Self-Identity Matters: An Extended Theory of Planned Behavior to Decode Tourists' Waste Sorting Intentions

Abstract

Waste sorting is a practical way of handling the garbage and an effective strategy for facilitating sustainable waste management. This research extended the theory of planned behavior (TPB) with self-identity and moral norms to predict waste sorting intentions in a heritage context of tourism. A total of 403 valid self-administrated questionnaires were achieved at a heritage destination in China. The results indicated that: (1) TPB variables (i.e., attitudes toward the behavior, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control), self-identity, and moral norms were all directly and positively linked to tourists' waste sorting intentions, respectively; (2) self-identity indirectly influenced tourists' waste sorting intentions through the mediation of moral norms; and (3) the integrated model exhibited better predictive utility than any single model. This research contributes to the literature on waste management in the context of tourism by extending TPB with identity and personal normative constructs. It also provides practical implications for destination managers to leverage tourists' self-identity and moral norms for sustainable management.

Keywords: heritage tourism; identity theory; moral norms; self-identity; theory of planned behavior; tourists’ waste-sorting intentions.

Figure 1

The proposed conceptual model of this research. Note: H1−H6 are direct hypotheses, H7 is an indirect hypothesis.

Figure 2

(a) The geographical location of Zhejiang Province in the People’s Republic of China; (b) the geographical location of the study site in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. Note: Gongchen Bridge, where the field survey was conducted, is an iconic scenic spot of the Grand Canal Scenic Area in Hangzhou.

Figure 3

AMOS output results of the model in this research.