Summary
This scoping review synthesises 16 peer-reviewed empirical studies on the application of nudge theory to promote pro-environmental behaviours in workplace settings. The authors identify considerable heterogeneity in how nudging is operationalised across studies and classify interventions into five categories, finding that informational nudges and reminders are most commonly deployed, whilst incentive-based and positioning strategies show stronger effectiveness when combined with social support and enabling infrastructure. The review emphasises the need for consistent definitional frameworks, longitudinal follow-up assessments, and context-sensitive design in future research.
UK applicability
The findings are likely applicable to UK workplace settings, particularly in the tertiary sector and high-income organisational contexts represented in the reviewed studies. However, the evidence base is heavily weighted towards Western countries, and UK-specific research on nudge effectiveness in different organisational sizes and sectors remains limited; implementation would benefit from locally conducted pilots with long-term outcome measurement.
Key measures
Classification of nudge intervention types (informational, reminders/notifications, financial incentives, non-financial incentives, positioning/default options); intervention effectiveness outcomes; study characteristics and geographical distribution; theoretical framework clarity
Outcomes reported
The scoping review identified and classified 16 empirical studies examining nudging interventions in workplace settings to promote pro-environmental behaviours. Effectiveness was measured across five categories of nudge types, with particular attention to intervention success rates, contextual factors, and barriers to sustained behaviour change.
Topic tags
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