From Limited Control to Green Empowerment: The Motivational Synergy of Fresh Starts in Predicting Environmental Action

Abstract

This study leverages group-based control theory to explore how fresh starts reinvigorate consumers with low motivation to engage in collective environmental efforts. Typically, individuals with low control over their circumstances show less inclination toward collective goals. However, fresh starts can enhance the influence of perceived control on collective environmental engagement, with global identity mediating this relationship. This hypothesis was supported by two empirical studies. The first study analyzed data from 10,430 corporate participants in an energy-saving initiative, revealing that smaller organizations, which likely experience lower levels of control, made substantial energy-saving efforts early in the year, although this effect diminished over time. The second study of 108 college students found that a fresh start mindset and desire for control, mediated by global identity, enhance environmentally responsible behaviors. These findings suggest that fresh starts can effectively connect control perceptions with proactive environmental actions, underscoring their potential to foster collective environmental efforts.