The Structural Relationship between Sustainable Leadership, Role Behavior, and Environmental Performance: A Qualitative Systematic Literature Review of Empirical and Theoretical Perspectives
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70142/jbs.v3i1.132Keywords:
Sustainable leadership, Role behavior, Environmental performance, Pro-environmental behavior, Systematic literature reviewAbstract
This study examines the structural relationship between sustainable leadership, role behavior, and environmental performance through a qualitative systematic literature review integrating empirical and theoretical perspectives. Drawing on recent and foundational studies, the review synthesizes how sustainable leadership fosters pro environmental role behaviors, such as organizational citizenship behavior for the environment and green task performance which in turn enhance organizational environmental outcomes. The findings indicate that sustainable leadership indirectly influences environmental performance by shaping employees’ values, motivations, and behaviors aligned with sustainability goals. Furthermore, contextual factors such as organizational culture, stakeholder pressure, and regulatory frameworks are identified as critical moderators in strengthening this relationship. This study contributes to the literature by offering an integrative framework that links leadership practices to environmental performance through behavioral mechanisms, highlighting the importance of aligning leadership strategies with sustainability oriented role behaviors. The review also provides implications for organizations seeking to improve environmental performance through leadership driven behavioral change.
References
Abbas, J. (2024). Green supply chain management and firm sustainable performance. Environment, Development and Sustainability.
Afifa, M. A., Tran, N. K., Tran, T. H. T., Dang, D. M. T., & Nguyen, N. M. (2024). Leadership and sustainable performance under environmental pressure. Vision.
Afsar, B., Badir, Y., & Kiani, U. S. (2020). Linking spiritual leadership and employee pro-environmental behavior: The influence of workplace spirituality, intrinsic motivation, and environmental passion. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 69, 101404.
Appelbaum, E., Bailey, T., Berg, P., & Kalleberg, A. (2000). Manufacturing advantage: Why high-performance work systems pay off. Cornell University Press.
Avery, G. C., & Bergsteiner, H. (2011). Sustainable leadership practices for enhancing business resilience and performance. Strategy & Leadership, 39(3), 5–15.
Baek, Y. S. (2012). Characteristics of long-lived companies and conditions for longevity. Journal of Orderly Economy, 15(4).
Baek, Y. S. (2014). Understanding business administration. Bizpress.
Baek, Y. S. (2016). Organizational behavior. Big Book.
Bandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory. Prentice Hall.
Begum, S., Xia, E., Mehmood, K., & Iftikhar, Y. (2022). The impact of sustainable leadership on environmental performance: The mediating role of green innovation. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 29(14), 20764–20775.
Blau, P. M. (1964). Exchange and power in social life. Wiley.
Boiral, O., & Paillé, P. (2012). Organizational citizenship behaviour for the environment: Measurement and validation. Journal of Business Ethics, 109(4), 431–445.
Burawat, P. (2019). The relationships among transformational leadership, sustainable leadership, lean manufacturing, and sustainability performance in Thai SMEs. International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 36(6), 1014–1036.
Calabrese, E. J. (2008). Neuroscience and hormesis: Overview and general findings. Critical Reviews in Toxicology, 38, 249–252.
Chen, Y. S., & Chang, C. H. (2013). The determinants of green product development performance: Green dynamic capabilities, green transformational leadership, and green creativity. Journal of Business Ethics, 116(1), 107–119.
Cho, D. S. (2011). Theory and practice of sustainable management.
Daft, R. L. (2021). Organization theory & design. Cengage Learning.
Daily, B. F., Bishop, J. W., & Govindarajulu, N. (2009). A conceptual model for organizational citizenship behavior directed toward the environment. Business & Society, 48(2), 243–256.
Dalati, S. (2017). Leadership and sustainable organizational trust on job satisfaction. Business, Management and Economics Engineering, 15(1), 14–27.
Eckles, W. G. (2022). Understanding business. McGraw-Hill.
Fabio, A. D. (2018). Human capital sustainability leadership to promote sustainable development. Sustainability, 10(7), 2413.
Fadila, H., & Fu’ad, E. N. (2024). Transformational leadership and sustainable performance. Jurnal Ilmu Manajemen.
Faraz, N. A., et al. (2024). Environmentally responsible leadership and green behavior. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management.
Freeman, R. E. (1984). Strategic management: A stakeholder approach. Pitman.
Grace Yulianti, Benardi Benardi, & Seger Santoso. (2024). Tantangan dan Peluang Integrasi Kecerdasan Buatan Generatif dalam Praktik Manajemen SDM. Jurnal Visi Manajemen, 10(1), 28–41. https://doi.org/10.56910/jvm.v10i1.522
Graves, L. M., Sarkis, J., & Zhu, Q. (2013). How transformational leadership and employee motivation combine to predict employee pro-environmental behaviors. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 35, 81–91.
Hart, S. L. (1995). A natural-resource-based view of the firm. Academy of Management Review, 20(4), 986–1014.
Hidden Grace Thesis Statistics Team. (2020). Thesis that passes on the first try. Hanbit Academy.
Huang, C. H., Chang, T. W., Ting, C. W., & Huang, S. Y. B. (2024). Leadership and pro-environmental behavior. Sustainability, 16(11), 4716.
Iqbal, Q., Ahmad, N. H., & Li, Y. (2020). Sustainable leadership in frontier Asia region: Managerial discretion and environmental innovation. Sustainability, 12(12), 5002.
Jang, S. J. (2020). Business strategy. Park Youngsa.
Khan, M. A., Ali, M., & Zhang, Y. (2024). Sustainable leadership and environmental performance: The role of green capabilities and employee awareness. Journal of Cleaner Production, 430, 139654.
Khan, S. A. R., Yu, Z., & Sharif, A. (2021). The role of green supply chain management in environmental performance: Moderating role of institutional pressure. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 28, 48238–48248.
Kim, H. S. (2022). Inclusive leadership and role behavior.
Kim, M. Y. (2010). The relationship between personal characteristics, emotional labor, and role behavior.
Kusnanto, E. (2022). Performance Measurement Based on Balance Scorecard Perspective of Sustainable Leadership, Corporate Governance and Human Capital in Banking Industry. International Journal of Contemporary Accounting, 4(1), 41–58. https://doi.org/10.25105/ijca.v4i1.13916
Le, T. T., Chau, T. L. Q., Ngoc, L. T. T., & Tieu, T. T. (2024). Green transformational leadership and environmental performance. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management.
Lee, H. S. (2006). Empirical research methods. Hankyungsa.
Lee, H. S. (2008). Structural equation modeling and AMOS 7.0. Beommunsa.
Lee, W. H. (2014). Sustainable supply chain management and supplier performance. Korean Journal of Business Administration, 43(2), 275–302.
Li, X., Chen, H., & Zhou, K. (2024). Sustainable leadership and environmental performance: A serial mediation model of environmental knowledge and employee behavior. Business Strategy and the Environment, 33(2), 845–860.
Luu, T. T. (2021). Green human resource practices and organizational citizenship behavior for the environment: The roles of collective green crafting and environmentally specific servant leadership. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 29(1), 1–20.
Maeil Business Newspaper Corporate Management Team. (2011). Hello CEO.
Nam, M. J. (2022). The impact of sustainable leadership and social entrepreneurship on ESG management.
Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and practice. Sage Publications.
Norton, T. A., Parker, S. K., Zacher, H., & Ashkanasy, N. M. (2015). Employee green behavior: A theoretical framework, multilevel review, and future research agenda. Organization & Environment, 28(1), 103–125.
O’Hara, W. (2007). World’s longest-lived companies. Yeji.
Ones, D. S., & Dilchert, S. (2012). Environmental sustainability at work: A call to action. Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 5(4), 444–466.
Park, J. W. (2023). Supply chain ESG policies and performance.
Park, J. W., Lee, H. S., & Baek, Y. S. (2024). Structural relationship between sustainable leadership, role behavior, and environmental performance. Social Enterprise Society, 17(2), 41–62.
Park, S. H. (2021). Sustainable leadership and sustainable performance.
Petticrew, M., & Roberts, H. (2006). Systematic reviews in the social sciences: A practical guide. Blackwell Publishing.
Robbins, S. P. (2019). Organizational behavior. Pearson.
Robertson, J. L., & Barling, J. (2017). Toward a new measure of organizational environmental citizenship behavior. Journal of Business Research, 75, 57–66.
Ruslaini Ruslaini, & Eri Kusnanto. (2020). Sustainability Dalam Rantai Pasok Global: Tinjauan Literatur Dari Perspektif Bisnis Internasional dan Manajemen Rantai Pasok. Journal of Business, Finance, and Economics (JBFE), 1(2).
https://doi.org/10.32585/jbfe.v1i2.5691
Santos, J. B. (2012). Measurement model for firm performance. Brazilian Administration Review, 9.
Springer Study. (2024). Sustainable leadership and environmental performance. Discover Sustainability.
Testa, F., Boiral, O., & Iraldo, F. (2018). Internalization of environmental practices and institutional complexity: Can stakeholders pressures encourage green behaviors? Journal of Business Ethics, 147(2), 287–307.
Tranfield, D., Denyer, D., & Smart, P. (2003). Towards a methodology for developing evidence‐informed management knowledge by means of systematic review. British Journal of Management, 14(3), 207–222.
Wang, S., Zhang, D., & Li, Y. (2024). Leadership and environmental performance: The mediating role of employee green behavior. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 31(1), 210–225.
Yoo, Y. S. (2009). Mediating effects of psychological empowerment. Journal of the Korean Society for Human Resource Management, 16(2), 107–123.
Zacher, H., Kühner, C., Katz, I. M., & Rudolph, C. W. (2024). Leadership and environmental sustainability. Group & Organization Management.
Zhang, J., Wang, H., & Li, Q. (2023). Sustainable leadership and environmental performance: The role of green climate and employee engagement. Sustainability, 15(6), 5123.
Zhang, Y., Luo, Y., Zhang, X., & Zhao, J. (2020). How green human resource management can promote green employee behavior in China: A technology acceptance model perspective. Sustainability, 12(4), 1382.
