Improving workforce environmental behaviour: a case study of the construction industry

With businesses under increasing legislative and public pressure to improve their environmental performance, this research sought to address the issues surrounding changing employee environmental behaviour. Tingdene Homes, a park home manufacturer in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire was the case study company for this research. The research made use of different Interventionist techniques to influence employee behaviovr namely; formal training session, the formation of an environmental team and environmental posters. The impact from this blended approach was measured through a mixture of quantitative and qualitative research methods. Questionnaires were utilised at the beginning of the research to determine baseline attitudes and behaviours, and towards the end of the research to see if attitudes and behaviours had changed. Qualitative measures such as ethnography and narrative Interviews were also used to give a more in-depth view of employee attitudes and behaviours. In order to validate the impact from the Interventionist techniques, waste data along with recyclables recovered and electricity and gas consumption figures were used. What was found was that the interventionist techniques had positively Influenced employee behaviour, resulting in reductions in waste production, increased recyclables recovery, and reductions in gas and electricity consumption. This resulted in the case study company experiencing cost savings in excess of £55,000 over the course of the research. It is argued that the blended interventionist techniques approach was successful at Improving employee environmental behaviour, and is a cost effective approach that could be utilised by other businesses.