An Institutional Perspective on the Adoption of Green IS & IT

Authors

  • Adela J. Chen Department of Management Information Systems, Terry College of Business, University of Georgia
  • Richard T. Watson Department of Management Information Systems, Terry College of Business, University of Georgia
  • Marie-Claude Boudreau Department of Management Information Systems, Terry College of Business, University of Georgia
  • Elena Karahanna Department of Management Information Systems, Terry College of Business, University of Georgia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3127/ajis.v17i1.572

Keywords:

Green IS/IT, Institutional isomorphism, mimetic pressure, coercive pressure, natural-resource-based view, adoption, green information systems (IS), green information technology (IT)

Abstract

This article examines how institutional pressures affect the adoption of green IS & IT across organizations. From the natural-resource-based perspective, it examines green IS & IT practices with strategic foci on pollution prevention, product stewardship, and sustainable development. Each category incorporates the separate roles played by IT (as a problem) and IS (as a solution). The partial least square method was employed to analyze the survey replies from 75 organizations. The results show that mimetic and coercive pressures significantly drive green IS & IT adoption. In particular, outcome-based imitation and imposition-based coercion represent major institutional processes. The results also suggest the complementary relationship between mimetic and coercive pressures. Such interaction significantly motivates the green IS & IT adoption focusing on product stewardship. These findings contribute to existing knowledge on the pro-environmental behaviors of organizations, demonstrate the interaction between institutional forces, and further current understanding of green IS & IT adoption The study concludes with a general discussion of eco-goals and their relationship to institutional theory before considering the implications and directions for research and practice.

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Published

2011-11-01

How to Cite

Chen, A. J., Watson, R. T., Boudreau, M.-C., & Karahanna, E. (2011). An Institutional Perspective on the Adoption of Green IS & IT. Australasian Journal of Information Systems, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.3127/ajis.v17i1.572

Issue

Vol. 17 No. 1 (2011): Theme: Green IS/IT

Section

Research on Green IS/IT

License

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