Environmental management strategy and organizational citizenship behaviors in the hotel industry

Abstract

PurposeRecently, the hotel industry has increased its adoption of environmental management practices. Because the research on hotel environmental management often overlooks organizational factors, this study aims to investigate the effects of an environmental management strategy (EMS) on organizational citizenship behavior and tested the mediating roles of organizational trust and commitment in explaining those effects.Design/methodology/approachAn online survey of US hotel employees yielded 373 complete responses. Data were analyzed with structural equation modeling.FindingsEMS positively affected organizational trust and commitment, which ultimately influenced organizational citizenship behavior. Furthermore, organizational trust and commitment fully mediated the relationship between EMS and organizational citizenship behavior.Practical implicationsThe results establish the foundation for applying EMS in organizational operations. The findings can benefit managers, as they show how hotel firms’ prosocial practices can enhance employees’ positive behaviors.Originality/valueDespite the importance of employee attitudes and behaviors, little is known about the mechanism by which employees perceive the influence of an EMS on organizational citizenship behaviors. Therefore, the study examined organizational trust and commitment as mediators of the relationship between EMS and organizational citizenship behavior.