Accepted Manuscript

Environmentally Sustainable Information and Communication Technology Usage:

Awareness and Practices of Indian Information and Communication Technology
Professionals

Ritesh Chugh, Santoso Wibowo, Srimannarayana Grandhi

PII: S0959-6526(16)30459-0
DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.05.004
Reference: JCLP 7186

To appear in: Journal of Cleaner Production

Received Date: 24 October 2014

Revised Date: 22 April 2016
Accepted Date: 2 May 2016

Please cite this article as: Chugh R, Wibowo S, Grandhi S, Environmentally Sustainable Information and
Communication Technology Usage: Awareness and Practices of Indian Information and Communication
Technology Professionals, Journal of Cleaner Production (2016), doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.05.004.

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 ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT
Word Count – 11221 (Including Appendices)

Environmentally Sustainable Information and Communication Technology

Usage: Awareness and Practices of Indian Information and
Communication Technology Professionals

Ritesh Chugh, Santoso Wibowo, Srimannarayana Grandhi

[email protected]

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[email protected]
[email protected]
Central Queensland University
120 Spencer Street, Melbourne 3000, Australia

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Corresponding author: Ritesh Chugh

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Abstract

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There is a growing interest in the importance of environmental sustainability in every
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industry as it can help organizations to achieve significant benefits through sustainable work

practices. Green Information and Communication Technology is becoming a universal issue

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but it appears to be more of a concern in developing countries especially because of a

perceived lack of awareness. The aim of this study is to determine the level of awareness of
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environmentally sustainable practices by Indian Information and Communication Technology

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professionals. It is evident that there are a very limited number of published scholarly articles
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available, which study Indian Information and Communication Technology professionals'

awareness of environmental sustainability. This article tries to illuminate this relatively new
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domain by outlining Information and Communication Technology professionals’

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understanding about environmental sustainability and their organization’s sustainability

practices. Through data collected via questionnaires, the study found that participants in the

age group of 35 and above are more aware of renewable energy, have a better knowledge of

e-waste and exhibit a stronger personal responsibility to help make a difference on

environmental issues in comparison to the other surveyed age groups. It was also found that

Information and Communication Technology professionals working for organizations with

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less than 1000 employees tend to have lower awareness of sustainable Information and

Communication Technology practices whereas environmental sustainability practices are

more adopted in organizations with 1000 employees or higher. Female employees exhibited a

higher awareness about greenhouse gas emissions, renewable energy and e-waste over their

male counterparts but the adoption of environment sustainability practices was largely similar

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between both genders. An awareness of sustainable Information and Communication

Technology practices can help organizations to adopt various strategies in developing

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effective sustainability work practices and educating their employees. Finally, it is important

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for smaller organizations to provide reasonable training to educate their staff about

sustainable Information and Communication Technology practices.

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Keywords: Sustainability; Green Information and Communication Technology; ICT

professionals; Awareness; Environment; India

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1. Introduction
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In recent years, the rise in the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to
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conduct business has provided significant benefits but, on the other hand, it also has

undesirable direct and indirect effects on the environment. From an environmental

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perspective, the use of ICT has contributed to rising greenhouse gas emissions, faster
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depletion of natural resources and ultimately increased global warming (Chai-Arayalert and

Nakata, 2011; Molla et al., 2014). These problems, coupled with increased ICT costs, have

given birth to the concept of green ICT. The role of green ICT is to minimize these

environmental impacts (Wabwoba et al., 2013) caused due to the increased use of ICT.

Hence, the notion of green ICT and environmental sustainability play an increasingly

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important role in organizations (Labuschagne et al., 2005). Green ICT can be seen as the

vehicle to achieve environmental sustainability.

Green Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is defined as the study and

practice of designing, manufacturing, using, and disposing of computers, servers, and

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associated subsystems - such as monitors, printers, storage devices, and networking and

communications systems - efficiently and effectively with minimal or no impact on the

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environment (Murugesan, 2008). This definition focuses on the design, manufacture, usage

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and disposal of ICT. The concept of using and disposing computing resources (digital or non-

digital) efficiently and maintaining equilibrium with the environment is crucial. In order to

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maintain efficiency and reduce the environmental impact of the usage of ICT resources, the
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role of users is important so they take responsibility. Also, as evident from the definition of

green ICT, correct ICT usage forms an integral part of environmental sustainability. To better
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understand green ICT holistically, the definition put forth by Wabwoba et al. (2013) focusses

on the application of sustainability criteria for design, production, sourcing, usage, disposal
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and personnel to achieve process efficiencies and positive impact on the environment.
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Nevertheless, it is evident that their definition is also in similar vein to that of Murugesan
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(2008).
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The goal for environmental sustainability is to be able to meet the needs of the present
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population without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs

(Harmon and Auseklis, 2009; Lozano and Huisingh, 2011). Upon analysing the definition of

green ICT and the goal of environmental sustainability, it is important to recognise the link

between the two. Alternatively, it may also be appropriate to say that green ICT is a means of

achieving environment sustainability (Ahmad et al., 2013). Environmental sustainability can

be achieved through the adoption of correct practices in ICT design, manufacture, usage and

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disposal. Green ICT, whether influenced by user practices or through the use of appropriate

technology to make the environment sustainable, should help in reducing the environmental

footprint of organizations. In reality, no organization can be freed from its obligation towards

environmental sustainability. In fact, Erek (2011) noted that the green ICT movement has

also reached ICT organizations. Murugesan (2008) has called upon the ICT sector to green

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the way IT systems are used. Hence, ICT professionals have a key role to play in their

contribution towards environmental sustainability. This study hence specifically focusses on

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ICT professionals’ awareness and practices towards environmental sustainability.

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Possessing knowledge about a concept or a topic is often the first step towards adoption

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(Rogers, 2003). Therefore, it is important to know about environmental sustainability so that
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such practices can be adopted and which can become an embedded part of staff work culture.

Interestingly, half of the energy consumed by businesses is wasted by inefficient

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technologies, poorly designed systems, or uninformed behaviours (Jenkin et al., 2011).

Therefore, amongst other transformations, a change of behaviour is definitely required. If that

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change has already taken place, it is vital to assess it. It can also be argued that ICT
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professionals will be an adopter of environmental sustainability which further strengthens the

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choice of exploring environment sustainability notions of ICT professionals in this study.

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The broader viewpoint is to ensure the practices of ICT users contribute towards
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environmental sustainability. Undoubtedly, green ICT is becoming a global issue but it seems

to be more of a concern in developing countries especially because of a perceived lack of

awareness. The developing world has been slow to acknowledge environmental sustainability

issues (Ansari et al., 2010; Sobhani et al., 2012) in comparison to the developed world

countries like Sweden, Switzerland and Norway (Robecosam, 2015) who are leaders in

environmental practices. Hence, developing countries have a vital role to play in green ICT

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(Lee et al., 2013).The urgency of the situation calls upon organizations and employees to take

necessary steps to increase awareness.

Various studies (Molla et al., 2014; Wabwoba et al., 2013; Widjaja et al., 2011) have been

carried out to assess green ICT and sustainability awareness of ICT professionals in countries

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other than India. However, currently there are a negligible number of published scholarly

studies that focus on the awareness and practices of environmental sustainability, specifically

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amongst Indian ICT professionals. Being the second most populous country of the world with

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a developing economy, it is not endearing to miss such a populace. Hence, this paper attempts

to fill this gap to provide a holistic insight by specifically studying green ICT awareness of

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Indian ICT professionals, which should frame the way green ICT practices become an
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informed part of ICT organizational roles and importantly further the endeavour towards

environmental sustainability. It is hoped the environmentally sustainable ICT usage exhibited

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by ICT professionals mirrors organizational efforts towards sustainability.

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This paper sets out to present results of a survey that aims to explore environmentally
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sustainable ICT usage by Indian ICT professionals. The survey determines ICT professionals’
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awareness and organizational practices about environmentally sustainable ICT usage. In

order to meet the objectives, the remainder of the paper is organized as follows. Section two
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provides an insight into the literature in the field of environmentally sustainable ICT usage.
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Section three outlines the research method and briefly outlines design considerations for the

questionnaire, which was specifically developed for this study. The findings of the study

along with a discussion are presented in section four. Section five describes the theoretical

and organizational implications of the study and how the findings can benefit the wider

community of ICT and environmental sustainability practitioners. Finally, section six

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summarizes key premises of the research and the limitations of the paper along with avenues

for further research in this area are presented.

2. Role of ICT professionals in environmental sustainability

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The ICT industry in India has seen a sustained growth of 10.2% over 2012-2013(NASSCOM,

2013) and as an indirect result, energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions have also

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gone up (TERI, 2013). This creates ecological consequences that have a long lasting

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detrimental effect on the environment. Organizations in India are embracing green ICT and

sustainability (Gartner, 2012) as ICT infrastructure in the country continues to develop. A

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report by Gartner (2012) has estimated that by 2015, India’s spending on green ICT and
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sustainability initiatives will reach $70 billion. It is evident that the adoption of green ICT

and sustainability is slower than expected as Indian organizations lack a strategic focus and
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often rely on a piecemeal approach to the implementation of green ICT efforts (Gartner,

2013). Some major problems confronting India on the environmental sustainability platform
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from an ICT perspective include (a) increased e-waste (Afroz et al., 2013; Rajya Sabha
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Secretariat, 2011), (b) ignorance (Sahoo and Nayak, 2008), (c) rising energy costs (TERI
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BCSD and NASSCOM, 2011), (d) increased carbon footprint (Chai-Arayalert and Nakata,

2011) and (e) depletion of finite natural resources (Bharucha, 2013).

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Since these problems pose a serious threat, there is a pressing need to address them (Lee et

al., 2013; Needhidasan et al., 2014). Strategic, process-oriented and technical measures are all

crucial in the key processes of an ICT organization in order to become resource-efficient and

decrease environmental risk (Erek, 2011). The focus of green ICT is to mitigate the problems

and concentrate on finding alternatives and more efficient measures. Environmental

sustainability can be benchmarked against various measures however in the context of green

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ICT, it usually focuses on the reduction of energy consumption (Agrawal and Agarwal,

2012), the lowering greenhouse gas emissions, enhanced environmental awareness and

environmental governance (Andreopoulou, 2012), the use of efficient technology and the

reduction of waste from ICT sector (Ansari et al., 2010). Various studies have confirmed that

the adoption of environmentally sustainable practices also helps in reducing costs (Harmon

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and Auseklis, 2009; Molla, 2009; Makela and Luukkainen, 2013). The adoption of

sustainability practices in large organizations can add to a profit increase of 38% (Gullo and

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Haygood, 2010). Given the benefits, the adoption of environmentally sustainable practices in

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the form of green ICT is an important aspect in managing sustainability related problems. In a

similar vein, Grabot and Schlegel (2014) have echoed that ICT may positively influence

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environmental issues. How the benefits are realized and practised are issues that are worth
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examination.
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Responsible and correct disposal of waste from ICT sector is an important step towards

promoting environmental sustainability (Ansari et al., 2010). Waste from ICT or electronic
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waste (e-waste) can take the form of any electrical or electronic equipment which would
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include computers, monitors, mobile phones and so forth. The ICT sector accounts for 34%
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of the total e-waste produced in India (TERI BCSD and NASSCOM, 2011). E-waste is

increasingly becoming a significant waste category in terms of quantity and toxicity (Wath et
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al., 2010). Households and organizations are often unaware of the methods of e-waste
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disposal and dispose their e-waste with other wastes (Borthakur and Sinha, 2013). On the

other end of the spectrum, factors such as senior management support and commitment,

organizational strategy and culture can be seen as barriers and enablers of environmental

sustainability (Molla et al., 2014). Hence, understanding the practices of ICT employees and

their organizations’ attitude towards environmental sustainability is an essential step in

encouraging the right disposal of waste from the ICT sector and environmental sustainability.

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Globally, ICT generates about 600 million metric tons of CO² emissions a year (T Systems,

2009). The carbon footprint of organizations is on the rise (Chai-Arayalert and Nakata, 2011),

however to reduce the carbon footprint, employees of an organization can play an important

role. The rapid growth of ICT organizations in India has also led to an accompanied growth

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of ICT employees in the sector. India directly employs around 3 million employees in the

information technology and business process management sector (NASSCOM, 2013). Given

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this large number, it is important for ICT staff to be aware of green ICT practices as they play

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a crucial role in the deployment and implementation of green ICT (Mariani and Imam, 2012).

The ICT industry is a user of energy and also involved in monitoring other products and

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industries (Lee et al., 2013). Therefore, the practices that ICT employees adopt can have an
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impact on promoting and achieving environmental sustainability. Behaviour of ICT staff also

constitutes an important factor when considering environmental sustainability. Environmental

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awareness is another trend that has a major impact on the ICT industry (Makela and

Luukkainen, 2013). If employees are aware of the perceived level of sustainability, it

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represents a foundation of their behaviour towards greater environmental sustainability

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(Cirnu and Kuralt, 2013). Users can influence and adopt sustainability practices by changing
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some of their ICT activities (Ramachandiran, 2012). However, the use of sustainable

practices towards green ICT has not been discussed much in literature (Seidel et al., 2010). It
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is evident there is a real need to adapt rapidly to environmental sustainability practices and
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employee awareness can be seen as one of the key enabler in this process. Therefore,

assessing awareness of environmental sustainability becomes crucial.

One of the key drivers of sustainability investments in organizations is employees’ interest in

sustainability activities (Berns et al., 2009). Frontline employees are considered to be in the

best position to identify and implement environmental sustainable practices (Gullo and

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Haygood, 2010). A study of Australian ICT professionals by Molla et al. (2014) found that

they were concerned about climatic changes and were positive towards green ICT. The study

also reported that ICT professionals were taking simple steps towards green ICT such as

double-sided printing but were in doubts over their organization’s awareness, policy, and

practices of green ICT. In a survey of 192 Indian organizations to identify the importance of

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environmental issues, 93% respondents indicated that environment and its sustainability was

an integral part of their business (Saqib et al., 2007), however the perspective was absent

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from employees’ viewpoint of sustainability practices. Some other ICT environmentally

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sustainable responsibilities lean towards steps like switching off computers when not in use

and recycling ICT equipment (Widjaja et al., 2011), reducing screen brightness (Chow and

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Chen, 2009) and a general awareness of sustainability (Cirnu and Kuralt, 2013), and
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reduction of printing.
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Key messages that have emanated from this theoretical review have focused on the issues of

environmental sustainability. These issues have been researched extensively by scholars in

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varied domains most often focusing on the developed countries, the small and medium
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enterprises, and the education sector (Buchalcevova and Gala, 2013; Wabwoba et al., 2013;
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Molla et al., 2014), however as outlined earlier, there are negligible studies that look

specifically at the environmentally sustainable ICT usage of ICT professionals in India. This
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study aims to look at multiple perspectives such as awareness and practices rather than
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sticking to one perspective. There is a scarcity of research in this area in spite of ICT

professionals playing a vital role in the design, manufacture, usage and disposal of ICT.

Finally, in an endeavour to weave a theoretical framework, this study is seeking to assess

green behaviours (Jenkin et al., 2011) of ICT professionals (Murugesan, 2008) in the

developing world (Lee et al., 2013) by specifically trying to explore awareness (Makela and

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Luukkainen, 2013) and practices (Seidel et al., 2010) of environmental sustainability. Figure

1 presents a framework for awareness and practices of environmentally sustainable ICT usage

amongst Indian ICT professionals. The elements identified in this framework have been

drawn from the literature previously discussed in this section. The analysis section uses this

framework as a way of further exploration and understanding the relationship between the

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elements.

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Fig. 1 Overview of the framework for awareness and practices of environmentally
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sustainable ICT usage.

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It is hoped that the manifold view presented as part of this study will provide a better
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understanding and address the current gaps in the environmental sustainability literature. The

following section focusses on the research methods and survey design considerations adopted
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for this study.

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3. Research methods
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The purpose of this research is to identify environmentally sustainable ICT usage of ICT

professionals in India. As questionnaires are an effective data collection tool when the

investigator knows what is required and how to measure the variables of interest (Cavana et

al., 2003), a web-based questionnaire was specifically tailored (appended in Appendix B) for

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this study. Web-based surveys have various advantages such as lower costs, easy access to

respondents, faster responses, automated data collection, reporting, and access to larger

samples (Converse et al., 2008). As can be expected, web-based surveys are not free of

limitations. Self-selection bias is a limitation of web-based survey research where some

people respond to the invitation to participate while others ignore it (Wright, 2006). There is

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sometimes also a reluctance to respond to web-based surveys because of safety and

confidentiality issues (van Gelder et al., 2010). The development of the questionnaire was

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deemed necessary for this research as such an instrument did not previously exist, especially

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one that focussed on holistically assessing awareness and practices of environmental

sustainability. The objective was to paint a general picture of employees’ perceptions and

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also their organization’s sustainability efforts. Self-reported responses of respondents are
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considered to be adequate indicators of actual practice and behaviour (Fujii et al., 1985) but

various studies (Hwang and Evans, 2011; Manaktola and Jauhari, 2007) have identified gaps
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between self-reported perceived belief and actual practices, hence the findings should be

treated cautiously.
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The questionnaire consisted of thirty-three questions excluding the demographic questions.

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The questionnaire comprised a mix of Likert scale and multiple choice questions seeking

quantitative data and open-ended questions seeking qualitative responses. Likert scale
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questions in the awareness section of the survey were structured using a mix of four and five
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point-scale, using a score of 1-4 and 1-5 respectively in the analysis. For the practices section

of the survey, the questions were structured using a five point-scale and a score of 1-5 was

used.

The quantitative responses help in analysing statistical relations amongst the variables. The

questionnaire was divided into four parts. The first part of the questionnaire solicited

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demographic information and the second part asked questions to assess respondents’

awareness of environmental sustainability. Respondents were asked to specify their level of

agreement or disagreement about environmentally sustainable practices adopted by them and

their organization in part three. Finally, in part four, questions to identify barriers of

sustainable ICT practices were queried. Analysis of the barriers does not form part of this

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paper.

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The questionnaire was pilot tested as it helped in reducing the risk that the questionnaire will

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not produce results. The pilot test also helped to identify any problems or built-in biases thus

ensuring that the questions are understandable. The pilot test revealed certain necessary

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changes to the wording of the survey’s introduction page and the need to segregate the
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questions into awareness and practices sections for enhanced clarity. Pilot respondents also

did not find four questions very relevant to the study and hence they were deleted. Initially
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the awareness section of the survey had statements but the pilot participants pointed out that

the statements should be phrased as questions. Hence, this change was also undertaken after
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the pilot. The survey was administered to private sector ICT professionals through the
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Internet. ICT professionals were selected because they are classified as knowledge workers
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(Mohanta et al., 2008) and are involved in green ICT efforts both at a personal and

professional level. They can also be seen as a user and driver of sustainability efforts.
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Purposive and snowball sampling techniques were applied for the study. The study targeted
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ICT professionals (a specially selected group of people) and requested the ICT Manager to

disseminate the web-based questionnaire (snowball technique). The snowballing technique

helped to verify that the participants were ICT professionals only. The ICT Managers were

asked to encourage their employees to complete the questionnaire. The identity of the

participants and their organization was not solicited.

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For the purpose of data collection, twenty five organizations of varying sizes were randomly

selected in order to obtain information from respondents working in different ICT

environments as the level of ICT logistics will vary depending upon size/scale of the

organization. ICT managers of the selected organizations were contacted to identify 10

respondents from their organization working at different levels and age groups. Invitation to

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participate in the survey was sent out through an e-mail via the organization’s ICT manager,

which included the web link to the survey. Data was collected over a two months’ duration.

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To encourage participation, two subsequent reminders were sent within the two month

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period. A total of 250 emails were distributed. Overall, 83 responses were received,

representing a response rate of 33.2%. Most web-based surveys have reported to receive a

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response rate of 33% (Nulty, 2008).
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After checking all the returned responses, 73 were considered usable. Of the 10 that were
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considered unusable, 6 responses were completely returned blank and excluded from

analysis. Substantial missing data was also detected in the other 4 responses but as this
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number was less than 5% of the overall responses, these 4 incomplete responses were also
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excluded as in listwise deletion.

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Being an exploratory and preliminary study on the topic, this paper analyses ICT
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professionals’ understanding about environmental sustainability and their organization’s

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sustainability practices only from the select group of twenty-five organizations. It is believed

that the target group of ICT professionals is a reasonable representative of the ICT industry in

India for such a study and it can offer some preliminary understanding. The response rate is

also comparable to other published research involving exploratory studies in India about

manufacturing strategy practices of machinery manufacturing organizations (Dangayach and

Deshmukh, 2006) and human resource management systems of call centres (Budhwar et al.,

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2006). The next section presents an analysis of the collected data in an endeavour to better

understand the perceptions of ICT staff towards environmental sustainability issues.

4. Data analysis and results

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The study data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) for

windows (version 16). Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the demographic

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characteristics of the ICT professionals as shown in Table 1. Descriptive statistics were also

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used to analyze the results of the surveyed ICT professionals.

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Table 1. Demographic characteristics of the ICT professionals.
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Characteristics N (%)
Age group
20-24 10 (13.7%)
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25-29 27 (36.9%)
30-34 19 (26.0%)
35 and older 17 (23.2%)
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Gender
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Male 58 (79.5%)
Female 15 (20.5%)

Number of employees in the organization

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Less than 1000 35 (48%)

More than 1000 38 (52%)
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Appendix A summarizes the questionnaire responses based on different age groups. In terms

of employee awareness, it can be seen from Appendix A that most (89%) of the ICT

professionals have fair, good or very good knowledge about greenhouse gas emissions and its

impact on the environment. 83.5% of the total participants have fair, good or very good

awareness of renewable energy and 69.9% have fair, good or very good knowledge of e-

waste. It is also found that 90.5% of the participants believe in some or a substantial personal

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responsibility to help make a difference on environmental issues such as energy consumption

and e-waste disposal. An overwhelming majority (94.6%) of participants have showed some

or a substantial awareness of climate change and concur that something needs to be done

about it. 44.6% of the respondents have echoed a concern that the cost of desktop energy

consumption is rising substantially while 54.1% respondents have indicated an almost

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parallel increase in the cost of server rooms. 48.6% of the respondents have said that it is

occasionally okay to discard old ICT equipment (such as monitors, keyboards, CPU etc.)

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through local garbage picker although this should not be the preferred disposal practice.

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41.9% believe that the natural resources used to produce ICT equipment are in enough

supply. More than 90% of the participants agree on shutting down computers at the end of

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work and switching off lights when they are not being used.
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In terms of organizational practices, as shown in Appendix A, 53.4% of the participants agree
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that their organization has allocated a budget for sustainable ICT practices. 52.1% agree that

their workplace has an ICT sustainability policy or a policy on managing e-waste. 48.7% of
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the participants believe that their organization has a dedicated person responsible for ICT
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sustainable practices. Only 37.8% respondents agree that ICT power consumption is
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measured separately from other general consumption in their organization. 31.1%

respondents have said that their organization shares ICT power consumption statistics with
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the employees. Approximately 60% respondents have agreed that desktop PCs are configured
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to shutdown at night in their workplaces and screensavers have been removed from their

desktop PCs. 54.8% respondents agree that their organization encourages

telecommuting/remote working and teleconferencing and videoconferencing usage is rising,

as agreed by 66.2% respondents. 52.7% of the respondents also agree that ICT energy saving

is a part of their organization’s strategy while only 44.6% respondents agree that it is a part

of their team’s discussion, which demonstrates a disconnect. It is disappointing to note that

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only 46% of the respondents agree that their organization recycles printer cartridges. 69.8%

of the participants agree that their organization emphasises paper-saving as part of their

environmental sustainability practices. Merely 32.4% respondents have agreed that their

organization has a designated point to recycle old phone batteries. Only 36.5% employees

agreed that their organization offers employees training about sustainable ICT practices.

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Based on Table 2 that shows the mean scores of the surveyed sample, it is observed that

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participants of all age groups are equally aware about greenhouse gas emissions and its

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impact on the environment. Participants in the age group of 35 and older are more aware of

renewable energy, have a better knowledge of e-waste and highlight that their organization

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has a budget for sustainable ICT practices in comparison to the other age groups. Compared
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to the other age groups, they also score higher in the personal responsibility to help make a

difference on environmental issues. Meanwhile, participants in the age group of 30-34 are
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more aware of their organization’s ICT sustainability policy. It is also observed that

participants in the age group of 25-29 believe that their organization emphasises more on
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paper-saving at the workplace but the practice of shutting down computers is more prevalent
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in employees aged 20-24. Employees aged 20-24 possess less knowledge of e-waste but they
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believe that their organizations have a dedicated person responsible for ICT sustainable

practices.
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Table 2. Comparison of the mean score among age groups.

Statement Age group

20- 25- 30- 35 and Average
24 29 34 older
Awareness about greenhouse gas emissions and 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.6
its impact on the environment
Awareness of renewable energy 3.4 3.6 3.3 3.7 3.5
Knowledge of e-waste 2.5 3.2 3.1 3.3 3.0
Personal responsibility to help make a difference 3 3.1 3.5 3.6 3.3
on environmental issues such as energy

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consumption and e-waste disposal
Cost of desktop energy consumption rising 3.5 3.0 3.4 3.4 3.3
Shut down (as opposed to logging off) your PC 3.5 3.3 3 3.3 3.3
when you finish for the day
Switch-off lights when not being used 3.4 3.6 3.6 3.4 3.5
My organization has a budget for sustainable ICT 3.3 2.9 3.2 3.4 3.2
practices
My organization has an ICT sustainability policy 3.2 3.3 3.6 3.5 3.4
My organisation has a dedicated person 3.7 3.2 3.3 3.6 3.5
responsible for ICT sustainable practices

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My organization emphasises paper-saving 3.7 3.8 3.6 3.4 3.7

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Table 3 shows the comparison of the mean score between the genders. It is observed from the

mean score that there is a slight difference between male and female employees in terms of

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their awareness and their organization’s practices towards environmental sustainability, and

their awareness of renewable energy. For example, the mean score in terms of their

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awareness about greenhouse gas emissions and its impact on the environment is 3.5 for male
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group and 3.8 for female group. It can also be observed that female employees have more
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knowledge of e-waste and towards their personal responsibility to help make a difference on

environmental issues such as energy consumption and e-waste disposal. However, male and
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female employees are equally aware of the rising cost of desktop energy consumption, the
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importance of shutting down computers after office hours and switching-off lights when not

being used. Therefore, this could be simply explained that female employees exhibited a
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greater awareness of environmental sustainability and personal responsibility towards

C

environmental issues. However, the adoption of environment sustainability practices appear

AC

to be largely similar between male and female employees.

Table 3. Comparison of the mean score among the genders.

Statement Gender
Male Female
Awareness about greenhouse gas emissions and its impact on the 3.5 3.8
environment
Awareness of renewable energy 3.5 3.7
Knowledge of e-waste 3.1 3.3

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Personal responsibility to help make a difference on 3.1 3.4
environmental issues such as energy consumption and e-waste
disposal
Cost of desktop energy consumption rising 3.3 3.3
Shut down (as opposed to logging off) your PC when you finish 3.3 3.3
for the day
Switch-off lights when not being used 3.5 3.5
My organization has a budget for sustainable ICT practices 3.5 3.4
My organization has an ICT sustainability policy 3.4 3.5

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My organisation has a dedicated person responsible for ICT 3.4 3.4
sustainable practices
My organization emphasises paper-saving 3.7 3.7

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Table 4. Comparison of the mean score among different size of organizations.

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Statement Size of the organization
Less than More than
1000 1000

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employees employees
Awareness about greenhouse gas emissions and its
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3.1 4.0
impact on the environment
Awareness of renewable energy 3.2 3.3
Knowledge of e-waste 3.0 3.3
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Personal responsibility to help make a difference on

environmental issues such as energy consumption and e- 3.1 3.4
waste disposal
D

Cost of desktop energy consumption rising 3.0 3.3

Shut down (as opposed to logging off) your PC when you
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3.3 3.8
finish for the day
Switch-off lights when not being used 3.4 3.5
My organization has a budget for sustainable ICT
2.9 3.9
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practices
My organization has an ICT sustainability policy 3.1 3.6
My organisation has a dedicated person responsible for
3.3 3.4
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ICT sustainable practices

My organization emphasises paper-saving 3.2 4.4
AC

Although data was collected from organizations of varying sizes, for the purpose of analysis

it has been divided in to two groups. Table 4 shows the comparison of the mean score

between the size of the organizations with less than 1000 employees (N=35) and the size of

the organizations with more than 1000 (N=38) employees. The results from Table 4 show

that employees of organizations with less than 1000 employees generally have a lower

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awareness of sustainable ICT practices. It can be seen that organizations with less than 1000

employees have lower awareness about (a) greenhouse gas emissions and its impact on the

environment, (b) renewable energy, (c) knowledge of e-waste, (d) personal responsibility to

help make a difference on environmental issues and (e) issues relating to the rising cost of

desktop energy consumption. The employees of these organizations also have a lower

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awareness of relevant budget for sustainable ICT practices and their organization’s ICT

sustainable policy. It is also observed that organizations with more than 1000 employees

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emphasise more on paper-saving, shutting down computers and switching-off lights as part of

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their environmental sustainability practices over their smaller counterparts.

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5. Theoretical implications
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This paper makes four important theoretical contributions. Firstly, it is evident that there are a
M

very limited number of published articles available about the awareness and practices of

environmental sustainability amongst Indian ICT professionals. Previous research was mainly
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focussed on sustainable approaches and practices in software engineering (Shalabh et al.,

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2012) but clearly lacks research in understanding individual perception about their role in
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sustainability. This paper provides an insight into Indian ICT professionals’ knowledge and

awareness and their perception towards environmentally sustainable ICT work practices. The
C

survey results presented in Appendix A suggest that a total of 89% of the respondents have
AC

fair, good or very good awareness about greenhouse gas emissions and its impact on the

environment. This knowledge directly relates to their efforts in adopting environmental

sustainability practices. If people are aware of sustainable ICT practices, then they tend to

adopt these practices and positively change some of their green ICT activities

(Ramachandiran, 2012).

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Secondly, there is a limited research about sustainable ICT practices in countries such India

(NASSCOM, 2013), where ICT exports (computer software and services) have crossed

US$75b (Cherrayil, 2013). While ICT industry in India contributes to the economic

development, it also contributes to greenhouse gas emissions because of the size and growth

in the recent decade (NASSCOM, 2013). Studying Indian ICT professionals’ perceptions

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about sustainable ICT work practices can provide vital clues that can help develop much

needed sustainable practices for Indian ICT organizations. Similar studies conducted in

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Australia revealed that ICT professionals’ awareness of environmentally sustainable work

SC
practices contributed to their intention to adopt relevant practices (Molla et al., 2014). The

findings revealed that 69.9% of respondents have fair, good or very good awareness about e-

U
waste and the majority believe in some or substantial personal responsibility to help make a
AN
difference on environmental issues.
M

Thirdly, the findings reveal that female employees exhibit a greater awareness of

environmental sustainability and personal responsibility towards environmental issues.

D

However, the adoption of environment sustainability practices appear to be largely similar

TE

between male and female employees. These results are in contrast with the results obtained
EP

by Molla et al. (2014), which showed that both males and females ICT professionals in

Australia are equally aware of good ICT practices and the importance of environmental
C

sustainability.
AC

Nearly half of the respondents have indicated concern that the cost of desktop energy

consumption and server rooms is increasing. While rising costs can be the result of increasing

electricity charges imposed by the supplier, there is a scope to minimize these costs with

environmentally sustainable practices such as shutting down the PC at the end of the day and

switching-off lights when not being used. Organizations may show their commitment

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through the development and implementation of relevant policies, but there needs to be a

champion to ensure these policies and practices are being adopted by the employees (Guerci

and Pedrini, 2014). However, the findings reveal that only 48.7% believe there is a dedicated

staff member to oversee ICT sustainable practices in their organization. Appointing a

dedicated staff member can fast-track implementation of policies and sustainable work

PT
practices.

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India’s spending on green IT will reach to about $70b by the end of 2015 (Gartner, 2012).

SC
However, as indicated in Table 2, the average mean score of 3.2 suggests that only some

organizations have budgets to adopt and implement sustainable ICT work practices. This

U
also points towards lack of funds to adopt and support sustainable ICT practices in some
AN
organizations. At the same time, Appendix A indicated that 17.8% of the respondents

disagreed that their organization has a budget to support sustainable ICT practices. It is quite
M

possible that organizations may have allocated budgets, but these are not promoted

effectively within the organization, which highlights the need to adopt strategies to
D

successfully promote and implement ICT practices.

TE
EP

Undoubtedly, this research opens new opportunities to study how employees can be utilized

in implementing sustainable ICT work practices and creating further awareness. It also
C

highlights the need to develop a framework to cultivate and implement environmentally

AC

sustainable work practices. Finally, this paper has provided new knowledge relating to the

awareness of green ICT practices among Indian ICT professionals. This study will contribute

to the growing body of knowledge in the area of environmental sustainability in the ICT

industry. It can be helpful in determining ways to improve employees’ understanding about

sustainable work practices and also influence them to participate in adopting these practices.

As this study considers a multi-dimensional construct for studying Indian ICT professionals’

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awareness and practices of environmental sustainability, it promotes new opportunities for

research in this area.

5.1 Organizational implications

PT
The survey results indicate that ICT employees working at large organizations in India have a

better awareness of environmentally sustainable practices. The finding of these results is

RI
consistent with the research conducted by Ansari et al. (2010) regarding employees’ green

SC
ICT awareness and practices in Bangladesh. Even if an organization wishes to adopt

sustainable ICT practices, it can pose challenges in adopting and implementing as insufficient

U
employee knowledge may lead to poor participation rates. Therefore, it is necessary for
AN
smaller organizations to provide reasonable training to educate their staff about e-waste,

renewable energy and their role in successful implementation of sustainable ICT practices.
M

It is crucial to note that sustainability requires economic, social and environmental

D

partnership (Stankeviciute and Savaneviciene, 2013). While training equips them with
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sufficient knowledge, it may not guarantee individual participation. Sometimes, culture and
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individual’s attitude can act as barriers. A recent study conducted by Wang et al. (2014)

revealed that managers have an influential role in implementing sustainability practices. This
C

evidence is further supported by a study in Czech small and medium organizations that a lack
AC

of top management support and initiative are a real barrier to a successful adoption of green

IT practice (Buchalcevova and Gala, 2013). Past research also suggests that culture is spread

downward from the management to individual staff and senior managers’ actions influence

employee perception (Guerci and Pedrini, 2014; Robbins et al., 2014). Undoubtedly, it is

possible to alter organization’s culture and modify individual behaviour (Robbins et al.,

2014) through development of relevant policies. However, it requires strong commitment

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from the top management. Policies can help to reinforce organizational commitment towards

sustainable practices. Policies can also influence relevant line managers or administrators’

perception and may motivate them to participate actively in sustainability-driven change

(Guerci and Pedrini, 2014).

PT
Although policies reiterate organizational commitment, adopting procedures and providing

adequate facilities such as regular collection of e-waste on pre-announced days and setting up

RI
colour coded and marked e-waste bins can increase awareness and participation. The research

SC
results highlight the lack of sufficient budget allocation (or its awareness amongst employees)

towards implementing sustainable ICT practices, which again emphasize the need for

U
management support and action. Lim et al. (2013) believe that recognition and rewards play a
AN
significant role in employees’ decision to continue working with an organization. Similarly,

rewards can also have positive impact on employee participation rates in sustainability
M

practices. Interestingly, the survey results revealed that there is an equal awareness of

greenhouse gas emissions and its impact on the environment amongst the different age
D

groups. However, Indian ICT professionals aged over 35 have higher awareness about
TE

renewable energy, knowledge of e-waste and display a stronger personal responsibility

EP

towards environmental issues. This result is consistent with the research conducted by Molla

et al. (2014). However, it is interesting to note that the younger ICT professionals in Australia
C

are engaged with more pro-environmental ICT practices than the older ICT professionals.
AC

6. Conclusion and limitations

Environmental sustainability is one of the many challenges faced by organizations and

governments around the world. The adoption of green ICT practices can play a significant

role in achieving and promoting environmental sustainability, but it may not guarantee

23
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outcomes. However, this can be achieved through the development of relevant policies and

educating employees about their role in environmental sustainability and the benefits for both

the environment and the organization. Previous research suggests that prior knowledge and

awareness can have an influence on individual’s participation in adopting environmentally

sustainable work practices. Therefore, it prompts the need to determine the level of

PT
understanding, which can be used to formulate relevant strategies to adopt sustainable work

practices. This paper is one of the first in studying Indian ICT professionals’ awareness of

RI
environmental sustainability and offered an in-depth knowledge about their awareness, level

SC
of understanding and perception towards environmentally sustainable ICT work practices.

The knowledge obtained from this study can provide direction in developing and promoting

U
practices to support environmental sustainability in Indian ICT organizations.
AN
This research utilised a specifically tailored web-based questionnaire to determine the level of
M

awareness about environmentally sustainable ICT practices by ICT professionals. Based on

the findings, conclusions that can be beneficial for organizations in developing relevant
D

policies and work practices are offered. Firstly, it was found that employees aged 35 and over
TE

have higher awareness about renewable energy, knowledge of e-waste and exhibit a stronger
EP

personal responsibility to help make a difference on environmental issues in comparison to

the other age groups. Interestingly, employees aged 20-24 possess less knowledge of e-waste.
C

The awareness gap between age groups 20-24 and 35 and over can be because of their length
AC

of employment with that particular organization.

Although response rates are low, these results certainly offer cumulative insights into

employees’ awareness of ICT practices and also highlights the need for further research.

Moreover, employees with prior knowledge about environmental sustainability can play a

significant role in promoting and implementing changes and motivating others to adopt new

24
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changes by sharing their positive views about the importance of sustainable work practices

with their peers.

It is also important to note that female employees scored higher in their awareness about

greenhouse gas emissions, renewable energy and e-waste but the adoption of environment

PT
sustainability practices was largely similar between male and female employees

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Finally, ICT professionals working for organizations with 1000 or more employees have

SC
higher awareness of environmental sustainability compared to smaller organizations. It was

also evident that organizations with more than 1000 employees emphasize more on paper-

U
saving, shutting down computers and switching-off lights as part of their environmental
AN
sustainability practices over their smaller counterparts. This may suggest that smaller

organizations are lagging behind in educating their employees about environmental

M

sustainability practices. As employees are considered to be an important medium for

implementing sustainable work practices, it is important to educate them about the benefits
D

that can be achieved.

TE
EP

This study has made use of the data collected from ICT professionals in India to understand

the level of awareness and use of sustainable practices in their workplace. After analyzing the
C

collected data, numerous suggestions were offered to organizations to help identify and adopt
AC

specific work practices that can have significant positive impact in achieving sustainability.

Although this study presented useful findings, it is not free from limitations. One of the

limitations is that the survey is completed by ICT professionals in India and it lacks global

opinion. Therefore, findings are more suitable for organizations in India or countries with a

similar background. However, future research can be extended to study ICT professionals’

awareness of sustainable work practices around the world. This preliminary study was also

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based on a relatively small sample size. For this reason, these findings should not be

generalized and studies with a much larger sample should be conducted. Another limitation is

this study is restricted to ICT professionals only. Future studies on determining level of

awareness by employees in different industries can help to develop relevant policies that can

act as a guide for them.

PT
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Appendix A

Appendix A Summary of questionnaire responses

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Statement Age group
20-24 25-29 30-34 Total
35 and older
Absolute Relative Absolute Relative Absolute Relative Absolute Relative Absolute Relative

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frequency frequency frequency frequency frequency frequency frequency frequency frequency frequency
(Number) (%) (Number) (%) (Number) (%) (Number) (%) (Number) (%)
Awareness about greenhouse gas
emissions and its impact on the

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environment Very poor 1 10.0 1 3.7 0 0.0 0 0.0 2 2.7

AN
Poor 1 10.0 1 3.7 2 10.5 2 11.8 6 8.2
Fair 1 10.0 10 37.0 8 42.1 6 35.3 25 34.2
Good 5 50.0 11 40.7 6 31.6 4 23.5 26 35.6

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Very good 2 20.0 4 14.8 3 15.8 5 29.4 14 19.2
Awareness of renewable energy Very poor 0 0.0 1 3.7 0 0.0 0 0.0 1 1.4
Poor 2 20.0 1 3.7 5 26.3 3 17.7 11 15.1

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Fair 2 20.0 9 33.3 6 31.6 2 11.8 19 26
Good 6 60.0 13 48.1 6 31.6 7 41.2 32 43.8

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Very good 0 0.0 3 11.1 2 10.5 5 29.4 10 13.7
Knowledge of e-waste Very poor 0 0.0 1 3.7 0 0.0 1 5.9 2 2.7
Poor 5 50.0 6 22.2 6 31.6 3 17.7 20 27.4
EP
Fair 5 50.0 7 25.9 7 36.8 2 11.8 21 28.8
Good 0 0.0 13 48.1 5 26.3 8 47.1 26 35.6
Very good 0 0.0 0 0.0 1 5.3 3 17.7 4 5.5
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Personal responsibility to help make a

difference on environmental issues such as
AC

energy consumption and e-waste disposal No 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0

Little 2 20.0 4 14.8 1 5.3 0 0.0 7 9.5
Some 6 60.0 16 59.3 7 36.8 7 38.9 36 48.6
Substantial 2 20.0 7 30.4 11 61.1 11 61.1 31 41.9
Climate is changing and something needs
to be done about it No 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0
Little 2 20.0 1 3.7 0 0.0 1 5.6 4 5.4

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 ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT

Some 2 20.0 12 44.4 6 31.6 6 33.3 26 35.1

Substantial 6 60.0 14 51.9 13 68.4 11 61.1 44 59.5
Cost of desktop energy consumption rising No 0 0.0 1 0 0.0 0 0.0 1 1.4
Little 1 10.0 6 22.2 2 10.5 2 11.1 11 14.9

PT
Some 3 30.0 11 40.7 8 42.1 7 38.9 29 39.2
Substantial 6 60.0 9 33.3 9 47.4 9 50.0 33 44.6
Cost of cooling server rooms increasing No 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0

RI
Little 2 20.0 2 4.2 1 2.1 0 0.0 5 6.7
Some 1 10.0 12 14.9 10 12.3 6 33.3 29 39.2

SC
Substantial 7 70.0 13 31.5 8 26.0 12 66.7 40 54.1
Discarding old ICT equipment (such as
monitors, keyboards, CPU etc.) through
local garbage picker Not at all 2 20.0 14 29.3 6 12.5 4 8.6 26 35.1

U
Occasionally 7 70.0 11 30.5 11 22.5 7 12.0 36 48.6
Frequently 1 10.0 2 13.1 2 13.3 7 15.8 12 16.2

AN
Natural resources used to produce ICT
equipment are in enough supply Far too little 0 0.0 2 7.4 1 5.3 1 5.6 4 5.4
Too little 2 20.0 8 29.6 5 26.3 6 33.3 21 28.4

M
About right 6 60.0 9 33.3 8 42.1 8 44.4 31 41.9
Too much 2 20.0 6 22.2 3 15.8 0 0.0 11 14.9
Far too much 0 0.0 2 10.5 2 14.3 3 25.0 7 13.2

D
Shut down (as opposed to logging off) PC
when finishing for the day Not important 0 0.0 1 3.7 0 0.0 0 0.0 1 1.4

TE
Somewhat important 0 0.0 1 3.7 4 21.1 1 5.6 6 8.1
Very important 5 6.0 13 48.1 11 57.9 10 55.6 39 52.7
Essential 5 6.0 12 44.4 4 21.1 7 38.9 28 37.8
EP
Switch-off lights when not being used Not important 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0
Somewhat important 1 10.0 1 3.7 0 0.0 0 0.0 2 2.7
Very important 4 40.0 10 37.0 8 42.1 11 61.1 33 44.6
C

Essential 5 50.0 16 59.3 11 57.9 7 38.9 39 52.7

My organisation has a budget for
AC

sustainable ICT practices Strongly disagree 0 0.0 1 3.7 1 5.3 1 5.6 3 4.1
Disagree 1 10.0 6 22.2 1 5.3 2 11.1 10 13.7
Neutral 4 40.0 10 37.1 5 26.3 2 11.1 21 28.8
Agree 4 40.0 9 33.3 9 47.4 8 44.4 30 39.7
Strongly agree 1 10.0 1 3.7 3 15.8 5 27.8 10 13.7
My organisation has an ICT sustainability
policy or a policy on managing e-waste Strongly disagree 0 0.0 1 3.7 1 5.3 1 5.6 3 4.1

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 ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT

Disagree 3 30.0 5 18.5 1 5.3 2 11.1 11 15.1

Neutral 3 30.0 9 33.3 5 26.3 5 27.8 22 28.8
Agree 3 30.0 10 37.0 10 52.6 5 27.8 28 38.4
Strongly agree 1 10.0 2 7.4 2 10.5 5 27.8 10 13.7

PT
My organisation has a dedicated person
responsible for ICT sustainable practices Strongly disagree 0 0.0 2 7.4 1 5.3 1 5.6 4 5.4
Disagree 2 20.0 4 14.8 2 10.5 3 16.7 11 14.9

RI
Neutral 1 10.0 10 37.0 7 36.8 5 27.8 23 31.1
Agree 5 50.0 10 37.0 8 42.1 2 11.1 25 33.8
Strongly agree 2 20.0 1 3.7 1 5.3 7 38.9 11 14.9

SC
In my organisation, ICT power
consumption is measured separately from
other general consumption Strongly disagree 0 0.0 2 7.4 1 5.3 1 5.6 4 5.4
Disagree 1 10.0 5 18.5 3 15.8 3 16.7 12 16.2

U
Neutral 5 50.0 13 48.1 8 42.1 4 22.2 30 40.5

AN
Agree 3 30.0 6 22.2 6 31.6 5 27.8 20 27.0
Strongly agree 1 10.0 1 3.7 1 5.3 5 27.8 8 10.8
My organisation shares my ICT power
consumption statistics with me Strongly disagree 1 10.0 6 22.2 2 10.5 3 16.7 12 16.2

M
Disagree 4 40.0 8 29.6 7 36.8 4 22.2 23 31.1
Neutral 2 20.0 5 18.5 6 31.6 3 16.7 16 21.6

D
Agree 3 30.0 6 22.2 2 10.5 4 22.2 15 20.3
Strongly agree 0 0.0 2 7.4 2 10.5 4 22.2 8 10.8

TE
In my organisation, desktop PCs are
configured to shutdown at night Strongly disagree 1 10.0 3 11.1 1 5.3 3 16.7 8 10.8
Disagree 1 10.0 4 14.8 3 15.8 2 11.1 10 13.5
EP
Neutral 0 0.0 4 14.8 5 26.3 3 16.7 12 16.2
Agree 4 40.0 14 51.9 7 36.8 5 27.8 30 40.5
Strongly agree 4 40.0 2 7.4 3 15.8 5 27.8 14 18.9
C

Removed screen savers from desktop PC Strongly disagree 0 0.0 1 3.7 3 15.8 3 16.7 7 9.5
Disagree 2 20.0 3 11.1 1 5.3 2 11.1 8 10.8
AC

Neutral 1 10.0 7 25.9 4 21.1 3 16.7 15 20.3

Agree 4 40.0 11 40.7 6 31.6 4 22.2 25 33.8
Strongly agree 3 30.0 5 18.5 5 26.3 6 33.3 19 25.7
My organisation encourages
telecommuting/remote working (working
from home) Strongly disagree 1 10.0 3 11.1 2 10.5 2 11.8 8 11.0
Disagree 0 0.0 2 7.4 1 5.3 2 11.8 5 6.8

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 ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT

Neutral 4 40.0 6 22.2 7 36.8 3 17.6 20 27.4

Agree 4 40.0 11 40.7 5 26.3 4 23.5 24 32.9
Strongly agree 1 10.0 5 18.5 4 21.1 6 35.3 16 21.9
There an increased use of teleconferencing
and video-conferencing facilities at my

PT
organisation Strongly disagree 0 0.0 2 7.4 1 5.3 1 5.6 4 5.4
Disagree 0 0.0 4 14.8 0 0.0 2 11.1 6 8.1
Neutral 3 30.0 6 22.2 3 15.8 3 16.7 15 20.3

RI
Agree 4 40.0 11 40.7 10 52.6 6 33.3 31 41.9
Strongly agree 3 30.0 4 14.8 5 26.3 6 33.3 18 24.3

SC
ICT energy saving a part of my
organisation's strategy Strongly disagree 0 0.0 2 7.4 1 5.3 1 5.6 4 5.4
Disagree 0 0.0 3 11.1 1 5.3 3 16.7 7 9.5
Neutral 3 30.0 13 48.1 5 26.3 3 16.7 24 32.4

U
Agree 6 60.0 6 22.2 9 47.4 6 33.3 27 36.5

AN
Strongly agree 1 10.0 3 11.1 3 15.8 5 27.8 12 16.2
ICT energy saving is a part of my team's
discussion Strongly disagree 0 0.0 3 11.1 2 10.5 1 5.6 6 8.1
Disagree 1 10.0 3 11.1 3 15.8 4 22.2 11 14.9

M
Neutral 6 60.0 10 37.0 4 21.1 4 22.2 24 32.4
Agree 3 30.0 9 33.3 6 31.6 5 27.8 23 31.1

D
Strongly agree 0 0.0 2 7.4 4 21.1 4 22.2 10 13.5
My organisation recycles printer cartridges Strongly disagree 0 0.0 1 3.7 1 5.3 1 5.6 3 4.1

TE
Disagree 2 20.0 5 18.5 1 5.3 2 11.1 10 13.5
Neutral 5 50.0 13 48.1 5 26.3 4 22.2 27 36.5
Agree 2 20.0 7 25.9 7 36.8 7 38.9 23 31.1
EP
Strongly agree 1 10.0 1 3.7 5 26.3 4 22.2 11 14.9
My organisation emphasises paper-saving Strongly disagree 0 0.0 1 3.7 1 5.3 1 5.6 3 4.1
Disagree 1 10.0 1 3.7 2 10.5 2 11.1 6 6.8
C

Neutral 2 20.0 5 18.5 4 21.1 3 16.7 14 19.2

AC

Agree 6 60.0 16 59.3 8 42.1 6 33.3 36 49.3

Strongly agree 1 10.0 4 14.8 4 21.1 6 33.3 15 20.5
My organisation has a designated point to
recycle old phone batteries Strongly disagree 1 10.0 3 11.1 3 15.8 4 22.2 11 14.9
Disagree 3 30.0 5 18.5 3 15.8 2 11.1 13 17.6
Neutral 4 50.0 11 40.7 7 36.8 4 22.2 26 35.1
Agree 0 0.0 7 25.9 4 21.1 5 27.8 16 21.6

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 ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT

Strongly agree 2 20.0 1 3.7 2 10.5 3 16.7 8 10.8

My organisation offers employees training
about sustainable ICT practices Strongly disagree 1 10.0 4 14.8 4 21.1 4 22.2 13 17.6
Disagree 3 30.0 7 25.9 1 5.3 1 5.6 12 16.2
Neutral 4 40.0 8 29.6 7 36.8 3 16.7 22 29.7

PT
Agree 2 20.0 7 25.9 6 31.6 6 33.3 21 28.4
Strongly agree 0 0.0 1 3.7 1 5.3 4 22.2 6 8.1

RI
U SC
AN
M
D
TE
EP
C
AC

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Appendix B

PT
Environmentally Sustainable ICT Usage Survey

RI
Demographic Information

Age (in years) Choose an item. Or write age here-------------------------

SC
Gender Male☐ Female ☐

U
What industry does your organisation mostly operate in? (Example- Banking, Finance, Utilities, Manufacturing) Click here to enter text. Or write industry

AN
here-------------------------

M
Approximately how many employees work in your organisation? Choose an item. Or write number here____________________

D
What is your highest level of qualification? Bachelor’s Degree ☐ Master’s Degree☐

TE
What is your current role in the organisation? ______________________________________________
EP
Awareness
C

The following questions are about your awareness of environmental sustainability. Please choose the relevant response for each question by clicking on the
right response or by circling it or by ticking it (Only one response per question).
AC

1. How would you rate your awareness about greenhouse gas emissions and its impact on the environment?

☐Very Poor ☐Poor ☐Fair ☐Good ☐Very Good

2. How would you rate your awareness of renewable energy?

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 ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT

☐Very Poor ☐Poor ☐Fair ☐Good ☐Very Good

3. How would you rate your knowledge of e-waste (ICT equipment that gets discarded)?

PT
☐Very Poor ☐Poor ☐Fair ☐Good ☐Very Good

4. Do you think you have a personal responsibility to help make a difference on environmental issues such as energy consumption and e-waste disposal?

RI
☐No ☐Little ☐Some ☐Substantial

SC
5. Is the climate changing and does something need to be done about it?

U
☐No ☐Little ☐Some ☐Substantial

AN
6. Is the cost of desktop energy consumption rising?

M
☐No ☐Little ☐Some ☐Substantial

7. Is the cost of cooling server rooms increasing?

D
TE
☐No ☐Little ☐Some ☐Substantial

8. Is it okay to discard your old ICT equipment (such as monitors, keyboards, CPU etc.) through your local garbage picker?
EP
☐Not At All ☐Occasionally ☐Frequently

9. Are the natural resources used to produce ICT equipment in enough supply?
C
AC

☐Far Too Little ☐Too Little ☐About Right ☐Too Much ☐Far Too Much

10. Is it a good idea to shut down (as opposed to logging off) your PC when you finish for the day?

☐Not Important ☐Somewhat Important ☐Very Important ☐Essential

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 ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT

11. Is it a good idea to switch-off lights when not being used?

☐Not Important ☐Somewhat Important ☐Very Important ☐Essential

PT
Practices

The following statements are about environmentally sustainable practices adopted by your organisation and you. Please indicate your level of agreement

RI
with each statement by clicking on the relevant response or by circling it or by ticking it (Only one response per question).

SC
Strongly Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly
Disagree Agree
12. My organisation has a budget for

U
☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
sustainable ICT practices.

AN
13. My organisation has an ICT sustainability
policy or a policy on managing e-waste. ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐

M
14. My organisation has a dedicated person
☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
responsible for ICT sustainable practices.

D
15. In my organisation, ICT power consumption
is measured separately from other general ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐

TE
consumption.
16. My organisation shares my ICT power
☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
consumption statistics with me.
EP
17. In my organisation, desktop PCs are
configured to shutdown at night. ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
C

18. I switch-off lights when they are not being

AC

used. ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐

19. I have removed screen savers from my

desktop PC. ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐

20. My organisation encourages ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐

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 ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT

telecommuting/remote working (working from

home).
21. There an increased use of teleconferencing
and video-conferencing facilities at my ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐

PT
organisation.
22. ICT energy saving a part of my

RI
organisation’s strategy. ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐

23. ICT energy saving is a part of my team’s

SC
☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
discussion.
24. My organisation recycles printer cartridges.
☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐

U
25. My organisation emphasises paper-saving.

AN
☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
26. My organisation has a designated point to
☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
recycle old phone batteries.

M
27. My organisation offers employees training
☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
about sustainable ICT practices.

D
TE
28. Which of the following practices does your organisation use to reduce paper consumption?

☐Reuse printed paper (back side)

EP
☐Recycle used waste paper
C

☐Print double side

AC

29. How do you dispose of your batteries from watches, remotes and/or mobile phones?

☐Throw them in the local waste collection

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 ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT

☐Give them to an appropriate e-waste recycler

☐Don’t care

PT
Barriers

30. In your opinion, what are the key barriers in your organisation that prevent the adoption of sustainable ICT practices? Please choose ALL the responses

RI
that apply by clicking on the response or by circling it or by ticking it.

SC
☐Inadequate funding

☐Lack of time

U
AN
☐Inadequate information

☐Low level of awareness

M
☐Not driven by senior management

D
☐Inadequate employee enthusiasm

TE
☐Lack of interest
EP
☐No goal for reducing greenhouse gas emissions

☐Inadequate skills and training

C

☐Lack of enforceable government regulations

AC

☐Lack of government incentives

Feel free to write any other barriers that do not appear in the list above.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

PT
31.What top two actions would you like to see your organisation pursuing in order to reduce the above identified
barriers?_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

RI
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

SC
____________________________________________________________________________

32. What are some of the things you do to help protect and preserve the environment in your

U
organisation?_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

AN
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

M
And finally?

D
33. Do you think you have a personal responsibility to help make a difference on environmental issues such as energy consumption and e-waste disposal?

☐None ☐Little ☐Some

TE ☐Substantial
C EP
AC

42