How transformational leadership and employee motivation combine to predict employee proenvironmental behaviors in China

Abstract

Seeking to build a deeper understanding of the determinants of employees' proenvironmental behaviors (PEBs), we tested the linkages between transformational leadership on environmental issues, employees' autonomous and external motivation to perform PEBs, and employees' PEBs. Data from 294 employees in China indicated that the environmental transformational leadership provided by employees' managers was associated with increases in employees' autonomous and external motivation. Autonomous motivation was, in turn, positively related to PEBs. The relationship between external motivation and PEBs was moderated by environmental transformational leadership. When environmental transformational leadership was high, external motivation was positively related to PEBs. When environmental transformational leadership was low, external motivation was negatively related to PEBs. Environmental transformational leadership also had a strong, direct positive relationship with PEBs. Overall, our results suggest that interplay of environmental transformational leadership, autonomous motivation, and external motivation is important in influencing employees' PEBs.