Every cloud has a silver lining: Understanding how hotel employees’ counterproductive work behavior may shape their pro-environmental behavior

Abstract

Drawing upon moral cleansing theory, we investigate why and when employees’ counterproductive work behavior (CWB) may lead to their pro-environmental behavior (PEB) by pinpointing felt guilt and moral deficit as two parallel conduits and moral identity as an important boundary condition. To test our proposed model, 72 employees affiliated to three hotels in a chain were selected via experience sampling method. Data were collected through sending online survey links via WeChat, an instant communication app in China. Results reveal that employees performing CWB elicits feelings of guilt and a sense of moral deficit to themselves, which in turn triggers them to engage further in PEB. Moreover, findings suggest that moral identity strengthens the positive association of CWB with felt guilt and moral deficit and intensifies the indirect effects towards PEB. We therefore craft a dual-pathway framework that illuminates why and when CWB conducted by employees may, paradoxically, lead to PEB.