The Question of Non-Environmental Behaviors
This chapter aims to refine our understanding of the key issues surrounding the greening of workplaces by focusing on non-environmental behaviors. The question of non-environmental behaviors has been little studied and remains poorly understood. Although
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The Question of Non-Environmental Behaviors
Abstract This chapter aims to refine our understanding of the key issues surrounding the greening of workplaces by focusing on nonenvironmental behaviors. The question of non-environmental behaviors has been little studied and remains poorly understood. Although rare, studies in this area suggest that individuals may adopt non-environmental behaviors in their workplace without intending to cause harm to the natural environment or even without realizing that their actions are environmentally harmful. The aim will be to provide the basis for drawing a fine distinction between environmental and non-environmental behaviors. Keywords Non-environmental behaviors · Individual intention · Counterproductive behaviors · Operationalization
4.1 Defining the Issue of Non-environmental Behaviors 4.1.1
The Nature of the Problem
While it is relatively easy to picture what a green behavior might look like, it is probably more difficult to imagine precisely what a nongreen behavior might amount to. This question has been given relatively little attention in the academic literature. Nonetheless, the small number of field studies © The Author(s) 2020 P. Paillé, Greening the Workplace, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-58388-0_4
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conducted in this area, as well as the documented facts and available evidence, suggest that nongreen behaviors are, in fact, far more common than we may think. Within a relatively confined space (e.g. an administrative division) over a short period of time (a day’s work), a careful observer could easily identify a wide range of inappropriate actions and behaviors when examining work situations from an environmental perspective. A good example of nongreen behavior might involve taking the elevator rather than the stairs to talk to a colleague whose office is located on the floor immediately above one’s own. Other examples include not using double-sided printing and using online searching, while leaving the office at the end of the day without switching off one’s computer would obviously count as environmentally unfriendly behavior. There are many other examples. Taken in isolation, behaviors such as these may seem harmless at the individual level and may even be regarded as common instances of oversight. However, when considered from the perspective of the organization as a whole, they may be seen as the reflection of a work context in which individuals care little about environmental matters. In another register, some actions and behaviors appear to be indicative of a different attitude or state of mind. Let us consider two examples. Each year, ships are caught in the act of illegal deballasting and dumping at sea. Cleaning out and deballasting are operations that should be carried out in confined spaces and environments. Illegal deballasting (or degassing) involves emptying tanks and ballasts containing oily waste and oil residue at sea (source: https://la1ere.francetvinfo.fr). Likewise, many businesses in the paper mill and foundry industri
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