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Purpose: Self-transcendence and self-enhancement motives often coexist in green consumer behavior. Customers may engage with green brands to reconcile possible tensions arising from these two conflicting motives. Using dual concern theory, we investigate how customers’ altruistic, biospheric and egoistic values drive desired self-identity and perceived life-meaning rewards, as mediated by their post-purchase green brand engagement (GBE). We also test whether perceived effort worthiness moderates these associations.

Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected via survey from 368 electric/hybrid vehicle owners and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM).

Findings: Results reveal that customers’ altruistic and egoistic values impact desired self-identity and perceived life-meaning rewards through their engagement with green brands. While perceived effort worthiness had no bearing on desired self-identity, it was found to strengthen the indirect effects of altruistic and egoistic values on perceived life-meaning rewards through post-purchase customer engagement with green brands.

Originality/value: We identify customer brand engagement following purchase as an instrumental mechanism for managing potential inner tensions created by dueling motives in green post-purchase customer reactions. Additionally, we respond to calls for engagement-based boundary conditions by highlighting the moderating role of perceived effort worthiness between customer engagement and perceived life-meaning rewards.