Social norms Sample Clauses

Social norms. The influence of social norms on individual behaviour has received great attention in mainstream social and environmental psychological research, also with particular attention to pro-environmental, or sustainability related, behaviours (cf. Bonnes & Xxxxxxxx, 2002). A social norm can be defined as the rule or standard of behaviour shared by the members of a social group. A series of field experiments on littering behaviour carried out by Xxxxxxxx and colleagues (1991) showed the importance of distinguishing among various kinds of social norms. They proposed the distinction between injunctive norms (i.e., the individual perception of what other people think it should be done in relation to specific social objects) and descriptive norms (i.e., the individual perception of what the majority of others actually do in relation to the same social objects). Injunctive norms involve beliefs about the level of approval or disapproval of others for a specific behaviour, whereas descriptive norms refer to beliefs about the "actual behaviour of others", which may indicate what could be the more “appropriate” behaviour to perform in a target situation (Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxx, & Xxxxxxx, 2008). Social norms relate perceptions of what behaviour is expected or common in a relevant reference group. In a general sense they are what is commonly done or (dis)approved of. They can exert a powerful influence over the behaviours of group members. Analysis undertaken in LOCAW indicates that, in each of the four case studies where questionnaires were administered (University of Coruna, Municipality of Groningen, Aquatim and Enel Green Power) social norms were not generally perceived to support pro-environmental behaviour at work. Personal norms were seen to be more pro-environmental than social (descriptive and injunctive) norms. It is therefore clear that feelings of moral obligation to act sustainably are widespread in the organisations studied. The research has revealed a number of conditions which influence the transmission of pro- environmental norms within organisation. Across the case studies, those who believed they held an exemplary role in the organization were more likely to carry out pro-environmental behaviours relating to waste management, suggesting that emphasising the role of individuals in modelling desirable behaviour may support the development of pro-environmental norms and practices. Finally, additional analyses suggest that, across case studies, norms transmission...