Efficacy beliefs, sense of unfairness, and participation in LULU activism

Many waste management facilities are locally unwanted land uses (LULUs). While the issue of LULU siting has attracted significant academic attention, attempts to explain local residents’ participation in social movements against LULUs are limited. In particular, knowledge about how proxy efficacy belief and sense of unfairness shape individuals’ participation in collective actions is limited. Building upon the collective interest model, this study develops a theoretical model for explaining local residents’ participation in social movements against proposals related to LULU siting. The model is tested with the empirical data obtained in Hong Kong. The analysis results reveal that perceived self, group and proxy efficacies, perception of unfairness in the siting process, collective identity of victim, and peer influence are determinants of local activism against LULUs. These discoveries enrich the body of knowledge on the exercise of siting LULUs and opposition from local communities. The findings also contribute to better understanding of the roles of different efficacy beliefs in social mobilization. Research limitations and potentials for future research are discussed.