Purpose : The purpose of this paper was to understand the impact of green transformational leadership (GTL) on employee green behavior (EGB) in the information technology (IT) sector.

Methodology : For this research, the data were collected from IT employees of Pune, Maharashtra. The association between the latent variables, along with various characteristics, was observed. One hundred thirty employees from IT organizations were assessed through the survey method, and analysis was done using SPSS and the PLS-SEM approach.

Findings : The empirical study showed a positive relationship between GTL and EGB. The results of the study also showcased that a green organizational identity (GOI) strongly mediated the relationship between GTL and EGB, and green training (GT) as a moderator strengthened the relationship.

Practical Implications : Pro-environmental initiatives and policies cultivated an atmosphere of unity and collaboration in the workplace toward the environment.

Originality/Value : This study added value to GTL. The findings would be helpful for policymakers.

1. Affolderbach, J., & Schulz, C. (2017). Positioning Vancouver through urban sustainability strategies? The greenest city 2020 action plan. Journal of Cleaner Production, 164, 676–685. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.06.234
2. Ahmed, U., Mozammel, S., & Zaman, F. (2020). Green HRM and green innovation: Can green transformational leadership moderate: Case of pharmaceutical firms in Australia. Systematic Reviews in Pharmacy,11(7), 612–617. https://doi.org/10.31838/srp.2020.7.86
3. Al-Zawahreh, A., Hailat, S., Al-Jaradat, M., & Bataineh, O. (2018). Green organizational identity and environmental commitment in higher education. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 9(10), 87–93. https://doi.org/10.30845/ijbss.v9n10p9
4. Behuria, P. (2021). Ban the (plastic) bag? Explaining variation in the implementation of plastic bag bans in Rwanda, Kenya and Uganda. Environment and Planning C: Politics and Space, 39(8), 1791–1808. https://doi.org/10.1177/2399654421994836
5. Chakraborty, D., & Biswas, W. (2020). Going green with green HRM practices – A strategic initiative for reinvigorating performance optimization in companies. Prabandhan: Indian Journal of Management, 13(10–11), 8–26. https://doi.org/10.17010/pijom/2020/v13i10-11/156006
6. Chang, C.-H., & Chen, Y.-S. (2013). Green organizational identity and green innovation. Management Decision, 51(5), 1056–1070. https://doi.org/10.1108/MD-09-2011-0314
7. Chen, Y.-S. (2011). Green organizational identity: Sources and consequence. Management Decision, 49(3), 384–404. https://doi.org/10.1108/00251741111120761
8. Chen, Y.-S., Chang, C.-H., & Wu, F.-S. (2012). Origins of green innovations: The differences between proactive and reactive green innovations. Management Decision, 50(3), 368–398. https://doi.org/10.1108/00251741211216197
9. Chen, Y.-S., & Chang, C.-H. (2013). The determinants of green product development performance: Green dynamic capabilities, green transformational Leadership, and green creativity. Journal of Business Ethics, 116(1), 107–119. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-012-1452-x
10. Chen, Y.-S., Chang, C.-H., & Lin, Y.-H. (2014). Green transformational leadership and green performance: The mediation effects of green mindfulness and green self-efficacy. Sustainability, 6(10), 6604–6621. https://doi.org/10.3390/su6106604
11. Cheung, G. W., Cooper-Thomas, H. D., Lau, R. S., & Wang, L. C. (2023). Reporting reliability, convergent and discriminant validity with structural equation modeling: A review and best-practice recommendations. Asia Pacific Journal of Management. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10490-023-09871-y
12. Chin, W. W. (1998). The partial least squares approach for structural equation modeling. In G. A. Marcoulides (ed.), Modern methods for business research (pp. 295–336). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers.
13. Deshpande, P., & Srivastava, A. P. (2023). A study to explore the linkage between green training and sustainable organizational performance through emotional intelligence and green work life balance. European Journal of Training and Development, 47(5/6), 615–634. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJTD-11-2021-0182
14. Dragomir, V. D. (2020). Ethical aspects of environmental strategy. In, Corporate environmental strategy. SpringerBriefs in applied sciences and technology (pp. 75–113) Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-29548-6_3
15. Gabela-Flores, M. V., & Diedrich, A. (2021). Exploring leadership dynamics in community-based marine protected areas. Marine Policy, 129, 104569. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2021.104569
16. Gallagher, D. R. (2012). Environmental leadership: A reference handbook. SAGE Publications, Inc. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781452218601
17. Garske, B., & Ekardt, F. (2021). Economic policy instruments for sustainable phosphorus management: Taking into account climate and biodiversity targets. Environmental Sciences Europe, 33(1), 56. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12302-021-00499-7
18. Hair, J. F., Risher, J. J., Sarstedt, M., & Ringle, C. M. (2019). When to use and how to report the results of PLS-SEM. European Business Review, 31(1), 2–24. https://doi.org/10.1108/ebr-11-2018-0203
19. Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2016). A primer on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). SAGE Publications, Inc.
20. Iqbal, Q. (2020). The era of environmental sustainability: Ensuring that sustainability stands on human resource management. Global Business Review, 21(2), 377–391. https://doi.org/10.1177/0972150918778967
21. Jiang, Y., Asante, D., Zhang, J., & Cao, M. (2020). The effects of environmental factors on low-carbon innovation strategy: A study of the executive environmental leadership in China. Journal of Cleaner Production, 266, 121998. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.121998
22. Kardoyo, K., Feriady, M., Farliana, N., & Nurkhin, A. (2020). Influence of the green leadership toward environmental policies support. The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business, 7(11), 459–467. https://doi.org/10.13106/jafeb.2020.vol7.no11.459
23. Kline, R. B. (2016). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling (4th ed.). Guilford Press.
24. Leguina, A. (2015). A primer on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). International Journal of Research & Method in Education, 38(2), 220–221. https://doi.org/10.1080/1743727x.2015.1005806
25. Luu, T. T. (2019). Green human resource practices and organizational citizenship behavior for the environment: The roles of collective green crafting and environmentally specific servant leadership. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 27(8), 1167–1196. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2019.1601731
26. Mehta, J. F. (2010). Economic development and climate change - An Indian perspective. Prabandhan: Indian Journal of Management, 3(2), 16–18. https://doi.org/10.17010/pijom/2010/v3i2/61010
27. Mekpor, B., & Dartey-Baah, K. (2020). Beyond the job description: Exploring the mediating role of leaders' emotional intelligence on the Nexus between leadership styles and voluntary workplace behaviours in the Ghanaian banking sector. Journal of Management Development, 39(2), 240–252. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMD-04-2019-0104
28. Mittal, S., & Dhar, R. L. (2016). Effect of green transformational leadership on green creativity: A study of tourist hotels. Tourism Management, 57, 118–127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2016.05.007
29. Mukherjee, B., & Chandra, B. (2018). Conceptualizing green human resource management in predicting employees' green intention and behaviour: A conceptual framework. Prabandhan: Indian Journal of Management, 11(7), 36–48. https://doi.org/10.17010/pijom/2018/v11i7/129940
30. Parng, Y.-J., Kurrahman, T., Chen, C.-C., Tseng, M. L., Minh Hà , H., & Lin, C.-W. (2021). Visualizing the hierarchical sustainable human resource management under qualitative information and complex interrelationships. Management of Environmental Quality, 32(6), 1422–1447. https://doi.org/10.1108/MEQ-04-2021-0086
31. Patra, G., Mukhopadhyay, I., & Dash, C. K. (2019). Digital employer branding for enabling Gen Y in the ITeS sector in Eastern India. Prabandhan: Indian Journal of Management, 12(3), 38–49. https://doi.org/10.17010/pijom/2019/v12i3/142339
32. Prasad, K., & Mangipudi, M. R. (2022). The effect of green human resource management on employee eco-friendly behaviour, employee environment-friendly response and organizational sustainability: An empirical study concerning IT industry in Hyderabad metro. Global Journal of Management and Business Research, 22(4), 31–42.
33. Redekop, B. W., Gallagher, D. R., & Satterwhite, R. (2018). Innovation in environmental leadership: Critical perspectives. Routledge.
34. Robertson, J. L., & Barling, J. (2017). Contrasting the nature and effects of environmentally specific and general transformational leadership. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 38(1), 22–41. https://doi.org/10.1108/LODJ-05-2015-0100
35. Shah, P. (2010). Awareness & preference towards carbon credits -An initiative to go for green. Prabandhan: Indian Journal of Management, 3(2), 19–28. https://doi.org/10.17010/pijom/2010/v3i2/61012
36. Sibian, A.-R., & Ispas, A. (2021). An approach to applying the ability-motivation-opportunity theory to identify the driving factors of green employee behavior in the hotel industry. Sustainability, 13(9), 4659. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13094659
37. Soewarno, N., Tjahjadi, B., & Fithrianti, F. (2019). Green innovation strategy and green innovation: The roles of green organizational identity and environmental organizational legitimacy. Management Decision, 57(11), 3061–3078. https://doi.org/10.1108/MD-05-2018-0563
38. Sparrowe, R. T., & Liden, R. C. (1997). Process and structure in leader-member exchange. The Academy of Management Review, 22(2), 522–552. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1997.9707154068
39. Srivastava, A. P., & Shree, S. (2019). Examining the effect of employee green involvement on perception of corporate social responsibility: Moderating role of green training. Management of Environmental Quality, 30(1), 197–210. https://doi.org/10.1108/MEQ-03-2018-0057
40. Srivastava, C., & Mahendar, G. (2018). Intention to adopt sustainable energy : Applying the theory of planned behaviour framework. Indian Journal of Marketing, 48(10), 20–33. https://doi.org/10.17010/ijom/2018/v48/i10/132325
41. Subramaniam, D. (2012). Green initiatives: Challenges in sustainment. Prabandhan: Indian Journal of Management, 5(6), 45–48. https://doi.org/10.17010/pijom/2012/v5i6/60217
42. Tang, Z., Zhao, N., & Zhang, L. (2012). Can planners take the leadership in local environmental management? Journal of Environmental Assessment Policy and Management, 14(2), 1250009. https://doi.org/10.1142/S1464333212500093
43. Tang, G., Chen, Y., Jiang, Y., Paillé, P., & Jia, J. (2017). Green human resource management practices: Scale development and validity. Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, 56(1), 31–55. https://doi.org/10.1111/1744-7941.12147
44. Teixeira, A. A., Jabbour, C. J., de Sousa Jabbour, A. B., Latan, H., & de Oliveira, J. H. (2016). Green training and green supply chain management: Evidence from Brazilian firms. Journal of Cleaner Production, 116, 170–176. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.12.061
45. Wang, X., Xiao, H., Chen, K., & Niu, X. (2020). Why administrative leaders take pro-environmental leadership actions: Evidence from an Eco-compensation programme in China. Environmental Policy and Governance, 30(6), 385–398. https://doi.org/10.1002/eet.1902
46. Wurzel, R. K., Liefferink, D., & Di Lullo, M. (2019). The European council, the council and the member states: Changing environmental leadership dynamics in the European Union. Environmental Politics, 28(2), 248–270. https://doi.org/10.1080/09644016.2019.1549783
47. Zhang, Y., Zhang, Z., & Jia, M. (2022). When and why perceived organizational environmental support fails to work: From a congruence perspective. Management and Organization Review, 18(3), 519–550. https://doi.org/10.1017/mor.2021.11
48. Zhu, J., Tang, W., Wang, H., & Chen, Y. (2021). The influence of green human resource management on employee green behavior—A study on the mediating effect of environmental belief and green organizational identity. Sustainability, 13(8), 4544. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13084544
49. Zoogah, D. B. (2011). The dynamics of green HRM behaviors: A cognitive social information processing approach. German Journal of Human Resource Management, 25(2), 117–139. https://doi.org/10.1177/239700221102500204