Fostering Pro-Environmental Behavior with Green Consumer is: the effects of is-induced Construal and General is Usage Motivations

In the context of the environmental challenges we are facing, technology is often seen as both a cause of and a potential remedy for humanity’s environmental impact. Green consumer information systems (IS) have shown to be powerful in promoting individuals’ pro-environmental behavior. Yet, there is little knowledge about the mechanisms of how information systems lead to a sustainable change in behavior for the good. To fill this gap, we propose an experiment on the basis of a research model that sheds light on two critical aspects of how green consumer IS affects pro-environmental behavior: First, green consumer IS may be used to induce higher-level construals that foster superordinate determinants of pro-environmental behavior by displaying rather abstract than concrete information. Second, we analyze the direct and indirect role of technology adoption as a means to motivate proenvironmental behavior. To test our hypotheses, we propose an online experiment on eco-driving feedback and present first drafts of stimuli. Implications for consumer IS theory as well as for practice regarding feedback design are discussed.