Cultivating eco-commitment: cross-tier drivers of employee green behaviour and organizational attractiveness

Purpose This paper investigates the impact of responsible leadership (RL) and psychological ownership (PO) on employee green behaviour (EGB) and the impact of EGB on organizational attractiveness (OA) in the hotel industry. It aims to extend theoretical and practical understanding of green behaviour mechanisms within hospitality settings in the Global South. Design/methodology/approach Building on the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and the resource-based view (RBV) theory, this study employed a time-lagged, multilevel research design. Data were collected from 407 operational-level employees and 76 managers in hotels rated 3 stars and above in Pakistan. Hypotheses were tested using Mplus to assess both direct and mediating effects, including same-level and cross-level paths. Findings The results indicate that both RL and PO significantly enhance EGB, and that EGB has a positive influence on OA. However, EGB did not mediate substantially between RL and PO to OA. These non-supported mediation paths provide important theoretical insights and open new directions for future research on the boundary conditions of green behaviour mechanisms. Practical implications The findings indicate that hotel managers should strengthen RL and foster employees’ PO to encourage EGB. Integrating green leadership practices, employee empowerment, and green human resource (HR) policies can help hotels leverage EGB to enhance OA and sustainability outcomes. Originality/value This study contributes to the multilevel green behaviour literature by empirically investigating the impact of RL and PO on EGB, which in turn influences OA, through the lenses of RBV theory and TPB. It provides rare empirical evidence from the hotel industry in a developing country setting and emphasizes the significance of investigating both supported and unsupported effects to advance literature/theory. The non-significant mediation results pave the way for further research into contextual and organizational elements that may influence the paths from green behaviour to organizational-level outcomes and perceptions. The study also offers valuable insights to organizations, policymakers and HR practitioners.