Choice architecture in organizations: experimental insights into nudge characteristics and environmental decision-making

Abstract

In a world that demands sustainable transformation, achieving environmental goals depends not just on how organizations set strategies but on how employees put those goals into practice. This thesis explores how behavioral interventions, particularly nudges, can bridge this gap by supporting environmental decision-making within organizational contexts. Drawing from behavioral science and corporate social responsibility literature, the study focuses on two key features of nudges: transparency and frequency. Through a 2x2 between-subjects vignette experiment involving 228 business undergraduates, the research investigates how these design attributes influence support for sustainable choices in the workplace. In addition to behavioral outcomes, it investigates the psychological mechanisms of perceived threat to freedom and anger as potential mediators. The findings reveal that while nudges significantly increased environmental decision-making, neither transparency nor frequency produced significant effects when individual differences were controlled. Instead, pro-environmental attitudes were the strongest predictor of sustainable choices, suggesting that personal values matter more than how nudges are framed or repeated. This highlights the importance of tailoring behavioral interventions to audience characteristics rather than relying solely on structural adjustments to the nudge itself. By highlighting the emotional and contextual dynamics of behavioral design, this study contributes to both theoretical and practical understanding of how organizations can foster sustainable behavior ethically and effectively.