Sustainable apparel purchase intention from the moral emotion perspective

Purpose This study aims to examine the psychological mechanisms underlying sustainable apparel purchase intention (PI) by investigating the roles of perceived consumer effectiveness (PCE), green trust (GT), anticipated guilt (AG) and moral disengagement (MD) among Vietnamese Generation Z consumers. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative survey of 720 Generation Z consumers in Vietnam was conducted using purposive sampling and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (SmartPLS 3.0). Findings PCE does not significantly influence AG or PI, whereas GT significantly reduces AG, which in turn lowers PI. At the same time, GT retains a positive direct effect on PI. The study shows that external-actor beliefs, represented by GT, reduce guilt-based motivation, whereas internal-actor beliefs, represented by PCE, are not channeled through AG in this context. These opposing effects result in an almost neutral total effect, indicating a competitive mediation mechanism. Furthermore, MD weakens the positive effect of AG on PI, reducing the motivational power of guilt. Practical implications Firms should design sustainability communication carefully. GT should be strengthened without reducing consumers' sense of personal responsibility. Combining trust-based messages with cues that reinforce individual responsibility can help sustain motivation. Originality/value This study challenges conventional models of sustainable consumption by theorizing sustainability-related beliefs as distinct internal- and external-actor mechanisms with asymmetric effects within a guilt-based mechanism. It advances emotion theory by demonstrating that the effectiveness of sustainability beliefs depends not only on belief strength but also on construal-level compatibility with the decision context.