Investigating the Cascading Effect of Leaders’ OCBE: A Moderated Mediation Model

Abstract

Scholars and practitioners have expounded on the importance and urgency of corporate environmental sustainability. As such, today’s organizations are more concerned about their environmental performance and exploring ways to encourage and facilitate employees’ pro-environmental behaviours. In recent years, research attention has been directed to the management of employee pro-environmental behaviours in the workplace. Organizational citizenship behaviour for the environment (OCBE) is employees’ voluntary behaviours that can help facilitate the effective environmental management of the organization. Drawing upon social learning theory (SLT) and social exchange theory (SET), this conceptual paper aims to delineate the cascading effect from leaders’ OCBE to followers’ OCBE and explore its underlying process while explaining the impact of organizational culture on employee behaviour. Furthermore, it discusses how and why a personality trait (i.e. openness) can increase employees’ tendencies to engage in high-intensity OCBE (i.e. OCBE with short-term costs and long-term benefits). By proposing a moderated mediation model that depicts a cascading effect, this paper will be of value to both academics and management practitioners. It will assist organizations in hiring and developing employee competences in environmental sustainability. Leadership is also emphasized relating to hiring and promoting those with expertise in and passion for environmental sustainability.