How does responsible leadership affect employees' voluntary workplace green behaviors? A multilevel dual process model of voluntary workplace green behaviors

Abstract

This study aims to explore how to encourage employees to engage in voluntary workplace green behavior. Drawing upon social identity and social information processing theories, we theorized and tested a multilevel model in which responsible leadership triggers employee voluntary workplace green behavior by fostering organizational identification and a green work climate. Additionally, we distinguished these two critical processes by introducing employees' green values as a moderator. A multilevel, multisource study collected from 299 employees and 71 supervisors generally supported our predictions. Specifically, responsible leadership was a significant predictor of voluntary workplace green behavior. Moreover, employees' green values strengthened the organizational identification mechanism and attenuated the green work climate process in the relationship between responsible leadership and voluntary workplace green behavior. The findings and the theoretical underpinning of our study shed a new light on the green work climate, identity, and values in a responsible way shape the voluntary green behaviors among organizational actors and provide practical implications for leaders determined to improve environmental sustainability in organizations.

Keywords: Green values; Green work climate; Organizational identification; Responsible leadership; Voluntary workplace green behavior.