Effect of Moral Leadership on Corporate ESG Performance in China: the Mediating role of Corporate Green Technology Innovation and the Moderating Role of Employees’ Green Values

China is increasingly concerned about environmental issues, the enterprises have to take into account the task of improving environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance. The improvement of corporate ESG performance is inseparable from the participation of corporate managers and employees. Moral leadership can effectively communicate the concept of “environmental ethics” to employees in the process of green development of the organization, set a moral example, and inspire employees’ enthusiasm for environmental protection, thereby improving corporate ESG performance. Therefore, the research was operationalized using empirical data collected from 376 listed company employees to explore the impact of moral leadership on corporate ESG performance under the unique cultural background of China. The study also examined the mediating role of corporate green technology innovation (GTI) and the moderating role of corporate GTI employees’ green values, revealing the internal mechanism through which moral leadership positively influences corporate ESG performance. The results showed that: (1) Corporate ESG performance is significantly improved by moral leadership. A company’s overall ESG performance may be improved and staff engagement in environmental protection initiatives can be increased by promoting higher moral standards and values. (2) The association between corporate GTI and ethical leadership may be moderated by the employees’ green values. More specifically, the positive effects of ethical leadership on business GTI are more noticeable when personnel have greater levels of green values. (3) Corporate GTI plays a crucial mediating role between ethical leadership and corporate ESG performance. Ethical leadership improves corporate ESG performance by fostering GTI.