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Nurturing environmental champions: exploring the influence of environmental-specific servant leadership on environmental performance in the hospitality industry

  • Economic Uncertainty, (Geo)Political Risk, and Sustainable Development Goals
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Abstract

This study investigates the impact of environmental-specific servant leadership (ESSL) on environmental performance (EP) in the context of the hospitality industry. It further examines the mediating roles of environmental concern (EC) and employees’ pro-social attitude (EPSA) in this relationship. Drawing on a sample of hospitality organizations, data was collected using self-report questionnaires from employees. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to analyze the data and test the proposed model. The results demonstrate a positive and significant relationship between ESSL and EP in the hospitality industry. Furthermore, the study reveals that EC and EPSA play a mediating role in the relationship between ESSL and EP. The findings highlight the importance of ESSL in driving environmental performance and underscore the significance of fostering EC and EPSA among employees. Organizations can benefit from developing and nurturing ESSL leaders who inspire and motivate employees to embrace sustainability practices and contribute to a more environmentally responsible and sustainable industry.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Management Science, Hazara University Mansehra, Mansehra, Pakistan

    Sajjad Ahmad Afridi

  2. Department of Management Sciences, Women University Swabi, Swabi, Pakistan

    Sania Zaheer Ali

  3. School of Accounting, Yunnan Technology and Business University, Kunming, China

    R. M. Ammar Zahid

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  1. Sajjad Ahmad Afridi
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  3. R. M. Ammar Zahid
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Contributions

Sajjad Ahmad Afridi and Sania Zaheer Ali: conceptualization, formula analysis, investigation, writing the original draft, data collection, methodology, and formal analysis. Rana Muhammad Ammar Zahid: investigation, software, investigation, data correction, formula analysis, methodology, and revisions of initial draft.

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Correspondence to R. M. Ammar Zahid.

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Afridi, S.A., Ali, S.Z. & Zahid, R.M.A. Nurturing environmental champions: exploring the influence of environmental-specific servant leadership on environmental performance in the hospitality industry. Environ Sci Pollut Res (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-29690-4

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