by the most generalize-able empirical evidence and 3) be the most attractive theory to empiricists. Although the TPB establishes itself as the best foundational theory for an empiricist to start from, it's clear that a more comprehensive model is needed to achieve consistent results and improve our understanding of GPB. NAT and the Theory of Interpersonal Behavior (TIB) offer pathways to extend the TPB. The TIB seems particularly apt for this endeavor, while VBN does not appear to have much to offer. Overall, the TPB has already proven to hold a relatively high predictive value. But with the state of ecosystem services continuing to decline on a global scale, it's important for models of GPB to become more accurate and reliable. Better models have the capacity to help marketing professionals, product developers, and policy makers develop strategies for encouraging consumers to buy green products.
ContributorsRedd, Thomas Christopher (Author) / Dooley, Kevin (Thesis advisor) / Basile, George (Committee member) / Darnall, Nicole (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
Description
Derived from the idea that the utilization of sustainable practices could improve small business practice, this honors thesis offers a full business assessment and recommendations for improvements of a local, family-owned coffee shop, Gold Bar. A thorough analysis of the shop's current business practices and research on unnecessary expenses and waste guides this assessment.
ContributorsSorden, Clarissa (Co-author) / Boden, Alexandra (Co-author) / Darnall, Nicole (Thesis director) / Dooley, Kevin (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Management (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
The goal of this project is to gain and use knowledge of sustainability topics as a value-adding function for a business in the Tempe, AZ area and to develop the skills to approach and consult with business owners and staff about sustainable business options. Sustainability searches for a balance between society, economy and the environment where all three can thrive; therefore, the ideal project partner was a business that values the wellbeing of mankind, is locally owned and operated and promotes environmental stewardship. The Original Chop Shop Co in Tempe Arizona was appropriately selected. Throughout the duration of our partnership, I observed their daily routine, interviewed employees and managers and used the collected information to identify three areas of focus that have the largest potential to reduce The Original Chop Shop Company's impact on the environment. Information on the areas of recycling, composting, and food sourcing was researched and synthesized to make suggestions for ecofriendly changes to business practices. The scope of the project includes small changes in daily practices such as implementing a recycling and composting program and employee training sessions and minor investments such as purchasing a micro washer and silverware in order to eliminate nonrenewable plastic utensils. The scope does not include major renovations or investments in technology. The suggestions offered position The Original Chop Shop to conduct business in a way that does not compromise the health of the environment, society, or economy.
ContributorsFerry, Brianna Aislinn (Author) / Dooley, Kevin (Thesis director) / Darnall, Nicole (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
This thesis examines how the wording of proposed government policies can affect the level of public support that a given policy generates. By surveying 158 Phoenix residents, I tested the differing degrees of support that voters would have for a proposed city ordinance, which would stop Homeowners' Associations from restricting the use of native desert plants in residential landscaping. The ordinance was framed in the survey as a self-governance issue or a water conservation issue. I found that the message frames had little effect on the overall level of support for the ordinance, since most residents had moderate support for the policy. However, participants who were either residents of Homeowners' Associations that did not have native plant restrictions, or native residents of Arizona, demonstrated greater levels of support for the self-determination frame of the proposed ordinance. These findings have implications for policy makers who use targeted messages to establish pro-environmental policies at the local level.
ContributorsSmith, Mary Hannah (Author) / Darnall, Nicole (Thesis director) / Ramirez, Mark (Committee member) / Tetreault, Colin (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor)
Created2013-05
Description
This research seeks to identify key influencers on a relatively new type of policy instrument, the Sustainable Purchasing Policy, in the local government context. Specifically, we analyze how vendor relationships and organizational capacity affect perceived Sustainable Purchasing Policy success. Using statistical analysis on a nationally distributed survey to city directors as well as interviews with city purchasing agents, we are able to identify what factors are likely to lead to successful policy implementation. Our findings show that cities benefit from their vendors providing reliable information regarding sustainable offerings, that vendors offering sustainable goods need superior technical capabilities to compete in a cost-driven environment, and that purchasing agents require support from a city’s top management if they want to successfully implement sustainable purchasing. Future avenues for research are discussed.
ContributorsAmbrose, Harrison Noah (Author) / Darnall, Nicole (Thesis director) / Wiedmer, Robert (Committee member) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
This three-essay dissertation examines how local governments manage sustainability policies/practices and how these actions are shaped by their organizational, social, and institutional environment. The first essay uses a 2015 Local Government Sustainability Practices Survey to investigate how social media shapes government sustainability plan and how its impact differs from other participatory mechanisms such as public hearings and advisory committees. Drawing from a theoretical framework of individualism-collectivism, the second essay uses data on local governments in the U.S. and Japan to conduct a cross-national comparative analysis. The study finds that governments embedded in a more individualism-oriented culture are more likely to adopt environmental management practices when facing growing external pressures. The final essay uses contingency theory to provide a dynamic view of how sustainability policies might be effectively integrated into the government’s working routines. It finds that the ways through which responsibility delegation affects policy implementation are contingent upon the government’s structural and cultural arrangement. Taken together, the dissertation coincides with the growing interest among public managers and researchers in enhancing government sustainability performance and outcomes. It provides an integrated and comprehensive investigation of the organizational, social, and institutional factors that shape the development and execution of sustainability policies and practices.
ContributorsChen, Yifan (Author) / Bretschneider, Stuart (Thesis advisor) / Darnall, Nicole (Committee member) / Mossberger, Karen (Committee member) / Stritch, Justin (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
Plastic is a valuable part of the consumer economy, but it creates negative environmental externalities throughout its lifecycle. To reduce these effects, a sustainable circular economy is needed, where more plastic is diverted from landfill or environmental sinks through reduction, reuse, recycling, or composting, while addressing social needs. Although many different stakeholders (industry, academia, policymakers) are calling for a sustainable circular economy for plastics, globally, less than 20% of plastic is recycled with no data on reduction and reuse. In this dissertation, a mixed methods approach is used to suggest how organizations related to the plastic industry can implement a sustainable circular economy. The first chapter identifies how firms across the plastic value chain can innovate to adopt a sustainable circular flow. A systematic review reveals over 300 examples, which are used to create a material flow typology. Findings summarize five critical points of innovation and indicate that innovation adoption is low. More concerted efforts are needed to improve innovation adoption and there is a need to shift innovation focus from resource efficiency to sustainability. The second chapters studies U.S. plastic recyclers’ price signals to generate evidence for favorable recycling policies. A hedonic analysis reveals recyclers preferences for recyclability – plastic properties that enable recycling. Results suggest that adequate recycling infrastructure and absence of virgin plastic can play an important role in facilitating more recycling. In the third paper, the role of governments as consumers is studied. As the largest consumers in a market, governments can signal a large demand for circular products and services, however public administration literature has paid limited attention to it. A theoretical framework is created to fill the knowledge gap and suggest how governments can use sustainable public procurement for a circular economy. A systematic literature review of the top ten public administration journals over 32 years reveals critical knowledge gaps and the potential for important sustainable public procurement research
ContributorsHafsa, Fatima (Author) / Englin, Jeffrey (Thesis advisor) / Abbott, Joshua K (Committee member) / Darnall, Nicole (Committee member) / Dooley, Kevin J (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
Student housing at American universities have been compared to prison cells in pop culture ad nauseum, but how far does this joke actually reflect reality? Most freshmen are required to live in student housing for their first year of college, yet these spaces are most notorious for having small windows, tightly packed beds, questionable food access, thin walls, and little ability for customization. Impacting the sight, touch, taste, sound, and speech of residents, respectively, these living conditions unavoidably impact the on-campus freshman experience in an integral way and deserve more intentionality of their design. The marketed purpose of offering housing and requiring on-campus living by universities is to ensure students are able to form a community and connect to campus as soon as they arrive. Yet, to what extent does this university-held goal to retain students fail when the goals of individual students do not have conditions in which to be successful? To what extent do the goals of the university actually hold students prisoner to a poorly designed system?
ContributorsCarlson, Chloe (Author) / Redman, Charles (Thesis director) / Jerlinga, Brittany (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / Watts College of Public Service & Community Solut (Contributor) / School of Complex Adaptive Systems (Contributor)
Created2022-05
Description
The Arizona State University (ASU) Masters of Sustainability Solutions (MSUS) program connects student teams with real-world clients to solve real-world sustainability problems as a part of the students’ Culminating Experience in the program. This report details the project assigned to our group, the Emissions Data Detectives (EDD), in partnership with our client, Gannett Fleming. This project focuses on calculating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the client’s leased office spaces across the United States and Canada.
In excess, GHGs trap heat in the atmosphere, negatively affecting global air quality and human health. In addition, top companies similar to our client are already disclosing their emissions, new legislation is aiming to require such reporting, and stakeholders are trending to gravitate towards firms measuring and reducing their environmental impact. During the first semester of this project, we noticed that Gannett Fleming lacked data on specific utility usage in their leased office spaces, as not all data is shared, standardized, or robust enough for accurate emissions calculations.
After conducting a landscape analysis where group members interviewed companies facing a similar problem, the team identified best practices for addressing this issue. Such practices included using mixed methods for calculations based on data availability, leveraging organizational connections for efficient communication with landlords, creating custom communication plans, and using concise language with landlords. The team also conducted an sTOWS analysis to understand better how our research could best be applied to Gannett Fleming’s problem. From there, we developed a project plan that included an Invitation to Participate and Data Request to collect the necessary data. Next, the team outlined strategies for emissions calculations, including applying calculations from the GHG Protocol and compiling all calculations in a navigable spreadsheet.
Greenhouse gas calculations were made using a mix of asset-specific data from the Data Request forms and average data from the EPA estimates using equations from Scope 3, Category 8, or Leased Upstream Assets per the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. Emissions were categorized under Scope 3 since the client has no control over the leased offices, and the control approach was used. Final results showed that the emissions calculated for the 8 offices where asset-specific data was used combined with the 31 offices where average data was used totaled 2,390 metric tonnes of CO2e for FY2022.
In order to ensure that this project can be helpful to Gannet Fleming long-term, we came up with three main deliverables including a GHG spreadsheet including all calculations and findings, a GHG roadmap with simplified step-by-step instructions of our methodology, and a Sustainable Leasing Policy information to ensure the client’s emissions reduction goals are communicated and considered in the decision-making process for future lease agreements.
This version contains results that have been edited to ensure client confidentiality. Offices have been anonymized, and numbers used are not representative of actual emissions findings.
ContributorsGutierrez, Lukas (Author) / Carlson, Chloe (Author) / Davitt, Akilah (Author) / Cobb, James (Author)
Created2023-04-24
Description
For decades, understanding the complexity of behaviors, motivations, and values has interested researchers across various disciplines. So much so that there are numerous terms, frameworks, theories, and studies devoted to understanding these complexities and how they interact and evolve into actions. However, little research has examined how employee behaviors translate into the work environment, particularly regarding perceived organizational success. This study advances research by quantitatively assessing how a greater number of individual employees’ pro-environmental behaviors are related to the perceived success of environmentally sustainable workplace activities. We have concluded that the more pro-environmental behaviors an employee embodies, the more positively they perceive the success of their local government's sustainable purchasing policy. Additionally, other factors matter, including organizational behaviors, like training, innovation, and reduction of red tape.
ContributorsFox, Angela (Author) / Darnall, Nicole (Thesis advisor) / Bretschneider, Stuart (Committee member) / Behravesh, Shirley-Ann (Committee member) / School of Sustainability (Contributor)
Created2022-04-19