Innovating Community Engagement: The Role of Micro-Influencers in Promoting Sustainable Behaviors among Malaysian Millennials
Keywords:
Micro-influencers, Community Engagement, Environmental leaders, Social media, Millennials, Sustainable behaviors
Abstract
Social Influencers as environmental leaders utilize social media platforms to enhance community engagement in advocating sustainability. This study explores the underexplored role of micro-influencers in fostering pro-environmental behaviors among Malaysian youths and innovating community engagement by employing a qualitative approach in conducting semi-structured interviews with five micro-influencers. Our findings indicate the critical role of micro-influencers in raising awareness and actively engaging communities in adopting sustainable practices. The findings reveal three key themes: leadership qualities, pro-environmental behaviors, and persuasive narrative strategies. Through the innovative use of social media, these influencers overcome linguistic and geographical barriers, fostering enhanced community engagement in the pursuit of environmental stewardship. However, the sample size of five micro-influencers may limit the generalizability of the findings, as it may only partially represent the diverse range of micro-influencers. The result of this research can be used as recommendations for organizations, non-governmental organizations and governmental bodies that can leverage the insights from this study to strategically engage micro-influencers in environmental campaigns, recognizing their unique ability to reach and resonate with specific communities, particularly Malaysian youths. This study offers a novel perspective on digital environmental leadership by uncovering the unique role of micro-influencers in fostering community engagement and cultivating a culture of sustainability. It provides original insights into how these emerging leaders not only inspire but also empower communities to take meaningful action toward environmental preservation. The study highlights the underexamined potential of micro-influencers in exceeding traditional barriers to community engagement, offering valuable implications for future strategies in environmental advocacy.
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References
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Maass, A., Clark III, R. D., & Haberkorn, G. (1982). The effects of differential ascribed category membership and norms on minority influence. European Journal of Social Psychology, 12(1), 89–104. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.2420120107
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Nafees, L., Cook, C.M., Nikolov, N.N., & Stoddard, J.E. (2021). Can social media influencers (SMI) power influence consumer brand attitudes? The mediating role of perceived SMI credibility. Digital Business, 1 (2), 1 - 10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.digbus.2021.100008
Nerb, J., & Spada, H. (2001). Evaluation of environmental problems: A coherence model of cognition and emotion. Cognition & Emotion, 15(4), 521–551. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699930126254
Nguyen, T. H., & Zhang, H. (2020). Green lifestyle, where to go?: How social media influencers moderate the intention–behavior gap within the ecological lifestyle context. Master thesis. Jonkoping University, Sweden. https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1430761/FULLTEXT01.pdf
Okuah, O., Scholtz, B.M., & Snow, B. (2019). Grounded theory analysis of the techniques used by social media influencers and their potential for influencing the public regarding environmental awareness. In: Proceedings of the South African Institute of Computer Scientists and Information Technologists 2019. pp. 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1145/3351108.3351145.
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Puteri, R.D.H. (2018). The influencer and hedonist lifestyle of digital society. The Journal of Islamic Studies and International Relations, 3(1), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6789734
Radzi, N., Shafie, L.A., Rosaidi, N., Razali, R., Lew, Y., & Akil, K. (2022). Profiling environmental leaders among social influencers: Perspectives of social followers. Borneo Science, The Journal of Science and Technology, 43 (2), 1 - 16. https://doi.org/10.51200/bsj.v43i2.4506.
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Published
2024-10-28
How to Cite
Shafie, L. A., Rosaidi, N. A., Mohd Radz, N. A., Ku Akil, K. A., Razali, R., & Ling, L. Y. (2024). Innovating Community Engagement: The Role of Micro-Influencers in Promoting Sustainable Behaviors among Malaysian Millennials. Information Management and Business Review, 16(3S(I)a), 1150-1160. https://doi.org/10.22610/imbr.v16i3S(I)a.4247
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Copyright (c) 2024 Latisha Asmaak Shafie, Nor Alifah Rosaidi, Nor Azira Mohd Radz, Ku Azlina Ku Akil, Razlina Razali, Lew Ya Ling
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