Title: Individual value orientations guide perceptions of and engagement with organisational sustainability messages

Authors: Jack E. Carson; Jacob A. Waddingham

Addresses: Management Department, Walker College of Business, Appalachian State University, Boone, North Carolina, USA ' Management Department, McCoy College of Business, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas, USA

Abstract: The present study examines the relationship between individual value orientations and perceptions of the importance of organisational sustainability messages, as well as intent to attend organisational sustainability information meetings. We use De Groot and Steg's (2008, 2010) framework of egoistic, altruistic, and biospheric value orientations to examine these orientations in individuals and their relationship to importance perceptions regarding organisational communications oriented in the same three ways. Analysis of data from 197 respondents indicates that egoistic and altruistic value orientations are associated with perceived importance of egoistic and altruistic value-laden organisational sustainability messages, respectively. Moreover, a biospheric value orientation was positively related to perceived importance of all sustainability messages. However, importance perceptions of egoistically-motivated organisational sustainability messages appeared to be the primary significant predictor of attendance intentions for organisational sustainability information meetings, with women being more likely than men to attend.

Keywords: sustainability orientations; individual differences; organisational sustainability messaging.

DOI: 10.1504/IER.2025.150074

Interdisciplinary Environmental Review, 2025 Vol.24 No.4, pp.323 - 335

Received: 17 Oct 2024
Accepted: 30 Jun 2025
Published online: 28 Nov 2025 *

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