Understanding employees’ voluntary Pro-environmental behavior in public Organizations – an integrative theory

Abstract

Employee engagement in voluntary environmental behavior in the workplace is reflected in the environmental performance of the organization and contributes to general societal sustainability. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of situational factors and internal psychological states on employees’ decisions to perform voluntary pro-environmental behavior. It used a model combining the theory of planned behavior, the norm activation model, and the comprehensive action determination model. We sought a thorough understanding of the factors that influence employee intention to engage in voluntary pro-environmental behavior, which may then influence their actual behavior. The proposed constructs were driven by three pro-environmental models: the theory of planned behavior (Ajzen, 1991), the norm activation model (Schwartz, 1977) and the comprehensive action determination model (CADM) (Klo¨ckner & Blo¨baum, 2010). The study’s conceptual model, which included variables such as attitude, perceived behavioral control, personal moral norms, perceived corporate social responsibility, and organizational citizenship behaviors towards the environment, helps to explain a substantial proportion of employees’ intentions to perform voluntary pro- environmental behavior. This study focuses on pro-environmental behavior that is practiced regularly enough to become a daily, habitual practice. The study also examined the moderating effect of habit (HAB) on the relationship between intended and actual voluntary pro-environmental behavior. Four research objectives were proposed in this study to address gaps in knowledge about employee voluntary pro-environmental behavior. Its initial goal was to create a framework for measuring voluntary pro-environmental behavior in public organizations.Second, it investigated the factors that influence voluntary pro-environmental behavior vi among employees in public organizations. Third, it searched into the impact of employees' intention on their actual behavior in the public sector. Fourth, it looked at how habit affected the relationship between intended and actual voluntary pro- environmental behavior. The survey was distributed to public entities in the United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi city) in various sectors such as education, environment, oil and gas, energy, and agriculture. Data were collected from 519 completed surveys from public sector employees using a time-lagged design in three waves to eliminate typical technique bias, and data collection took place in three waves at two-week intervals (Podsakoff et al., 2003). The findings of this research demonstrated that employee perceptions of corporate social responsibility (CSR), like all other variables, had a significant impact on intention to engage in voluntary pro-environmental behavior. Habits (HABs) associated with pro-environmental behavior strengthened the link between intention and actual behavior.These findings can be used by public sector planners, managers, and practitioners to improve their organization's environmental performance by leveraging nonmandated actions. Furthermore , provide opportunities for employees to engage in environmental discussions, and involving managers actively and intentionally in the organization by adopting a strategy that integrates awareness of environmental practices. Employees in organizations with flexible CSR policies and that sponsor social activities to improve public well-being and individual life quality can achieve a better work-life balance. Positive perceptions of corporate social responsibility assist employees in developing social interactions with stakeholders, increasing their involvement in society and decreasing work stress. viiThe results of this study shed light on the factors that influence employees' voluntary pro-environmental behavior. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study of its kind to combine these three models in attempting to clarify the variables influencing intent to engage in voluntary pro-environmental behavior at work in the Middle East region and offered new directions for academics to investigate in future. This study focuses on public organizations in a developing country, and thereforecontributes to and broadens existing knowledge on voluntary pro-environmental behavior. This approach should enable organizations to improve their environmental performance and therefore probably their long-term sustainability. Keywords Abu Dhabi School Of Government, AED Arabic Emirati Dirhams, AGEDI Abu Dhabi Global Environmental Data Initiative, AVE Average Variance Extracted, CADM Comprehensive Action Determination Model, CCS Carbon Capture And Storage.