Moral obligation or identity? Predicting hotel guests’ energy-saving behavior across age groups using PLS-SEM and multi-group analysis

Purpose This research aims to investigate guests’ sustainable energy behavior in the hospitality industry based on the extension of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) with personal norm and environmental identity. Recognizing that guests are often less motivated to conserve energy in hotels as compared to their homes, this research tries to develop a framework to understand the reason. This research also compares direct relationships according to guests’ age. Design/methodology/approach This research used a questionnaire survey and obtained 521 valid responses from hotel guests for empirical analysis. The data was analyzed using the partial least squares-structural equation model. A multi-group analysis was used to examine age-related differences in psychological pathways. Findings The results demonstrate that the constructs in the TPB are important factors explaining guests’ energy-saving behavior. Environmental identity, personal norm, mainly through behavioral intention, predicted customers’ energy conservation behavior. Moreover, the multi-group results showed that the impacts of subjective norm on personal norm and personal norm on customers’ intention were both stronger in the young group. However, the influence of environmental identity on personal norm was stronger in the older group. Originality/value This research developed a novel framework to explain guests’ energy-saving behavior in the hospitality industry. It adds value by confirming the significant roles of personal norms, environmental identity and age differences in guests’ energy conservation. Also, by uncovering how internal motivations differ by age, it advances the practice of sustainable tourism, offering timely guidance for aligning guest behavior with the global environment and sustainable development goals. The implications guide the development of behavior-based strategies, including communication framing, identity alignment and incentive-driven mechanisms such as prepaid energy quotas that support not only operational efficiency but also global policy goals, particularly SDG 7 and SDG 12.