Saving energy at the workplace: assessing train drivers’ motivation for energy-efficient driving and their perception of feedback technologies

Research Highlights

• Changing the driving behavior of train drivers can have a large impact on the energy consumption in the transportation sector
• Identifying skilled workers’ motives for saving energy in their job is key in designing feedback interventions

Motivation

The carbon footprint of companies – and transportation companies in particular – depends not only on investment decisions, but also to a large extent on employee behavior. Employees in the transportation sector have a particularly large and direct impact on their companies’ energy consumption through their driving behavior. By adopting an energy-friendly driving style, train drivers can save more than a quarter of energy with without compromising on safety and punctuality.

Approach

To be able to support behavior change of train drivers, a theoretically sound understanding of their motives is crucial. In interviews and a survey with train drivers, we explore their motivation for saving energy on the job. Our findings inform the design of feedback interventions, that can successfully support behavior change of skilled workers to save energy at the workplace.

Funding
The project is funded by a German mobility provider

Team
Prof. Dr. Verena Tiefenbeck
Joanna Graichen (University of Bamberg)
Partner: German mobility provider