E-Waste Recycling Behavior of UAE Millennials Based on The Extended Theories of Planned Behavior, Norm Activation Behavior, and Protection Motivation

Abstract

The significant growth of information technologies within the global economy and further aggravated by significant drops in the cost of electronic equipment, has resulted in various challenges related to electronic equipment reusing and recycling. Globally, E-waste has triggered the need for better insights into the way consumers dispose of and/or recycle electronic waste. In the UAE, the average resident generated about 17.2 kg of E-waste annually in 2017. With millennials comprising the largest generation in the UAE, their approach to recycling will have a decisive impact on how societies deal with waste management in the future. Grounded in the extended theory of planned behavior (TPB), norm activation theory (NAT), and protection motivation theory (PMT), additional variables and stimulus factors, the purpose of this study was to analyze the determinants of sustainable electronic waste recycling (EWR) intentions among millennials. Examining millennials' perceptions about electronic waste and sustainable attitudes is fundamental to finding public recognition and resolving the electronic waste threat and identifying possible actions that could motivate or influence sustainable behavior. A cross-sectional, quantitative research using a survey to collect data from UAE millennials was performed. Data were coded in SPSS and hypotheses testing performed using SmartPLS V3. Findings related to the extended TPB framework revealed that attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and incentives were significant positive and direct predictors of EWR behavioral intention and behavior adoption. EWR behavioral intention and environmental concern also influenced behavior adoption. EWR behavioral intention mediated the effect of attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and incentives on EWR behavior adoption while environmental concern moderated the effect of EWR behavioral intention on EWR adoption. For the extended NAT framework, ascription of responsibility, awareness of consequences, and moral norm had direct, positive effect on personal norm. Personal norm, privacy concern, ascription of responsibility, awareness of consequences, and moral norm had direct, positive effect on EWR behavioral intention. Personal norm mediated the effect of ascription of responsibility, awareness of consequences, and moral norm on EWR behavioral intention. Finally, privacy concern moderated the effect of the effect of ascription of responsibility, awareness of consequences, and moral norm on personal norm. The extended PMT framework’s findings showed that threat appraisal, coping appraisal, and EWR information/knowledge had direct, positive effect on protection motivation. Direct, positive effect was recorded for protection motivation, environmental assessment, threat appraisal, coping appraisal, and EWR information/knowledge on intent to adopt EWR whereas the effect of habits on intent to adopt EWR was negative. Protection motivation was a significant mediator and moderator of the effect of EWR information/knowledge, threat appraisal, and coping appraisal on intent to adopt EWR. This study extends the application of TPB, NAT, and PMT in understanding EWR behavior among millennials in the UAE and their respective outcomes provide an avenue through which electronic firms, government, and other EWR actors can better understand the UAE millennial within the perspective of EWR recycling. Future research could consider tracking a group of millennials over time with a view of gaining more robust perspectives related to both environmental stewardship and developmental changes with respect to EWR behavioral intention and adoption.

Keywords: Electronic Waste Recycling, E-Waste, E-Waste Management, Millennials, Theory Of Planned Behavior (TPB), Norm Activation Theory (NAT), Protection Motivation Theory (PMT), United Arab Emirates (UAE), Millennials