Examining the Factors that Influence Employee Green Behaviour in China Using Social Cognitive Theory: A Mediating Role of Green Self-identity
List of Authors
Kavigtha Mohan Kumar, Liu Changbo, Teoh Ai Ping
Keyword
Employee Green Behavior, Environmental Goal Clarity, Green Self-identity, Social Cognitive Theory
Abstract
In 2021, carbon emissions from China’s logistics sector,including transportation, warehousing, postal and telecommunications services, as well as transportation equipment, constituted approximately 7.08% of the nation’s total carbon emissions. Historically, the logistics industry has consistently ranked among the top four contributors to China’s overall carbon footprint. Despite this significant impact, existing literature has paid limited attention to the green behavior of employees within the logistics sector. This study aims to address this gap by identifying key factors that influence green behavior among employees in China’s logistics service provider industry. Specifically, the research explores how organizational goal clarity fosters employees’ green self-identity, which, in turn, motivates their engagement in employee green behavior. Using questionnaire data collected from managers at JD.com and SF Express Group Co., Ltd. in Guangdong Province, China, this study empirically tests its hypotheses through statistical analyses conducted with SPSS and SmartPLS 4.0. Grounded in a theoretical framework that integrates environmental goal clarity and green self-identity, this research makes a novel contribution to understanding the antecedents of employees’ green behavior. Moreover, it introduces green self-identity as a mediating variable linking environmental goal clarity to green behavior, a relationship that remains underexplored within the context of social cognitive theory. By examining this mediation from a novel perspective, the study advances theoretical insights and provides practical implications for fostering sustainability in the logistics sector.