Testing Scenarios to Achieve Workplace Sustainability Goals Using Backcasting and Agent-Based Modeling

Authored by J Gary Polhill, Tony Craig, Ricardo Garcia-Mira, Adina Dumitru, Amparo Alonso-Betanzos, Noelia Sanchez-Marono, Oscar Fontenla-Romero

Date Published: 2017

DOI: 10.1177/0013916516673869

Sponsors: European Union

Platforms: No platforms listed

Model Documentation: Other Narrative

Model Code URLs: Model code not found

Abstract

Pro-environmental behaviors have been analyzed in the home, with little attention to other important contexts of everyday life, such as the workplace. The research reported here explored three categories of pro-environmental behavior (consumption of materials and energy, waste generation, and work-related commuting) in a public large-scale organization in Spain, with the aim of identifying the most effective policy options for a sustainable organization. Agent-based modeling was used to design a virtual simulation of the organization. Psychologically informed profiles of employees were defined using data gathered through a questionnaire, measuring knowledge, motivations, and ability. Future scenarios were developed using a participatory backcasting scenario development methodology, and policy tracks were derived. Dynamic simulations indicated that, to be effective, organizational policy should strengthen worker participation and autonomy, be sustained over time, and should combine different measures of medium intensity for behavior change, instead of isolated policies of high intensity.

Tags

Social simulation networks Policy Conservation Beliefs values Framework Pro-environmental behavior Agent-based modeling Workplace Policy pathways Biospheric value orientations Normative social-influence Proenvironmental behaviors