Environmental intentions and attitudes and their influence on pro-environmental behavior in engineering students and practicing engineers
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26507/rei.v20n39.1294Keywords:
Envionmental knowledge, attitude, intentions, pro-environmental behavior, Mexican universitiesAbstract
This study addresses the relationship between human activities and climate change, emphasizing the role of environmental education as a tool to mitigate environmental damage. While environmental education is a prominent research topic globally, it remains limited in Mexico due to insufficient guiding documents. The research introduces a structural equation model (SEM) examining environmental intention (EBI), environmental attitudes (EA), private pro-environmental behaviors (PPEB), and public pro-environmental behaviors (PPC) among engineering students and professionals in the Mexican maquiladora industry. With 1449 questionnaire responses from Ciudad Juárez, the study validates six hypotheses. Findings reveal that EBI influences EA and PPEB, while high EBI levels positively affect EA, PPEB, and PPC. The study suggests that fostering environmental intentions in educational and industrial settings leads to increased pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors. Recommendations include promoting individual actions among students and engineers through educational programs and incentives to cultivate a pro-environmental culture.
Author Biographies
Ingrid Iovana Burgos Espinoza, UACJ
Department of Electric Engineering and Computer Sciences, Autonomous University of Ciudad Juárez. Av. Del Charro 450 Norte, Col. Partido Romero. Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, México. Ciudad Juárez 32310, Chihuahua, México. Email: al220859@alumnos.uacj.mx, ORCID: 0000-0003-3280-4321. She holds a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering and a master’s degree in industrial engineering with a specialty in manufacturing; currently, she is a full-time student at the Doctor's degree in advanced engineering sciences at the Autonomous University of Ciudad Juarez in Mexico and is in the fourth semester. Her areas of interest are lean manufacturing, industrial safety and hygiene, quality of production systems and risk prevention.
Dr., Universidad Autonoma de Ciudad Juarez
Department of Electric Engineering and Computer Sciences, Autonomous University of Ciudad Juárez. Av. Del Charro 450 Norte, Col. Partido Romero. Ciudad Juárez 32310, Chihuahua, México. Email: jorge.garcia@uacj.mx, ORCID: 0000-0002-7092-6963 Scopus Author ID: 55616966800 Has a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering Sciences, a Ph.D. in Innovation in Product Engineering and Industrial Process, and a Ph.D. in Sciences and Industrial Technologies. He is a National Researcher level 3 recognized by the Mexican National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT), an expert in lean manufacturing methodologies and advanced manufacturing technologies. He is a founding member of the Mexican Society of Operation Research and an active Mexican Academy of Industrial Engineering member. Dr. Garcia is the author/co-author of around 190 documents published and indexed in the Journal Citation Reports and more than 150 international conferences and congresses worldwide. Dr. Garcia is the author of several books published by international publishers, such as Springer and IGI Global, related to lean manufacturing and its tools and techniques.
Dr., Universidad de la Rioja, España
Department of Economics and Enterprise, University of La Rioja. Edificio Quintiliano, C/ La Cigüeña 60. Logroño 26006, La Rioja, Spain. Email: alfonso.gil@unirioja.es, ORCID: 0000-0002-8180-4769.He is a full-time research professor in the Department of Economics and Business at the University of La Rioja - Spain. In addition, he is a visiting professor in the Department of Didactics and School Organization and a tutor in the Department of Economics and Business at the National University of Distance Education UNED - Spain. He completed a bachelor’s degree in economics and business Administration at UNED, a Ph.D. in Educational Sciences at UNED, and a Ph.D. in Economic and Business Sciences at UNED. His main line of research is related to people's learning and development and organizational processes. Dr. Gil has published in numerous journals with high impact rates throughout his career - including the Journal of Citation Reports JCR. Also, he has published several sections in books in Editorials of recognized international prestige. Finally, he has presented at more than 50 conferences as an attendee and speaker in different Congresses of international prestige.
Dra., Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez, Juarez
Department of Electric Engineering and Computer Sciences, Autonomous University of Ciudad Juárez. Av. Del Charro 450 Norte, Col. Partido Romero. Ciudad Juárez 32310, Chihuahua, México. Email: liliana.avelar@uacj.mx, ORCID: 0000-0001-9490-2520. She is a full-time professor at the Department of Industrial Engineering and Manufacturing. She holds a Ph.D. in Sciences in Engineering from the Autonomous University of Ciudad Juarez. She has published in journals such as the International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, Dyna Colombia, Journal of Applied Research and Technology, Sustainability, and Processes. She has also collaborated in other publications in the International Journal of Image, Graphics and Signal Processing. She is the author/co-author of one book published by Springer and editor/co-editor in one book in the same publishing house and one with IGI GLOBAL publishing house. She is the manager of the Chapter APICS El Paso-UACJ. Their interesting areas are Supply Chain Performance, Supply Chain Risk, Logistics, Manufacturing Production Process and Structural Equation Modelling. She has supervised more than 20 bachelors and 8 masters. Dr. Avelar currently supervises two master's and two Ph.D. theses in progress.
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