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How Does Servant Leadership Foster Employees’ Voluntary Green Behavior? A Sequential Mediation Model

Author

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  • Ma Ying

    (School of Management, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China)

  • Naveed Ahmad Faraz

    (School of Management, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China)

  • Fawad Ahmed

    (School of Management, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China)

  • Ali Raza

    (KUBEAC Department, University of Management and Technology, Sialkot 51040, Pakistan)

Abstract

Employees’ voluntary green behavior (EVGB) is indispensable in realizing organizations’ environmental sustainability objectives. Leaders can act as catalysts to shape the behavior of their employees. On EVGB, noticeably the missing link is investigating the influence of servant leadership and the mechanism through which it operates. Building upon self-determination and psychological empowerment theories, this research examined the impact of servant leadership on EVGB through the simple and sequential mediation of psychological empowerment and autonomous motivation for the environment (AME). Through systematic sampling, dyadic data were collected from 315 pairs of subordinates and supervisors working in the power sector organizations of Pakistan. Results were obtained by employing the partial least squares structural modeling (PLS-SEM) technique with Smart-PLS 3.2.8 software. Findings revealed that psychological empowerment and AME simply and sequentially mediate the influence of servant leadership on EVGB. Implications for theory and organizational practitioners are offered, accompanied by suggestions for future research.

Suggested Citation

  • Ma Ying & Naveed Ahmad Faraz & Fawad Ahmed & Ali Raza, 2020. "How Does Servant Leadership Foster Employees’ Voluntary Green Behavior? A Sequential Mediation Model," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-21, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:5:p:1792-:d:330626
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Syed Haider Ali Shah & Mochammad Fahlevi & Eman Zameer Rahman & Muhammad Akram & Kamran Jamshed & Mohammed Aljuaid & Jaffar Abbas, 2023. "Impact of Green Servant Leadership in Pakistani Small and Medium Enterprises: Bridging Pro-Environmental Behaviour through Environmental Passion and Climate for Green Creativity," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(20), pages 1-16, October.
    2. Fan Gu & Jiaqi Liu, 2022. "Environmentally Specific Servant Leadership and Employee Workplace Green Behavior: Moderated Mediation Model of Green Role Modeling and Employees’ Perceived CSR," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-18, September.
    3. Sajjad Ahmad Afridi & Asad Javed & Sania Zaheer Ali & Sheeba Zafar & Maqsood Haider, 2023. "Cultivating Sustainability: The Role of Generative Leadership, Green Passion, and Green Work Behavior in Pakistan’s Tourism Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-18, September.
    4. Yuhuan Xia & Yubo Liu & Changlin Han & Yang Gao & Yuanyuan Lan, 2022. "How Does Environmentally Specific Servant Leadership Fuel Employees’ Low-Carbon Behavior? The Role of Environmental Self-Accountability and Power Distance Orientation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(5), pages 1-17, March.
    5. Yu-Shan Chen & Xin Yan & Chor-Beng Anthony Liew, 2023. "University Social Responsibility in China: The Mediating Role of Green Psychological Capital," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-19, February.
    6. Wang, Shuguang & Sun, Luang & Iqbal, Sajid, 2022. "Green financing role on renewable energy dependence and energy transition in E7 economies," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 200(C), pages 1561-1572.

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