Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

How does green culture impact corporate environmental responsibility? A dual perspective from ability-motivation-opportunity and organizational learning theory

  • Published:
Environment, Development and Sustainability Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Based on organizational learning theory (OLT) and ability-motivation-opportunity (AMO) framework, this study develops a two-stage moderated mediation model to uncover the black box between green culture and CER. 286 questionnaires were collected from manufacturing firms in mainland China, and partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and three-way interaction were adopted for statistical analysis. The results reveal that (i) green culture is positively associated with CER, and green knowledge base can partially mediate their relationship; (ii) green training (ability) and green involvement (opportunity) can separately or jointly positively moderate the relationship between green culture and green knowledge base; (iii) green performance management (motivation) positively moderates green knowledge base and CER. This study theoretically reveals the complicated influence mechanism between green culture and CER, highlights the importance of green resources, and provides new insights on how to improve CER.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

Data availability

Some or all data, models or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

References

  • Abbas, J., & Khan, S. M. (2023). Green knowledge management and organizational green culture: An interaction for organizational green innovation and green performance. Journal of Knowledge Management, 27(7), 1852–1870.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ahmed, U., Umrani, W. A., Yousaf, A., Siddiqui, M. A., & Pahi, M. H. (2021). Developing faithful stewardship for environment through green HRM. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 33(10), 3115–3133.

    Google Scholar 

  • Akhtar, S., Khan, K. U., Atlas, F., & Irfan, M. (2022). Stimulating student’s pro-environmental behavior in higher education institutions: An ability-motivation-opportunity perspective. Environment Development and Sustainability, 24(3), 4128–4149.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Albort-Morant, G., Leal-Millán, A., Cepeda-Carrion, G., & Henseler, J. (2018). Developing green innovation performance by fostering of organizational knowledge and coopetitive relations. Review of Managerial Science, 12(2), 1–19.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anwar, N., Mahmood, N. H. N., Yusliza, M. Y., Ramayah, T., Faezah, J. N., & Khalid, W. (2020). Green Human Resource Management for organisational citizenship behaviour towards the environment and environmental performance on a university campus. Journal of Cleaner Production, 256, 120401.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Appelbaum, E., Bailey, T., Berg, P., & Kalleberg, A. L. (2000). Manufacturing advantage: Why high-performance work systems pay off. Cornell University Press.

  • Argote, L., & Miron-Spektor, E. (2011). Organizational learning: From experience to knowledge. Organization Science, 22(5), 1123–1137.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Argyris, C., & Schön, D. (1978). Organizational learning: A theory of action perspective. Addison-Wesley.

  • Bai, C., Sarkis, J., & Dou, Y. (2015). Corporate sustainability development in China: Review and analysis. Industrial Management & Data Systems, 115(1), 5–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bhatia, M. S. (2021). Green process innovation and operational performance: The role of proactive environment strategy, technological capabilities, and organizational learning. Business Strategy and the Environment, 30(7), 2845–2857.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Birou, L. M., Green, K. W., & Inman, R. A. (2019). Sustainability knowledge and training: Outcomes and firm performance. Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, 30(2), 294–311.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bizri, R., Wahbi, M., & Jardali, A., H (2021). The impact of CSR best practices on job performance: The mediating roles of affective commitment and work engagement. Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, 8(1), 129–148.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blumberg, M., & Pringle, C. D. (1982). The missing opportunity in organizational research: Some implications for a theory of work performance. Academy of Management Review, 7(4), 560–569.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bouncken, R. B., Clauß, T., & Fredrich, V. (2016). Product innovation through coopetition in alliances: Singular or plural governance? Industrial Marketing Management, 53, 77–90.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cangelosi, V. E., & Dill, W. R. (1965). Organizational learning: Observations toward a theory. Administrative Science Quarterly, 10(2), 175–203.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chan, L. L., Shaffer, M. A., & Snape, E. (2004). In search of sustained competitive advantage: The impact of organizational culture, competitive strategy and human resource management practices on firm performance. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 15(1), 17–35.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chang, W. J., Liao, S. H., & Wu, T. T. (2017). Relationships among organizational culture, knowledge sharing, and innovation capability: A case of the automobile industry in Taiwan. Knowledge Management Research & Practice, 15(3), 471–490.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, Y. S., Lin, S. H., Lin, C. Y., Hung, S. T., Chang, C. W., & Huang, C. W. (2020). Improving green product development performance from green vision and organizational culture perspectives. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 27(1), 222–231.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, Y. S., Lin, Y. H., & Lai, Y. J. (2023). The determinants of green entrepreneurship: The perspectives of leadership, culture, and creativity. Business Strategy and the Environment, 32(6), 3432–3444.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • China Standardization Administration. (2017). Industrial classification for national economic activities. Based on GB/T 4754 – 2017.

  • Dodgson, M. (1993). Organizational learning: A review of some literatures. Organization Studies, 14(3), 375–394.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fang, L., Shi, S., Gao, J., & Li, X. (2022). The mediating role of green innovation and green culture in the relationship between green human resource management and environmental performance. Plos One, 17(9), e0274820.

  • Fornell, C., & Larcker, D. (1981). Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. Journal of Marketing Research, 18(1), 29–50.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fryxell, G. E., & Lo, C. W. H. (2003). The influence of environmental knowledge and values on managerial behavior in China: A comparison of managers in Guangzhou and Beijing. Journal of Business Ethics, 46(1), 45–69.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gao, L., & Yang, F. (2022). Do resource slack and green organizational climate moderate the relationships between institutional pressures and corporate environmental responsibility practices of SMEs in China? Environment. Development and Sustainability, 8, 1–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • García-Machado, J. J., & Martínez-Ávila, M. (2019). Environmental performance and green culture: The mediating effect of green innovation. An application to the automotive industry. Sustainability, 11(18), 4874.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Graham, S. (2018). Antecedents to environmental supply chain strategies: The role of internal integration and environmental learning. International Journal of Production Economics, 197, 283–296.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grant, R. M. (1996). Toward a knowledge-based theory of the firm. Strategic Management Journal, 17(S2), 109–122.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gu, F., Nolan, J., & Rowley, C. (2020). Organizational justice in Chinese banks: Understanding the variable influence of guanxi on perceptions of fairness in performance appraisal. Asia Pacific Business Review, 26(2), 169–189.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guang-Wen, Z., & Siddik, A. B. (2022). Do corporate social responsibility practices and green finance dimensions determine environmental performance? An empirical study on Bangladeshi banking institutions. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 10, 890096.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gunningham, N. (2009). Shaping corporate environmental performance: A review. Environmental Policy and Governance, 19(4), 215–231.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gürlek, M., & Tuna, M. (2018). Reinforcing competitive advantage through green organizational culture and green innovation. The Service Industries Journal, 38(7–8), 467–491.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hair, J., Black, W., Babin, B., & Anderson, R. (2010). Multivariate data analysis (7th ed.). Prentice Hall.

  • Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2017). A primer on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) (2nd ed.). Sage.

  • Harris, L. C., & Crane, A. (2002). The greening of organizational culture: Management views on the depth, degree and diffusion of change. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 15(3), 214–234.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hayes, A. (2018). Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: A regression-based approach (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.

  • Hefner, M. A. (2014). What is an organization that it may learn? Reconstructing the individual organizational tension in learning and knowledge.

  • Hermelingmeier, V., & von Wirth, T. (2021). The nexus of business sustainability and organizational learning: A systematic literature review to identify key learning principles for business transformation. Business Strategy and the Environment, 30(4), 1839–1851.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holtbrügge, D., & Dögl, C. (2012). How international is corporate environmental responsibility? A literature review. Journal of International Management, 18(2), 180–195.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hong, W., & Gajendran, R. S. (2018). Explaining dyadic expertise use in knowledge work teams: An opportunity-ability-motivation perspective. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 39(6), 796–811.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hristov, I., & Chirico, A. (2022). The cultural dimension as a key value driver of the sustainable development at a strategic level: An integrated five-dimensional approach. Environment Development and Sustainability, 25, 7011–7028.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jabbour, C. J. C. (2011). How green are HRM practices, organizational culture, learning and teamwork? A Brazilian study. Industrial and Commercial Training, 43(2), 98–105.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jabbour, C. J. C., & de Sousa Jabbour, A. B. L. (2016). Green human resource management and green supply chain management: Linking two emerging agendas. Journal of Cleaner Production, 112, 1824–1833.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kaur, J., Sidhu, R., Awasthi, A., & Srivastava, S. K. (2019). A pareto investigation on critical barriers in green supply chain management. International Journal of Management Science and Engineering Management, 14(2), 113–123.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Khan, N. A. (2023). Is green leadership associated with employees’ green behavior? Role of green human resource management. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 66(9), 1962–1982.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kogut, B., & Zander, U. (1992). Knowledge of the firm, combinative capabilities, and the replication of technology. Organization Science, 3(3), 383–397.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kumar, A., Moktadir, M. A., Khan, S. A. R., Garza-Reyes, J. A., Tyagi, M., & Kazançoğlu, Y. (2020). Behavioral factors on the adoption of sustainable supply chain practices. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 158, 104818.

  • Kumar, A., Mangla, S. K., Luthra, S., & Ishizaka, A. (2019). Evaluating the human resource related soft dimensions in green supply chain management implementation. Production Planning & Control, 30(9), 699–715.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, J. W., Kim, Y. M., & Kim, Y. E. (2018). Antecedents of adopting corporate environmental responsibility and green practices. Journal of Business Ethics, 148(2), 397–409.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Li, Y., Ye, F., Dai, J., Zhao, X., & Sheu, C. (2019). The adoption of green practices by Chinese firms. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 39(4), 550–572.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li, Z., Liao, G., & Albitar, K. (2020). Does corporate environmental responsibility engagement affect firm value? The mediating role of corporate innovation. Business Strategy and the Environment, 29(3), 1045–1055.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li, Z., Yu, H., & Xing, L. (2023). The impact of green culture on employees, green behavior: The mediation role of environmental awareness. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 30(3), 1325–1335.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lin, C. Y., & Ho, Y. H. (2011). Determinants of green practice adoption for logistics companies in China. Journal of Business Ethics, 98(1), 67–83.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu, Y., Chan, C., Zhao, C., & Liu, C. (2019). Unpacking knowledge management practices in China: Do institution, national and organizational culture matter? Journal of Knowledge Management, 23(4), 619–643.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu, J., Liu, Y., & Yang, L. (2020). Uncovering the influence mechanism between top management support and green procurement: The effect of green training. Journal of Cleaner Production, 251, 119674.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ma, Y., Liu, Y., Appolloni, A., & Liu, J. (2021). Does green public procurement encourage firm’s environmental certification practice? The mediation role of top management support. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 28(3), 1002–1017.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Malik, A., Froese, F. J., & Sharma, P. (2020). Role of HRM in knowledge integration: Towards a conceptual framework. Journal of Business Research, 109, 524–535.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martínez-Martínez, A., Cegarra-Navarro, J. G., Garcia-Perez, A., & Wensley, A. (2019). Knowledge agents as drivers of environmental sustainability and business performance in the hospitality sector. Tourism Management, 70, 381–389.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Naseer, S., Song, H., Adu-Gyamfi, G., Abbass, K., & Naseer, S. (2023). Impact of green supply chain management and green human resource management practices on the sustainable performance of manufacturing firms in Pakistan. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 30(16), 48021–48035.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • National Bureau of Statistics. (2017). Statistical methods for the division of large, medium, small and micro enterprises. Based on GB/T 4754 – 2017.

  • O’Donohue, W., & Torugsa, N. (2016). The moderating effect of ‘Green’ HRM on the association between proactive environmental management and financial performance in small firms. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 27(2), 239–261.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pham, N. T., Tučková, Z., & Jabbour, C. J. C. (2019). Greening the hospitality industry: How do green human resource management practices influence organizational citizenship behavior in hotels? A mixed-methods study. Tourism Management, 72, 386–399.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pham, N. T., Hoang, H. T., & Phan, Q. P. T. (2020a). Green human resource management: A comprehensive review and future research agenda. International Journal of Manpower, 41(7), 845–878.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pham, N. T., Thanh, T. V., Tučková, Z., & Thuy, V. T. N. (2020b). The role of green human resource management in driving hotel’s environmental performance: Interaction and mediation analysis. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 88, 102392.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pinzone, M., Guerci, M., Lettieri, E., & Huisingh, D. (2019). Effects of ‘green’ training on pro-environmental behaviors and job satisfaction: Evidence from the Italian healthcare sector. Journal of Cleaner Production, 226, 221–232.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Podsakoff, P. M., Podsakoff, N. P., Williams, L. J., Huang, C., & Yang, J. (2023). Common method bias: It’s bad, it’s complex, it’s widespread, and it’s not easy to fix (p. 11). Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior.

  • Qin, Y., Harrison, J., & Chen, L. (2019). A framework for the practice of corporate environmental responsibility in China. Journal of Cleaner Production, 235, 426–452.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rekik, L., & Bergeron, F. (2017). Green practice motivators and performance in SMEs: A qualitative comparative analysis. Journal of Small Business Strategy, 27(1), 1–18.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ren, S., Tang, G., & Jackson, S. E. (2018). Green human resource management research in emergence: A review and future directions. Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 35(3), 769–803.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Renwick, D., S, W., Redman, S., & Maguire, T. (2008). Green HRM: A review, process model, and research agenda. University of Sheffield Management School Discussion Paper, 1(1), 1–46.

    Google Scholar 

  • Renwick, D. W. S., Redman, T., & Maguire, S. (2013). Green human resource management: A review and research agenda. International Journal of Management Reviews, 15(1), 1–14.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rizvi, Y. S., & Garg, R. (2021). The simultaneous effect of green ability-motivation-opportunity and transformational leadership in environment management: The mediating role of green culture. Benchmarking: An International Journal, 28(3), 830–856.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roper, S., & Hewitt-Dundas, N. (2015). Knowledge stocks, knowledge flows and innovation: Evidence from matched patents and innovation panel data. Research Policy, 44(7), 1327–1340.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roscoe, S., Subramanian, N., Jabbour, C. J. C., & Chong, T. (2019). Green human resource management and the enablers of green organisational culture: Enhancing a firm’s environmental performance for sustainable development. Business Strategy and the Environment, 28(5), 737–749.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sakhawat-ur-rehman, Yasir, M., Majid, A., & Khan, S. H. (2023). Role of inter-organizational knowledge acquisition in bringing green innovation in manufacturing SMEs: An investigation of green organizational culture and absorptive capacity. Pakistan Journal of Commerce and Social Science, 17(1), 92–114.

    Google Scholar 

  • Şengüllendi, M. F., Bilgetürk, M., & Fındıklı, M. A. (2023). Ethical leadership and green innovation: The mediating role of green organizational culture. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 1–22.

  • Shah, M. (2019). Green human resource management: Development of a valid measurement scale. Business Strategy and the Environment, 28(5), 1–15.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Singh, S. K., Del Giudice, M., Chierici, R., & Graziano, D. (2020). Green innovation and environmental performance: The role of green transformational leadership and green human resource management. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 150, 119762.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Song, W., Yu, H., & Xu, H. (2021). Effects of green human resource management and managerial environmental concern on green innovation. European Journal of Innovation Management, 24(3), 951–967.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Srivastava, A. P., & Shree, S. (2019). Examining the effect of employee green involvement on perception of corporate social responsibility. Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal, 30(1), 197–210.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tang, G., Chen, Y., Jiang, Y., Paille, P., & Jia, J. (2018). Green human resource management practices: Scale development and validity. Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, 56(1), 31–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Úbeda-García, M., Claver-Cortés, E., Marco-Lajara, B., & Zaragoza-Sáez, P. (2021). Corporate social responsibility and firm performance in the hotel industry: The mediating role of green human resource management and environmental outcomes. Journal of Business Research, 123, 57–69.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vroom, V. H. (1964). Work and motivation. Wiley.

  • Wang, C. H. (2019). How organizational green culture influences green performance and competitive advantage: The mediating role of green innovation. Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, 30(4), 666–683.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, C. L., & Ahmed, P. K. (2003). Organisational learning: A critical review. The Learning Organization, 10(1), 8–17.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, J., Wu, H., & Chen, Y. (2020a). Made in China 2025 and manufacturing strategy decisions with reverse QFD. International Journal of Production Economics, 224, 107539.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, J., Xue, Y., Sun, X., & Yang, J. (2020b). Green learning orientation, green knowledge acquisition and ambidextrous green innovation. Journal of Cleaner Production, 250, 119475.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wong, C. W., Miao, X., Cui, S., & Tang, Y. (2018). Impact of corporate environmental responsibility on operating income: Moderating role of regional disparities in China. Journal of Business Ethics, 149(2), 363–382.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xu, S., & Cavusgil, E. (2019). Knowledge breadth and depth development through successful R&D alliance portfolio configuration: An empirical investigation in the pharmaceutical industry. Journal of Business Research, 101, 402–410.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xu, F., Yang, M., Li, Q., & Yang, X. (2020). Long-term economic consequences of corporate environmental responsibility: Evidence from heavily polluting listed companies in China. Business Strategy and the Environment, 29(6), 2251–2264.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yasin, R., Huseynova, A., & Atif, M. (2023). Green human resource management, a gateway to employer branding: Mediating role of corporate environmental sustainability and corporate social sustainability. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 30(1), 369–383.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yen, Y. X., & Yen, S. Y. (2012). Top-management’s role in adopting green purchasing standards in high-tech industrial firms. Journal of Business Research, 65(7), 951–959.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yu, Y., & Choi, Y. (2016). Stakeholder pressure and CSR adoption: The mediating role of organizational culture for Chinese companies. Social Science Journal, 53(2), 226–235.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yu, W., Chavez, R., Feng, M., Wong, C. Y., & Fynes, B. (2020). Green human resource management and environmental cooperation: An ability-motivation-opportunity and contingency perspective. International Journal of Production Economics, 219, 224–235.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zameer, H., Shahbaz, M., & Kontoleon, A. (2023). From Covid-19 to conflict: Does environmental regulation and green innovation improve industrial sector decarbonization efforts and environmental management? Journal of Environmental Management, 345, 118567.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zheng, W., Yang, B., & Mclean, G. N. (2010). Linking organizational culture, structure, strategy, and organizational effectiveness: Mediating role of knowledge management. Journal of Business Research, 63(7), 763–771.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhou, K. Z., & Li, C. B. (2012). How knowledge affects radical innovation: Knowledge base, market knowledge acquisition, and internal knowledge sharing. Strategic Management Journal, 33(9), 1090–1102.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu, Q., & Sarkis, J. (2016). Green marketing and consumerism as social change in China: Analyzing the literature. International Journal of Production Economics, 181, 289–302.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This study is supported by The National Social Science Fund of China [Grant number: 15XZZ011].

Funding

This study is supported by The National Social Science Fund of China [Grant number: 15XZZ011].

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Contributions

All authors wrote the main manuscript text; Y. Liu and Y. Li prepared figures; J. Liu prepared Tables and conduct method and calculations; H. Wang conducted the survey; All authors reviewed the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Junqi Liu.

Ethics declarations

Ethical approval

There is no ethical risk in this paper.

Consent to participate

All authors have been consented to participate in this paper.

Consent to Publish

All authors have been consented to publish this paper.

Competing interests

There is no competing interest.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Liu, Y., Li, Y., Wang, H. et al. How does green culture impact corporate environmental responsibility? A dual perspective from ability-motivation-opportunity and organizational learning theory. Environ Dev Sustain (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-024-04627-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-024-04627-0

Keywords

Navigation