Sustainable consumption awareness and behavioral activation among Generation Z: An extended norm activation model within the triple bottom line framework

¹ Senior Lecturer Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, Faculty of Human Ecology, IPB University, Bogor 16680, Indonesia
² Senior Lecturer Department of Family Resource Management and Consumer Studies, Faculty of Human Ecology, Universiti Putra Malaysia 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia

^* Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract

Sustainable consumption behavior plays a crucial role in addressing ecological degradation and resource depletion. This study examines the psychological mechanisms underlying sustainable consumption among Indonesian Generation Z using the Norm Activation Model (NAM) integrated with the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) framework, encompassing environmental, social, and economic dimensions. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted with 316 respondents from 26 provinces in Indonesia. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to assess direct and mediating relationships among awareness of sustainable consumption, ascription of responsibility, personal norms, and sustainable consumption behavior. The results indicate that awareness of sustainable consumption significantly influences responsibility attribution, personal norms, and sustainable consumption behavior, both directly and indirectly. Ascription of responsibility and personal norms function as significant mediators, supporting the hierarchical activation process proposed by NAM. Awareness of sustainable consumption demonstrates the strongest total effect on behavior (β_total = 0.915), highlighting its central role in activating moral responsibility and normative commitment. These findings confirm the relevance of NAM in explaining sustainable consumption within a multidimensional sustainability context and provide practical implications for sustainability education, policy design, and communication strategies targeting younger generations.