Assessment of university students’ energy saving behavior by integrating stimulus-organism-response (SOR) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB)

Abstract

Concerned about balancing issues of global warming and economic growth, the growing needs of energy consumption in contexts with limited production and resources have created a serious challenge for developing countries like Pakistan. Research approaches that focus mainly on the production or purchase of environmentally friendly products or assessment of the stance of employees and households are not seen as sufficient to present the full picture of any society regarding energy saving behaviors (ESB). The attitudes and behaviors of the student population have generally not been sufficiently presented in energy saving studies to reflect current or emerging realities. Two leading behavioral theories, stimulus-organism-response theory (SOR) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB), and their relevant variables are integrated in this study to unpack the ESB of university-going students in Pakistan. Through an online survey, 410 university students from the four main urban cities of Pakistan participated in the study. The findings revealed that media and organizational climate have significantly created both a sense of social pressure and responsibility among students to cultivate stronger intentions and actions toward saving energy. The results further indicated that these behavioral intentions do indeed have a strong impact on students reported ESB. Overall, the students appeared to have been effectively influenced to be more active in saving energy for their society and country. The findings also validate the selected energy-related constructs and predictive paths in the proposed integrated SOR and TPB model. This study shows the potential for the further testing and application of the variables and this model in other contexts with other populations as the world grapples with energy shortages and global climate change issues.