Construction waste reduction behavior of contractor employees: an extended theory of planned behavior model approach

Abstract

The large scale of construction waste has significant impacts on the environment which has attracted a growing public concern in China. Despite the introduction of measures on construction waste reduction, outcomes are not always satisfactory. This paper aims to explore critical factors that influence the construction waste reduction (CWR) behavior of contractor employees. A hypothetical model was developed in the first instance by incorporating additional variables (knowledge and personal norm) into the classic theory of planned behavior (TPB) model. The extended TPB model was consequently tested via the structural equation modeling (SEM) using data collected from the Shenzhen city, which is the first national pilot city for construction waste management and comprehensive utilization in China. This study revealed that the extended TPB model has significantly improved the explanation power of CWR behavior than the classic TPB model. Results showed that contractor employees' behavior-related knowledge was the most influential factor on their CWR behavior, notably greater than subjective norm, attitude, personal norm and perceived behavioral control. These findings provide useful inputs for designing effective approaches to motivate CWR behavior of contractor employees and policy making to reduce construction waste.