Exploring the Emergence of Contractors' Low-Carbon Attention in Public Projects: Perspectives From an Attention-Based View

The role of public project construction in achieving net-zero carbon emissions highlights the imperative for contractors to prioritize low-carbon practices. This study investigates the emergence of contractors' low-carbon attention (LCA) based on the attention-based view (ABV), focusing on structural factors (i.e., institutional logic and low-carbon resources) and the situated factor of green organization image. Data from 164 public construction contractors was analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) and fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA). The PLS-SEM results indicate that commercial and pro-environmental logics, low-carbon resources, and the green organization image significantly influence contractors' LCA, whereas regulatory logic exerts no significant impact. The fsQCA results identify three sufficient configurations, illustrating how institutional logic, in combination with low-carbon resources and the green organization image, foster contractors' LCA. This study advances understanding of organizational environmental cognition and carbon reduction by revealing the complex emergent mechanism of contractors' LCA.