(A) study of waste management behaviours

Abstract

Relieving the global waste problem requires understandings about factors that motivate individuals to take part in waste management behaviours. Building on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), this study examines the effects of a set of antecedent factors on intentions to engage in waste management behaviours, i.e., reduce-reuse-recycle (3R). The study analysed a cross-sectional online survey responses targeting the Hong Kong (N = 402) and the South Korea (N = 407) general population. Consistent with the literature, results showed that individual intentions to take part in 3R behaviours were predicted by attitudes and perceived behavioural control towards the waste management behaviours, whereas the effects of subjective norms and moral norms on behavioural intentions varied across different contexts. Notably, this study unveiled the potential of social dominance orientation (SDO) to strengthen the TPB framework. Results showed that it exerted a strong influence on existing TPB predictors. Meanwhile, group identification also had a significant association with SDO. Findings provide new evidence and understanding about how individual behaviours could be unconsciously determined by one’s own group identity and social relationships. In addition to previous attempts to incorporate the identity perspective to strengthen the TPB framework, this study illuminates a research direction about the under-explored dynamics between SDO and other known TPB-related variables.