Understanding citizens’ voice and acceptance of wind farm projects: the mediating role of perceived procedural fairness and trust in the project developer

Climate change is a growing problem and sustainable energy sources are necessary in order to reduce CO2 emissions. Wind energy is a common source of sustainable energy in the UK, but acceptance of wind farm projects varies, which can lead to delay or cancellation of a project. Previous research found support for the hypothesis that acceptance of a wind farm project is higher when participants receive voice (compared to no voice), and that this relationship is mediated by perceived procedural fairness and trust in the project developer. The current study aimed to replicate and extend these results. It also tested whether expectations of voice opportunity moderate this relationship. Participants were told to imagine that they were a resident of Presford, where a company named UniWind was planning to build a wind park. We then systematically varied expectations (expectations manipulation: expecting voice vs. not expecting voice vs. control group) and whether or not participants...Show moreClimate change is a growing problem and sustainable energy sources are necessary in order to reduce CO2 emissions. Wind energy is a common source of sustainable energy in the UK, but acceptance of wind farm projects varies, which can lead to delay or cancellation of a project. Previous research found support for the hypothesis that acceptance of a wind farm project is higher when participants receive voice (compared to no voice), and that this relationship is mediated by perceived procedural fairness and trust in the project developer. The current study aimed to replicate and extend these results. It also tested whether expectations of voice opportunity moderate this relationship. Participants were told to imagine that they were a resident of Presford, where a company named UniWind was planning to build a wind park. We then systematically varied expectations (expectations manipulation: expecting voice vs. not expecting voice vs. control group) and whether or not participants received voice (voice manipulation: genuine voice vs. no voice). The study was an experimental scenario study with a 3 x 2 between-subjects design (n = 450; UK citizens). As predicted and replicating previous results, we found a significant main effect of voice opportunity on project acceptance, and this relationship was mediated by perceived procedural fairness and trust in the project developer. However, against what was predicted, no significant moderating effect of expectations was found. Implications and directions for future research were discussed, and the results illustrate the importance of a voice opportunity in the acceptance of wind farm projects. Several suggestions for future research were made.Show less

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Understanding citizens’ voice and acceptance of wind farm projects: the mediating role of perceived procedural fairness and trust in the project developer