Leading Green: How Leadership Styles Shape Environmental Human Resource Management Practices in Greek Hospitality Organizations

This research focuses on the effects of leadership styles on the implementation of Green Human Resource Management (Green HRM) initiatives in hotels in Greece by staff members, and it recognizes the lack of sustainability research in the Mediterranean hospitality sector. Employing the Full-Range Leadership Model, we explore the impact of transformational, transactional, and passive leadership on the implementation of environmental HR practices. The data for this study were obtained from 216 employees in 29 hotels in Greece, who completed the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ-5x) and a Green HRM instrument. Several regression analyses showed that transformational leadership was the most robust positive predictor of Green HRM practices, followed by leadership outcomes and transactional leadership. On the other hand, passive leadership was significantly inversely associated with Green HRM implementation. Demographic variables, such as gender, age, and experience, had a substantial impact on both perceptions of leadership and involvement in Green HRM as well. The results offer significant theoretical implications and practical directions for improving environmental performance in hospitality organizations through the strategic use of leadership development and human resource management intervention.