Fostering a greener waste management system: assessing the impact of green transformational leadership on employees' green innovation behavior

With the growing concerns about material cycles and waste management, research on green innovation behavior (GIB) in micro-organizations has become the focus of academic attention. This study seeks to elucidate the mechanisms of green transformational leadership (GTL) on employees' green innovation behaviors. Utilizing pre-survey and three-stage questionnaire survey, 261 paired data were collected by 6-point Likert scale to test the research hypotheses. Based on social information processing theory (SIPT), the study found that green transformational leadership positively influences green innovation behavior, organization green climate (OGC), and green self-efficacy (GSE). Organization green climate mediates the relationship between green transformational leadership and employees' green innovation behavior. Green self-efficacy does not play a significant role in mediating the relationship between green transformational leadership and employees' green innovation behavior. In addition, harmonious environmental passion (HEP) positively moderates the effect of green transformational leadership on employees' green innovation behavior. This study expands the relevant research on the relationship between green transformational leadership and employees' green innovation behavior, and provides theoretical and practical foundation for the development and management of green innovation in enterprises.