Abstract
Aim This study is aimed at exploring the relationship between green behavior intentions and green behavior and analyzing the moderating role of ethical leadership in this relationship. Background Nurses' green behavior can directly reduce costs and protect the natural environment and organizational sustainability by saving resources and energy. It is not clear how green behavior intention affects green behavior or how the positive influence of green behavior intention on green behavior can be enhanced. Design and Methods. This is a cross-sectional study, and the surveys are collected from 3 hospitals in China. Of the initial cohort of 489 nurses, 89.6% were female. There were 327 subjects (66.9%) aged 35 or less, 267 subjects (54.6%) with 10 years or less of work experience, and 220 unmarried subjects (44.9%). Data were collected from January to July 2018, using three surveys: green behavior intentions, green behavior, and ethical leadership. Results Green behavior intentions impacted employee green behavior (b = 0.32, t = 5.37, p < 0.01). The interaction term for green behavior intentions and ethical leadership was significant (b = 0.28, t = 2.53, p ≤ 0.01); the conditional direct effect of green behavior intentions was only significant at a high level of ethical leadership (conditional effect = 0.53, SE = 0.16, t = 3.38, p < 0.01, 95% confidence interval of 0.22-0.84). Conclusion The intention to engage in green behavior influences nurses' green behavior positively, and the relationship is stronger when ethical leadership is high in the organization than when ethical leadership is low. The results of this study can help both academics and practitioners to understand the micromechanism of environmentally sustainable development in more detail and to identify the mechanisms and boundary conditions of green behavioral intentions, green behavior, and ethical leadership.
Highlights
Sustainable development is a serious global problem facing all of humankind
Ethical leadership was positively correlated with employee green behavior (r = 0:68, p < 0:01)
We found that the impact coefficient of green behavior intentions on green behavior was stronger for employees who worked under a higher level of ethical leadership
Summary
Sustainable development is a serious global problem facing all of humankind. Previous studies have shown that environmental pollution is largely caused by human activities [1]. The voluntary environmental protect action is considered to play the most important role in environmental pollution control and sustainable development; organizational researchers and practitioners care about environmental issues [2], and the business idea of “being green” is widely accepted. Prior research has found that the individual behavior is significantly related to organizational environmental performance [3], cost saving and competitive advantage, and waste reduction [4]. The effectiveness of hospital initiatives for sustainable development relies on nurses’ behavior [5]. By the end of 2019, China had produced 843,000 tons of medical waste in 196 large- and medium-sized cities. In October 2019, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China
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