Personal norms and the adoption of pro-environmental binning behaviour in national parks: an integrated structural model approach

Abstract

A pro-environmental behaviour to solve the problem of litter management in the national parks is binning. This study is the first to explore the factors affecting an individual’s binning behaviour in the context of a national park. Drawing on theories with self-interest (i.e. theory of planned behaviour) and other-interest/pro-social (i.e. norm-activation model) motives, an integrated structural model of binning behaviour (IMB) was developed. Our study analysed data from visitors (n = 240) to Sorkh-e-hesar National Park in Iran. Based on our proposed integrated theory of planned behaviour and norm activation model, the partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) provided satisfactory empirical anticipatory efficacy for binning behaviours. The PLS-SEM results revealed the association between awareness of consequences and personal norms was the strongest, and personal norm was the most influential determinant of pro-environmental binning behaviour. The results also showed that attitude had no significant effect on binning behaviour but was influenced by awareness of consequences. Moreover, a salient role of personal norms in predicting binning behaviour emerged – personal norms illuminated a significant mediator between social norms, awareness of consequences and binning behaviour. Results of this study endorse the proposed theoretical framework, including the associations among study variables. National park agencies should strengthen the saliency of visitors’ personal norms and raise awareness of littering problems and social norms to increase visitors’ bin use while visiting the park.

Highlights

• We studied national park visitors pro-environmental binning behaviour by presenting an Integrated Model of Binning behaviour (IMB) drawing from the theory of planned behaviour and the norm activation model.

• The model was tested using survey data collected from visitors of Sorkh-e-hesar National Park in Iran.

• Personal norm is a strong mediator between awareness of consequences and social norms.

• Awareness of consequences has the highest direct, indirect and specific indirect effect on binning behaviour.

• This study enhances our understanding of national park visitors’ binning behaviour.

Keywords:

• Pro-environmental behaviour
• binning behaviour
• national park
• litter management
• structural equation modelling
• PLS

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to acknowledge the contribution of the Sorkh-e-hesar National Park manager Mr. Kamran Ghasemi to the research.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kourosh Esfandiar

Kourosh Esfandiar is a PhD candidate in the School of Business and Law at Edith Cowan University, Australia. He is members of Centre for Innovative Practice, and Markets and Services Research Centre at Edith Cowan University. His research interests focuse on the socio-psychological concept of ‘human behaviour’ particularly in relation to entrepreneurship, sustainability and tourism marketing. His current research focuses on pro-environmental behaviour of visitors to national parks.

Ross Dowling

Ross Dowling is an honorary professor of tourism in the School of Business & Law, Edith Cowan University, Western Australia. His research areas include ecotourism, geotourism planning & development, geoparks, and cruise ship tourism. He has authored or edited 16 books on these subjects.

Joanna Pearce

Joanna Pearce (PhD) is a Lecturer in Tourism and Hospitality Management within the School of Business and Law at Edith Cowan University. Joanna’s research interests focus on the affective relationships visitors form with tourism and hospitality environments, particularly in relation to nature-based tourism. Previous research has examined the concepts of place attachment, visitor satisfaction and loyalty, pro-environmental behaviours, visitor motivations and preferences.

Edmund Goh

Edmund Goh (PhD) is Deputy Director, Markets and Services Research Centre, School of Business and Law, Edith Cowan University, Western Australia. Edmund sees his research as the nexus to address education and industry gaps. He has published in leading journals such as Tourism Management, International Journal of Hospitality Management, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Environmental Education Research, Journal of Vacation Marketing, Journal of Travel and Tourism Marketing, and Tourism Recreation Research.