The Effects of Rewards on Spillover in Environmental Behaviours: Monetary vs Praise Reward

The paper focuses on the so-called spillover effect in the environmental domain, or the tendency of individuals adopting a specific green behaviour to behave environment-friendly also in other, not related contexts. Different psychological mechanisms explaining this process have been singled out in literature (e.g.: Self Perception Theory, Cognitive Dissonance Theory, etc). However, there is no general agreement neither on the strength nor on the drivers of spillover. The study provides a value added to literature by analyzing the role played by specific factors (so far neglected) in hindering or spurring spillover: monetary and non- monetary rewards. A real-life experiment is carried out on a sample of undergraduate students from Aarhus University (Denmark), based on a panel study with online surveys filled in twice: before and after the experimental intervention. The latter consists of encouraging the uptake of a specific green behaviour (purchase of sustainable products) for a period of 6 weeks, investigating the effects on different behavioural domains and the role played by incentives. Results show how the nature of incentives has a relevant direct impact on the behaviours being incentivized, whereas no significant spillover effect to other behavioural domains is detected

The automotive industry and the increasing relevance of a consumer perspective: a research agenda

The deep transformations occurring in transports and mobility call for automakers and other actors in the automotive industry to gain further insights on the mechanisms underpinning behaviours of commuters, which represent the key-actor in determining the success or failure of any industrial initiative or public policy in the sector. The present article provides a detailed overview of the state-of-the-art of research on the determinants of car use, identifying relevant gaps of knowledge and advancing a research agenda to overcome the limitations of current studies hindering their effectiveness in providing a valuable informational background on which to build sound strategies

Il settore automotive lombardo Resilienza e prospettive ai tempi del COVID

Tradizionale aggiornamento del focus territoriale sulla Lombardia, il capitolo trae spunto dalle evidenze empiriche della nuova indagine dell’Osservatorio sulla componentistica automotive italiana. Come nelle precedenti edizioni, lo strumento alla base del report è un questionario fatto circolare presso aziende lombarde operanti nel settore, che ha visto un totale di 116 survey complete essere raccolte e analizzate. Il lavoro si apre con un inquadramento del cluster lombardo, analizzando in dettaglio specifiche peculiarità che gli sono proprie e che lo differenziano per alcuni versi da altre realtà geografiche italiane. Al paragrafo introduttivo segue un paragrafo ove vengono descritte le caratteristiche principali delle aziende che formano il campione dell’indagine. Il paragrafo 4 affronta il tema delle caratteristiche della catena di fornitura, mentre i dati e le discussioni sul fatturato ed export sono discussi nel paragrafo 5. Il tema della ricerca e sviluppo (R&D) e dell’innovazione anticipa il paragrafo dedicato al COVID-19 e ai suoi impatti sulle imprese operanti nella filiera automotive lombarda. Si fornisce qui uno sguardo sul futuro del comparto in termini efficacia degli interventi governativi messi in campo per fronteggiare le conseguenze occupazionali ed industriali dell’emergenza sanitaria

Identifying Travel Demand Priorities in Maritime Transport - A Behavioural Approach

This chapter deals with the analysis of hidden aspects of travellers’ behav- iour that are the key determinant of the sustainability and efficiency of sustainable mobil- ity policies. We propose to complement the typically descriptive approach of flow-based and/or time-series analysis with techniques for analysing perceptions and intentions that can provide insights on travellers’, such as the behavioural determinants or the perceived priorities. Together with the general description of two models, we will present an ap- plication concerning travellers between Italy and Croatia, an interesting case in which travellers can choose between maritime, air and land alternatives

The Role of Market Insights in Shaping Sustainable Mobility in Fast Developing Countries: The Case of Vietnam

Individual mobility represents one of the main contributors of air quality degradation in urban areas, with detrimental social and environmental impacts as well as economic loss. Mobility policies hence represent a key public instrument to curb congestion, pollution and health-related problems. In order to be effective, they need to rely on an adequate knowledge of demand, in terms of commuters’ attitudes, habit strength and perceived priorities. While most studies on the determinants of modal choice are rooted in Western countries or in developed economies little evidence is available for fast-developing countries, whose urban areas suffer from severe congestion and bad air quality. We test a comprehensive model to predict mobility behaviors in Vietnam, by means of an empirical investigation, with data from 898 participants (N = 898) collected via an online self-administered questionnaire. We discuss the implications for policy of the research findings, which provide an informational background representing a necessary prerequisite for the implementation of sound policies for the shift to more sustainable paradigms

Evolution of the conceptual basis for the assessment of urban mobility sustainability impacts.

In this paper we highlight the evolution of both the conceptual basis and the methodological approaches for the sustainability assessment of transport and urban mobility. Through the review of key contributions in the field we highlight the significant shift in perspective that has occurred over the past two decades, characterized by a series of changes in the development of urban mobility patterns. Perspectives, goals and strategies evolved to the point that they represent an actual shift in the paradigm, i.e. a change in the points of reference for conceiving an urban mobility system. The theoretical foundations for the evaluation of sustainability impacts have changed accordingly, flanking the emphasis on the environmental impact with an increasing attention to the social and economic impacts. Although fragmented, the literature on urban mobility principles and development provides useful insights on the rationale behind the above mentioned shift in the paradigm. We review such literature outlining the major traits of the studies regarding sustainable mobility that emerged over time. Second, we focus on the two main perspectives (that we label principles oriented and planning oriented) that shaped the way sustainable urban mobility is conceived today

Sustainable mobility in Florianópolis: A commuter-based empirical investigation

Mobility in Brazil represents a crucial challenge for policy makers, given the economic, environmental and social problems that current patterns of transportation bear in densely populated urban areas. The research stems from the assumption that, since commuters play a key-role in driving the change towards innovative and environment-friendly mobility systems, a thorough understanding of the motives underpinning modal choice is a pre-requisite for the implementation of sound strategies and policies. The paper illustrates the preliminary results of an empirical investigation on modal choice on a sample of 436 commuters from the urban area of Florianópolis, Santa Catarina (Brazil). Policy implications for public authorities are presented, and avenues for future research are proposed

Greening competitiveness for hotels and restaurants

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present the results of a survey-based study performed on Italian SMEs in the “hotel, restaurant, café” (HORECA) sector, aimed at investigating the relationship between pro-environmental strategies and competitiveness and how such strategies can be exploited to outperform competitors. Design/methodology/approach – The survey involved 317 Italian SMEs. Regression models have been developed to analyze the causal relationship between three dimensions of competitiveness (competitive advantage over competitors, customer satisfaction and employees’ motivation), and environmental practices that can be adopted by HORECA SMEs. Findings – Top management commitment emerges as a key driver of competitiveness, confirming the strategic relevance of a sound approach to sustainability also in SMEs operating in the tourism sector. Moreover, actions aimed at investing in green food products (e.g. organic food) and awareness campaigns emerge as strong predictors of good business performance. Finally, at managerial level, entrepreneurs and owners evaluate the implementation of internal sustainability monitoring systems as a relevant support to increase their competitive performance. Research limitations/implications – Since the results are limited to Italian HORECA businesses, a cross-country comparison could represent a potential improvement of the research. Moreover, since the sector is characterized by the predominance of small and micro firms, specific attention should be devoted to the role played by entrepreneurs’ personal values in shaping business strategies. Originality/value – The paper contributes to the ongoing debate on the relationship between SMEs in the tourism sector and the environmental dimension analyzing the link between the adoption of “green” practices and the competitive performance. The results suggest that customer involvement represents an essential pre-requisite to turn sustainability into an opportunity of market distinctiveness and stress the strategic role of the implementation of performance monitoring systems