Abstract
Sustainability transitions demand systemic shifts in socio-technical structures, yet existing models often overlook the role of digital platforms (DPs) as intermediaries in shaping social sustainability. This study examines how DPs facilitate social sustainability transitions by influencing user behaviors, incentivizing sustainable actions, and integrating micro-level engagement within systemic transition frameworks. Anchored in the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the Multi-Level Perspective (MLP), we propose a Behaviorally-Informed Transition Model that explains how economic and social incentives drive attitudes, intentions, and behavioral change within digital ecosystems. Using survey data from 406 users of TrafficRewards, an Indian digital platform that incentivizes traffic rule compliance, we test the model through confirmatory factor analysis, moderated regression, and mediation analysis. Results indicate that economic and social incentives shape attitudes toward sustainability, while variety-seeking behavior moderates the relationship between intention and engagement, underscoring the heterogeneity in digital sustainability adoption. Findings contribute to sustainability transitions theory by integrating user agency into transition pathways, demonstrating how platform-mediated behavioral shifts can scale into broader sustainability regimes. We highlight critical implications for policymakers, platform designers, and sustainability practitioners, emphasizing the need for equitable incentive structures and long-term behavioral engagement strategies to ensure digital platforms serve as enablers—rather than disruptors—of social sustainability.Sustainability transitions demand systemic shifts in socio-technical structures, yet existing models often overlook the role of digital platforms (DPs) as intermediaries in shaping social sustainability. This study examines how DPs facilitate social sustainability transitions by influencing user behaviors, incentivizing sustainable actions, and integrating micro-level engagement within systemic transition frameworks. Anchored in the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the Multi-Level Perspective (MLP), we propose a Behaviorally-Informed Transition Model that explains how economic and social incentives drive attitudes, intentions, and behavioral change within digital ecosystems. Using survey data from 406 users of TrafficRewards, an Indian digital platform that incentivizes traffic rule compliance, we test the model through confirmatory factor analysis, moderated regression, and mediation analysis. Results indicate that economic and social incentives shape attitudes toward sustainability, while variety-seeking behavior moderates the relationship between intention and engagement, underscoring the heterogeneity in digital sustainability adoption. Findings contribute to sustainability transitions theory by integrating user agency into transition pathways, demonstrating how platform-mediated behavioral shifts can scale into broader sustainability regimes. We highlight critical implications for policymakers, platform designers, and sustainability practitioners, emphasizing the need for equitable incentive structures and long-term behavioral engagement strategies to ensure digital platforms serve as enablers—rather than disruptors—of social sustainability.