Good Deeds for Self‐Gain? How Self‐Enhancement Motivates Pro‐Environmental Behaviour in Entitled Consumers

ABSTRACT While personality traits often influence individuals' willingness to engage in prosocial and pro‐environmental behaviours, psychological entitlement tends to undermine such actions. Although extensive research has highlighted the negative social consequences of entitlement, including its impact on pro‐environmental behaviours, its potential to positively influence sustainable consumer behaviour remains understudied. This gap is significant, as many of today's environmental challenges arise from consumption patterns, and entitled individuals, despite their resistance to prosocial actions, represent a substantial consumer segment. To address this, we conducted one preliminary study using actual donation data, which revealed a negative relationship between entitlement and pro‐environmental donations, followed by two experimental studies examining how entitlement interacts with self‐enhancement motivations to influence sustainable actions, including donations and food waste reduction (FWR) support. Study 1 examines direct self‐enhancement by manipulating the publicity of actions, while Study 2 explores indirect self‐enhancement by manipulating others' social status. The results demonstrate that entitled individuals are more likely to engage in pro‐environmental behaviours when self‐enhancement opportunities are present. These findings challenge the prevailing view of entitlement as uniformly detrimental, extending existing frameworks by showing that self‐enhancement can nudge entitled consumers towards sustainable behaviours. Practically, the present research provides actionable strategies for businesses and nonprofits aiming to promote sustainability among typically resistant consumer segments.