Sports fans public recycling: How mood and environmental credibility affect recycling on game day
Open Access
- Author:
- Shahri, Maryam
- Graduate Program:
- Biorenewable Systems
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- October 08, 2021
- Committee Members:
- Johanna Slot, Outside Unit Member
Paul Heinemann, Major Field Member
Karen Gasper, Outside Field Member
Judd Michael, Chair & Dissertation Advisor
Jeffrey Catchmark, Professor in Charge/Director of Graduate Studies - Keywords:
- Public recycling behavior
Mood
Theory of Reasoned Action
Recycling attitudes
Recycling norms
Sports fans
Sports environmental programs
Sports fan engagement with recycling programs
Environmental credibility
Recycling attitude
Recycling norm
Sports Environmental Programs
Zero Waste
Recycling programs - Abstract:
- Large-scale events in the sports industry have significant environmental consequences and create waste management challenges for the organizers and the surrounding communities. Sports fans attend these events to enjoy the game, be entertained and support their teams or athletes. They rarely focus on separating their trash or care about anything but the game. That is why these large-scale events, despite their large environmental footprints, are not the ideal place to educate fans but at the same time correct recycling behavior is consequential for sports recycling programs at these venues to succeed. Previous research on recycling behavior has commonly focused on household, curbside, or personal behavior despite acknowledging the importance of the situational factors. This research provides support for two contextual variables affecting public recycling behaviors of sports fans and distinguishes public recycling behavior from personal recycling behavior. First results of a field study at the Beaver Stadium show that crowds at large-scale events are affected by the event. Data gathered at Beaver Stadium (N=158) show that mood during the game moderates the relationship between recycling norms/attitudes and intentions in the Theory of Reasoned Action. At the stadium, recycling norms strongly predict recycling intentions for fans in a positive mood. Conversely, it is recycling attitude that is a strong predictor of recycling intention for a fan in a negative mood. Mood at the stadium was correlated with the status of the game as reported by fans where fans who thought their team was winning were in a more positive mood and vice versa. Second, despite a lack of focus on environmental credibility in association with recycling programs, the communication literature suggests that environmental credibility of sports organizations when they design environmental programs is potentially an important factor for fans to engage in these programs. The sport organizations are the source of communication in any Zero Waste effort. This investigation shows that the credibility of the sports organization as a source of recycling communication affects fan’s intentions to engage with these programs and recycle. Over 150 NASCAR fans at a NASCAR raceway were surveyed about their recycling intentions, fan identification and their perceptions of NASCAR Green’s environmental credibility. Fans who considered NASCAR Green credible reported higher recycling attitudes and intended to recycle more items at the raceway. Fan attitude toward recycling at the raceway fully mediated the relationship between environmental credibility of NASCAR and fan recycling intention. More importantly, this relationship was significantly stronger for fans with above average identification as NASCAR fans. These results suggest that environmental credibility of sports organizations is particularly important for their fans as opposed to casual spectators. Academic and managerial implications of these results are discussed.