“I do believe in karma”: understanding consumers' pro-environmental consumption with an integrated framework of theory of planned behavior, norm activation model and self-determination theory

Abstract

Purpose

Little is known about how religious beliefs can motivate consumers to behave more pro-environmentally. Drawn on an integrated model of the theory of planned behavior, the norm activation model and the self-determination theory, this study aims to explore the effects of religious beliefs (especially, karmic beliefs (KB) and beliefs in a just world (BJW)) on consumers' pro-environmental behavior.

Design/methodology/approach

A sample of 736 consumers recruited from the eight most populous cities in Vietnam using the mall-intercept survey approach and structural equation modeling (SEM) was utilized to test the hypothesized model and hypotheses.

Findings

The findings indicate that KB and BJW can increase consumers' green intrinsic motivation, which subsequently encourages them to engage in pro-environmental consumption. Moreover, awareness of consequences (AOC) and ascription of responsibility (AOR) serially indirectly inspire consumers' sustainable consumption through serial mediators, including personal norms (PN), attitudes toward green products and green purchase intention.

Practical implications

Based on the findings, some theoretical and managerial implications for pro-environmental consumption are provided.

Originality/value

The study offers fresh perspectives on the role of religious beliefs in pro-environmental research. Additionally, this study sheds new light on the marketing literature by integrating the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and norm activation model (NAM) with self-determination theory (SDT) to explore the underlying mechanisms and effects of psychological components on consumers' pro-environmental behaviors.

Citation

Duong, C.D., Nguyen, B.N., Doan, X.H., Nguyen, V.H. and Vu, A.T. (2024), "“I do believe in karma”: understanding consumers' pro-environmental consumption with an integrated framework of theory of planned behavior, norm activation model and self-determination theory", Management of Environmental Quality, Vol. 35 No. 2, pp. 270-298. https://doi.org/10.1108/MEQ-05-2023-0158