Effects of Pro-Green IT Nudges under Instability

Abstract

Abstract

This research-in-progress examines whether pro-Green IT nudges remain effective in contexts where security and stability concerns dominate sustainability priorities. Integrating Nudging Theory with the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the study proposes a moderated framework in which perceived macro-contextual instability shapes the relationship between behavioral interventions and technology acceptance. Using a quasi-experimental design, data were collected from 377 Generation Z undergraduate students in Armenia across two waves (non-nudged vs. nudged conditions). Preliminary descriptive results indicate that nudging increases favorable attitudes toward Green IT (mean rising from 3.55 to 3.80), suggesting that nudges retain effectiveness even under instability. However, effects appear to operate primarily through cognitive and instrumental mechanisms (e.g., perceived usefulness) rather than affective responses. Additionally, 63.4% of students still consider environmental issues highly important, indicating coexistence of sustainability and security concerns. These findings highlight instability as a boundary condition that reshapes—rather than suppresses—the mechanisms underlying nudging effectiveness.