Factors influencing the intention to adopt green construction: an application of the theory of planned behaviour

Abstract

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to assess the behavioural factors that influence professionals’ intention to adopt green construction based on the theory of planned behaviour (TPB). Design/methodology/approach – The study adopted a quantitative research design with the use of online questionnaires to elicit information from construction professionals in South Africa. Descriptive statistics of frequencies, mean and standard deviation were used to analyse the data obtained from the survey. Linear regression was also used to assess the effect of behavioural factors on professionals’ intention to adopt green construction. Findings – The results showed that attitude and perceived behavioural control (PBC) have a significant effect on the intention to adopt green construction. These were significant at p < 0.05, having p-values of 0.000 and 0.015 respectively. The study also found that there was a positive disposition towards green construction, particularly with regards to insisting on green construction. This had a mean value of 3.99. There was also a high perception of succeeding in the execution of green projects with mean score of 3.76. Practical implications – The practical implication of the findings is that adoption of green construction in South Africa is majorly based on the positive attitude of stakeholders towards green construction and also the PBC or the perceived ease of executing green construction. However, these factors are not sufficient to generate long term commitment for green transformation among a critical mass of stakeholders in the South African construction industry. Hence, there is a need for focus on subjective norms (pressure) particularly from the government, to encourage the widespread adoption of green construction in South Africa. Originality/value – Findings present one of the pioneering efforts to empirically validate the influence of behavioural factors on the intention to adopt green construction in South Africa and the outcomes can provide policy directions and baseline data for further research.