Exploring the Impact of Digital Platform on Energy-Efficient Consumption Behavior: A Multi-Group Analysis of Air Conditioning Purchase in China Using the Extended TPB Model

Zhong Zheng, Chalita Srinuan and Nuttawut Rojniruttikul ()
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Zhong Zheng: KMITL Business School, King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Bangkok 10520, Thailand
Chalita Srinuan: KMITL Business School, King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Bangkok 10520, Thailand
Nuttawut Rojniruttikul: KMITL Business School, King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Bangkok 10520, Thailand

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 11, 1-25

Abstract: Energy-efficient consumption has become a strategic priority to mitigate global climate change and enhance national energy security. While social media has reshaped online consumption behavior, the mechanisms through which these digital platforms influence energy-efficient purchasing remain underexplored. This study extends the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) by integrating price perception variables and applies multi-group structural equation modeling to examine how social media shapes Chinese consumers’ intentions to purchase energy-efficient air conditioning. The results show that (1) social media exposure strengthens energy-efficient purchasing intentions indirectly via behavioral attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control; (2) price perception is negatively associated with purchase intention; and (3) these effects vary by age cohort, gender, and income—Generation Z and female consumers are more susceptible to social media influence, while low-income groups exhibit heightened price sensitivity. These findings advance TPB theory and offer guidance for digital platform policies aimed at promoting energy-efficient consumption.

Keywords: social media; energy-efficient consumption; price perception; air conditioning; TPB theory; multi-group analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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