IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/globus/v26y2025i4p1103-1126.html

Green Organizational Culture: An Exploration of Dimensions

Author

Listed:
  • Priyanka Aggarwal
  • Tanuja Agarwala

Abstract

Awareness of environmental issues and stakeholder expectations has led organizations to be concerned about the impact of their products, processes and packaging on the natural environment. Environmental sustainability has become an essential tool for the competitive advantage of firms. Organizations need to bring about cultural transformation to sustain competitive advantage. This orientation has brought green organizational culture to centre stage as firms seek to institutionalize and incorporate environmental focus throughout the organization. The belief that integrating environmental concerns with organizational culture should result in sustainable competitive advantage mandates that firms measure the extent of ‘greening’ of the culture. Literature review reveals that ‘green organizational culture’ has begun to receive attention in recent years. However, a standardized and empirically validated instrument is not available for measuring the extent to which green values are internalized throughout the firm. The present study aims to fill this gap by developing a questionnaire to study green organizational culture (GOC). The model proposed by Harris and Crane (2002 , Journal of Organizational Change Management , vol. 15, pp. 214–234) is used as a basis for questionnaire development. A two-stage method of structural equation modelling in AMOS 23 is employed for data analysis. Exploratory factor analysis in SPSS reveals three dimensions of the construct measured by two items. Confirmatory factor analysis confirms the factor structure. The instrument satisfies the conditions of convergent and discriminant validity and the model fulfils the criteria for model fitness. Measurement of green organizational culture has important implications for creating and reinforcing greening through human resource policies and practices.

Suggested Citation

  • Priyanka Aggarwal & Tanuja Agarwala, 2025. "Green Organizational Culture: An Exploration of Dimensions," Global Business Review, International Management Institute, vol. 26(4), pages 1103-1126, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:globus:v:26:y:2025:i:4:p:1103-1126
    DOI: 10.1177/09721509211049890
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/09721509211049890
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/09721509211049890?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Linnenluecke, Martina K. & Griffiths, Andrew, 2010. "Corporate sustainability and organizational culture," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 45(4), pages 357-366, October.
    2. Zhaojun Yang & Jun Sun & Yali Zhang & Ying Wang, 2017. "Green, Green, It’s Green: A Triad Model of Technology, Culture, and Innovation for Corporate Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(8), pages 1-23, August.
    3. Michael J. Rouse & Urs S. Daellenbach, 1999. "Rethinking research methods for the resource‐based perspective: isolating sources of sustainable competitive advantage," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20(5), pages 487-494, May.
    4. Gupta, Suraksha & Kumar, V., 2013. "Sustainability as corporate culture of a brand for superior performance," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 48(3), pages 311-320.
    5. Papadas, Karolos-Konstantinos & Avlonitis, George J. & Carrigan, Marylyn, 2017. "Green marketing orientation: Conceptualization, scale development and validation," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 236-246.
    6. Banerjee, Subhabrata Bobby, 2002. "Corporate environmentalism: the construct and its measurement," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 55(3), pages 177-191, March.
    7. Leonidou, Leonidas C. & Fotiadis, Thomas A. & Christodoulides, Paul & Spyropoulou, Stavroula & Katsikeas, Constantine S., 2015. "Environmentally friendly export business strategy: Its determinants and effects on competitive advantage and performance," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 24(5), pages 798-811.
    8. Tracy H. Porter & Vickie Coleman Gallagher & Diane Lawong, 2016. "The greening of organizational culture: revisited fifteen years later," American Journal of Business, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 31(4), pages 206-226, October.
    9. Mert Gürlek & Muharrem Tuna, 2018. "Reinforcing competitive advantage through green organizational culture and green innovation," The Service Industries Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 38(7-8), pages 467-491, June.
    10. Pascal Paillé & Yang Chen & Olivier Boiral & Jiafei Jin, 2014. "The Impact of Human Resource Management on Environmental Performance: An Employee-Level Study," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 121(3), pages 451-466, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Papadas, Karolos-Konstantinos & Avlonitis, George J. & Carrigan, Marylyn & Piha, Lamprini, 2019. "The interplay of strategic and internal green marketing orientation on competitive advantage," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 632-643.
    2. Kristina Zabala & Carmela Peñalba‐Aguirrezabalaga & Lorea Narvaiza & Arantza Zubiaurre, 2025. "Building a Green Business: Exploring the Role of Organizational Culture and Human Resource Management Through a Case Study Approach," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(5), pages 5657-5668, July.
    3. Ana Carolina Bertassini & Aldo Roberto Ometto & Semih Severengiz & Mateus Cecilio Gerolamo, 2021. "Circular economy and sustainability: The role of organizational behaviour in the transition journey," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(7), pages 3160-3193, November.
    4. Olufunke P. Adebayo & Rowland E. Worlu & Chinonye L. Moses & Olaleke O. Ogunnaike, 2020. "An Integrated Organisational Culture for Sustainable Environmental Performance in the Nigerian Context," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-15, October.
    5. Marcello Risitano & Rosaria Romano & Vincenzo Rusciano & Gennaro Civero & Debora Scarpato, 2022. "The impact of sustainability on marketing strategy and business performance: The case of Italian fisheries," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(4), pages 1538-1551, May.
    6. Chun-Yi Ho & Bi-Huei Tsai & Chiao-Shan Chen & Ming-Tsang Lu, 2021. "Exploring Green Marketing Orientations toward Sustainability the Hospitality Industry in the COVID-19 Pandemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-18, April.
    7. Katarzyna Gadomska‐Lila & Agata Sudolska & Justyna Łapińska, 2025. "Green Proactivity in the Workplace: Organizational Drivers and Enablers," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(8), pages 9652-9671, December.
    8. Sharma, Revti Raman, 2025. "Environmental strategic role orientations of multinational enterprises: Different shades of green," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 31(5).
    9. Muhammad Ishfaq Khan & Shahbaz Khalid & Umer Zaman & Ana Ercília José & Paulo Ferreira, 2021. "Green Paradox in Emerging Tourism Supply Chains: Achieving Green Consumption Behavior through Strategic Green Marketing Orientation, Brand Social Responsibility, and Green Image," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(18), pages 1-24, September.
    10. Banjo Roxas & Alan Coetzer, 2012. "Institutional Environment, Managerial Attitudes and Environmental Sustainability Orientation of Small Firms," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 111(4), pages 461-476, December.
    11. Serdar Cop & Uju Violet Alola & Andrew Adewale Alola, 2020. "Perceived behavioral control as a mediator of hotels' green training, environmental commitment, and organizational citizenship behavior: A sustainable environmental practice," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(8), pages 3495-3508, December.
    12. Berina Jaganjac & Kathrine Wallevik Hansen & Henriette Lunde & John A. Hunnes, 2025. "The role of organizational culture and structure in implementing sustainability initiatives," Business Ethics, the Environment & Responsibility, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 34(4), pages 1239-1254, October.
    13. Fuping Bai & Yujie Huang & Qi Zhang & Mengting Shang, 2024. "Unleashing the power of green culture: Exploring the path to sustainable development performance in enterprises," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(4), pages 3226-3247, August.
    14. Eun-Jung Woo & Eungoo Kang, 2021. "Employee Environmental Capability and Its Relationship with Corporate Culture," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-22, August.
    15. Monica Santana & Alvaro Lopez‐Cabrales, 2019. "Sustainable development and human resource management: A science mapping approach," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 26(6), pages 1171-1183, November.
    16. Ricky Y. K. Chan & Katherine H. Y. Ma, 2016. "Environmental Orientation of Exporting SMEs from an Emerging Economy: Its Antecedents and Consequences," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 56(5), pages 597-632, October.
    17. repec:bjc:journl:v:12:y:2025:i:10:p:182-203 is not listed on IDEAS
    18. Lueg, Rainer & Radlach, Ronny, 2016. "Managing sustainable development with management control systems: A literature review," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 34(2), pages 158-171.
    19. Farida Saleem & Saiqa Saddiqa Qureshi & Muhammad Imran Malik, 2021. "Impact of Environmental Orientation on Proactive and Reactive Environmental Strategies: Mediating Role of Business Environmental Commitment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-16, July.
    20. Jiakun Liu & Xinxiang Gao & Yi Cao & Naveed Mushtaq & Jiuming Chen & Li Wan, 2022. "Catalytic Effect of Green Human Resource Practices on Sustainable Development Goals: Can Individual Values Moderate an Empirical Validation in a Developing Economy?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-23, November.
    21. Riza Casidy & Denni Arli & Lay Peng Tan, 2024. "The Influence of Religious Identification on Strategic Green Marketing Orientation," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 195(1), pages 215-231, November.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:globus:v:26:y:2025:i:4:p:1103-1126. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.imi.edu/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.