Analyzing the Environmental Behavior of Host Communities in Rural Tourism Areas: A TPB-NAM Integrated Study in Atashkadeh Village, Firoozabad

Sharifzadeh, Maryam; Aliyari, Vida; Aliyari, Neda

Analyzing the Environmental Behavior of Host Communities in Rural Tourism Areas: A TPB-NAM Integrated Study in Atashkadeh Village, Firoozabad

Document Type : Original Research

Authors

Maryam Sharifzadeh ¹

Vida Aliyari ²

Neda Aliyari ²

¹ Associate Professor, Department of Rural Development Management, Faculty of Agriculture, Yasouj University, Yasouj, Iran.

² Ph.D. Student of agricultural Development, Department of Rural Development Management, Faculty of Agriculture, Yasouj University, Yasouj, Iran.

Abstract

This descriptive-correlational study aimed to identify determinants of environmental behavior among 291 host households in the Atashkadeh-Firoozabad tourism area. A cluster random sample of 166 households was drawn. The research instrument was a structured questionnaire grounded in an integrated TPB-NAM framework, encompassing constructs of attitudes, social norms, perceived behavioral control, outcome awareness, attributions of responsibility, and personal norms. Face and content validity were established by experts, and reliability was confirmed with Cronbach’s alpha coefficients (0.78–0.91), composite reliability (0.85–0.93), and average variance extracted (0.51–0.74). All values exceeded the acceptable thresholds (CR > 0.70 and AVE > 0.50), indicating good internal consistency and acceptable convergent validity. Data were analyzed using PLS-SEM in SmartPLS3 with bootstrapping (5000 resamples). Results within the TPB framework showed that attitudes, social norms, and perceived behavioral control significantly influence intention to engage in environmental behavior. In the NAM model, environmental outcome awareness leads to attributions of responsibility and the formation of personal norms. Personal norms emerged as the strongest direct predictor of environmental behavior and also served as a mediator through intention. Both intention and perceived behavioral control had direct and significant effects on behavior, while social norms exerted indirect effects only (via intention). These findings underscore the value of integrating TPB and NAM as a comprehensive framework for understanding host-community environmental behavior. Consequently, policy interventions should simultaneously reinforce ethical responsibility, raise environmental awareness, and enhance residents’ capacity to enact sustainable practices.

Keywords

Environmental behavior

Rural tourism

Host community

Sustainable development

Atashkadeh

Firoozabad

Subjects