Role of social support and emotional exhaustion in environmentally sustainable food consumption: the moderating effect of individual differences

Purpose This study aims to investigate the influence of social support on the emotional exhaustion experienced by individuals engaged in sustainable food consumption (SFC). It further examines how individual differences, such as cognitive style, emotional trade-off difficulty and agreeableness, moderate the relationship between social support and emotional exhaustion within the SFC context. Design/methodology/approach Data from 515 respondents were gathered via survey research design. Findings Perceived social support is inversely associated with emotional exhaustion, which, in turn, adversely affects SFC behavior. The moderation analysis indicates that individuals with a field-dependent cognitive style experience more significant relief from emotional exhaustion when they receive social support. Furthermore, individuals with high agreeableness are more responsive to social support, deriving greater benefits in terms of reduced emotional exhaustion. In addition, individuals who find decision-making emotionally taxing gain more from social support, as it mitigates the mental burden associated with emotional exhaustion. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study represents one of the initial efforts to examine the influence of social support on individual behavior within the context of SFC.