Connecting workplace attachment and pro-environmental behaviors in zoo and aquarium professionals.

ABSTRACT

Emerging conservation psychology literature shows that there is a strong link between positive attachment to a workplace and the performance of pro-environmental behaviors by employees at work. The present study explores the validity of a pilot survey based in previous literature that explores these constructs to determine whether a relationship between the two exists among zoo and aquarium professionals. The survey was distributed to employees of the Wildlife Conservation Society's city zoos-Prospect Park, Central Park, and Queens Zoos-during the first year of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Two of the survey scales used had a high internal consistency and data from these responses informed this case study to show that there is a weak, positive correlation between workplace attachment (WPA) and self-reported frequency of performance of pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs) among the respondents. Isolating the responses by department revealed that staff working in Operations departments (1) exhibit lower frequencies of PEB than those in Education and Animal departments and (2) have a very strong, positive correlation between WPA and PEB. The results suggest that zoo and aquarium employees who are positively attached to their workplace are more likely to perform PEBs, especially those working in Operations departments. These findings help support that workplace practices seeking to increase WPA could increase the performance of PEBs at work by all employees.