Redimensioning the Theory of Planned Behavior on Workplace Energy Saving Intention: The Mediating Role of Environmental Knowledge and Organizational Culture

Luis J. Camacho (), Moises Banks, Satesh Sookhai and Emely Concepción
Additional contact information
Luis J. Camacho: School of Business, Empire State University, New York, NY 10013, USA
Moises Banks: School of Economic and Business Sciences, APEC University, Santo Domingo 10100, Dominican Republic
Satesh Sookhai: Department of Management Studies, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine BB11000, Trinidad and Tobago
Emely Concepción: School of Economic and Business Sciences, APEC University, Santo Domingo 10100, Dominican Republic

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 8, 1-25

Abstract: This study extends the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to examine the factors influencing the employees’ intentions to save energy in the workplace (INSER), incorporating organizational culture (ORGCULT) and environmental knowledge (ENVKNOW) as mediating variables. Structural equation modeling (SEM) of survey data reveals that attitudes toward energy saving (ATESs) and perceived behavioral control (PERBCON) significantly predict INSER, while subjective norms (SUBNORMS) do not exert a direct effect. ORGCULT emerges as a strong mediator, highlighting its role in translating pro-environmental attitudes into actionable intentions. In contrast, ENVKNOW does not mediate the examined relationships, challenging the assumption that knowledge alone is sufficient to drive energy-saving behavior. These findings suggest that organizational commitment and leadership engagement exert a greater influence than peer norms or informational efforts in shaping sustainable workplace behaviors. From a practical perspective, the study underscores the importance of cultivating a sustainability-oriented organizational culture, implementing structural supports, and employing behavioral interventions beyond traditional awareness campaigns. Theoretically, it refines the TPB by illustrating that institutional factors may precede normative pressures in professional settings. Overall, the research contributes to the corporate sustainability literature by advocating for leadership-driven engagement strategies and policy-level interventions to promote long-term energy efficiency.

Keywords: intention to save energy in the workplace; theory of planned behavior; organizational culture; environmental knowledge; corporate sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/8/3574/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/8/3574/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:8:p:3574-:d:1635614

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().