Using a Unified Model of TPB, NAM, and SOBC to Investigate the Energy-Saving Behaviour of Urban Residents in Vietnam: Moderation Role of Cultural Values

Abstract

This study integrated the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), the norm activation model (NAM), and the stimulus–organism–behaviour–consequences theory (SOBC) to determine how external (subjective injunctive norm, subjective descriptive norm, and perceived behavioural control) and internal stimuli (ascription of responsibility, awareness of consequences) stimulate organisms (attitude towards energy saving and personal norms), which in turn drives behavioural responses (energy-saving intentions and behaviours) and their consequences (energy-saving habits). A sample of 1514 residents of five large cities in Vietnam and a multiple linear regression analysis were used to test the hypothesised model. The results show that external stimuli positively shaped a favourable energy-saving attitude, while internal stimuli aroused individuals’ personal norms. In addition, energy-saving intention, behaviours, and habits were serial mediators impacted by both internal and external stimuli. The results also indicate that a long-term orientation positively moderated the relationship between energy-saving intention, behaviours, and habits, but collectivism only moderated the nexus between energy-saving behaviours and habits. These findings imply that policymakers should focus on conveying information related to energy conservation among surrounding people, increasing citizens’ awareness of the consequences, personal responsibilities, moral obligations regarding saving energy, and should not neglect the informative role of cultural values in energy conservation practices.

“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

“…The TPB gained widespread recognition as one of the most prominent social-psychological frameworks (Wallace and Buil, 2023;Gansser and Reich, 2023). It has been extensively employed to investigate behavioral intentions and behaviors across various areas of research, such as energy conservation (Xuan et al, 2023), digital entrepreneurship (Xin and Ma, 2023;Wach and Bilan, 2023) and proenvironmental consumption (Valentin and Hechanova, 2023). According to the TPB, attitude (an individual's evaluation of whether performing a certain behavior is favorable or unfavorable), subjective norms (perceived social pressures that influence whether or not an individual carries out a certain action) and perceived behavioral control (an individual' ability and feasibility of conducting a certain action) serve as immediate predictors of behavioral intention (Ajzen, 1991), which is identified as an indicator of the extent to which people are willing to exert effort in performing a certain behavior (Ding et al, 2023).…”

“…Nevertheless, some scholars argue that even with the integration of the TPB and the NAM, the merged model may not be entirely convincing in explaining environmentally friendly behaviors (Xuan et al, 2023;Li et al, 2019). The combined TPB-NAM model overlooks the role of self-determined drivers, such as intrinsic motivations, in inspiring individuals behaving in pro-environmentally manners (Fallah Zavareh et al, 2020).…”

“…Consequently, when these PN are active, they play a significant role in shaping attitudes toward behaviors (Vu et al, 2021). Moreover, numerous studies concerning pro-environmental behavior have observed that incorporating PN into the TPB model can substantially enhance its ability to predict pro-environmental behavioral outcomes (Wang et al, 2018;Rezaei et al, 2019;Xuan et al, 2023). Considering this, we formulated the following hypothesis to examine the relationship between PN and attitudes toward green products, thereby increasing intentions and actual behaviors in the context of pro-environmental consumption.…”

“…The TPB gained widespread recognition as one of the most prominent social-psychological frameworks (Wallace and Buil, 2023; Gansser and Reich, 2023). It has been extensively employed to investigate behavioral intentions and behaviors across various areas of research, such as energy conservation (Xuan et al. , 2023), digital entrepreneurship (Xin and Ma, 2023; Wach and Bilan, 2023) and pro-environmental consumption (Valentin and Hechanova, 2023).…”

“…Nevertheless, some scholars argue that even with the integration of the TPB and the NAM, the merged model may not be entirely convincing in explaining environmentally friendly behaviors (Xuan et al. , 2023; Li et al.…”