title: Influence of energy alternatives and carbon emissions on an institution's green reputation.
abstract: Institutions' reputation for being environmentally friendly or 'green' can come from many sources. This paper examines how the attributes of alternative energy management plans impact an institutions' 'green' reputation by focusing on the interaction between 'external' and 'internal' influences. Some 'external' influences on environmental reputation we studied include the institution's mix of fuels, energy conservation effort, carbon emissions targets, investment time-frame, and program cost. The 'internal' influences on institutions' green reputation we examined include altruism (respondents' concern for the welfare of others) and environmentalism (respondents' concern for the environment). Using a stated-preference conjoint survey, we empirically examine how attributes of alternative energy management plans influence a large, research university's 'green' reputation. Our results show that constituents benefit from their institution's green reputation and that the energy management choices of the institution can significantly influence its perceived green reputation. Furthermore, integrating internal and external influences on reputation can create more informative models and better decision-making.
authors.affiliation: Department of Marketing and Economics, Valdosta State University, 103F Pound Hall, Valdosta, GA 31698, USA. tmkomarek@valdosta.edu
authors.forename: Timothy M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Komarek
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lupi
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Kaplowitz
authors.forename: Laurie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Thorp
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002244:Carbon; D003246:Conservation of Energy Resources; D003625:Data Collection; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D017752:Greenhouse Effect; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011639:Public Opinion; D059205:Renewable Energy; D013334:Students; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002244:Carbon
keywords: Academic institution; Carbon footprint; Conjoint analysis; Pro-environmental behavior; ‘Green’ reputation