Using the Theory of Plan Behavior and Norm Activation Model to Understand Individual Energy Conservation Behavior in Karachi, Pakistan

Abstract

The environmental problems are considered as a serious threat to the future of humanity. The adoption ofsustainable behaviors is considered a necessary step to deal with the environmental challenges. Energy conservationbehavior is an environment friendly behavior that has been promoted in many societies. Researchers have been studyingthe determinants of energy conservation behavior for many years, in western countries. However, energy conservationbehavior of individuals in the house has not received attention of researchers in Pakistan. In this study, theory of plannedbehavior and norm activation model are used to study energy conservation behavior of 1250 college and universitystudents in Karachi. Our results show that attitudes, subjective norms, awareness of consequences, ascription ofresponsibility and personal norm, all have a positive relation with energy conservation behavior. Socio-demographicvariables had no statistically significant relation with energy conservation. It is believed that electronic and social mediaand religious scholars can play a key role in raising awareness of environmental issues and encouraging the adoption ofenvironment friendly behaviors in Pakistan.

Consumer Intention to Participate in E-Waste Collection Programs: A Study of Smartphone Waste in Indonesia

“…Due to their ignorance, families, colleagues, friends, and important people cannot remind, encourage, or invite each other to participate in the program. This is in line with previous studies, which concluded that subjective norms do not affect willingness to pay to reduce noise pollution in land transportation [52], the intention to reduce car travel, energy conservation behavior, and the intention to purchase green products [49,51,63]. However, several studies provided different results.…”

“…NAM highlights the importance of personal norms for predicting individual behavior. Several studies have expanded the TPB model by integrating NAM [36,[49][50][51]. VBNT combines the components of values and norms from NAM and the New Environmental Paradigm (NEP), including common beliefs and concerns about the environment and the need for action to address problems [44].…”

Impact of Demographic, Psychological Attributes and Financial Consciousness of Households on their Energy Conservation Behavior: Testing the Mediating Role of Behavioral Intention

“…An increase in global energy consumption has led to a serious concern about the depletion of natural resources and a number of environmental issues (Liu, Wang, Wei, Chi, Ma & Jian, 2020, Dumciuviene, Cibinskiene & Andrijauskiene, 2019. Global warming, depletion of natural resources, water and air pollution have got the attention of academics and policymakers due to their hazardous effect on the quality of life on the planet (Rasool, Zuberi, Siddiqui & Madni, 2019). Among the various sources of energy, electrical energy is the most widely used source of energy.…”

“…For example, Yue et Global Management Sciences Review (GMSR) al. (2019), Abrahamse and Steg (2009), Dumciuviene et al (2019), Sardianou (2007), Wang et al (2011), Rasool et al (2019) emphasized the role households psychological and socio-demographic attributes in the consumption and conservation of energy in the developing countries. The theory of planned behavior (TPB) proposed by Ajzen (1991) claims that behavioral intension mediates the relation between different psychological, socio-demographic variables and energy conservation behavior.…”

“…Energy consumption in developing countries has become double during the last decade and is expected to grow further in future with the same rate (Ahuja & Tatsutani, 2009). Pakistan is a power-intensive developing country (Nasir, Tariq & Arif, 2008); statistical data of past 10 years indicate that the demand for electrical energy has been growing at a rate of 4.95% per annum, whereas the growth rate of the population is 2.26 % (Rasool et al, 2019;Bhutto & Yasin, 2010). Pakistan is facing energy crises for decades (Alahdad, 2012;Valasai et al, 2017).…”