Technology Beliefs, Environmental Orientation, and Pro-Environmental Behaviors: Evidence From 49 Countries

Fostering employees' pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs) is critical for addressing environmental degradation, as these behaviors can extend beyond the workplace to personal, organizational, and societal contexts. Drawing on the theory of planned behavior, we examined how employees' PEBs are influenced by their positive or negative beliefs about technology. We analyzed data from the sixth wave of the World Values Survey, which includes a dataset of 41,888 employees from 49 countries. The results indicate that employees' negative beliefs about technology enhance their PEBs by reinforcing an environmental orientation that prioritizes environmental protection over economic growth, while their positive beliefs about technology tend to undermine PEBs by attenuating this environmental orientation. Notably, the cross-country evidence suggests that these findings are significant only among employees of for-profit organizations. Our findings enrich the literature on green business management by elucidating the theoretical link between employees' beliefs about technology and their subsequent PEBs. Additionally, our research provides practitioners and policymakers with actionable insights to mobilize employees' collective efforts toward sustainability goals.