Psychological factors influencing the managers' intention to adopt green IS: A review-based comprehensive framework and ranking the factors

Abstract

This paper proposes a comprehensive framework of the individual factors that influence organizational decision-makers to adopt Green information systems (IS), based on a review of psychological theories and empirical studies on Green IS and technology adoption. The objectives of this paper are, firstly, to explain that the adoption of Green IS by managers is directly influenced by their intention, which is assumed to be influenced by their attitude towards Green IS, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control and personal norms. In the framework, attitude towards Green IS is influenced by managers' positive and negative affect in response to Green IS. The findings of this study show that subjective norms are reflected from three sources containing primary, secondary and work referents. Perceived behavioral control includes self-efficacy, monetary cost–benefit assessment and the ethical climate of the organization. Personal norms are influenced by awareness of consequences, ascription of responsibilities and personal values including self-transcendence and self-enhancement. Secondly, the paper aims to assess the importance of the individual factors that influence the organizational decision-makers to adopt Green IS. Accordingly, the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) is applied to rank the importance of the factors incorporated in the proposed framework. The data for this study is collected by conducting an online survey through a structured questionnaire-based instrument comprising 5-point Likert-type scales. The findings of this study contribute to the Green IS literature by improving the decision-making process in IS adoption for the purpose of environmental sustainability enhancement. It is hoped that the proposed model would help to clarify the relative importance of the psychological and socio-demographic factors influencing the adoption of Green IS by organizational decision-makers.