Unveiling the driving mechanism of greenwashing behaviors: an agent-based modeling approach integrating new institutionalism and halo effect theories
Abstract Governing the greenwashing behaviors of construction material enterprises under the sustainable development goals is imminent. Although government regulation and public scrutiny are regarded as crucial tools for addressing greenwashing, the specific mechanisms for managing greenwashing in c...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Springer Nature
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Humanities & Social Sciences Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-05121-2 |
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| author | Xingwei Li Jiekuo Hao Zuoyi Ding Jie Yang Yuhong Yao |
| author_facet | Xingwei Li Jiekuo Hao Zuoyi Ding Jie Yang Yuhong Yao |
| author_sort | Xingwei Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Governing the greenwashing behaviors of construction material enterprises under the sustainable development goals is imminent. Although government regulation and public scrutiny are regarded as crucial tools for addressing greenwashing, the specific mechanisms for managing greenwashing in construction material enterprises remain unclear. The objective of this study is to elucidate the governance mechanisms of government regulation and public scrutiny, and to explore their synergies in addressing the issue of greenwashing behaviors exhibited by construction material enterprises. This study employs an agent-based modeling approach, drawing upon new institutionalism theory and the halo effect theory, to examine the key factors that contribute to greenwashing behaviors. The main conclusions are as detailed below. (1) In the absence of government regulation and public scrutiny, the number of greenwashing construction material enterprises is increasing exponentially. (2) When only government regulation is considered, the combined government strategy has a greater impact on governance than penalties or subsidies alone. (3) When only public scrutiny is considered, the greenwashing behaviors of construction material enterprises cannot be controlled. (4) When both government regulation and public scrutiny are considered, the combined governance impact is greater than the effect of either alone. The ant colony model in computational experiments is introduced into the research of greenwashing behaviors, which provides a new model and novel idea for investigating greenwashing. Furthermore, this analysis offers a potentially valuable reference for the government in formulating specific guidance policies and strategies for engaging the public. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e8488d1b4e6b4b8e8485e010e10674ce |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2662-9992 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Springer Nature |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Humanities & Social Sciences Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-e8488d1b4e6b4b8e8485e010e10674ce2025-08-20T03:22:48ZengSpringer NatureHumanities & Social Sciences Communications2662-99922025-06-0112111610.1057/s41599-025-05121-2Unveiling the driving mechanism of greenwashing behaviors: an agent-based modeling approach integrating new institutionalism and halo effect theoriesXingwei Li0Jiekuo Hao1Zuoyi Ding2Jie Yang3Yuhong Yao4College of Architecture and Urban-Rural Planning, Sichuan Agricultural UniversityCollege of Architecture and Urban-Rural Planning, Sichuan Agricultural UniversityCollege of Architecture and Urban-Rural Planning, Sichuan Agricultural UniversityCollege of Architecture and Urban-Rural Planning, Sichuan Agricultural UniversityCollege of Architecture and Urban-Rural Planning, Sichuan Agricultural UniversityAbstract Governing the greenwashing behaviors of construction material enterprises under the sustainable development goals is imminent. Although government regulation and public scrutiny are regarded as crucial tools for addressing greenwashing, the specific mechanisms for managing greenwashing in construction material enterprises remain unclear. The objective of this study is to elucidate the governance mechanisms of government regulation and public scrutiny, and to explore their synergies in addressing the issue of greenwashing behaviors exhibited by construction material enterprises. This study employs an agent-based modeling approach, drawing upon new institutionalism theory and the halo effect theory, to examine the key factors that contribute to greenwashing behaviors. The main conclusions are as detailed below. (1) In the absence of government regulation and public scrutiny, the number of greenwashing construction material enterprises is increasing exponentially. (2) When only government regulation is considered, the combined government strategy has a greater impact on governance than penalties or subsidies alone. (3) When only public scrutiny is considered, the greenwashing behaviors of construction material enterprises cannot be controlled. (4) When both government regulation and public scrutiny are considered, the combined governance impact is greater than the effect of either alone. The ant colony model in computational experiments is introduced into the research of greenwashing behaviors, which provides a new model and novel idea for investigating greenwashing. Furthermore, this analysis offers a potentially valuable reference for the government in formulating specific guidance policies and strategies for engaging the public.https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-05121-2 |
| spellingShingle | Xingwei Li Jiekuo Hao Zuoyi Ding Jie Yang Yuhong Yao Unveiling the driving mechanism of greenwashing behaviors: an agent-based modeling approach integrating new institutionalism and halo effect theories Humanities & Social Sciences Communications |
| title | Unveiling the driving mechanism of greenwashing behaviors: an agent-based modeling approach integrating new institutionalism and halo effect theories |
| title_full | Unveiling the driving mechanism of greenwashing behaviors: an agent-based modeling approach integrating new institutionalism and halo effect theories |
| title_fullStr | Unveiling the driving mechanism of greenwashing behaviors: an agent-based modeling approach integrating new institutionalism and halo effect theories |
| title_full_unstemmed | Unveiling the driving mechanism of greenwashing behaviors: an agent-based modeling approach integrating new institutionalism and halo effect theories |
| title_short | Unveiling the driving mechanism of greenwashing behaviors: an agent-based modeling approach integrating new institutionalism and halo effect theories |
| title_sort | unveiling the driving mechanism of greenwashing behaviors an agent based modeling approach integrating new institutionalism and halo effect theories |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-05121-2 |
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