Exploring the determinants of employees’ workplace green behaviours with the Italian version of the environmentally specific transformational leadership

Environmentally specific transformational leadership (ETFL) is a form of target-specific transformational leadership that focuses on influencing corporate environmental responsibility. It comprises four related behaviours: idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration. Two cross-sectional studies were conducted to validate a new Italian version of ETFL Scale (Study 1) and examine a relational model linking ETFL to employees’ pro-environmental behaviours via the mediation of green organisational climate (Study 2). Study 1 (n = 380; M age = 39.98; SD = 13.65; 45.8% females) evaluated the factorial structure of the 12-item ETFL scale via CFA and supported the robustness of a single-factor model. Study 2 (n = 422; M age = 40.14; SD = 13.59; 41.9% females) tested the hypothesized model on four different pro-environmental behaviours using PROCESS 4.3.1: a) switching off unnecessary lights, b) switching off electronical devices, c) closing windows when heating or air conditioning is running, and d) sorting paper, plastic, glass, and aluminum. The findings revealed that ETFL directly and indirectly affects the frequency with which employees engage in pro-environmental behaviours. However, the indirect effect is only present in the case of recycling activities. Organisational stance regarding environmental matters may exert a different influence based on the type of actions under investigation. For recycling activities, organizational policies can support these behaviors by providing resources such as litter bins to facilitate waste separation practices. Conversely, in situations where the company's structural constraints play a lesser role, leaders can serve as role models, directly motivating subordinates to participate in eco-friendly activities. The findings highlight the importance for tailored interventions within organizational frameworks to promote the adoption of sustainable practices. Given the heterogeneous nature of pro-environmental behaviours, such initiatives should be meticulously designed to align with the specific characteristics of the action of interest.