Factors affecting the intention to use a personal carbon trading system

295 Pages·2017·7.05 MB·English

Southern Cross University
Factors Affecting the Intention to
Use a Personal Carbon Trading
System

Master of Business
Alexander Hendry
BIT (Information Systems)
Southern Cross Business School
Southern Cross University
Gold Coast
20 May 2014
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Certification
I certify that the work presented in this thesis is, to the best of my knowledge and belief,
original, except as acknowledged in the text, and that the material has not been submitted,
either in whole or in part, for a degree at this or any other university.
I acknowledge that I have read and understood the University's rules, requirements,
procedures and policy relating to my higher degree research award and to my thesis. I
certify that I have complied with the rules, requirements, procedures and policy of the
University (as they may be from time to time).
Alex Hendry

20 May 2014
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Abstract
The aims of the Norfolk Island Carbon Health Evaluation (NICHE) project are:
 To assess whether personal carbon allowances are effective in reducing an
individual's carbon footprint and what impact this has on health behaviours
associated with obesity such as active transport and diet.
 To assess the political acceptability of introducing personal carbon trading (PCT) into
a population as a tool for reducing emission reductions
 To explore the relationship between positive health behaviours and pro-
environmental behaviours.
This thesis covers a sub section of the NICHE project and aims to understand how an
individual’s attitudes and behaviours associated with their health and well-being, the
environment, carbon emissions and climate change affect their personal carbon trading
system (PCTS) usage intentions.
After reviewing all of the available literature a conceptual model was proposed that
hypothesizes that PCTS usage intentions are influenced by:
 Self-health evaluation
 Attitudes and behaviours towards health
 Attitudes and behaviours towards the environment
 Attitudes and behaviours towards carbon emissions and climate change
Data was collected via a survey that was hand delivered to every house on Norfolk Island.
The first stage of the statistical analysis examined the distribution of respondents and
analyzed the responses to each section of the survey that corresponded with the constructs
of the conceptual model to see if they meet with researchers expectations.
The second stage of the statistical analysis examined the relationships amongst key
variables from the study. The initial examination of the relationships between variables was
undertaken using correlations analysis. Following the correlation analysis, Exploratory
Factor Analysis (EFA) was run on the blocks of variables expected to have an underlying
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factor structure as per the design of the survey and the directionality of the relationships
was examined using linear regression analysis.
The statistical analysis resulted in some slightly different structures and the addition of a
further construct (‘Optimism’) that takes into account the perceived impact that technology
could have in relation to improving health and environmental change. The constructs
discovered during the statistical analysis were:
 'Self Health Evaluation'
 'Health Consciousness'
 'Environmental Action'
 ‘Optimism’
 'Environmental Consciousness'
The constructs that were found to be significant predictors of the dependent variable
'Usage Intentions Towards a PCTS' depended on the gender and carbon footprint of the
respondent.
While there are a few limitations that need to be addressed in future research the NICHE
project has resulted in the identification of validated predictive model to measure usage
intentions towards a PCTS.
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Acknowledgements
I would like to thank Dr Bruce Armstrong, Dr Bill Smart and Dr Garry Egger of Southern Cross
University for all of their input, guidance and support throughout the project. In particular I
would like to thank Bruce for all of the time, effort and advice he gave me while I wrote this
thesis. His help was invaluable and I could not have written this thesis without him.
I would also like to thank Garry Egger and Gary Webb for the all the work they put into the
NICHE project in the initial stages to get it up and running and Tania Christian and PJ Wilson
for all of the work, passion and local knowledge they have put into running the Norfolk
Island end of the NICHE project
Lastly I would like to Thank Mum, Dad and Fiefield for all of their support over the last
couple of years.

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Contents
1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 17
1.1 Background to the Research ..................................................................................... 17
1.2 Originality of the Research ........................................................................................ 18
1.3 Literature Review and the Conceptual Model .......................................................... 19
1.4 Methodology and the Research Questions ............................................................... 22
1.5 Preview of the Research Findings ............................................................................. 24
1.6 Organization of the Thesis ........................................................................................ 25
2 Literature Review ............................................................................................................. 28
2.1 Introduction............................................................................................................... 28
2.2 Health and Obesity .................................................................................................... 28
2.3 Carbon Emissions and Climate Change ..................................................................... 32
2.4 Links Between Obesity and an Individual's Carbon Footprint .................................. 37
2.5 PCTS ........................................................................................................................... 43
2.6 Information System Success ..................................................................................... 49
2.6.1 Theory of Reasoned Action (1975, 1980) .......................................................... 51
2.6.2 Technology Acceptance Models ........................................................................ 52
2.6.3 User Satisfaction Models ................................................................................... 59
2.7 Summary ................................................................................................................... 62
3 The NICHE PCTS................................................................................................................ 64
3.1 Introduction............................................................................................................... 64
3.2 NICHE POS ................................................................................................................. 65
3.3 NICHE Server ............................................................................................................. 69
3.4 NICHE Database ......................................................................................................... 70
3.5 NICHE Administration Website ................................................................................. 70
3.6 NICHE Participants Website ...................................................................................... 71
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3.7 Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 74
4 Methodology .................................................................................................................... 75
4.1 Introduction............................................................................................................... 75
4.2 Survey Design and Construction ............................................................................... 75
4.2.1 The Broader NICHE Project ................................................................................ 75
4.2.2 Examination of PCTS Usage Intentions .............................................................. 77
4.3 Focus Groups - Pilot Study ........................................................................................ 82
4.4 Survey Administration ............................................................................................... 83
4.5 Sample Selection ....................................................................................................... 87
4.6 Limitations of the Study and the Sample Frame ....................................................... 88
4.7 Summary ................................................................................................................... 89
5 Descriptive Analysis ......................................................................................................... 90
5.1 Introduction............................................................................................................... 90
5.2 Description of Respondents ...................................................................................... 90
5.3 Self Health Evaluation ............................................................................................... 93
5.4 Attitudes and Behaviours Towards Health ............................................................... 97
5.5 Attitudes and Behaviours Towards the Environment ............................................. 101
5.6 Attitudes and Behaviours Towards Carbon Emissions and Climate Change .......... 104
5.7 PCTS Usage Intentions ............................................................................................. 111
5.8 PCTS Usage Intentions Compared with Self-Health Evaluation .............................. 113
5.9 PCTS Usage Intentions Compared with Attitudes and Behaviours Towards Health
114
5.10 PCTS Usage Intentions Compared with Attitudes and Behaviours Towards the
Environment ....................................................................................................................... 116
5.11 PCTS Usage Intentions Compared with Attitudes and Behaviours Towards Carbon
Emissions and Climate Change ........................................................................................... 119
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6 Data Analysis .................................................................................................................. 124
6.1 Introduction............................................................................................................. 124
6.2 Correlation Analysis................................................................................................. 124
6.2.1 Correlation Analysis - Self Health Evaluation................................................... 126
6.2.2 Correlation Analysis - Attitudes Towards Health, the Environment, Carbon
Emissions and Climate Change ...................................................................................... 128
6.2.3 Correlation Analysis - Behaviours Towards Consumption and the Environment
130
6.2.4 Correlation Analysis - PCTS Usage Intentions .................................................. 131
6.2.5 Correlation Analysis - PCTS vs. Self Health Evaluation .................................... 133
6.2.6 Correlation Analysis - PCT vs. Behaviours Towards Consumption and the
Environment................................................................................................................... 134
6.2.7 Correlation Analysis - PCT vs. Attitudes Towards Health, the Environment,
Carbon Emissions and Climate Change .......................................................................... 136
6.3 Exploratory Factor Analysis ..................................................................................... 139
6.3.1 EFA - Attitudes Towards Health, the Environment, Carbon Emissions and
Climate Change .............................................................................................................. 142
6.3.2 EFA - Behaviours Towards Consumption and the Environment...................... 148
6.3.3 EFA - PCTS Usage Intentions ............................................................................ 149
6.4 Correlations Between the factors and BMI ............................................................. 152
6.5 Linear Regression Analysis ...................................................................................... 154
6.5.1 Linear Regression Analysis – All Responses ..................................................... 155
6.5.2 Linear Regression Analysis - Gender ................................................................ 159
6.5.3 Linear Regression Analysis – Carbon Footprint ............................................... 165
6.5.4 Linear Regression Analysis – Males and Females by Carbon Footprint .......... 174
6.6 Conclusion ............................................................................................................... 188
7 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 192
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7.1 Introduction............................................................................................................. 192
7.2 Results of the statistical analysis ............................................................................. 192
7.3 Limitations of the study .......................................................................................... 198
7.4 Implications and relevance for future research ...................................................... 200
7.5 Future NICHE research ............................................................................................ 201
7.6 Conclusion ............................................................................................................... 201

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