Four psychological factors influencing digital sustainability at work

better-working

DIGITAL WORKPLACE GROUP

In DWG’s recent insight, the digital workplace is becoming increasingly well understood as a means of helping organisations to reduce their overall carbon footprint and environmental impact. Remote work and virtual meetings can reduce business travel, paperless operations lessen paper and ink waste, and smart technologies can improve energy efficiency – to mention a few of the positive impacts.

For example, in one of their study, remote working was found to reduce the carbon footprint of work by 58%. But, environmentally conscious organisations are also looking at the environmental impact of the digital workplace itself – relating to, for example, digital clutter or device disposal – and finding ways to reduce this.

A key step on this journey is understanding the psychological aspects that can influence employee adoption of sustainability efforts. In the first of two-part blog series, DWG expert analyses four psychological factors that digital workplace teams need to consider as they seek to build awareness and new habits among the workforce in support of the organisation’s environmental goals. In the second part, they look further at the environmental impact of the digital workplace and some approaches to reducing its carbon footprint.

Perceptions of climate change range from being intensely personal through to ambivalence, with no one-size-fits-all belief. Scholars from prominent universities in both the US and UK have recently highlighted the importance of psychological research in helping to improve initiatives to mitigate climate change. Such research can provide insights into both perceptions of climate change as well as the behavioural change required to protect against it.

Read more on their website