How green servant leadership influences organizational green performance? The roles of employee green creativity, voluntary pro-environmental behavior and green psychological climate

Purpose Drawing from the resource-based view and social information processing theory, this study explores the role of green servant leadership on organizational green performance and the mechanisms underpinning this relationship. Design/methodology/approach This study focuses on the textile industry in Pakistan, known as one of the most environmentally polluting sectors globally. Data were collected from 32 textile companies in the Punjab province of Pakistan. Using a purposive sampling approach, we distributed questionnaires in two phases with a two-week interval. In the first phase, 800 surveys were distributed, resulting in 457 valid responses for the second phase of data collection. Findings Our findings shed light on the relationship between green servant leadership and organizational green performance through the mediating role of employees’ green creativity, particularly in the presence of higher levels of green psychological climate. Furthermore, our study demonstrates that employees’ green creativity and voluntary pro-environmental behavior sequentially mediate the relationship between green servant leadership and organizational green performance. We also found evidence for the interaction between green psychological climate and employees’ green creativity in enhancing organizational green performance. The implications of these findings for both theory and practice are discussed in this study. Originality/value This study offers a significant contribution to the literature by exploring the multifaceted drivers of organizational green performance. It integrates the roles of green servant leadership, green creativity, voluntary pro-environmental behavior and green psychological climate, presenting a holistic understanding of how leadership influences sustainability outcomes. By introducing serial mediation through employees’ green creativity and voluntary pro-environmental behavior, the research provides new insight into the mechanisms underpinning these relationships. Furthermore, the inclusion of green psychological climate as a moderating factor advances theoretical discussions on contextual influences in green servant leadership. Beyond theoretical contributions, this study offers practical guidance for managers and policymakers by identifying actionable strategies to foster environmentally responsible workplace behaviors, promote innovative green practices and align organizational policies with sustainability goals.