Can organizational nudges promote energy efficiency in the workplace? Evidence from an Italian manufacturing plant
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 13066677 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Harriet Pinel (0000-0001-9775-755X, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, corresponding author), Andrea Bonanomi (0000-0003-2857-1430, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore), Edoardo Lozza (0000-0002-3486-4187, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 129 |
| Pages | 104380-104380 |
| Publication date | 2025-10-15 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Energy Research & Social Science (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2214-6296 • E-ISSN: 2214-6326 |
| Publisher | Elsevier BV (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.erss.2025.104380 |
| OpenAlex | W7091340294 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 31 |
Energy conservation is one of the key topics of the sustainability issue. Several studies conducted in household domains have proven nudges to be effective in promoting energy-saving behavior. However, less attention has been paid to workplace environments, although industrial facilities are large consumers of energy and are responsible for a substantial amount of greenhouse gas emissions. This study aims to investigate whether an organizational nudge is able to promote energy-saving behaviors in a manufacturing workplace. The target behavior consists in the de-energization of workshop machines when their functioning is not needed. A mixed-method design is adopted. The first qualitative phase aims to understand barriers related to the target behavior. A subsequent controlled case study tests the effectiveness of the nudge intervention. Results indicate a significant reduction in energy waste, particularly in the short-term period following implementation. Moreover, the intervention highlights some specificities of applying nudges in organizational settings. In particular, intervening in a complex organizational context and targeting a behavior that is strongly related to the company's core business might require the complementary use of nudges and other more traditional interventions, as behavioral and decision-making changes may involve a systemic, procedural, cultural change. • Few studies have applied organizational nudges in workplace environments. • Industrial facilities contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. • Mixed-method design is crucial to identify barriers and test nudge effectiveness. • Significant reduction in energy waste occurred only after awareness meeting. • Combining nudges with other interventions may address a systemic behavior change
Behavior change · Choice architecture · Context (archaeology · Efficient energy use · Energy conservation · Greenhouse gas · Nudge theory · Sustainability · Building Energy and Comfort Optimization · Energy Efficiency and Management · Environmental Education and Sustainability
Taguette
The Short-Run and Long-Run Effects of Behavioral Interventions
Sustainable development goals and the strategic role of business
Social norms and energy conservation
A review of intervention studies aimed at household energy conservation
The robustness of test statistics to nonnormality and specification error in confirmatory factor analysis.
The Framing of Decisions and the Psychology of Choice
Intervening to change behaviour and save energy in the workplace
Behavioral Economics and Energy Conservation – A Systematic Review of Non-price Interventions and Their Causal Effects
A Review and Taxonomy of Choice Architecture Techniques
Effectiveness of monetary information in promoting the purchase of energy-efficient appliances
The feasibility of saving energy in challenging organisational contexts
Unveiling the power of social norms interventions
Reframing policy for the energy efficiency challenge
The Impact of Management Practices on Employee Productivity
A Behavioral Model of Rational Choice
A taxonomy of behavior change techniques used in interventions
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |