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responsibility for the recycling and treatment of post-consumer products, creating
regulatory incentives for both supply-side green innovation and demand-side sustainable
consumption (Government of Viet Nam, 2020, 2022, 2025).
At the intersection of these two mega-trends lies a critical research question. How
do digital-age phenomena such as algorithm-driven green marketing, social media
influencer endorsements, and psychosocial triggers like Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)
influence sustainable product purchasing behavior among Generation Z consumers in an
emerging economy.
Generation Z (born 1997–2012) represents a unique consumer segment: they are
digital natives who have grown up immersed in social media platforms. Howerver, they
are also widely regarded as among the most environmentally aware consumer cohorts,
with empirical evidence consistently showing stronger pro-environmental attitudes
compared with older generations (Linh & Doan, 2025; The Conversation, 2025).
While a growing body of literature has examined green purchasing behavior
through the lens of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) (Ajzen, 1991) and the Theory of
Consumption Values (TCV) (Sheth, Newman, & Gross, 1991), three distinct gaps motivate
this study. First, digital-age phenomena such as influencer endorsement and FOMO have
rarely been incorporated as formal moderating variables; most prior studies treat them as
contextual background rather than theoretically grounded constructs. Second, empirical
evidence from emerging Southeast Asian digital economies remains sparse; the region's
distinct digital infrastructure, mobile-first consumption patterns, and collectivist cultural
norms limit the direct transferability of findings from Western markets. Third, the specific
interaction between digital-age psychological moderators (FOMO, influencer
endorsement) and traditional behavioral antecedents (perceived quality, green marketing)
has not been jointly tested, leaving a gap in our understanding of how digital amplifiers
operate conditionally rather than independently.
This study addresses these gaps by developing an integrative model that positions
five direct antecedents and three digital-age moderating variables within a unified
theoretical framework and testing it empirically among Generation Z university students
in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The findings contribute empirical evidence to the
sustainable consumption and digital economy literature by showing that FOMO and
influencer endorsement function as statistically significant amplifiers of green purchasing
behavior, an underexplored mechanism with practical implications for enterprises and
policymakers operating within Vietnam's digital economy. In line with recent work
emphasizing the role of Gen Z in advancing responsible consumption and the SDGs in
developing countries (Linh & Doan, 2025), this study focuses on university students in an
emerging Asian economy.
2. Theoretical framework and hypotheses
2.1. Theoretical foundations
This study integrates two complementary theoretical perspectives. The theory of
planned behavior (TPB) (Ajzen, 1991) posits that behavior is determined by behavioral
intention, which is influenced by attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral
control. Recent studies have confirmed the applicability of TPB in predicting green
purchasing behavior among Vietnamese Gen Z consumers (Nghiem & Tien, 2025). The
Theory of Consumption Values (TCV) (Sheth et al., 1991) extends this by incorporating
functional, social, conditional, epistemic, and emotional values that drive consumer

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