PurposeThis study explores the conflicting effects of positive versus negative self-esteem and frugal versus wasteful self-identity on food waste behavior (FWB), examining the moderating roles of self-ambivalence and impulsive buying tendency (IBT) as mediators in a comprehensive mediation-moderation model.Design/methodology/approachBased on a sample of 416 Vietnamese consumers, this study employs an advanced single-indicator approach for latent variable interactions within a general path analysis framework to test mediation-moderation effects.FindingsPositive self-esteem manifests a negative influence, whereas negative self-esteem demonstrates a positive effect on FWB. Frugal self-identity exerts a negative impact, while wasteful self-identity yields a positive effect on FWB. This study also confirms novel pathways demonstrating contrasting effects of positive and negative self-esteem on FWB through self-identities and IBT. Moreover, the moderator roles of subjective and objective self-ambivalence on these relationships are partially confirmed.Research limitations/implicationsFuture research should explore the influence of other self-strength-related constructs and other self-identities on FWB.Practical implicationsInterventions aimed at reducing FWB should consider the complex interplay of self-identities, self-esteem, self-ambivalence and IBT.Originality/valueThis study, shedding significant light on a self-focused approach, integrates self-identity, self-esteem, self-ambivalence and IBT within a mediation-moderation model to provide insights into the psychological self-processes underlying FWB.
