Adopting green technologies across contexts: behavioral, structural, and social drivers in Vietnam from a comparative perspective

Abstract

This study examines the behavioral, structural, and social drivers of green technology adoption across contexts, focusing on Vietnam and Europe as comparative cases. As the global transition toward sustainability accelerates, understanding adoption dynamics in emerging economies becomes increasingly critical. Drawing on a cross-sectional survey of 480 respondents in Vietnam and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with SmartPLS 4, the study examines how behavioral factors (e.g. social norms, attitudes) and structural enablers (e.g. financial incentives, policy awareness) influence adoption intentions. Results indicate that perceived behavioral control and financial incentives significantly influence adoption intention, while the role of social norms varies by demographic segment. The study also finds that exposure to peer adoption (descriptive norms) plays a more substantial role than normative pressure. Despite the urban and education bias of the purposive, quota-based sample, the findings contribute a culturally nuanced and policy-relevant understanding of behavioral adoption mechanisms in emerging markets. The study emphasizes the importance of culturally informed interventions and targeted policy tools, highlighting how evolving social norms could further enhance adoption behavior across both Vietnam and Europe.