Understanding and Advancing Pro-Environmental Behavior in Hospitality: A Systematic Review and Multi-Method Investigation Using the Fogg Behavior Model

Abstract

Pro-environmental behavior (PEB) has recently emerged as a prominent theme in the hospitality literature, with various scholars applying social-behavioral theories to examine the determinants of environmental behaviors. Nevertheless, few studies have applied predictive models of behavioral change to offer new insights on the interaction between internal and external factors in fostering PEB in the workplace. This dissertation addresses this gap by applying and extending the Fogg Behavioral Model (FBM) to introduce new pathways toward PEB, specifically within the hospitality industry. The dissertation is composed of three studies, which are connected and contribute to the development of theoretical and practical knowledge in the field of PEB.

The first study offers a systematic review of the literature, which considers the current state of research and identifies common themes. Data for the first paper were collected using three database sources: ProQuest, Scopus, and Web of Science. After screening, 104 peer-reviewed articles were included in the study for thematic analysis. This study aims to examine the progress of the current literature in exploring the concept of PEB by answering three primary questions: 1) How has the definition of PEB evolved? 2) What theories have various authors adopted? and 3) What future research recommendations have been identified in the literature? 104 peer-reviewed articles were analyzed using thematic analysis. The results indicate that PEB definitions have been advanced to distinguish between voluntary and involuntary behaviors for employees and acknowledge the psychological effect of hotel guests on their engagement in environmental practices; traditional theories such as the theory of planned behavior and the social-oriented theories remain dominant; and most studies recommend future research to integrate constructional and psychological factors to expand on current research models. Overall, the review can be a useful tool for future studies to identify a more descriptive definition and theoretical lens. Additionally, the review calls for the use of diverse frameworks to deepen our understanding of how PEB unfolds within hospitality settings.

To respond to this call, the second study adopts the FBM as a new behavioral framework to explain how employees’ motivation and ability, along with hotels’ environmental management practices (EMP), interact to influence workplace PEB. The third study extends the FBM by positioning organizational trust (OT) as a contextual-psychological factor that is influenced by behavioral change elements to enhance employees’ engagement in PEB. Thus, it offers a novel perspective on the development of PEB within organizational contexts. Data for the second and third studies were collected through Qualtrics from 337 hotel employees in the United States and Canada. Structural equation modeling—path analysis was used to test the proposed hypotheses in studies 2 and 3. The results indicate that extrinsic and intrinsic motivations, ability, EMP, and OT are key factors for fostering PEB. Firstly, environmental motivation influences PEB directly and through employees’ perceived ability and hotels’ EMP. Secondly, ability mediates the relationship between motivation and hotels’ EMP. Thirdly, EMP mediates the relationship between ability and PEB and has a positive and direct impact on PEB. Last but not least, OT is a full and partial mediator that facilitates the relationship between both ability and hotels’ EMP and PEB. Based on the outcomes, this dissertation sheds light on the important role of motivation as a powerful element in the behavioral change process, driving employees to develop a positive perception of their ability, which subsequently enhances their responsiveness to hotels’ EMP and thereby increases engagement in PEB. Nonetheless, the relationship between motivation and OT turns out to be complex and may require another factor, such as organizational support, to bridge the two constructs. However, OT plays a primary role in workplace behavior, bridging employees’ ability and hotels’ EMP (behavioral triggers) with PEB. Therefore, this dissertation contributes to the advancement of theories by utilizing the Fogg Behavioral Model as an integrative and action-oriented model that defines the interrelationship between behavioral elements in a simple, straightforward context; it reconceptualizes the role of hotels’ EMP as a catalyst that transforms employees’ motivation and ability into PEB; and it extends the FBM by positioning OT as a key component in the behavioral change process that translates employees’ confidence and hotels’ structural environmental management practices into PEB.