Understanding Waste Management Behavior Among University Students in China: Environmental Knowledge, Personal Norms, and the Theory of Planned Behavior

Abstract

Previous studies have confirmed that individual waste management behavior is influenced by both rational-based and altruistic-oriented beliefs and attitudes. Scholars incorporated personal norms in Ajzen’s theory of planned behavior and confirmed its usefulness in predicting waste management behavior. However, limited attention has been paid to the interactions between the variables in the model. Scholars also commented that the cognitive dimension was largely neglected in the current socio-psychological framework of waste management behavior. This study intends to address this issue by incorporating environmental concern and environmental knowledge in the model and examining the psychological paths linking these variables to waste management behavior within the expanded model of planned behavior. Based on a cross-sectional survey among 434 university students in China, the results showed that subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, personal norms, and environmental knowledge were essential predictors of waste management behavior, whereas the direct effect of attitude was not statistically significant. Environmental concern and subjective norms could influence waste management behavior through personal norms. Environmental knowledge could influence waste management behavior indirectly through environmental concern, personal norms, and perceived behavioral control. Moreover, perceived behavioral control served as a mediator between the relationship of personal norms and waste management behavior.

Environmental knowledge, perceived behavioral control, and employee green behavior in female employees of small and medium enterprises in Ensenada, Baja California

“…According to Ajzen (1985) , this behavioral control can predict a behavior, as it is more probable that a person will carry out a behavior, if he/she is confident he/she is able to do so. It has been proven that this variable has positive effects on environmental behavior, such as the reduction of food waste ( Soorani and Ahmadvand, 2019 ), green shopping ( Mohiuddin et al, 2018 ; Lavuri et al, 2021 ), or recycling behavior ( Wu et al, 2022 ).…”

“…Within the study of green behavior, it has been noted that perceived behavioral control is an important factor which can explain this variable ( Mohiuddin et al, 2018 ; Fatima et al, 2022 ; Karimi and Mohammadimehr, 2022 ; Wu et al, 2022 ). Additionally, green behavior has been studied and discussed within scientific literature alongside psychographic and demographic elements ( Patel et al, 2017 ).…”

“…The analysis of scientific literature has detected that environmental knowledge is significantly related to green behavior ( Azila et al, 2012 ; Fawehinmi et al, 2020 ; Zhang et al, 2021 ; Wu et al, 2022 ). These findings are in line with the arguments of Lavuri et al (2021) , who claim that young consumers’ environmental knowledge has a positive and statistically significant influence on their purchasing intention.…”

“…It is important to mention that, in an educational context, environmental knowledge had a positive influence on the green behavior of Iranian students ( Karimi et al, 2021 ). Simultaneously, the environmental knowledge of Chinese students predicted their day-to-day recycling behavior ( Wu et al, 2022 ). Meanwhile, in organizational contexts, findings also indicate that this relationship prevails, with environmental knowledge and environmental knowledge exchange having a positive and statistically significant effect on the green behavior of employees in different organizations ( Rosales Palomino, 2017 ; Fawehinmi et al, 2020 ; Karmoker et al, 2021 ; Zhang et al, 2021 ).…”

“…Perceived behavioral control has been linked not only to green shopping behaviors but also to the adoption of green technologies and green behaviors in day-to-day life, among others ( Mohiuddin et al, 2018 ; Fatima et al, 2022 ; Karimi and Mohammadimehr, 2022 ; Wu et al, 2022 ). However, there are few studies that agree with Karimi et al (2021) , who found that the perceived behavioral control of working students had a positive influence on their employee green behavior.…”