The Impact of Green HRM on Green Work Behavior in Chinese Higher Education Industry: Examining the Mediation Role of Work Engagement and Moderation Role of Environmental Knowledge
Main Article Content
Abstract
As environmental sustainability becomes an organizational priority, Green Human Resource Management (GHRM) has emerged as a critical mechanism for encouraging employees’ pro-environmental behaviors. Although GHRM has been widely examined in manufacturing and service sectors, empirical evidence within higher education institutions (HEIs), particularly in the Chinese context, remains limited. Drawing on social exchange theory, job demands–resources model, broaden-and-build theory, and the knowledge–attitude–behavior framework, this research investigates the effects of GHRM practices on employees’ in-role and extra-role green workplace behaviors. It further examines the mediating role of green work engagement (GWE) and the moderating role of environmental knowledge. Survey data were collected from 401 academic and administrative staff members across three universities in Shenyang, China. Structural equation modeling was employed to test the proposed relationships. The results indicated that GHRM has significant positive effects on both in-role and extra-role green behaviors. GWE significantly mediates the relationship between GHRM and extra-role green behavior but does not mediate the relationship with in-role green behavior, suggesting that emotional engagement alone is insufficient to drive prescribed sustainability-related tasks. Also, environmental knowledge significantly moderates the relationship between GHRM and extra-role green behavior, strengthening employees’ voluntary participation in green initiatives, while its moderating effect on in-role behavior is not supported. These findings contribute to the GHRM literature by differentiating the mechanisms underlying different forms of green workplace behavior and extending empirical research to the higher education sector. Practically, the research highlights the importance of structured GHRM systems and environmental knowledge development in promoting sustainable behaviors among HEI employees.
Highlights
• This study extends Green Human Resource Management (GHRM) research to higher education institutions (HEIs) in China, an underexplored service-sector context.
• Structural equation modeling reveals that GHRM significantly enhances both in-role and extra-role green workplace behaviors among academic and administrative staff.
• Green work engagement mediates the relationship between GHRM and extra-role green behavior but does not mediate in-role behavior, highlighting differentiated behavioral mechanisms.
• Environmental knowledge strengthens the impact of GHRM on employees’ voluntary (extra-role) green behaviors, while its moderating effect on prescribed (in-role) behaviors is not supported.
• By integrating SET, JD-R, broaden-and-build, and knowledge–attitude–behavior theories, the study clarifies how institutional HR practices and individual capabilities jointly drive workplace sustainability.
Article Details
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Copyright: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
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