zacher-et-al-2024-leadership-and-environmental-sustainability-an-integrative-conceptual-model-of-multilevel-antecedents

Introduction to Leadership and Environmental Sustainability

• Environmental sustainability is a strategic and ethical imperative for organizations.

• The relationship between leadership and employee pro-environmental behavior, termed "green behavior," is well-researched.

• Existing studies conflate leadership styles with behaviors, antecedents, and consequences, highlighting the need for conceptual clarity.

• This paper aims to:

  • Define leadership within the context of environmental sustainability and leader green behavior.

  • Present an integrative conceptual model of the multilevel antecedents and consequences of leader green behavior.

  • Offer recommendations for future research.

Definitions of Leadership in the Context of Environmental Sustainability

• Leadership is seen as a process where leaders influence followers and organizations towards environmental sustainability goals.

• Environmental sustainability goals include targets like reducing emissions and promoting responsible consumption.

• Leader Green Behavior is defined as purposeful leader actions that affect environmental sustainability either directly or indirectly.

The Conceptual Model of Leader Green Behavior

• The model outlines three hierarchical levels of antecedents and consequences:

  • Leader Level: Comprises leader characteristics that influence green behavior such as motivation and specific skills.

  • Follower Level: Involves how followers can influence leader behavior and their own green actions.

  • Organization Level: Considers organizational strategy and culture's role in shaping leader and follower behavior.

Key Components of the Model

• The model integrates various known pathways among leaders and followers, proposing propositions for future research.

• It emphasizes that different factors can mediate or moderate the relationship between leader behaviors and environmental outcomes.

Literature Review Methodology

• A thorough literature review was conducted using specific search terms related to environmental leadership, yielding significant insights into various green leadership constructs.

• The review identified key constructs of green leadership, including environmentally-specific transformational leadership and servant leadership.

Antecedents of Leader Green Behavior

• Key antecedents include:

  • Personal values, conscientiousness, and environmental knowledge.

  • Contextual factors such as organizational support for pro-environmental practices.

  • Follower engagement and feedback can also influence leader behavior.

Consequences of Leader Green Behavior

• Positive consequences for leaders include:

  • Enhanced need satisfaction and improved leadership performance.

  • Influencing follower behaviors towards pro-environmental actions.

  • Potential positive effects on organizational outcomes like environmental performance.

The Role of Contextual Antecedents

• Context plays a significant role in facilitating or restricting leader green behavior.

• Strong organizational environmental policies can enhance the effect of individual leader qualities on sustainable practices.

Future Research Directions

• Researchers are encouraged to:

  • Explore the impact of leader green behavior across different organizational contexts.

  • Apply multilevel and longitudinal methods to understand how these dynamics evolve over time.

  • Investigate the nuances of how follower characteristics interact with leader behaviors in promoting environmental sustainability.

Conclusion

• This conceptual paper contributes to the understanding of leadership in environmental sustainability by providing clear definitions and an integrative model for future studies.

• The propositions set out can guide empirical research towards enhancing pro-environmental practices in organizations.