Eco‐Guilt and Eco‐Shame in Translating Green Messaging to Sustainable Action: A Mixed‐Method Application on Sustainable Business Strategies

Fengjuan Kou; Sushant Kumar Vishnoi; Ebtesam Abdullah Alzeiby; Mohd Sadiq; Jagannath Mohanty

doi:10.1002/bse.70692

journal article Apr 03, 2026

Eco‐Guilt and Eco‐Shame in Translating Green Messaging to Sustainable Action: A Mixed‐Method Application on Sustainable Business Strategies

Fengjuan Kou

Sushant Kumar Vishnoi Ebtesam Abdullah Alzeiby

Mohd Sadiq Jagannath Mohanty

Business Strategy and the Environment · Wiley

View at Publisher Save 10.1002/bse.70692

Abstract

ABSTRACT

This study proposes to investigate the impact of Green Messages and tourists' eco‐emotions like eco‐guilt and eco‐shame on sustainable actions, including perceived environmental friendliness as a boundary condition from the theoretical lens of Affect Infusion Model (AIM). This study tests the proposed model by employing a mixed‐method framework using partial least square structured equation modelling (PLS‐SEM) to examine the quantitative data from frequent travelers (
N
= 288) and the Gioia technique for analyzing the qualitative insights from experts (
n
= 18). The findings of the quantitative analysis revealed that green messages significantly shape sustainable actions and evoke eco‐shame, which mediates the relationship between green messages and sustainable action. Further, perceived environmental friendliness moderates the association of green messages on sustainable action, eco‐guilt, and eco‐shame and sustainable action. The results of the qualitative analysis drive the emergence of four aggregate dimensions such as green consciousness, eco‐message congruity, eco‐identity regulation, and pro‐environmental transformation emphasizing how tourists internalize and act upon emotional environmental cues. Overall, the novelty of this research is grounded in extending the AIM into the green messaging domain and exploring the diverse roles of eco‐guilt and eco‐shame in developing emotionally resonant, credible sustainability campaigns to foster behavioral change in tourist pro‐environmental actions.

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Published: Apr 03, 2026
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Authors

F

Fengjuan Kou

School of Economics Lanzhou University China

S

Sushant Kumar Vishnoi

Institute of Management Studies (IMS) Ghaziabad ‐ B School Ghaziabad UP India

E

Ebtesam Abdullah Alzeiby

Department of Psychology, College of Education and Human Development Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University Riyadh Saudi Arabia

M

Mohd Sadiq

Peter Faber Business School Australian Catholic University North Sydney NSW Australia

J

Jagannath Mohanty

SOIL School of Business Design Manesar Haryana India

Cite This Article

Fengjuan Kou, Sushant Kumar Vishnoi, Ebtesam Abdullah Alzeiby, et al. (2026). Eco‐Guilt and Eco‐Shame in Translating Green Messaging to Sustainable Action: A Mixed‐Method Application on Sustainable Business Strategies. Business Strategy and the Environment. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.70692

Eco‐Guilt and Eco‐Shame in Translating Green Messaging to Sustainable Action: A Mixed‐Method Application on Sustainable Business Strategies

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