Isomorphic drivers of institutional pressure and importance of environmental management system implementation towards the adoption propensity of green ICT

Abstract

The rapid development of the Internet has amplified the use of information and communication technology (ICT). This has raised concerns regarding environmental sustainability in the ICT industry in relation to carbon emission, high electrical energy consumption, and vulnerable e-waste management practices. Therefore, this study investigates the relationship between the isomorphic drivers of institutional pressure such as coercive, normative, and mimetic pressures, and the importance of implementing the Environmental Management System (EMS) towards the adoption propensity of green ICT in Malaysia. 127 ICT-based organizations under the Multimedia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) in Malaysia are utilized to gather data using a survey based on a 5 and 7-point Likert scale questionnaire. A proportionate stratified random probability sampling procedure is used for this purpose. The results from this exploratory study prove that both normative pressure and the importance of EMS implementation have a positive and significant relationship with the adoption propensity of Green ICT. This finding will be beneficial in assisting policy makers, academicians, and future researchers in determining the significant factors in the adoption propensity of Green ICT along with the materialization of Malaysia’s National Green Technology Policy.