Implementation of operational environmental practices in the Ontario (Canada) wine industry : perceptions, constructs, intent.
Abstract
Environmental sustainability is a topic of great interest in the Ontario (Canada) wine
industry. Following the lead of several wine industries around the world, the Wine
Council of Ontario launched a proactive plan for environmental sustainability that
culminated with the release of the Environmental Charter for Winemaking Industry in
2007. The Charter outlines environmental best practices and establishes benchmarks for
the grape and wine producers in Ontario. With some wineries pioneering the
implementation of the recommended environmental practices and others taking a backseat
and delaying it, this study’s purpose is to understand the intent to implement
environmental practices as part of operational processes within the Ontario (Canada) wine
industry by using the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) as the framework of analysis.
A constructivist approach using multiple case study design is used to explore the
determinants of intention. Twenty wineries are interviewed and repertory grid employed
as the chosen technique of data collection. Cluster, content and principal component
analysis are conducted with the results indicating that TPB is an appropriate frame of
analysis for implementation intent. Using a multidisciplinary approach, this study
proposes an updated model for intention applicable to environmental practices. As a
practical contribution, recommendations and a list of motivators of implementation intent
is developed. Further research to test the proposed model is suggested to alleviate case
studies limitations.