The Trickle-Down Effect of Leaders' VWGB on Employees' Pro-Environmental Behaviors: A Moderated Mediation Model

Jianfei Wu; Weinan Zhang; Chuanhu Peng; Juan Li; Saiyu Zhang; Wenjing Cai; Dan Chen

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.623687

The Trickle-Down Effect of Leaders' VWGB on Employees' Pro-Environmental Behaviors: A Moderated Mediation Model

Front Psychol. 2021 Apr 21:12:623687. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.623687. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Jianfei Wu¹, Weinan Zhang¹, Chuanhu Peng¹, Juan Li¹, Saiyu Zhang¹, Wenjing Cai^{2

3}, Dan Chen⁴

Affiliations

¹ Ance Think Tank, Hefei, China.
² School of Public Affairs, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
³ Department of Management and Organization, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
⁴ International Institute of Finance, School of Management, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.

Abstract

Although previous research has highlighted the positive effect of leaders' voluntary workplace green behavior (VWGB), limited research attention has been given to empirically testing how and when such behavior produces trickle-down effects. Taking a role model perspective and drawing on social identity theory, this research aims to fill this gap by proposing and testing the mechanism and boundary conditions of the influencing processes whereby leaders' VWGB can trickle down to employees' pro-environmental behaviors. By theorizing a moderated mediation model, the current research empirically examines the hypotheses by conducting a hierarchical regression analysis. We employed a survey questionnaire research design to collect two waves of multisource data. The data used in the analysis are from survey responses of 313 subordinate-supervisor dyads at two different time points. The results show that leaders' VWGB can have a trickle-down influence on employees' task-related pro-environmental behavior and proactive pro-environmental behaviors through their green self-identity and that this trickle-down effect is greater among employees with higher green climate perceptions. Our results reveal the intervening mechanism and boundary condition of leaders' VWGB by conducting a systematic examination of how this effect trickles down.

Keywords: green self-identity; leaders’ voluntary workplace green behavior; proactive pro-environmental behaviors; task-related pro-environmental behaviors; trickle-down effect.