Vol.:(0123456789) 1 3 International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-019-02235-4 REVIEW The role of collectivism in modeling the adoption of renewable energies: a cross‑cultural approach E. Higueras‑Castillo 1  · F. J. Liébana‑Cabanillas 1  · F. Muñoz‑Leiva 1  · S. Molinillo 2 Received: 2 November 2017 / Revised: 30 December 2018 / Accepted: 21 January 2019 © Islamic Azad University (IAU) 2019 Abstract The present study intends to show how collectivism as a cultural dimension infuences pro-environmental behavior, as well as attitude toward renewable energies (biomass and solar). It is expected that the higher is the level of a society’s collectivism, the greater will be its concern for the environment. We conducted online personal surveys with a pre-coded questionnaire in three countries (Germany, Mexico and Spain) with high, low and medium levels of collectivism, respectively (Hofstede in Culture’s consequences: international diferences in work-related values (1st/Abridged eds). Beverly Hills, 1980). The data were assessed through structural equation modeling using AMOS 18 software. The results show that the level of collectivism/ individualism is a determinant of the formation of pro-environmental behavior and impacts on consumers’ attitudes toward the adoption of renewable energy systems. The analysis confrms that the country with the highest level of collectivism develops stronger eco-friendly behaviors and stronger intentions to adopt renewable energy technologies. Keywords Collectivism · Modeling · Adoption · Renewable energies · Cross-cultural study · Pro-environmental behavior Introduction Since the last decades of the twentieth century, the progres- sive deterioration of the environment is one of the major global sociopolitical concerns. The types of energy we consume directly impact on the environment (Larcher and Tarascon 2015). The way we use energy derived from fos- sil fuels, such as coal and oil, makes the current growth model unsustainable. It is worth noting the consequences that this deterioration has for our planet, which are evident mainly through climate change (Hussain et al. 2017). It is now known that human action is one of the main causes of climate change, particularly due to energy consump- tion and the high amount of waste this generates (Oreskes 2004). Therefore, we must make more rational uses of tra- ditional energy resources, as they will, eventually, run out. Sustainable development enables economic growth, social progress and a rational use of resources, with the aim of cov- ering the current energy demand without compromising the supply for future generations (Yang et al. 2017). The ideal solution would be to base our energy model on renewables. The types of energy which are readily renewed are called renewable energies (Demirbas 2009). Renewable energy sources are derived from those natural, mechanical, ther- mal and growth processes that replace energies within our lifetimes and help us to produce energy when is necessary, favoring independence from traditional energies (Çelikbilek and Tüysüz 2016; Manolopoulos et al. 2016). Examples of renewable energy sources include solar, wind, biomass, hydraulic, geothermal, wave and biogas (Demirbas et al. 2017). This research explores consumer knowledge of, and atti- tude toward, renewable energies, in particular, solar and biomass energies, using a model analyzing a tri-national cross-cultural study. The behavioral model developed uses Hofstede’s (1980) cultural pattern of collectivism. Three countries with diferent levels of collectivism were selected as representative: Germany, Mexico and Spain. The devel- opment of clean energies and the economic situation in the three countries are very diferent. This was an additional incentive for analyzing the intention of each country toward * F. J. Liébana-Cabanillas franlieb@ugr.es 1 Department Marketing and Market Research. Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Granada, Campus La Cartuja s/n, 18071 Granada, Spain 2 Department of Business Management, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Malaga, Campus El Ejido, 29071 Malaga, Spain