Addressing Employee’s Individual Resistance to Change Regarding Energy Efficiency Practices: Evidence from the Moroccan Manufacturing Sector

Abstract

The economic changes, the advancement of technology, the changing production techniques, the evolution of costumers’ needs and requirements, and most importantly climate change which is arguably the most pressing issue of the 21^st century, comply companies to introduce various changes in their technologies and behaviors such as implementing energy efficiency practices (EEP). However, EEP within companies are hindered by barriers such as employee’s individual resistance to change. We construct a model which aims to explore factors that reduce individual resistance to change regarding EEP. The model was empirically tested based on survey data collected from 193 manufacturing companies in Morocco. Results show that training and education programs enable EEP but do not reduce employees’ individual resistance to change regarding EEP, while internal communication enables EEP and reduces employees’ individual resistance to change regarding EEP. This study is an extension of the prior literature since we found that training and education programs promote EEP, without systematically reducing employees’ individual resistance towards EEP. Based on our findings; policy makers complement companies’ training programs that focus on enhancing employees’ technical skillset, by sophisticated internal communication strategies that focus on employees’ values, motivations, and concerns and that reduce employees’ individual resistance to change regarding energy efficiency.