LINKING RESPONSIBLE LEADERSHIP TO VOLUNTARY GREEN WORKPLACE BEHAVIOUR IN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR: THE MEDIATING ROLES OF GREEN WORK CLIMATE AND EMPLOYEE GREEN VALUES

Abstract

This research investigates voluntary green behaviour (VGB) exhibited by employees in Pakistan’s manufacturing sector. Drawing on social information processing theory, it proposes and empirically tests a two-stage mediation process in which green work climate and employees’ green values explain how responsible leadership fosters pro-environmental behaviours. Data were collected through a cross-sectional, structured questionnaire administered to operational and supervisory staff across various manufacturing companies. Out of the total responses, 432 met the validity criteria and were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) via SPSS. The findings reveal that responsible leadership positively influences VGB by shaping employees’ attitudes toward environmental issues within their organization and strengthening their commitment to sustainability. Both the green values held by employees and the organization’s green work climate serve as significant mediators, highlighting the psychological (values) and contextual (climate) mechanisms through which leadership practices stimulate voluntary pro-environmental behaviour. The study offers practical guidance for managers, emphasizing that fostering ecological responsibility through empowered, ethics-based leadership can inspire employees to engage in green initiatives both within and beyond the workplace. By integrating social information processing theory with a resource-based view, this research makes a novel contribution to literature by examining the mediating roles of green work climate and green values consecutively, simultaneously, and in combination- a construct configuration not previously applied in responsible leadership and VGB research. The proposed dual-mediation framework deepens our understanding of the pathways linking leadership to environmental behaviour, offering valuable insights into theory and practice in organizational sustainability.

Keywords: Responsible leadership, voluntary workplace green behaviour, green work climate, employee green values, manufacturing sector, Pakistan