The differential effects of two forms of feedback on energy consumption behaviour were examined in two units of a metallurgical company. In one unit, employees received information about energy conservation, had to set goals and received feedback on their own conservation behaviour. The same procedure was followed with employees in a second unit, but they also received information about the performance of the first unit. In accordance with predictions from social identity theory and social comparison theory, the results clearly showed that employees in the comparative feedback condition saved more energy than employees who only received information about their own performance, even half a year after the intervention. A remarkable finding was that behavioural change took place with hardly any changes in attitudes or intentions. The discussion focuses on these findings and on their implications for organizational behaviour change in general. Introduction from their extra efforts to save energy. Thus, the main question becomes: how can a company motivate its employees to behave in a more energy-saving The consumption of energy results in economic and environmental costs such as resource shortages, way? In the present study an attempt was made to inflation, air pollution, and radioactive wastes (Cone & Hayes, 1980). Because of these costs, more encourage energy-saving behaviour by using comparative feedback. Employees in one unit of a metand more Western industrial organizations are investing in innovative physical technologies to allurgical plant were provided with information about the performance of another unit to see reduce energy consumption, for example, by insulating buildings, by purchasing or modifying equip-whether this comparative feedback resulted in extra energy savings after both units had particiment, and by using energy-saving devices. However, these energy consumption-reducing investments pated in a behavioural change programme containing educational information, task goal assignment, are not worth much unless employees handle apparatus and equipment in such a way that less energy feedback, and supervision and control. Previous organizational research (Siero et al. 1989) has is wasted. Hence, an important question is how energy-related organizational behaviour can be shown that such a behavioural change programme is an effective tool to motivate employees to reduce changed effectively. Research on energy conservation in family house-their energy-wasting behaviour. In the following section, we discuss the potential of comparative holds has shown that as a result of behavioural modifications, savings of up to 30 per cent can be feedback for reducing energy-wasting behaviour. Subsequently, attention will be given to the realized (Seligman & Darley, 1977; Geller et al. 1982) . However, generalization of these findings to elements of the behavioural change programme. the workplace is problematic because expenditures related to energy use are usually experienced more Comparative feedback directly in a household, and, in the context of an organization, employees profit only indirectly Receiving information about the performance of
An early study by Siero et al. REF found that comparative feedback given to staff in an industrial setting results in energy efficiency gains.
CHANGING ORGANIZATIONAL ENERGY CONSUMPTION BEHAVIOUR THROUGH COMPARATIVE FEEDBACK
Journal of Environmental Psychology
Psychology