Food waste reduction behavior in the higher education sector: a value-belief-norm extension with institutional and social drivers

Purpose This study aims to examine how individual values, institutional climate and peer influence jointly shape food waste reduction behavior (FWRB) in higher education institutes. Extending the value-belief-norm (VBN) theory, the study incorporates green psychological climate (GPC) and student citizenship behavior for the environment (SCBE) as external norm-activating factors. The moderating role of social media celebrities, particularly food vloggers, is also assessed to address the norm–behavior gap. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 523 students enrolled in public and private universities across major cities in Pakistan. A structured questionnaire measured the proposed constructs, and partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to analyze direct and moderating effects. Findings The results confirm that both individual-level factors (environmental values and ecological beliefs) and institutional factors (GPC and SCBE) significantly contribute to the development of pro-environmental personal norms (PEPN), which in turn drive students’ FWRB. Furthermore, food vloggers significantly moderate the relationship between PEPN and actual behavior by reinforcing moral intention through digital influence. Originality/value This study contributes to the theoretical deepening and broadening of the VBN framework by introducing institutional and peer-level drivers that shape PEPN, and by incorporating food vloggers as context-specific digital moderators. These extensions offer a more comprehensive understanding of sustainability behavior in higher education and address the intention–behavior gap through socially and institutionally embedded mechanisms.