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How green is my firm? Workers' attitudes and behaviors towards job in environmentally-related firms

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  • Lanfranchi, Joseph
  • Pekovic, Sanja

Abstract

The implementation of environmental standards can be facilitated by motivating workers with pro-social preferences. Therefore, we study if employees working for firms achieving registration for environmental-related standards are more likely to display positive attitudes towards their job, to be actively involved in their jobs and to donate effort. Using a French matched employer–employee database, we find that these “green employees” report a significantly higher perception of usefulness and equitable recognition at work. Besides, they are more likely to work uncompensated overtime hours. Finally, if the adoption of environmental standards is shown to have no direct influence on job involvement, we expose how it indirectly impacts job involvement through the mediation of employees' reported perception of usefulness and equitable recognition at work.

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  • Lanfranchi, Joseph & Pekovic, Sanja, 2014. "How green is my firm? Workers' attitudes and behaviors towards job in environmentally-related firms," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 16-29.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolec:v:100:y:2014:i:c:p:16-29
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2013.12.019
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    3. Sanja Pekovic & Sebastian Vogt, 2021. "The fit between corporate social responsibility and corporate governance: the impact on a firm’s financial performance," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 15(4), pages 1095-1125, May.
    4. Hiller, Victor & Raffin, Natacha, 2020. "Firms’ social responsibility and workers’ motivation at the industry equilibrium," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 174(C), pages 131-149.
    5. Grazia Cecere & Massimiliano Mazzanti, 2015. "Green jobs, innovation and environmentally oriented strategies in European SMEs," SEEDS Working Papers 2115, SEEDS, Sustainability Environmental Economics and Dynamics Studies, revised Dec 2015.
    6. Wang, Xueting & Qiu, Feng & Zhang, Junbiao & Tong, Qingmeng, 2020. "Does Internet use help increase residents’ participation in programs to improve the dwelling environment? Evidence from China," 2020 Annual Meeting, July 26-28, Kansas City, Missouri 304234, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    7. Antonioli, Davide & Mazzanti, Massimiliano, 2017. "Towards a green economy through innovations: The role of trade union involvement," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 286-299.
    8. Fetene, Gebeyehu M. & Hirte, Georg & Kaplan, Sigal & Prato, Carlo G. & Tscharaktschiew, Stefan, 2016. "The economics of workplace charging," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 93-118.
    9. Syed Muhammad Fazal‐e‐Hasan & Hormoz Ahmadi & Harjit Sekhon & Gary Mortimer & Mohd Sadiq & Husni Kharouf & Muhammad Abid, 2023. "The role of green innovation and hope in employee retention," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(1), pages 220-239, January.
    10. Bellmann, Lutz & Koch, Theresa, 2019. "Ökologische Nachhaltigkeit in deutschen Unternehmen: Empirische Ergebnisse auf Basis des IAB-Betriebspanels 2018," IAB-Forschungsbericht 201908, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany].
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Environmental-related standards; Pro-social motivation; Workers' attitudes and behavior;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q50 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - General
    • J28 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Safety; Job Satisfaction; Related Public Policy

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