Factors Influencing Vegan Cosmetics Purchase Intention: An Application of VBN Theory in Gen Z in Ho Chi Minh City

Online First: 25/06/2026

Authors

Corressponding author's email:

22136003@student.hcmute.edu.vn

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54644/jte.2026.2151

Keywords:

Vegan cosmetics, VBN theory, Personal values, Gen Z, Sustainable consumption

Abstract

This research investigates the impact of three core value orientations - biospheric, altruistic, and egoistic - on the purchase intentions of Generation Z consumers toward vegan cosmetics in Ho Chi Minh City. Grounded in the Value-Belief-Norm (VBN) framework, the study explores the psychological mechanisms driving green consumption. By analyzing 344 valid survey responses utilizing Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), the results indicate that all three personal value dimensions show a positive correlation with the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP), with altruistic value exerting the strongest influence (β = 0.478; p < 0.05). Furthermore, the study examines the sequential mediating roles of awareness of consequences, ascription of responsibility, and personal norms. Within this structural model, personal norms emerge as the primary direct predictor of sustainable purchase intention (β = 0.767; p < 0.05). These findings provide empirical evidence for the theoretical framework of sustainable consumer behavior within the studied context and offer managerial implications for industry stakeholders in developing strategies to promote green consumption in the Vietnamese market.

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Author Biographies

Ngoc-Phuong-Anh Phan, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Engineering, Vietnam

Ngoc-Phuong-Anh Phan is currently a 4th-year student at the Faculty of Economics, Ho Chi Minh University of Technology and Engineering, Vietnam.

Email: 22136003@student.hcmute.edu.vn. ORCID:  https://orcid.org/0009-0001-6798-402X. Tel: (+84)914942712

Thi-Thao-My Nguyen, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Engineering, Vietnam

Thi-Thao-My Nguyen is currently a 4th-year student at the Faculty of Economics, Ho Chi Minh University of Technology and Engineering, Vietnam.

Email: 22136032@student.hcmute.edu.vn. ORCID:  https://orcid.org/0009-0007-3655-9040

Thuy-Phuong Nguyen, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Engineering, Vietnam

Thuy-Phuong Nguyen is currently a lecturer at the Faculty of Economics, Ho Chi Minh University of Technology and Engineering, Vietnam.

Email: nguyenthuyphuong@hcmute.edu.vn. ORCID:  https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9387-6348

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Published

25-06-2026

How to Cite

[1]
Phan Ngọc Phương Anh, Nguyễn Thị Thảo My, and Nguyễn Thúy Phương, “Factors Influencing Vegan Cosmetics Purchase Intention: An Application of VBN Theory in Gen Z in Ho Chi Minh City: Online First: 25/06/2026”, JTE, Jun. 2026.

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