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How perceived corporate social responsibility and public knowledge affect public participation intention: evidence from Chinese waste incineration power projects

Xin Wan (School of Business, Institute of Engineering Management, Hohai University, Nanjing, China)
Yantong Zhang (School of Business, Institute of Engineering Management, Hohai University, Nanjing, China)
Peng Mao (Department of Construction Management, College of Civil Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China)
Hongyang Li (School of Business, Institute of Engineering Management, Hohai University, Nanjing, China)
Rubing Wang (School of Business, Institute of Engineering Management, Hohai University, Nanjing, China)
Xin Yi (School of Business, Institute of Engineering Management, Hohai University, Nanjing, China)
Xianbo Zhao (School of Engineering and Technology, Central Queensland University, Sydney, Australia)

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management

ISSN: 0969-9988

Article publication date: 7 September 2021

Issue publication date: 7 December 2022

617

Abstract

Purpose

Public participation is essential for mitigating local resistance faced by the environmentally stigmatized facilities. The purpose of this study is to investigate public participation intention in the decision-making of waste incineration power (WIP) projects by examining the role of perceived corporate social responsibility (PCSR) and public knowledge (PK) based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB).

Design/methodology/approach

A theoretical model correlating PCSR with public participation intention was developed by using the constructs of TPB as the mediators and PK as the moderator. Drawing on structural equation modeling (SEM), the data collected from 485 local residents of the WIP projects in Jiangsu, China were analyzed to test the model.

Findings

Companies' CSR practice went through public attitude, subjective norm and personal norm as mediating steps towards promoting participation intention. PK positively moderated the indirect relationships between PCSR and participation intention. Moreover, attitude, subjective norm and personal norm were found to have a positive effect on participation intention.

Originality/value

This study advances the understanding of public participation intention and enriches the literature relating to CSR and TPB involved in infrastructure development. In order to improve public participation intention, companies should take strategic social responsibility actions and present the benefits and moral values of the activities to the public, and as well make effort to diffuse WIP-related knowledge through interactive activities with the public. Authorities should establish social and personal value systems that praise public participation and improve their expectations of participation outcomes.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

This study is supported by the Youth Project of National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grant No. 71802071], the Youth Project of Humanities and Social Science Fund of Ministry of Education of China [Grant No. 18YJCZH166], and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities [Grant No. B200202044]. The authors also express thanks to Peng Xu, Rong Wan, and Kaixiang Wang for their support and help.

Citation

Wan, X., Zhang, Y., Mao, P., Li, H., Wang, R., Yi, X. and Zhao, X. (2022), "How perceived corporate social responsibility and public knowledge affect public participation intention: evidence from Chinese waste incineration power projects", Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, Vol. 29 No. 10, pp. 4107-4131. https://doi.org/10.1108/ECAM-02-2021-0126

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited

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