Being engaged is a good thing: Understanding sustainable consumption behavior among young adults

Abstract

Contributing to the research on sustainable consumption, we propose a conceptual framework for examining the antecedents of two forms of sustainable consumption behavior of young adults—namely, pro-environmental and pro-social consumption behavior. The theory-driven conceptual framework presented and tested in this study is focused on consumer engagement. Determined by self-identity and consumer values, the pro-environmental and pro-social consumer engagement of young adults was expected to enhance their pro-environmental and pro-social consumption behavior. In addition, we investigated how young adults' emotional intelligence moderates the strength of the effect of engagement on behavior. Based on data obtained from two countries, analyzed through structural equation modeling, our results show that pro-environmental engagement and pro-social engagement are significant predictors of young adults' pro-environmental and pro-social consumption behavior. Emotional intelligence boosts the effect of engagement on pro-environmental and pro-social consumption behavior, and it has a significant direct effect on pro-environmental behavior.