Revisiting Pro-Environmental Consumption Intention From the Perspectives of Biospheric Value Orientation

Abstract

Background

Despite sustained social marketing and public communication efforts in Vietnam promoting waste reduction, plastic-use reduction, and greener mobility, behaviour change remains uneven. Prior research using the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) shows that attitude and perceived behavioural control (PBC) predict pro-environmental consumption intention, yet these relationships are not always consistent across contexts. This study therefore examines whether a moral-value factor, biospheric value orientation (BVO), helps explain when TPB predictors translate into stronger pro-environmental consumption intention.

Focus of the Article

We extend TPB by theorising BVO (prioritizing the well-being of nature and the biosphere) as a moderator that shapes the strength of the attitude-intention and PBC-intention relationships in pro-environmental consumption.

Research Question

How does biospheric value orientation moderate the impact of (a) attitude toward pro-environmental consumption and (b) perceived behavioral control on pro-environmental consumption intention?

Importance to the Social Marketing Field

By clarifying when rational predictors (attitude, PBC) translate into intention, the study helps social marketers design more effective interventions in settings where campaign exposure is high but behavioral outcomes are mixed. It also highlights that BVO as a segmentation and message-framing lever to improve program efficacy and reduce ineffective campaign spending.

Method

A quantitative survey research method was conducted among Vietnamese consumers (N = 293). Data were analyzed with regressions to test the proposed hypotheses.

Results

Results reveal that attitude towards pro-environmental consumption and perceived behavioral control are significant predictors of pro-environmental consumption intention. BVO strengthens the attitude-intention relationship but weakens the reliance of PBC when forming intention.

Recommendations for Research/Practice

Our study shows that consumers form stronger intentions to engage in pro-environmental consumption when they hold positive attitudes toward such behaviours and feel capable of performing them. Furthermore, individuals with stronger BVO are more likely to translate their positive attitudes into pro-environmental consumption intentions even when they perceive barriers or inconvenience.

Limitations

First, the survey-based research design among Vietnamese consumers might limit the generalizability of our findings. Second, only the moderating role of BVO was investigated in the study. Future research should further examine other personal or cultural values as moderators in this relationship.