Gender, employee green intrinsic motivation and green behaviour in South Africa

Abstract

The world faces severe environmental challenges and the activities of businesses including hotels are a major contributor to these  ecological problems. Many businesses have introduced initiatives to reduce their negative environmental impact. Employees play a major  role in the achievement of an organisation’s green strategy. One of the factors that can affect the green behaviour of employees is  gender. Understanding gender gaps in environmental management can help businesses and governments to develop more inclusive  environmental solutions. Gender equality is one of the Sustainable Development Goals. The study explores the effect of gender on green  intrinsic motivation and green behaviour of hotel employees in South Africa. The study uses a structured questionnaire to collect data  from the respondents using the quantitative research approach. Descriptive statistics and the Independent samples T-test are used for  data analysis. The findings indicate that women exhibit higher levels of green intrinsic motivation and green behaviour than men.  However, the differences are not statistically significant. The study makes an empirical contribution to the research on gender and green  behaviour. Recommendations to improve green behaviours are suggested.