Elias Yahya Honasan, a student from the bachelor of management program SBM ITB is currently finishing his final project on gap analysis of pro-environmental behavior among SBM ITB students. The research emerged as the result of his concern of the excessive use of plastic which in his view, based on previous studies reviewed in the research, is very harmful to the environment. Elias chose SBM ITB students as his research object because of the good image of SBM as one of the best business schools in Indonesia that upholds ethical values.
He sees the potential of SBM ITB as an exemplary model for an environmental friendly higher-education institution. However, his observation in the pilot study shows the lack of concern for the environment among SBM ITB students. Therefore, in this research, Elias aims to measure the gap between expectation and realization of pro-environmental behavior among SBM ITB students. Additionally, the research also aims to explore the reasons behind the lack of concern for the environment among SBM ITB students.
Elias uses Blake model (1999) to analyze factors that influence the pro-environmental behavior. The model identifies three barriers to pro-environmental actions, namely individuality; responsibility; and practicality. Using this three factors, Elias conducted interviews and developed questionnaires that were given to 101 SBM ITB students class of 2018, 2018, 2019, and 2020 in the period of June until July 2018. Interview data was analyzed by coding method and questionnaire data was analyzed by descriptive analysis and a paired T-test.
Based on the analysis, laziness and lack of interest as part of the individuality components gains the highest scores as the barriers of pro-environmental behavior. On the other hand, respondents also have high expectations that inviduals should maintain and take care of the environment even though there are already cleaners or people around them who do not care about the environment. Respondents also expect external sources to influence their responsibility of pro-environmental behavior. Parents of students are expected to give education about pro-environmental behavior; the government is expected to provide information regarding environmental knowledge; and the school is expected to provide more facilities to solve the barrier of practicality. The latter is related to the consumption of bottled mineral water as a result of the lack of drinking water supply in SBM ITB, stated by 64% of the total respondents.
Recommendations from the research include: providing adequate drinking supply in the form of water dispensers and water fountains without plastic glass; replacing plastic bags with paid totebags; and applying strict fines for students who are still littering; providing divided recycle bins based on the type of waste; cooperating with external parties for recycling process; and, most importantly, increasing the awareness of environmental problems among the students through the learning process in SBM ITB.