Green Practices Adoption Behavior in an Airline Industry: Does Perceived Sacrifice and Perceived Consumer Effectiveness Matter?

Abstract

This study attempts to investigate the influence of Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) components on voluntary green practices adoption amongst airline passengers in Malaysia. Furthermore, this study aims to investigate the distinct contribution of perceived consumer effectiveness and perceived sacrifice on green practices adoption behavior. TPB was thus employed as a theoretical underpinning in this study and was modified by adding two independent constructs of perceived consumer effectiveness and perceived sacrifice. Subsequently, a model is proposed to explain green practices adoption behavior. This study employed intercept survey to collect data. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to respondents who have travelled by air and have flown from or to Kuala Lumpur International Airport or Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 in the past 12 months. A total sample size of 400 was determined by employing convenience sampling. 400 questionnaires had been distributed in year 2019 and 379 were deemed usable. The data collected were analyzed using structural equation modelling. The results of hypothesis testing indicated that all TPB components directly or indirectly influence airline passenger's green practices adoption behavior. Besides, perceived sacrifice was found to negatively influence airline passenger's behavioral intention to adopt green practices and green practices adoption behavior. Perceived consumer effectiveness on the other hand, positively influences behavioral intention to adopt green practices. Findings of this study are expected to enable effective and efficient implementation of green practices by airline companies. This helps airlines to gain reputation as socially responsible corporations actively practicing green activities that could be attractive to consumers. Moreover, successful implementation of green practices subsequently helps airline companies, government and policymakers to reduce wastes, costs and minimize negative impacts to the environment. Research in addressing airline passenger's attitude and behavior towards green practices adoption in the airline industry are scant to this point. Previous studies on green practices in airline industry have been devoted to observing efforts to reduce cost, drivers influencing environmental commitment and passenger perceptions of the green image associated with airlines. Therefore, passenger's attitude towards green practices adoption and the relationship to green practices adoption behavior is worthy for empirical studies. Furthermore, TPB has yet been employed to investigate green practices adoption in the airline industry. Lastly, this is one of the first studies that examines the influences of both perceived sacrifice and perceived consumer effectiveness on green practices adoption behaviors amongst airline passengers in a developing country, hence contributing to existing literature.