Green transformational leadership and pro-environmental behaviour: unravelling the underlying mechanism in the context of hotel industry

Purpose Despite the research conducted on transformational leadership has contributed to our understanding of its impact on non-green employee outcomes, there is still a lack of comprehension regarding the influence of environment-specific transformational leadership, also known as green transformational leadership (GTL), on employee green outcomes and the underlying mechanisms that drive this relationship. Thus, to address this gap, this study aims to examine the effects of GTL on pro-environmental behaviour (PEB) among employees working in three- to five-star hotels in India. The study also aims to investigate the potential mediating role of green human resource management (GHRM) and the moderating effect of environmental concern (EC) on the relationship between GHRM and PEB. Design/methodology/approach The study collected data from 181 employees working in various 3–5-star hotels operating in India. Structural equation modelling using Smart PLS-4 and SPSS PROCESS MACRO (Model 14) were used to test the hypotheses. Findings The results validated the significant positive impact of GTL on PEB. The findings suggest a significant mediating effect of GHRM in the GTL–PEB relationship, and EC negatively moderated the indirect effect of GTL on PEB through GHRM. Practical implications The findings suggest that GTL can have a positive impact on employee green outcomes in the hotel industry. The study provides useful insights for policymakers in the hospitality sector, specifically hotels. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to examine the relationships between GTL, GHRM, EC and PEB using empirical data from hotels in India. The study contributes to the growing body of research on green leadership and employee green outcomes.