The Role of Environmental Personal Norms in the VBN Framework: Testing the Differences between the United States and Mexico regarding the Disposal of Potentially Harmful Products*

Abstract

Recent scholarship has attempted to explain consumer activism in a variety of contexts. Most studies have tested the VBN theory in wealthy countries. Other research suggests that consumers in developing countries are less likely to engage in any type of activism behaviors because personal norms are quite low when compared to wealthy countries. This study tests the role of personal norms in both the United States and Mexico regarding the disposal of potentially harmful products. The research finds that personal norms play a unique and significant role in predicting consumer activism intention in the United States, but not in Mexico.