Sustainable Behavior and Its
Antecedents: A Systematic Literature
Review
Aline Alvares Melo, Ubiratã Tortato and Fabrício Baron Mussi
Abstract The demand for organizations to assume greater environmental responsibility has increased in recent years. This demand comes from different segments:
clients, suppliers, governments, and the general public. However, many organizations face challenges with the human resources needed to implement environmental
initiatives, making it necessary to understand which factors can positively influence
the sustainable behavior of those involved in the process. In this perspective, this
study aims to raise the theoretical references available on the theme of sustainable
behavior of individuals, to better understand the precedents. Techniques of systematization of literature review were used next to the searches made in two scientific
databases: Web of Science and Scopus. Upon all the selections made using filters, the
search returned 34 articles, published between 2008 and 2017, which were subsequently analyzed so as to identify similarities and major differences between them.
It was found that most studies rely on a psychological perspective to understand the
precedents of sustainable behavior. Besides that, values, beliefs, and worldviews are
still perceived as the main influencers.
Keywords Sustainable behavior · Antecedents · Implement of environmental
initiatives
A. A. Melo (B)
Federal University of Maranhão, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná, Imaculada
Conceição, 1155, Curitiba 80215901, Brazil
e-mail: alinemelo19@yahoo.com.br
U. Tortato
Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná, R. Imaculada Conceição, 1155, Curitiba 80215901,
Brazil
e-mail: ubirata.tortato@pucpr.br
F. B. Mussi
Itaipu Binacional, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná, Imaculada Conceição, 1155,
Curitiba 80215901, Brazil
e-mail: fabricio_mussi@hotmail.com
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
W. Leal Filho et al. (eds.), Universities and Sustainable Communities:
Meeting the Goals of the Agenda 2030, World Sustainability Series,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-30306-8_14
247
Antecedents: A Systematic Literature
Review
Aline Alvares Melo, Ubiratã Tortato and Fabrício Baron Mussi
Abstract The demand for organizations to assume greater environmental responsibility has increased in recent years. This demand comes from different segments:
clients, suppliers, governments, and the general public. However, many organizations face challenges with the human resources needed to implement environmental
initiatives, making it necessary to understand which factors can positively influence
the sustainable behavior of those involved in the process. In this perspective, this
study aims to raise the theoretical references available on the theme of sustainable
behavior of individuals, to better understand the precedents. Techniques of systematization of literature review were used next to the searches made in two scientific
databases: Web of Science and Scopus. Upon all the selections made using filters, the
search returned 34 articles, published between 2008 and 2017, which were subsequently analyzed so as to identify similarities and major differences between them.
It was found that most studies rely on a psychological perspective to understand the
precedents of sustainable behavior. Besides that, values, beliefs, and worldviews are
still perceived as the main influencers.
Keywords Sustainable behavior · Antecedents · Implement of environmental
initiatives
A. A. Melo (B)
Federal University of Maranhão, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná, Imaculada
Conceição, 1155, Curitiba 80215901, Brazil
e-mail: alinemelo19@yahoo.com.br
U. Tortato
Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná, R. Imaculada Conceição, 1155, Curitiba 80215901,
Brazil
e-mail: ubirata.tortato@pucpr.br
F. B. Mussi
Itaipu Binacional, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná, Imaculada Conceição, 1155,
Curitiba 80215901, Brazil
e-mail: fabricio_mussi@hotmail.com
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
W. Leal Filho et al. (eds.), Universities and Sustainable Communities:
Meeting the Goals of the Agenda 2030, World Sustainability Series,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-30306-8_14
247