How to Achieve Better Sustainable Performance: The Role of Ethical Leadership and Green Employee Empowerment?

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate methods for encouraging employees' environmental behavior at the voluntary level to improve sustainability in China's manufacturing sector. This study proposed and evaluated a model in which ethical leadership and green employee empowerment led to employees' voluntary environmental behavior. It drew on the trickle-down effect model and social learning theory. Furthermore, a moral climate was added to this model as a moderator. The findings indicated that ethical climate moderates the indirect effect of ethical leadership on sustainable performance through employee voluntary environmental behavior and that ethical climate moderates the indirect effect of green employee empowerment. Voluntary environmental behavior mediates the relationship between ethical leadership and sustainable performance. Finally, this study's theoretical and practical ramifications were examined.