How Exposure to ”Role Model” Projects Can Lead to Decisions for More Sustainable Infrastructure

Nora Harris, Tripp Shealy and Leidy Klotz
Additional contact information
Nora Harris: Glenn Department of Civil Engineering, Clemson University, Lowry Hall, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
Tripp Shealy: Charles Edward Via, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, 200 Patton Hall, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
Leidy Klotz: Glenn Department of Civil Engineering, Clemson University, Lowry Hall, Clemson, SC 29634, USA

Sustainability, 2016, vol. 8, issue 2, 1-9

Abstract: A role model, whether an individual or a project, can inspire similar performance in others. This research examines such a phenomenon during the design process for more sustainable physical infrastructure. In this empirical study, engineering professionals ( n = 54) were randomly assigned either a modified version of the Envision rating system for sustainable infrastructure, which was changed to include details from an exemplary role model project, or the current version of Envision, with no role model. Professionals given the role model version of Envision achieved on average 34% more points ( SD = 27) than the control group ( p = 0.001). A positive role model project appears to lead engineering professionals to higher goals for sustainability performance in their design decisions. This finding, and the corresponding line of interdisciplinary research, can be used in decision-structuring interventions, which are a relatively low-cost approach to support greater sustainability in physical infrastructure development.

Keywords: sustainable infrastructure; rating systems; role models; spillover effect (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/8/2/130/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/8/2/130/ (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:8:y:2016:i:2:p:130-:d:63198

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 ().