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Frontiers in Psychology 01 frontiersin.org
The prolificacy of green
transformational leadership in
shaping employee green behavior
during times of crises in small and
medium enterprises: a moderated
mediation model
WafaaMohammedAhmedZaid and MuhammadZafarYaqub *
Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Economics and Administration, King Abdulaziz
University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Besides various other potent eorts to contain and consolidate, post-pandemic
crisis management requires an adequate display of green transformational
leadership. Green transformational leaders exhibit a formidable commitment
to sustainability in making managerial choices and subsequently inspiring
and motivating their employees to participate vigorously in the ensuing green
initiatives. Such initiatives could profoundly help organizations adjust to shifting
market situations, follow requirements, and preserve stakeholder trust. While
making appeals to the central tenants of the transformation leadership theory,
social exchange theory, and the social cognition theory, the study examines
the impact of green transformational leadership on employees’ green behaviors
during times of crises using employees’ self-esteem as a mediator and work
engagement as the critical moderator. The relevant context of the study has
been the small and medium enterprises of SaudiArabia. Data from 232 SMEs
employing less than 250 employees selected through convenience sampling
was collected using structured questionnaires. After performing hierarchical
regression modeling using SPSS 23, macro V4 model 58, and Amos 24, it has
been found that green transformational leadership is positively associated with
employees’ green behaviors, with self-esteem and work engagement acting as
significant mediating and moderating conditions, respectively. Besides, providing
firsthand empirical evidence on the impact of green transformational leadership
on employees’ green behaviors, in unique industrial (SMEs), contextual (times of
crises), and regional (Middle Eastern) settings, the study oers useful implications
to the managers aspiring to enhance the sustainable performance of their firms
through maturing green behaviors among their employees.
KEYWORDS
green transformational leadership, employee green behaviors, employee work
engagement, employee self-esteem, SMEs, Saudi Arabia
OPEN ACCESS
EDITED BY
Radha R. Sharma,
New Delhi Institute of Management, India
REVIEWED BY
Matthew Tingchi Liu,
University of Macau, China
Santiago Gutiérrez-Broncano,
University of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain
*CORRESPONDENCE
Muhammad Zafar Yaqub
mzyaqoub@kau.edu.sa
RECEIVED 17 July 2023
ACCEPTED 24 January 2024
PUBLISHED 23 February 2024
CITATION
Zaid WMA and Yaqub MZ (2024) The
prolificacy of green transformational
leadership in shaping employee green
behavior during times of crises in small and
medium enterprises: a moderated mediation
model.
Front. Psychol. 15:1258990.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1258990
COPYRIGHT
© 2024 Zaid and Yaqub. This is an open-
access article distributed under the terms of
the Creative Commons Attribution License
(CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction
in other forums is permitted, provided the
original author(s) and the copyright owner(s)
are credited and that the original publication
in this journal is cited, in accordance with
accepted academic practice. No use,
distribution or reproduction is permitted
which does not comply with these terms.
TYPE Original Research
PUBLISHED 23 February 2024
DOI 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1258990
Zaid and Yaqub 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1258990
Frontiers in Psychology 02 frontiersin.org
1 Introduction
Small and medium-sized enterprises (hereaer, SMEs) are
businesses that typically exhibit a limited number of employees, assets,
and revenues compared to large (corporate) rms. ey make up
about 95% of all businesses globally, contribute around 50% of the
value created, and makeup60–70% of all jobs in the majority of
markets. ey play a crucial role in driving economic growth,
innovation, and job creation (Lekmat et al., 2018). By fostering
entrepreneurship and innovation, SMEs help reduce unemployment
rates and contribute to overall economic growth. In addition, SMEs
are oen more agile than larger corporations, allowing them to adapt
more quickly to environmental changes. However, despite these
merits, SMEs are more vulnerable to risk compared to large
companies, especially during exigent times. Owing to their cardinal
role in driving sustainable development, SMEs have attracted
paramount interest from authorities, decision-makers, and researchers
alike (Lekmat etal., 2018).
Joseph etal. (2022) contend that the current global landscape has
been marked by a successive emergence of several crises including
natural disasters, economic downturns, and pandemics. Firms,
organizations, and institutions in the public as well as private domains
need to nd innovative ways to steer their entities eectively through
the organizational crises stemming from environmental disruptions
caused by black swan events such as COVID-19 (Li et al., 2020;
McCartney etal., 2021; Clauss etal., 2022; Wu and Ho, 2022). ese
crises have had profound impacts on organizations, especially SMEs
which oen lack the requisite resources and infrastructure to cope
with such challenges (Alenazi and Alanazi, 2023). A state of crisis can
destabilize any organization and can signicantly truncate employee
productivity and eciency, especially in SMEs where unusual
disruptions caused, for example, by black swan events such as Covid-
19, could necessitate a need for massive re-structuring or even
shutdown of operations apart from the nancial losses. Besides
economic consequences, these crises also take a signicant toll on the
emotional and mental health of the SME owners, managers,
employees, or other stakeholders making decision-making and/or the
much-needed agility of response even more dicult (Klyver and
Nielsen, 2021). e majority of SMEs reported an explicit reduction
of work activity and production during COVID-19 times, which
continued even post-pandemic. Hence, it is a cardinal obligation of
organizational leaders to devise eective strategies to combat a
plethora of challenges stemming from such environmental disruptions
to keep up their commitment to sustainable actions being one of them
(Sarkar and Clegg, 2021; Clauss etal., 2022).
Like all entities, SMEs are also vulnerable to crises such as natural
disasters, economic downturns, and pandemics, which can profoundly
impact their survival and success (Sha etal., 2020). ough SMEs
have been continuously evolving, their ability to combat risk is still
inferior to that of large rms (Sha et al., 2020). Besides other
instruments, green behavior (hereaer, GBs) has been revealed as
critical for organizational sustainability and could profoundly
augment organizational performance, reputation, and stakeholder
trust during tempestuous times (Singh etal., 2020). Many researchers
have attested to the impact of GBs on rm performance during testing
times. For example, Alraja etal. (2022) and Marditama and Yuso
(2023) contend that GBs can assist SMEs in recovering from crises,
allowing them to re-function and regenerate revenue. Ionescu (2021)
asserts that GBs ameliorate infrastructure, ecosystems, and
community resilience. Ecosystem restoration and conservation
increase biodiversity, which benets humans and lessens risk. Alnemer
etal. (2023) described that GBs during a crisis can create new green
sector jobs and reduce dependence on non-renewable resources and
hence, contribute signicantly to economic stability. Green methods
minimize operational expenses, making businesses more robust to
economic shocks. Hence, any aspect of green behavior improvement
at the organizational, team, or employee levels can improve an
organization’s (sustainable) performance.
GBs, by fostering environmental consciousness and responsibility
in employees, could contribute signicantly to the sustainability
performance of rms. GBs, by enabling innovation and growth, could
also ensure long-term success (Roscoe etal., 2019). GBs become
especially pivotal during exigent times (like Covid-19) to keep up
green passion and commitment; hence, the green transformational
leadership (hereaer, GTL) needs to nd ecacious means of
culminating, maturing, and sustaining such behaviors among
employees during these testing times. Bakker etal. (2023) and Khan
(2023) have elaborated upon the eect of green and transformational
leadership on GBs, specically how it motivates followers to reach
their fullest potential in fostering transformation in an organization.
GTLs are renowned for their charisma, vision, and capacity to
empower and inspire their adherents to exceed performance
expectations (Kim etal., 2021). Singh etal. (2020) also contend that
GTL could profoundly motivate followers to achieve green goals, that
could enable rms to add/enhance (green) value. is leadership style
is crucial for ameliorating pro-environment workplace behaviors
wherein employees are more likely to take green steps when GTLs
interact/communicate cogently. As such, GTLs can inspire employees
to adopt as well as stay committed to society and/or community-
friendly practices. Even though a host of studies (e.g., Zhu etal., 2020;
Çop etal., 2021; Ionescu, 2021; Agrawal and Pradhan, 2023; Ali etal.,
2023; Alnemer etal., 2023; Zacher etal., 2023) have examined the
ecacy of GBs in augmenting social and environmental performance,
and the role of GTL in directly and or indirectly fostering GBs, in a
variety of contexts, yet there exists a dearth of literature encompassing
the mediating and contextual conditions that could enable or impede
GTLs’ eorts to enhance EGBs for superior sustainability outcomes,
especially during crises times. is research, while using
transformational leadership theory, social exchange theory, and the
social cognition theory as the underpinning theoretical frameworks,
makes up for this deciency in the research by examining the direct
as well as indirect role of GTL in maturing GBs, while taking employee
self-ecacy as mediating and employee work engagement (hereaer
EWE) as the critical moderating contingency in the context of SMEs
operating in an emerging economy (i.e., SaudiArabia).
SMEs are increasingly considered essential to developing
countries’ economic growth and prosperity (Tukamuhabwa etal.,
2021). ey are also contributing signicantly to SaudiArabia’s GDP
by playing a crucial role in adding value and diversity to the economy.
ey typically hold less than 249 employees with a capacity of SAR
200 million in average revenue (Alenazi and Alanazi, 2023). As
SaudiArabia continues to grow exponentially on the socio-economic
fronts, both in the domestic as well as global markets, SMEs are now
one of the substantial contributors toward the materialization of the
overarching Vision 2030 of SaudiArabia which centers upon boosting
socio-economic performance through ameliorating sustainability,
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Frontiers in Psychology 03 frontiersin.org
employment opportunities, innovation, and technological
developments in the country (Nurunnabi, 2020; Sha etal., 2020).
Alghamdi and AlKhayyat (2020) outline several benets of SMEs and
their crucial role over the years in the diversication of the Saudi
economy with reference to creating job opportunities, innovation,
social transformation, and regional development. Abid and Alotaibi
(2020) also contend that SMEs are signicant job creators, providing
employment opportunities for the growing Saudi population. SMEs’
contributions to the diversication of the Saudi economy have
progressively reduced the country’s reliance on oil revenues. is
aligns well with SaudiArabia’s Vision 2030, which aims to create a
more sustainable and diversied economy. Consonantly, SMEs in
SaudiArabia, aided by the government’s support, consistently enhance
their sustainability performance by fostering green orientation,
passion, and action at the macro, meso, and micro levels (Naushad,
2021). is study focuses more on the micro (employee) level
green behavior.
Comprehending the factors that drive EGBs in SMEs during crises
is crucial for the long-term success and even survival of the rms as
well as their leaders (Farahnak etal., 2020; Mohtady Ali etal., 2023),
where the success of GTLs in successfully steering their organizations
through troubled waters depends on their ability to inspire and
motivate their followers to stay committed to green behaviors to
preserve and/or maximize sustainability gains. ough researchers
from various disciplines have contributed to maturing the scholarly
discourse in this domain, signicant research gaps still exist. To
contribute to bridging some of these gaps in the literature, the current
study seeks to answer the following research questions.
1. Does GTL, as an antecedent, drives EGBs in SMEs during crises?
2. Does FSE play a signicant mediating role in the association
between GTL and EGBs?
3. Does EWE play a signicant moderating role in GTL-FSE
linkage? FSE-GBs linkage?
e intended contributions of this research are manifold. First, it
will enhance our understanding of the (psychological) mechanisms
(i.e., FSE) through which GTL inuences EGBs. Du and Yan (2022)
explain that GTL is a relatively new aspect in the eld of green
management, in which there exists a profound emphasis on green
motivation, green intellectual activation, and green care concerns that
signicantly contribute to the formation of the green vision for the
employees inspiring them to work toward the attainment of green
objectives. Second, by taking EWE as a critical moderating condition,
the study would enhance our understanding of the contextual
contingencies enabling or impeding GTLs’ quest to inculcate GBs
among employees. Another contribution of this study could betraced
back to its use of Middle Eastern data that not only could provide new
insights into the dynamics of sustainability in this unique geographical
context but would also help in cementing the generalizability of etic
theories developed in the West to the disparate regional or cultural
settings. As for the managerial contributions, the newfangled model
would provide signicant insights to the managers, leaders, and
entrepreneurs on how to secure/enhance sustainability outcomes
during exigent times through fostering EGBs enabled by GTL, FSE,
and EWE. e study may oer insights into how SMEs could improve
their resilience and sustainability during crises by enabling the roles
that GTL, FSE, and ESE could play in nurturing EGBs.
e remainder of the paper is organized like this. e next section
presents a detailed review of the literature, along with research gaps
and the ensuing hypotheses of the study. Section 3 discusses research
methods. e fourth section rolls out the results. e h section
presents a discussion based on these results. e nal section
concludes the entire discussion while highlighting theoretical/
managerial contributions, limitations, and avenues for future research.
2 Literature review and hypotheses of
study
Contemporary literature presents two opposing perspectives on
SMEs’ attitudes toward environmental practices. First, compared to
the larger enterprises, SMEs are less likely to adopt environmental
practices and view social responsibility as a burden or even a threat as
it may require signicant investments in upgrading technologies,
infrastructure, compliance, etc. (Koirala, 2018; Purwandani and
Michaud, 2021; Majali etal., 2022). In contrast, certain factors could
encourage SMEs to adopt environmentally friendly practices more
easily. For example, small enterprises frequently combine ownership
and management, so if the owner-manager is convinced of sustainable
outcomes, getting everybody else on board becomes easy and swi.
According to Clauss etal. (2022), SMEs could contrive business model
innovations more swily to gain the much-needed strategic exibility
as a potent instrument to combat disruptions emanating from
COVID-19, at least in the short run. Besides, cost savings, reputation
eects, and consumer demands for green products are some other
factors that induce green behaviors in SMEs, though such antecedents
are more instrumental for larger rms (Liu etal., 2021; Majali etal.,
2022). Mo etal. (2022b) and Ngo (2022) maintain that big companies
have more elaborate structures that enable them to integrate green
behaviors through robust leadership networks and the paradigms of
culture formation. Big markets being served by these big companies
also have particular incentives in green marketing and their inuence
on consumer green behaviors is relatively paramount (Wang etal.,
2023). Consequently, big companies seem to have a strong incentive
to integrate green initiatives. Nevertheless, there has been a continuous
upsurge in the adoption of green behaviors by SMEs (Purwandani and
Michaud, 2021; omas etal., 2022) and so has been in the research
investigating the dynamics of EGBs in SMEs.
Besides other antecedents, the ecacy of GTL in maturing EGBs
has been examined by dierent scholars through diverse theoretical
lenses. Most of them have used ecacious underpinning frameworks
like the theory of planned behavior, social cognition theory, social
exchange theory, self-determination theory, ability-motivation-
opportunity theory, etc., in contriving cause and eect relationships
among a host of determinants of EGSs. Most scholarly theories
associate GTL approaches with the motivation of workers and the
adoption of engagement strategies that inspire employees to
participate in innovative initiatives that underpin green
transformation. Sobaih etal. (2022) and Ali etal. (2023) underscored
that transformational leadership focuses mainly on inspiring
employees and driving their behaviors toward environmental and
green initiatives, thereby enhancing environmental performance. e
culture of sustainability is also conceptualized as an outcome of GTL
approaches to organizational management. Current frameworks of
CSR initiatives are anchored on the attempts of organizational leaders
to establish green resource management and sustainability programs
within organizations (Sobaih etal., 2022). It would bechallenging to
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achieve this transformation without deliberate eorts to change the
behaviors of workers. Hence, the role of GTL is pivotal in this regard.
We have used transformational leadership theory augmented with
social exchange theory and the social cognition theory to
conceptualize and later empirically substantiate our model that centers
upon the direct as well as mediated eect of GTL on EGBs under
varying permutations of EWE.
2.1 The underpinning theories
2.1.1 Transformational leadership theory
e foundation of TL theory is denition of the TL as one who
is able to separate followers from their trivial preoccupations and
unite them around a common purpose to accomplish what they
never thought was possible. TL envisages a leader who has the
ability to detach followers from their preoccupations and rally them
around a common goal. Bass (1985) created a typology of leadership
characteristics that may bebroadly classied into two categories:
transactional leadership and transformational leadership.
According to Bass’s (1985) interpretation of TL theory, which
combined many aspects of prior leadership theories,
transformational leadership requires inspiring and motivating
followers to realize their greatest potential. erefore,
transformational leaders might beidentied by their capacity for
foresight, prociency in communication, and ability to inspire
followers to accomplish their goals (Bakker etal., 2023). ey oer
their followers encouragement and guidance, inspire them to think
creatively and foster a culture that values working together. TL
involves a variety of leader behaviors that have the potential to
“transform” followers and positively inuence their attitudes and
actions. ese behaviors consist of idealized inuence, inspirational
motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized care (Nohe
and Hertel, 2017). Idealized inuence refers to a leader’s capacity to
serve as a role model for his/her adherents and earn their esteem
and trust. Inspirational motivation is the capacity of a leader to
inspire and motivate his or her adherents to accomplish higher
levels of performance. Intellectual stimulation entails a leader’s
capacity to encourage adherents to think creatively and query
presuppositions. Individualized consideration is the capacity of a
leader to provide individualized support and counseling to their
adherents. TLs induce their followers to take ownership of their
work and develop a sense of responsibility toward their co-workers
and the organization, encouraging their followers to take the
initiative, beproactive, and participate in team activities (Casu
etal., 2021). erefore, transformational leadership theory has been
deemed an ecacious framework to account for the factors that
drive SMEs to achieve the best practices and behaviors (including
EGBs) to ensure their survival and sustainability during
testing times.
2.1.2 Social exchange theory
Social Exchange eory (SET) is the foundation for numerous
sociological and psychological theoretical frameworks. Homans
(1961) contributed signicantly to the development of this theory.
Homans’ (1961) foundation is grounded in the premise of social
behavior and how each party responds to the other based on the
“sub-institutional” level of interaction. e outcome of the process is
signicantly inuenced by the actions of both parties. Regarding the
psychological aspect, Ahmad etal. (2023) contend that people engage
in exchange relationships as a consequence of their interactions with
others. People learn by progressively imitating the attitudes, values,
and behavior of inuential role models in their surroundings
(Bandura, 1977). Chen etal. (2022) asserted that “green” behavior
(GB) is frequently the result of “green practices” and that self-esteem
plays a signicant role in the process, as self-esteem can motivate
employees to promote “green practices.” Additionally, self-respect
plays a crucial role in the process by which “green” practices typically
result from “green” conduct. Using this framework as a guide, it is
possible to identify two distinct psychological processes as the means
by which transformative leadership actions could ameliorate green
behavior among employees. e rst mechanism is predicated on the
premise that GTL positively inuences the internal conceptualization
of the individual’s self-esteem, which in turn contributes to green
employee behavior (Ahmad etal., 2021). is argument posits that the
impact of transformational leadership on green behavior is merely the
result of positive follower behaviors. However, transformational
leadership’s long-term eects may involve more complex
(bidirectional) relational exchange processes between leaders and
followers. e second reason for the connection between EGB and
GTL is that it emphasizes leaders’ and followers’ relational interactions.
Transformational leaders and adherents engage in a high-quality
relationship from this perspective. In order to recompense their GTLs’
exemplary behavior, followers engage in more greenly conscious
actions (Farrukh etal., 2022). Consequently, wehave employed SET
as a relevant framework to examine the factors that drive EGBs in
SMEs during times of crisis.
2.1.3 Social cognition theory
Social cognitive theory (hereaer, SCT) has been extensively used
in several studies that sought to establish how behavioral orientations
are crucial in establishing green practices. He etal. (2021) used the
SCT to explore the nexus between context, behavior, and performance
in relation to green practices in organizations. He et al. (2021)
underscored that the positive relationships between sustainability
actions and employees’ performance have a strong dependence on
social identication perspectives and behavior modeling orientations.
From the lens of SCT, managers and leaders have the proclivities to
establish green behaviors and the GTL becomes a critical enabler in
the process. GTLs focus on mainstreaming social responsibility
against the prevailing challenges of pollution and climate change
(Yaqub etal., 2023). e supervisory role to encourage and support
employees in pro-environmental activities is continually emphasized
by GTLs who value sustainability (Ali etal., 2023). e optimization
of resources is established as a goal and the trajectory of behavior
performance and change is established within an organization.
Al-Swidi et al. (2021), while emphasizing a nexus of employees’
activities and the behavioral inclinations in an organization, also
underscore the essence of establishing cultures that resonate with
intended actions and outcomes. Other researchers deviated from the
traditional theories. For example, Mo etal. (2022a) and Ngo (2022) on
“shaping employee green behavior” applied a multilevel approach with
the Pygmalion eect from the theoretical and conceptual perspectives.
Wang etal. (2023) acknowledge that the theoretical roots of studies on
green behaviors and leadership are still lacking, and more in-depth
analysis is required in the future. Wehave complemented TL theory
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Frontiers in Psychology 05 frontiersin.org
and SET with SCT to explore the agency of social interactions in GTL’s
inducement of EGBs during tempestuous times.
2.2 The conceptual model and the study
constructs
Figure1 presents the conceptual model of our study. Making an
appeal to the TL theory, SET, and SCT, it has been hypothesized that
GTL aects EGBs through enhancing FSE. Further, the impact of GTL
on FSE and the consequent impact of FSE on EGBs is moderated by
the EWE.
e next section discusses the nature, scope, and relevance of the
constructs that make our conceptual model.
2.2.1 Employee green behavior during crisis – the
outcome
EGBs include ensuring compliance with the organization’s
standards, modifying work practices to incorporate the selection of
responsible alternatives, and developing environmentally responsible
products and procedures, is required (Zacher etal., 2023). Research
on employee green behavior (GB) in the workplace has typically
regarded it as a voluntary action. Nevertheless, organizational
psychologists acknowledge that not all EGB is considered discretionary
(Norton etal., 2015). Employees have the option of going beyond what
is required of them by the company in terms of their environmental
behavior. Katz etal. (2022) described the notion of voluntary GB that
corresponds closely with the concepts of contextual performance and
extension of corporate citizenship behavior. ese concepts refer to
actions that inuence the organizational, social, and psychological
environments in which task performance takes place. Voluntary GBs
signify actions that foster an environment conducive to task
performance. According to Chaudhary (2020), by establishing green
positions and responsibilities, GB is indispensable for businesses
seeking to improve their green performance.
During a crisis, SMEs oen face nancial challenges and must cut
costs. EGBs, such as reducing energy consumption, minimizing waste,
and using resources eciently, can lead to signicant cost savings for
the company. ese savings can help SMEs maintain the performance
levels of their operations and even invest in other areas to overcome
the crisis (Roscoe et al., 2019). Yong et al. (2020) explained that
companies that demonstrate a sublime commitment to green and
environmentally responsible practices can improve their reputation
among customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders, particularly
during a crisis, where a positive reputation can help SMEs maintain
customer loyalty, attract new clients, and even secure funding or
support from external sources. At the same time, Raza etal. (2021)
proposed that encouraging EGBs can foster a sense of shared
responsibility and purpose among sta members, leading to increased
employee engagement and motivation, which is particularly important
during a crisis when morale may below, and employees need to work
together to overcome challenges. erefore, it is essential for SMEs to
encourage and support EGBs, especially during times of crisis.
2.2.2 Green transformational leadership – the
antecedent
GTL, which amalgamates green and transformation leadership, is
considered a vital approach in today’s rapidly changing world, as it
emphasizes the need for organizations and leaders to adopt sustainable
practices and promote environmental stewardship creating a positive
impact on the environment and society. In a recent study, Liu and Yu
(2023) found a positive impact of GTL in inducing OCBs among
employees. Chen and Wu (2022) and Khan (2023) contend that green
leadership could profoundly impact EGBs if ecacious green human
resource practices are enabled. Ahmad etal. (2022) explain that GTLs
prioritize environmental concerns and integrate them into their
decision-making processes, promoting long-term sustainability by
encouraging organizations to adopt eco-friendly practices that ensure
that businesses remain viable and competitive in the long run as they
adapt to the increasing demand for sustainable products and services.
Younis and Hussain (2023) recently attested to the instrumentality of
GTL in contriving a stronger green climate. Zhang etal. (2020, 2021)
further added that GTLs inspire and motivate their employees to
embrace sustainable practices and contribute to the organization’s
environmental goals. ey create a culture of environmental
responsibility, where employees feel empowered to make a dierence
and take pride in their organization’s commitment to sustainability.
is, in turn, leads to increased job satisfaction, higher retention rates,
enhanced self-ecacy, and improved overall performance. Mittal and
Dhar (2016) and Al-Ghazali et al. (2022), in a tourism industry
FIGURE1
The conceptual model.
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Frontiers in Psychology 06 frontiersin.org
context, found GTL to bepositively associated with green creativity.
Kusi etal. (2021) contend that organizations with strong sustainability
practices perform better nancially. GTL contributes to this by
reducing operational costs through resource eciency, attracting
environmentally conscious customers, and mitigating risks associated
with environmental regulations and potential reputational damage.
e green makeover of organizations requires employees to not only
work in ways that are better for the environment as part of their jobs
but also to go beyond their own tasks and take the initiative to help
the organization reach its goals (Darvishmotevali and Altinay, 2022;
Du and Yan, 2022).
Tosun etal. (2022) posit that every organization must adopt the
green approach to ensure that it is able to survive crises and boost
organizational business performance even more. GTL steps up with
deeper initiatives that support the green objectives and social issues
that further support green behavior by choice (Li etal., 2020). Singh
etal. (2020) enforced the view that it is mandatory for SMEs to adopt
GTL to boost performance and creativity. Kwarteng etal. (2023)
clearly established a link between transformational leadership, SE,
and EGBs.
2.2.3 Follower’s self-esteem – the mediator
According to identity theory, identities are an essential component
of the self and are understood to be an individual’s internal
understanding of their positions and designations in a variety of social
settings (Cui etal., 2021). According to Markowski and Serpe (2021),
the degree to which individuals evaluate themselves favorably or
unfavorably signies their self-esteem. According to Haider etal.
(2019), followers with high self-esteem are likelier to have a positive
self-image and engage in online community-building activities.
According to Arokiasamy etal. (2022), leaders and employees can
reduce their intentions to abandon their employment and implement
tools, programs, and policies to support these crucial actions by
boosting the self-esteem of their followers. Chen etal. (2022) claimed
that “green” behavior is frequently the consequence of “green
practices,” and that self-esteem plays a signicant role in the process,
where self-esteem can drive employees to promote “green” practices.
According to Pradies etal. (2021), self-esteem plays a crucial role
in SMEs during times of crisis, as it can have a signicant impact on
both the organization’s overall performance and the conduct of its
employees. Leaders and employees with a robust sense of self-worth
can make more condent decisions in times of crisis. is condence
can aid organizations in eectively navigating challenging
circumstances and generating innovative solutions to their problems.
Raza etal. (2021) explained that individuals with a strong sense of
self-worth are more likely to bededicated to their work and take pride
in their contributions, thereby increasing employee engagement. is
may lead to increased productivity and enhanced business outcomes.
Dahleez etal. (2022) emphasized that employees with high self-esteem
are more likely to trust their colleagues and collaborate eectively
during times of crisis. is can lead to enhanced problem-solving and
decision-making, as well as a heightened sense of organizational
cohesion. Another study by Zheng etal. (2022) presented ndings
relating to companies that cultivate a culture of high self-esteem,
which is more likely to retain employees during challenging times.
During a crisis, employees who feel valued and condent in their
abilities are less likely to seek employment elsewhere. It is essential to
maintain open communication, provide regular feedback and
recognition, and provide opportunities for professional development
and growth in order to support self-esteem within an organization
during a crisis (Zheng etal., 2022). By nurturing a positive work
environment that values and supports employees, businesses can
navigate crises more eectively and emerge strongly from them.
2.2.4 Employee work engagement – the
moderator
Employee engagement is dened as the intellectual and emotional
commitment to the organization demonstrated by the level of eort
evidenced by workers in the performance of their duties. Saks (2006)
extended Schaufeli et al. (2002) model by incorporating three
dimensions of engagement: cognitive, aective, and behavioral (Kwon
and Kim, 2020). Iqbal etal. (2021) explain that cognitive engagement
indicates that an employee actively considers the information being
communicated to him/her and makes connections to prior knowledge
and experiences. Emotional engagement involves employees feeling
motivated and enthusiastic about the subject matter, as well as a sense
of belonging to the learning community. e behavioral dimension
focuses on an individual’s actions and behaviors while engaged in their
labor or tasks (Schaufeli etal., 2002).
Employee engagement theory is characterized by instilling
feelings that allow the employees to challenge and support themselves
through self- and external motivation that would lead to maximization
of sta satisfaction and productivity (Saks and Gruman, 2014).
According to this theory, organizations with high worker motivation
and loyalty benet from employee engagement through enhanced
satisfaction and intellectual development (Kahn, 2010; Huang etal.,
2022). Kahn (1990) identied meaningfulness, safety, and availability
as the three primary characteristics that have the most signicant
impact on employee engagement. Highly engaged employees are more
likely to becommitted to the organization and its stakeholders and to
engage in crisis-related work behaviors. Ababneh (2021) described the
positive eect of employee engagement on the EGBs, in which high
levels of engagement enhanced employees’ (green) performance
within an organization. Zheng etal. (2022) conducted a study on
SMEs in China during the COVID-19 pandemic and discovered that
employee engagement positively moderated the relationship between
leadership and EGBs.
2.3 Hypotheses of study
2.3.1 GTL and FSE
According to Awan etal. (2022), GTL promotes green behaviors
and practices in an organization wherein it emphasizes a strategy that
centers on fundamental ideologies and principles of green
transformation. FSE, which denotes employees’ overall sense of self-
worth or personal value, can beaected by the quality of the followers’
social interactions and/or exchanges with their leadership (Kang,
2019). Awan etal. (2022), while examining the eects of GTL on the
environmental performance of SMEs, found that. GTL signicantly
moderated the relationship between green capability and green
innovation, highlighting GTL’s potential role in empowering
employees despite the fact that environmental performance was the
primary focus of this study. is can increase the self-esteem of
adherents, reinforcing the premise that GTL has a positive eect on
FSE. Srour etal. (2020) investigated the inuence of GTL on the
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self-esteem of Egyptian IT personnel wherein the results suggested
that GTL had a positive impact, thereby increasing FSE as they
become more aligned with the green practices of their organizations.
Begum etal. (2022) provided additional support by examining, via
cognitive processes, the role of GTL in promoting green innovation,
which had shown a signicant impact on FSE and engagement in this
study. Besides, Chen etal. (2022) discovered a signicant positive
relationship between TL and SE, indicating that transformational
leadership, particularly when centered on green behavior, can
subsequently boost FSE. Finally, Hameed etal. (2021) investigated the
connection between GTL and SE and demonstrated a positive
association between the two constructs. In consonance with the
aforementioned arguments, wehypothesize.
H1: GTL has a signicant positive association with FSE.
2.3.2 FSE and EGBs during the crisis
According to Chen etal. (2022), employees with higher self-
esteem are more likely to engage in green behaviors, such as recycling,
conserving energy, and supporting environmentally friendly policies.
is is because individuals with high self-esteem tend to have a
stronger sense of personal responsibility and are likelier to believe that
their actions can make a dierence in addressing environmental
issues. Moreover, Cheema etal. (2020) stated that employees with high
self-esteem are more likely to beintrinsically motivated to engage in
green behaviors, as they derive satisfaction from acting in accordance
with their values and beliefs.
During times of crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic,
employees’ self-esteem has been signicantly aected due to increased
job insecurity, nancial stress, and changes in work routines.
Srivastava and Gupta (2022) found that employees with higher self-
esteem were more resilient in the face of crisis-related stressors and
were more likely to maintain their green behaviors. is resilience can
beattributed to the fact that individuals with high self-esteem have a
stronger sense of self-ecacy and are more condent in their ability
to cope with challenges and adapt to new situations. In contrast,
employees with low self-esteem may be more susceptible to the
negative eects of crisis-related stressors, which can lead to a decrease
in their green behaviors. According to Gkargkavouzi etal. (2019),
individuals with low self-esteem are more likely to experience feelings
of helplessness and powerlessness in the face of environmental
problems, which can result in a reduced sense of personal
responsibility and a lower likelihood of engaging in green behaviors.
Furthermore, employees with low self-esteem may prioritize their
immediate needs and concerns over long-term environmental goals,
particularly during times of crisis when resources are scarce and
survival instincts are heightened.
Touma (2021) proposed that organizations can implement various
strategies to promote employees’ green behaviors during crises to
enhance self-esteem. One such strategy is to provide employees with
opportunities for skill development and training, which can help them
feel more competent and condent in their abilities. Additionally,
organizations can foster a supportive work environment by
encouraging open communication, recognizing employees’
achievements, and providing constructive feedback. is can help
employees feel valued and respected, which in turn could boost their
self-esteem and motivation to engage in green behaviors (Touma,
2021). Besides, organizations can leverage the power of social
inuence by promoting a strong green culture and encouraging
employees to serve as role models for their peers. Chaudhary (2020)
found that employees who perceived their colleagues as engaging in
green behaviors were more likely to adopt similar behaviors
themselves. is social inuence eect was particularly strong among
employees with high self-esteem, as they were likelier to internalize
their peers’ environmental values and norms. In line with these
arguments, wehypothesize.
H2: FSE has a signicant and positive association with EGBs
during the crisis.
2.3.3 The mediation eect hypothesis
According to Liu et al. (2021), GTL emphasizes social
responsibility in organizational practices and, hence, during times of
crisis, could play a crucial role in fostering a sense of resilience and
adaptability among employees, contributing to increased self-esteem
and environmentally conscious behaviors. Srour etal. (2020) stated
that GTL’s capacity to inspire and empower employees to take
responsibility for their actions and contribute to the organization’s
sustainability goals can have a positive eect on their self-esteem
which could enhance EGBs. Li etal. (2020) state that GTLs recognize
employees’ unique qualities and requirements and provide
individualized support and direction. is can help employees feel
valued and respected, boosting their self-esteem and encouraging
them to engage in environmentally conscious behaviors.
Öğretmenoğlu et al. (2022) studied the impact of GTL on green
creativity and the mediating eects of green organizational citizenship
behaviors in a hospitality context. eir results indicated that GTL
positively inuenced employees’ green creativity and organizational
citizenship behaviors. e underlying self-esteem potentially supports
value congruence and green identity, which might beattributed to
employees’ green behaviors, although not explicitly measured. Peng
etal. (2019) elaborated upon self-esteem that it can indeed act as a
mediator wherein it inspires and motivates followers to achieve their
fullest potential and exceed their own expectations. Concomitantly,
wehypothesize.
H3: FSE signicantly and positively mediates the association
between GTL and EGB during crises.
2.3.4 The moderating role of EWE in the GTL-FSE
link
GTLs inspire and motivate their employees by establishing a clear
vision for a sustainable future, emphasizing the signicance of
environmental stewardship, and fostering innovation and green
practices. Decuypere and Schaufeli (2020) have highlighted the role of
work engagement in enabling leadership to produce desirable
outcomes. According to Begum etal. (2022), GTLs demonstrate a
strong commitment to sustainability and cultivate a sense of shared
responsibility among team members by leading by example with a
direct eect on employee engagement because it fosters a sense of
purpose and meaning in the workplace. While elaborating upon the
role of person-organization interaction in inducing EGBs, Mi etal.
(2020) emphasized a need for person-organization t (a key facet of
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EWE) in electrifying EGBs. Tao etal. (2022) discussed that employee
engagement expands to employees’ emotional and intellectual
commitment to the organization and its objectives’ wherein engaged
employees are more likely to beinnovative, productive, and loyal to
their companies. Isserow (2023) emphasizes that it is crucial to
determine how employees view themselves and their contributions to
the organization as it leads the employees to recognize their abilities.
Busari etal. (2020) stated that employees may feel overwhelmed,
anxious, or uncertain about their employment security and future
prospects during a crisis, putting their self-esteem at risk. By fostering
a positive and supportive work environment, recognizing individual
accomplishments, and providing constructive feedback, GTLs can
help boost employee self-esteem. According to Suliman etal. (2023),
EWE could profoundly amplify the instrumentality of GTL by
fostering an environment where employees feel valued, supported,
and motivated to contribute to the organization’s sustainability
initiatives. is sense of purpose and belonging can increase job
satisfaction, performance, and commitment to the company’s mission
and values (Suliman etal., 2023). Yücel (2021) elaborates on how
SMEs’ employee engagement becomes even more crucial during times
of crisis. Crises frequently bring about uncertainty, stress, and dread,
which can have a negative eect on employee morale and output.
GTLs can mitigate these eects by maintaining open communication,
providing support and resources, and empowering employees to
assume responsibility for their roles in responding to the crisis. Du
and Yan (2022) added that by cultivating a sense of unity and shared
responsibility, GTLs can assist employees in navigating dicult times
and sustaining their engagement levels. GTL can possibly impact
employee self-esteem by recognizing and rewarding their eorts,
providing opportunities for growth and development, and fostering a
collaborative and innovative work environment. Consonantly,
wehypothesize.
H4(a): EWE moderates the relationship between GTL and FSE.
2.3.5 The moderating role of EWE in the FSE- EGB
link
According to Costantini etal. (2019), self-esteem enhances a
person’s overall perception of self-worth and personal worth; a high
sense of self-worth enhances employee condence, abilities, challenge
ability, and maintains a positive outlook even in trying circumstances
whereas low self-esteem can result in feelings of inadequacy, self-
doubt, and a lack of motivation, which can have a negative impact on
an employee’s performance, EWE could emerge as a panacea in such
circumstances. Kwon and Kim (2020) stated that EWE is an employee’s
emotive commitment and involvement with the organization and its
objectives’ wherein engaged employees are more likely to
beproductive, motivated, and committed to their work, resulting in
improved overall performance and job satisfaction. Raza etal. (2021)
stated that self-esteem, employee engagement, and green behavior
might pose a possible interconnection, as employees who feel good
about themselves and are engaged at work are more likely to engage
in pro-environmental actions. Employees with high self-esteem are
more likely to beengaged in their work because they feel valued,
competent, and capable of making signicant contributions to the
organization, which become manifold under higher EWE. Ansari and
Irfan (2023) and Ansari etal. (2021) also found positive contextual
eects of EWE in fostering EGBs through enabling the mediating
psychological mechanisms like FSE.
During a crisis, FSE and EWE take on an even greater signicance.
Kuknor and Bhattacharya (2021) explained that a crisis can generate
uncertainty, tension, and anxiety, which can have negative eects on
the mental health and well-being of employees. In such circumstances,
employees with a healthy sense of self-worth are better equipped to
overcome obstacles and maintain their commitment to the job, and
EWE could nicely augment it. Lin and Chen (2021) stated that
organizations must continue to promote green behavior among their
employees, as it can contribute to their long-term resilience and
success. Even during dicult times, employees with high self-esteem
augmented with high work engagement are more likely to recognize
the importance of environmental sustainability and implement green
practices at work (Raza et al., 2021). Following these assertions,
wehypothesize.
H4(b): EWE moderates the association between FSE and EGBs.
3 Research methodology
3.1 The measurement scales
e scales used to operationalize the constructs of this study have
been adapted from previous studies. GTL has been operationalized
through six items adapted from Azim etal. (2019). SME employees were
asked to assess their leaders on the various aspects of GTL. A sample
item included: “Our leader stimulates the organization members to
think about green ideas.” Six items from Seppälä etal. (2009) were
adopted to measure EWE. Employees were asked to self-report their
work engagement on three dimensions. A sample item contained: “At
my work, Ialways persevere, even when things do not go well.” To
measure FSE, the scale used by Rajlic etal. (2019) has been adapted. e
scale comprised six items where employees were asked to report their
perceived levels of self-esteem. A sample item included: “I believe that
I make valuable contributions.” Finally, six items obtained from
Mahmud etal. (2023) were adapted for measuring EGBs. Respondents
have been inquired about their display of green behaviors during times
of crisis. A sample item included: “I try to engage in behaviors and
initiatives that reduce social, economic, and environmental footprints
during a crisis.” e responses for all the measurements were recorded
on a 5-point Likert scale format, ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5
(strongly agree). e adaptations mostly took place in question
phrasings. e scale items were translated into Arabic language.
Aerward, two academicians who were experts in these domains
assessed the translated texts. A pilot test with 30 participants was
conducted to determine whether they were applicable and appropriate.
3.2 Sampling and data collection
e sampled population of this study comprised employees
working in SMEs in Saudi Arabia. SMEs in Saudi Arabia are
businesses with fewer than 249 employees and SAR 200 million in
annual revenue. Approximately 37% of the workers at these SMEs,
which employ roughly 85% of them, are sole entrepreneurs. 74% of
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these SMEs are employed in trade and construction (Alenazi and
Alanazi, 2023). e determination of sample size hinges on various
factors such as normality, missing patterns, and model complexity
(Wolf etal., 2013). Besides, as Hair etal. (2018) recommended 15
observations per independent variable, the appropriate sample size
would be90 observations. Finally, Cohen (1992) suggested that the
sample size should begreater than 150 participants to gain a (i.e.,
1-β) which is power of 80%, which leads to restrict a tendency of a
type 2 error of 20% (i.e., β), with an expected medium eect size of
15% at an α equal to 5%. e nal sample size used in this study
(n = 232) has been more than the suggested minimum as per all
these criteria.
We employed convenience sampling, a nonprobability sampling
technique widely employed in qualitative and quantitative research
because of its many benets, including simplicity of use and proven
eectiveness (Etikan, 2016; AlShammre etal., 2023). e convenience
sampling technique has been extensively employed in similar studies
in leadership (Dhar, 2016). Wecoordinated with the director of the
SME department at the Chamber of Commerce, who helped us
distribute the questionnaires to the relevant informants in the SMEs.
Before launching the full-scale survey, the quality of the measurement
scales was ascertained through a pilot survey (Rowley, 2014), and the
results were quite supportive (See Table1). e Cronbach’s alpha for
the FSE was very high, which may indicate redundancy. A correlation
test was performed for each FSE item, and all correlations were less
than 0.5, indicating no redundancy issue.
e questionnaire has been distributed via email in coordination
with the director of the SMEs department at the Chamber of
Commerce to business owners or representatives in the SMEs to
collect data from their employees. Out of the contacted, 250
informants participated in the survey. Aer removing responses with
inadequate data (Newman, 2014; Hair etal., 2018), 232 valid responses
were retained for the subsequent analysis.
3.3 Data analysis
Following Anderson and Gerbing’s (1988) and Ali etal.’s (2023),
the analyses were performed in three steps. Performing descriptive
statistics was the rst step, then computing the measurement model
to adjudge validity and reliability, and nally, testing the structural
model to see if it could be considered appropriate to test the
hypotheses. e analyses to ascertain the quality of the measurement
scales and perform hierarchical regression in order to appraise the
hypothesized associations have been performed using SPSS 23, macro
V4 model 58, and Amos 24. e relevant results stemming from these
analyses are presented in the next section.
4 Results
4.1 Sample profile
Table2 shows the prole of the participants. e proportions of
men and women were almost equivalent. Most participants, 54.3%,
were aged between 37 and 45 years. 47.8% held bachelor’s degrees, and
54.3% held 6 to 10 years’ experience.
4.2 Assessment of the measurement model
4.2.1 Assessment of reliability and
multicollinearity of the items
Recommendations from Hair et al. (2018) were followed to
validate the model’s measurements by assessing factor loadings (for
indicator reliability), composite reliability and Cronbach Alpha (for
constructs level reliability), AVE (for convergence validity), and
HTMT values (for discriminating validity). Only the statistically
signicant items with factor loadings above 0.5 were retained.
Multicollinearity was checked through the VIF values. Since the VIF
values of all signicant items were less than 5, therefore
multicollinearity has not been deemed a relevant issue (Table3).
4.2.2 Reliability and validity at the construct levels
e internal consistency reliability at the construct level has been
assessed through Cronbach Alpha and Composite Reliability measures
using a 0.7 threshold suggested by Hair et al. (2022). All four
constructs were found to bereliable. e average variance extracted
(AVE) value was used to assess the convergent validity of the
constructs, using the 0.5 benchmarks suggested by Hair etal. (2022).
Sucient convergent validity has been observed in all four constructs.
TABLE1 The pilot study results (n = 30).
Construct Items Cronbach
alpha
Items total
correlation
Green
transformational
leadership
GTL1 0.90 0.94**
GTL2 0.98**
GTL3 0.84**
GTL4 0.80*
GTL5 0.92**
GTL6 0.89**
Employee
engagement
EWE1 0.78 0.86**
EWE2 0.92**
EWE3 0.94**
EWE4 0.94**
EWE5 0.92**
EWE6 0.94
Self esteem FSE1 0.97 0.86**
FSE2 0.92**
FSE3 0.95**
FSE4 0.94**
FSE5 0.92**
FSE6 0.94**
Green employee
behavior
EGB1 0.93 0.91**
EGB2 0.85**
EGB3 0.90**
EGB4 0.85**
EGB5 0.84**
**A p-value of less than 0.01 is used.
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e discriminatory validity of the measures was assessed using the
Fornell and Larcker (1981) criteria. e square root of AVE for each
construct has been found to beits correlation with all other constructs
employed in the model, thereby indicating sucient discriminant
validity. Relevant statistics are contained in Table4.
4.3 Assessment of the structural model
4.3.1 Model’s goodness of fit
Following Roussel and Wacheux (2005), absolute, incremental,
and parsimony indices were calculated to assess the model’s goodness
of t. For this purpose. ese indices are presently thought to bethe
most stable, least susceptible to model complexity and sample size,
and statistically most robust (Hu and Bentler, 1999; Barrett, 2007;
Kline, 2011). AMOS 24 has been used to calculate these indices. As
shown in Table5, all of these indices showed a sucient t except GFI,
which remained slightly below par. However, according to Wang etal.
(1996), GFI mainly uses the information of the covariance matrix,
which is not steady in small samples and gradually develops stable
with the growth of sample size. However, our primary focus has been
the SRMR, as Henseler etal. (2015) suggested, which showed an
acceptable value of less than 0.08 (Hair etal., 2018; Figure2).
4.3.2 Hierarchical regression analysis
Initially, the independent variables exhibited a multicollinearity issue
(the independent variables being correlated). In order to deal with this
problem, the independent variables have been centered on reducing
structural multicollinearity. Table6 contains the relevant statistics. Aer
treatment, tolerance values are signicantly more than 0.2, and their VIF
scores are signicantly less than 5 (Bowerman and O’Connell, 1990).
Relevant statistics of the alternative models calibrated through
hierarchical regression are reported in Table7. e second model
(M2) captures the direct impact of GTL on FSE. A strong positive link
between GTL and FSE could bewitnessed here (β = 0.93, p< 0.001).
Model 3 adds EWE as the moderator which results in a drop in the
coecient of GTL from (β =0.93, p< 0.001) in M2 to (β =0.40,
p< 0.001) in M3, with the moderating role of EWE also being found
signicant to (β =0.60, p< 0.01). Model 5 (M5) evaluated the direct
link between GTL and EGB during crisis, a positive association has
been corroborated here (β = 0.95, p< 0.001). Model 6 adds FSE to the
system, and it can beseen that the GTL’s direct impact is reduced (β
=0.21, p< 0.001) whereas the FSE coecient is increased to (β =0.79,
p< 0.001), reecting a positive mediation eect. Model 7 (M7) adds
the moderating inuence of EWE to the system. e results reect a
signicant positive direct association between GTL and EGB (β =0.13,
p< 0.05), in addition to signicant roles played by FSE (β =0.51,
p < 0.001) and EWE (β =0.37, p< 0.01).
4.3.3 Hypothesis testing
e approach proposed by Preacher et al. (2007) was utilized to
test the hypothesized model using PROCESS Macro V4. First,
welooked at the direct and moderated associations envisaged by
Hypotheses 1, 2, 3(a&b), and 4, and then weassessed the mediation
eects and the wholesome moderated mediation model specied by
Hypothesis 3 using PROCESS macro-Model 58. e data were mean
centered before testing the model, as Aiken and West (1991) advised.
Table8 displays hypothesis testing results of H1 and H4(a). A
signicant association between GTL and FSE (β =0.22, t = 2.40,
p < 0.05), moderated through EWE has been empirically substantiated
(β =0.04, t = 2.15, p < 0.01).
To reect the moderation eects, the association between GTL
on FSE at high level and low level of EWE has been drawn, at high
level (one standard deviation above the mean) and low level (one
standard deviation below the mean) in accordance with prior ideas
(Aiken and West, 1991). As demonstrated in Table9 and Figure 3, the
TABLE3 Factor loading and VIF values for the items.
Construct Items F.L . VIF
Employee green behavior
during crises (EGBs)
EGB1 0.50 1.15
EGB2 0.86 2.92
EGB3 0.75 2.01
EGB4 0.77 2.10
EGB5 0.84 2.80
Followers’ self-esteem
(FSE)
FSE1 0.79 2.11
FSE2 0.62 1.74
FSE3 0.78 1.76
FSE5 0.83 3.03
FSE6 0.82 2.35
Employee work
engagement (EWE)
EWE1 0.77 2.01
EWE2 0.83 2.97
EWE3 0.88 3.83
EWE4 0.89 3.36
EWE5 0.78 3.42
EWE6 0.83 3.65
Green transformational
leadership (GTL)
GTL1 0.56 1.72
GTL2 0.81 2.33
GTL3 0.83 2.57
GTL4 0.82 2.10
GTL5 0.92 3.78
GTL6 0.82 3.03
TABLE2 Participants’ profile.
DV F (n = 250) (%)
Gender
Men 118 50.9
Wom e n 114 49.1
Age
25 to 36 years 41 17.7
37 to 45 years 126 54.3
46 and above 65 28.0
Educational level
Degree of Bachelor 111 47.8
Master 70 30.2
Doctoral 51 22.0
Experience
3–5 years 22 9.5
6–10 126 54.3
10 years and more 84 36.2
DV; demographic variables, F; frequency; %; percent.
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relationship between GTL and FSE is higher with a higher EWE
(β = 0.43, t = 9.40, p < 0.001) as compared to a low EWE (β = 0.35,
t = 7.46, p < 0.01).
Table 8 also includes the ndings about Hypotheses H2 and
H4(b). A signicant positive link between FSE and EGBs has been
corroborated (β =0.28, t = 2.33, p < 0.05), as well as the moderation of
EWE in this association (β = 0.06, t = 2.49, p < 0.05). As can
bewitnessed in Table10 and Figure4, the relationship between FSE
and EGB is lower at low levels of EWE (β =0.44, t = 5.52, p < 0.01) and
becomes stronger at higher levels of EWE (β =0.54, t = 7.44, p < 0.01).
e results also conrm the indirect association between GTL and
GB through FSE (β =0.74, 95% CI [0.58, 0.88]), corroborating H3.
Wecan conclude that SE partially mediates the relationship between
GTL and GB. Additionally, the moderated mediation eect was also
assessed. e indirect eect between GTL and EGB through FSE at
the mean of EWE and one standard deviation above and below are
displayed in Table11. As expected, the indirect link is lower when the
EWE is lower (β =0.16, 95% CI [0.07, 0.28]), and it is increased to (β
=0.23, 95% CI [0.13, 0.37]) at the high level of EWE.
5 Discussion
Hypothesis one, which postulated a direct association between
GTL and FSE, has been empirically substantiated by the results of this
study. It is in line with some of the previous studies. For example,
Chen etal. (2022) also found that there was a substantial connection
between transformational leadership and self-esteem. ey concluded
that FSE could beimproved through transformational leadership,
particularly when it is centered on green, responsible behaviors.
Additionally, Hameed etal. (2021) studied the link between GTL and
FSE and found a favorable association between GTL and enhancement
in employees’ sense of value and self-esteem, consequently aecting
the display of green behaviors. Begum etal. (2022), Khan (2023), and
Srour et al. (2020) also found a positive association between
transformational leadership and desirable employee behaviors in
dierent geographical contexts. Gupta and Singh (2020) posited that
transformational leaders can provide the necessary support and
guidance during a crisis to help employees navigate challenging
situations, ultimately boosting their self-esteem. Edmondson (2019)
stated that transformational leadership aects self-esteem during a
crisis by fostering a sense of psychological safety among employees
(Edmondson, 2019). is is achieved through open communication,
empathy, and trust, which allows team members to express their
concerns and ideas without fear of negative consequences. By creating
a psychologically safe environment, transformational leaders can help
employees maintain their self-esteem during dicult times (Gupta
and Singh, 2020). According to Chen etal. (2022), GTL can impact
self-esteem during a crisis by promoting resilience among employees.
Hypothesis two, which postulated a direct positive association
between FSE and EGBs, has also been empirically supported, aligning
with some previous studies. During crises like the COVID-19
epidemic, employment uncertainty, nancial hardship, and work
routine changes can lower employees’ self-esteem. Srivastava and
Gupta (2022) observed that employees with higher self-esteem were
more adaptable to crisis-related stressors and remained committed to
green behaviors. High self-esteem gives people more condence to
handle challenges and adapt to new conditions. Crisis-related
pressures may truncate green behavior in employees by lowering their
low self-esteem. According to Gkargkavouzi etal. (2019), people with
low self-esteem are more likely to struggle in the face of environmental
hazards, which can reduce their sense of personal responsibility and
their likelihood of engaging in green behaviors. During times of crisis,
people with low self-esteem may prioritize their immediate wants and
worries over long-term environmental goals. Balaji etal. (2019) assert
that SMEs confront nancial restrictions, supply chain interruptions,
and changing market needs during crises. In such cases, business
owners’ and employees’ self-esteem can aect their capacity to adopt
and maintain green practices. Low-esteem individuals may feel
overwhelmed by their circumstances and choose short-term survival
over long-term sustainability. Fachrunnisa (2022) concluded that such
an approach could lead to the abandoning of green projects in favor
TABLE4 Means, standard deviations, correlations, reliability and validity estimates (n = 232).
Constructs Mean S.D. αC.R. A.V. E. 1 2 3 4
1. EGB 3.37 0.84 0.86 0.88 0.65 0.81
2. GTL 3.91 0.87 0.91 0.92 0.75 0.69 0.86
3. FSE 3.86 0.83 0.88 0.89 0.68 0.71 0.72 0.83
4. EWE 3.57 0.84 0.88 0.88 0.62 0.52 0.46 0.55 0.79
GTL, green transformational leadership; green behavior during crises, SE, follower’s self-esteem; EWE, employee work engagement; α, alpha chronbach; C.R., composite reliability; AVE,
average variance.
TABLE5 Model fit indices.
Fit indices Estimates Acceptable level
Chi-square 423.55
Degree of freedom
(d.f) 186
p0.00 >0.05
Normed Chi-square
(CMIN/DF) 2.28 <3.00
Goodness-of-Fit Index
(GFI) 0.86
≥
09
0
.
Comparative Fit Index
(CFI) 0.95
≥095.
Root Mean Square
Error Approximate
(RMSEA)
0.07 <0.08
Standardized Root
Mean Square Residual
(SRMR)
0.04 <0.08
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Frontiers in Psychology 12 frontiersin.org
of more urgent concerns, worsening environmental challenges, and
threatening the business’s future. Low self-esteem can cause short-
term thinking and decision-making.
Hypothesis 3, which put forth a positive mediation eect of FSE
in the GTL-EGB link, also got sucient empirical support from the
ndings of this study, which is in consonance with previous literature.
Ahmad etal. (2021) demonstrated that FSE as a mediator for GTL’s
inuence on EGB signies the possibility for GTL to augment FSE,
which may trigger EGBs. Öğretmenoğlu etal. (2022) also revealed that
employees with a high sense of self-worth are more likely to have
condence in their talents, take on demanding jobs, and persevere in
the face of adversity. ey are also more likely to beproactive, looking
for possibilities for development and progress and accepting
responsibility for the acts they do. Because of this, there is the potential
for enhanced productivity as well as improved innovation and
sustainability performance. Peng etal. (2019) elucidate that workers
with healthy self-esteem are actively involved in their jobs and devoted
to the sustainability gains of the organization. ey are more likely to
have a feeling of ownership and responsibility for their jobs, which
ultimately leads to a better sense of accountability and the desire to
contribute to the success of the organization, all of which transcends
to the shoulders of a GTL.
e ndings of this study also yielded strong empirical support
for Hypothesis 4 (a), which stated a positive moderation eect of EWE
in the GTL-FSE linkage, which means that when EWE is high, the
impact of GTL on FSE is likely to begreater. As they have a strong
connection to the organization and its mission, engaged employees are
more likely to bereceptive to the values and objectives promoted by
green transformational leaders. is, in turn, could catalyze
employees’ perceptions of the manfulness of their work and the
ensuing contributions to the greater good. is nding is consistent
with previous literature. Tao et al. (2022) explained that when
employee engagement is minimal, the impact of GTL on FSE may
bediminished. Employees who are disengaged may not completely
embrace the eco-friendly initiatives and values promoted by their
leaders, resulting in a weakened relationship between leadership and
self-esteem. According to Begum et al. (2022), to maximize the
positive impact of GTL on FSE in such circumstances, it is essential
for organizations to improve EWE. Additionally, Du and Yan (2022)
found that engaged employees are more likely to participate actively
in sustainability initiatives, exchange ideas, and collaborate with
co-workers to achieve the organization’s environmental objectives.
is collaborative endeavor can contribute to the overall success of
GTLs, resulting in a greater impact on FSE.
Finally, hypothesis 4(b), which assumed a positive moderation
eect of EWE on the FSE-EGB linkage, also found adequate empirical
support, which is in line with some of the previous studies. According
to Ansari and Irfan (2023), the relationship between FSE and their
behavior in times of crisis is signicantly inuenced by employee
engagement. In times of crisis, employees are required to demonstrate
adaptability, resilience, and sound decision-making in the face of
unprecedented obstacles. Employees who are emotionally invested in
their work and are committed to the organization’s success
demonstrate positive behaviors and contribute to overcoming the
FIGURE2
The structural model.
TABLE6 Tolerance and VIF before and after centering the independent
variables.
Before centering After centering
Constructs Tolerance VIF Tolerance VIF
2 GTL 0.117 8.520 0.954 1.048
3. FSE 0.068 14.615 0.953 1.049
4. EWE 0.089 11.224 0.958 1.044
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Frontiers in Psychology 13 frontiersin.org
crisis. Raza etal. (2021) elaborated that when employees feel valued,
supported, and connected to the organization’s goals, their self-esteem
tends to increase. eir sense of self-worth can positively aect their
(green) behavior during a crisis, as they are more likely to remain
composed, solution-oriented, and focused. Kuknor and Bhattacharya
(2021) found that engaged employees with a high sense of self-worth
are likelier to take initiative, collaborate eectively with co-workers,
and demonstrate resilience in the face of adversity. In addition, the
positive relationship between EWE and green behavior during a crisis
has been delineated by their study.
6 Conclusion
6.1 Theoretical contributions
e ndings of this study contribute to the advancement of
scholarly discourse on EGBs in many ways. EGB during crises is in its
infancy, and scant studies so far have examined GTL as a key
antecedent of EGBs during crises. By empirically substantiating that
GTL directly as well as indirectly enhances EGBs during crises, this
research makes an important contribution to initiating and/or
TABLE7 Hierarchical regression results.
Variables Follower’s self-esteem (FSE) Employee green behavior during crisis (EGB)
Model M1 M2 M3 M4 M5 M6 M7
Intercept 4.07*** 0.48 −0.07 4.51*** 0.87*** 0.49*** 0.28*
Gender −0.09 −0.05 −0.03 −0.08 −0.05 −0.01 −0.01
Age 0.18*0.03 0.03 0.14 −0.01 −0.03 −0.02
Education −0.11 0.02 0.03 −0.14 −0.01 −0.02 −0.01
Experience −0.24* −0.03 −0.03 −0.23** −0.02 0.00 −0.01
GTL 0.93*** 0.40*** 0.95*** 0.21*** 0.13*
FSE (Mediator) 0.79*** 0.51***
EWE(Moderator) 0.60*** 0.37***
R20.05 0.88 0.95 0.04 0.84 0.91 0.93
ΔR20.05 0.83 0.06 0.04 0.80 0.07 0.01
F 2.79 319.66*** 510.55*** 2.64*24011*** 399.5*** 396.7***
Df 227 226 225 227 226 225 224
M, Model. ***p < 0.001, **p < 0.01, *p < 0.05.
TABLE8 Regression results for the direct eects – indirect eect of mediation and moderation on follower’s self-esteem and green behavior during
crisis.
Direct
relationships
βSE Lower
level CI
Upper
level CI
T-
value
Direct
relationships
βSE Lower
Level
CI
Upper
level CI
T-
value
Gender −0.03 0.03 −0.08 0.03 −0.85 Gender 0.00 0.03 −0.06 0.06 −0.02
Age 0.03 0.02 −0.02 0.07 1.22 Age −0.02 0.02 −0.07 0.03 −0.82
Education 0.03 0.02 −0.01 0.06 1.33 Education −0.02 0.02 −0.06 0.02 −0.77
Experience −0.03 0.03 −0.08 0.02 −1.16 Experience −0.01 0.03 −0.06 0.05 0.30
GTL → FSE 0.22 0.09 0.04 0.40 2.4*FSE → EGB 0.28 0.12 0.04 0.51 2.33*
GTL*EWE → FSE 0.04 0.02 0.01 0.08 2.15*FSE*EWE → EGB 0.06 0.02 0.01 0.05 2.49*
Indirect
relationship Eect Boot SE Lower-Level CI Upper-Level CI Indirect relationship
GTL → SE → EGB 0.74 0.08 0.58 0.88 GTL → FSE → EGB
F445.28 F355.99
R20.93 R20.93
n = 232, **p < 0.01; *p < 0.05.
TABLE9 The impact of green transformational leadership on followers’
self-esteem at high and low levels of work engagement.
EWE Eect SE t-values Lower
level CI
Upper
level CI
-SD 0.35 0.05 7.46*** 0.26 0.45
Mean 0.39 0.04 9.02*** 0.31 0.48
+SD 0.43 0.05 9.40*** 0.34 0.52
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Frontiers in Psychology 14 frontiersin.org
TABLE11 Conditional indirect eect of GTL on EGB via FSE at low and
high valued of EWE.
Test for the conditional indirect
eect with moderation
EWE Indirect
eect
Boot
FSE
95% CI
lower
bound
95% CI
upper
bound
−SD 0.16 0.05 0.07 0.28
Mean 0.19 0.06 0.10 0.72
+SD 0.23 0.06 0.13 0.37
nurturing discussion and debate in this domain. It adds strength to
the ecacy of transformational leadership theory, social exchange
theory, and social cognition theory in explaining the dynamics of
EGBs through the lens of leadership-follower relationships. e
empirical substantiation of the impact of GTL on EGBs through the
mediation of FSE and moderation of EWE reveals an important nexus
that has not been discussed holistically in the previous literature.
Additionally, the new-fangled model sets an agenda for future research
to enrich the rigor of this baseline model by integrating diverse
mediating and contextual conditions. Furthermore, ndings girdle the
conditions under which the GTL could produce better results in
maturing EGBs during crises. us, the study provides a deeper
understanding of the boundary conditions of GTL aecting EGBs.
Another unique contribution of this study emanates from its usage of
Middle Eastern data that not only provides novel insights into a
unique socio-cultural milieu but could also swell the generalizability
of the etic theories developed in the West to other cross-
cultural contexts.
6.2 Practical implications
Organizations, especially SMEs must appreciate the ecacy of
GTL, FSE, and EWE in producing desirable (green) behaviors,
particularly during times of crisis, and should take concrete measures
to enhance them to boost EGBs. Adequate nurturing and integration
of these essential conditions may have a substantial eect on an
organization’s capacity to overcome obstacles, maintain productivity,
and ensure long-term sustainability. GTL is essential for navigating
organizations through uncertainty and change during times of crisis.
Besides inspiring and motivating their followers, GTLs must strongly
integrate green orientation in their decision-making. By doing so, they
can assist organizations in adapting to new market conditions,
adhering to green regulations, and maintaining a positive reputation
among stakeholders. Encouraging EGBs can aid organizations in
reducing their carbon footprint, lower operational expenses, and
enhance overall productivity. Fostering enabling mechanisms like FSE
and EWE could help GTLs enhance their followers’ readiness and
ecacy for such contributions.
e post-pandemic era witnessed a massive change in
organizations and leadership. GTL promotes green practices within
an organization which entails inspiring and motivating employees to
embrace green behaviors, participate in green initiatives, and
contribute to the organization’s overall sustainability objectives (Yaqu b
etal., 2023). Organizations should, therefore, invest in nurturing and
enabling GTL competencies (Ali et al., 2023). is could
be accomplished through ecacious training and development
programs instituted at all levels (top leadership, managers, employees).
Besides, leaders should inspire and motivate their employees to adopt
and implement green behaviors through mentoring and orchestrating
strong social discourse. In addition, GTLs should involve their
employees in the decision-making processes pertaining to corporate
green initiatives to cement their sense of ownership for such initiatives
(Yaqub etal., 2023). Organizations may also establish green teams or
committees to encourage employee participation in sustainability
initiatives. In addition, organizations should recognize and reward
employees who exhibit green consciousness, behaviors, and
advocations to contribute to the organization’s sustainability
objectives. is can beaccomplished through a variety of methods,
including public recognition, monetary incentives, and additional
benets. By recognizing and rewarding green employee actions,
managers can reinforce the signicance of green behavioral practices
and encourage others to do the same. Finally, managers should set an
example by displaying a strong personal commitment to green-
conscious practices. is may involve reducing energy consumption,
recycling, and utilizing favorable green products and other corporate
citizenship behaviors. By demonstrating their personal commitment
to green practices, leader can motivate their employees to do the same
FIGURE3
The impact of GTL on FSE at high and low levels of EWE.
TABLE10 The eect of FSE on EGB at high and low levels of EWE.
EWE Eect FSE T-
value
Lower
level CI
Upper
level CI
−SD 0.44 0.08 5.82*** 0.29 0.59
Mean 0.49 0.07 6.82*** 0.35 0.63
+SD 0.54 0.07 7.44*** 0.39 0.68
FIGURE4
The eect of FSE on EGB at high and low levels of EWE.
Zaid and Yaqub 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1258990
Frontiers in Psychology 15 frontiersin.org
and cultivate and/or strengthen a green culture which proves to
bequite handy during exigent times.
6.3 Limitations and future research
suggestions
A study’s limitations (or constraints) underscore the domain(s)
in which future investigations can augment our comprehension of
the subject matter. Although this study oers some cardinal
contributions to the understanding of the dynamics of the maturing
of EGBs during crises, it is important to acknowledge certain
limitations. First, the generalizability of the results may
beconstrained by the specic sample and context in which it is
based. e sample for this study comprised exclusively SMEs
operating in SaudiArabia, limiting the generalizability of its results.
Subsequent investigations should replicate this study by employing
heterogeneous samples from other demographic, temporal,
geographical, and cultural contexts to augment the generalizability
of the results. Second, this study employed a cross-sectional design,
a method that captures a momentary representation of the
associations among constructs at a particular instance. Longitudinal
or experimental methodologies may oer a more comprehensive
understanding of the causal associations over time. To enhance the
quality of the ndings in the future, this study recommends multi-
method quantitative research with a longitudinal time horizon.
ird, the research has depended on self-reporting measures, which
are susceptible to common methods and potential response biases.
Subsequent investigations should consider the inclusion of objective
metrics or diverse data sources to augment the veracity of outcomes.
Fourth, data used in this investigation were obtained from a single
source, with a predominant reliance on the subjective evaluations
and self-appraisals of GTL, FSE, ESE, and EGB. e integration of
multiple data sources can yield a more comprehensive
understanding of the relationships being examined.
The study demonstrates that EGBs during crises improve
with the help of GTL, FSE and EWE. Future researchers could
employ other mediators and/or mechanisms between GTL and
EGBs. Additionally, exploring the role of moderating variables
such as organizational culture, knowledge sharing, and perceived
organizational support could also be possible. In addition, a
multi-level perspective (e.g., macro, team, etc.) should
beincorporated into future research to capture a more holistic
view. Finally, exploring possible discrepancies in the associations
between these constructs within disparate sociocultural settings
could provide useful insights into the limitations and situational
elements that influence these associations.
6.4 Conclusion
is study investigates the ecacy of GTL as a critical
antecedent that could encourage, support, and enable employees to
exhibit green behaviors during times of crisis. Specically, the study
examines two important mediating and moderating conditions that
enable GTL to produce the desired eect on EGBs. It demonstrates
that FSE as a psychological mechanism signicantly mediates the
GTL-EGB linkage. In addition, it elucidates that an enhancement
in the EWE complements the ecacy of GTL in enhancing FSE, as
well as FSE’s instrumentality in maturing EGBs during
tempestuous times.
GTL signies an unraveled commitment to ethics, sustainability,
and social responsibility during exigent conditions. GTLs, while
believing in the strong participation of their followers in the collective
eorts to uphold green behaviors, need to use their idealized inuence
and inspiration motivation to enhance FSE and EWE, which may
contrive just the right enabling conditions under which the eorts of
GTLs to nurture EGBs during crises could produce desired results.
e study empirically substantiates the assertion that employees with
high self-esteem and superior work engagement are more receptive
and responsive to their GTLs’ eorts to uphold green behaviors and
practices during hard times. erefore, SMEs, including their
managers, leaders, and/or entrepreneurs, need to create enabling
conditions where employees feel esteemed and highly engaged and
invest in nurturing and/or enabling the GTL competencies.
Data availability statement
e raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will
bemade available by the authors, without undue reservation.
Ethics statement
Ethical review and approval was not required for the study on
human participants in accordance with the local legislation and
institutional requirements. Written informed consent from the
participants was not required to participate in this study in accordance
with the national legislation and the institutional requirements.
Author contributions
WA: Conceptualization, Formal analysis, Investigation,
Methodology, Soware, Validation, Writing – original dra. MY:
Conceptualization, Investigation, Methodology, Project
administration, Resources, Supervision, Writing – review & editing.
Funding
e author(s) declare that no nancial support was received for
the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Conflict of interest
e authors declare that the research was conducted in the
absence of any commercial or nancial relationships that could
beconstrued as a potential conict of interest.
Zaid and Yaqub 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1258990
Frontiers in Psychology 16 frontiersin.org
Publisher’s note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the
authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated
organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the
reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or
claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or
endorsed by the publisher.
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