Cross-context spillover and sustainability transitions: evidence from Vietnamese returnees

This study investigates why Vietnamese citizens who adopt sustainable lifestyles abroad often struggle to maintain these behaviors after returning home. Drawing on survey data from 428 returnees, it examines how institutional alignment, infrastructural support, and social norms shape the persistence of pro-environmental practices across national contexts. Using Structural Equation Modeling, the research tests an integrated framework combining the Theory of Planned Behavior, Value–Belief–Norm theory, social practice theory, and institutional perspectives. The findings show that pro-environmental intention alone is insufficient to sustain behavior in less enabling environments. Behavioral persistence depends on institutional credibility, the availability of supportive infrastructure, and strong social expectations. Trust in government positively moderates the relationship between institutional alignment and pro-environmental behavior, while economic convenience weakens this relationship. These results demonstrate that sustainable behaviors are socially embedded practices rather than isolated individual choices. The study contributes to sustainability transition research by linking personal values and moral norms to the material, institutional, and cultural conditions that enable lasting change. It also offers policy insights for emerging economies, emphasizing the importance of strengthening institutional trust, urban infrastructure, and public engagement to transform temporary behavioral change into enduring social practice.