Motivating servant process for employee organizational citizenship behavior towards the environment: A goal setting perspective of integrating person-organization fit model

Abstract

By integrating goal setting theory and person-organization fit model (P–O Fit), this paper construct a moderated mediation model to verify the relationship between environmentally-specific servant leadership (ESSL) and employee organizational citizenship behavior towards the environment (OCBE) in China's new energy vehicle industry. A hierarchical regression analysis of two wave data from 356 superior-subordinate dyads indicates that both ESSL and person-organization fit (P–O Fit) are positively related to employee OCBE. Meanwhile, P–O Fit mediates the relationship between ESSL and employee OCBE. Furthermore, this direct and indirect effect is strengthened when team pro-environmental goal clarity (as a moderator) is higher versus lower. Our findings expand the driving mechanism of employee pro-environmental behavior at the micro level, and provide a new lens of how and when ESSL affect employee green practice. Implications and limitations are discussed.