Beyond Personal Beliefs: The Impact of the Dominant Social Paradigm on Energy Transition Choices

Johannes Platje (), Katarzyna A. Kurek, Petra Berg, Johan van Ophem, Aniela Styś and Sławomir Jankiewicz
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Johannes Platje: Faculty of Finance and Management, WSB Merito University in Wrocław, ul Fabryczna 29-31, 53-609 Wrocław, Poland
Katarzyna A. Kurek: Department of Trade and Finance, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 129, Praha-Suchdol, 165 00 Prague, Czech Republic
Petra Berg: School of Marketing and Communication, University of Vaasa, Wolffintie 34, 65200 Vaasa, Finland
Johan van Ophem: Urban Economics Group, Wageningen University & Research, Hollandseweg 1, 6706 KN Wageningen, The Netherlands
Aniela Styś: Faculty of Finance and Management, WSB Merito University in Wrocław, ul Fabryczna 29-31, 53-609 Wrocław, Poland
Sławomir Jankiewicz: Faculty of Finance and Banking, WSB Merito University in Poznań, ul. Ratajczaka 1-3, 61-813 Poznań, Poland

Energies, 2024, vol. 17, issue 5, 1-15

Abstract: Energy transition towards a local resilient energy supply is necessary for energy security. Climate change and the threat of economic collapse are reasons to force society to become less dependent on fossil fuel. Small-scale solutions are expected to be more sustainable, as large-scale integrated networks are featured by complexity and difficult-to-notice vulnerabilities, creating system risks. This paper presents the results of empirical research among a sample of Polish business students ( N = 205) on the importance of worldviews for the choice of the energy transition scenario (local solutions vs. large-scale solutions). Worldviews are represented here by the Dominant Social Paradigm (defined for the purpose of this study as the belief that liberal democracy, free markets, and technological development are to solve all type of problems). This study addresses two research questions: (1) Is there a difference in preference for the energy transition scenarios? (2) Does adherence to the Dominant Social Paradigm determine the choice of the scenario for energy transition? The results present a preference for non-cooperative solutions (individual household solutions and large-scale solutions), while no significant relation to the worldviews represented by the Dominant Social Paradigm has been found. The results suggest that preferences for individual and large-scale solutions may be influenced more by institutional factors than by personal worldviews. A policy implication is that a change in the socio-political institutions and strengthening local governance may be a prerequisite for a sustainable energy transition.

Keywords: decision-making under risk and uncertainty; information and knowledge; cognitive factors in decision-making; energy markets; Dominant Social Paradigm (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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