A study of the individuals’ pro-environmental philanthropic and activist intentions and self-determined motivations in Gdańsk, Gdynia, and Sopot in Poland

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Purpose This paper examines how individuals who wish to engage in specific pro-environmental behaviors differ in their motivations. Design/methodology/approach A total of 3000 adults from Gdańsk, Gdynia, and Sopot in Poland participated in a quantitative cross-sectional online questionnaire study (1,590 women and 1,410 men). The Motivation Toward the Environment Scale was used to assess the types of pro-environmental motivation regulation, alongside a self-developed questionnaire to evaluate intentions for pro-environmental philanthropic and activist behaviors regarding both global and local issues. Results were analyzed using a two-step clustering method to identify behavioral intentions, with clusters compared using the Kruskal-Wallis H test. Findings The analysis revealed three clusters: (1) the Uninterested, who exhibit low intentions to engage in any pro-environmental activities; (2) the Philanthropists, who demonstrate relatively high intentions to donate to local and global pro-environmental causes and to sign petitions for local causes; and (3) the Protesters, who show relatively high intentions to participate in protests for local and global pro-environmental causes and to sign petitions for global causes. The Philanthropists and Protesters did not differ in their motivations, but notable differences were found between the Uninterested and the other two groups. Originality/value The paper applies self-determination theory in understanding human motives to act on behalf of the natural environment from a person-centered perspective. This approach may assist in developing targeted educational interventions and pro-environmental campaigns.