Predictors and consequences of pro-environmental behavior at work

Abstract

Increasingly, people are looking for meaning through their jobs, for employers that have a positive impact on the world, and for workplaces that promote mission-driven behavior. One such mission that is a growing priority is addressing climate change, especially for younger cohorts entering the workforce. Addressing the climate crisis will necessitate substantial changes at all levels of society, including organizational change. This paper examines individual, social, and contextual variables that are associated with pro-environmental behavior (PEB). In a large survey of employees from high and low greenhouse gas emitting sectors (N = 3,041), we examine the predictors of work PEB and the relationship between work PEB and job satisfaction. We find that the strongest predictors of work PEB index are similar behavior in another domain (measured as home PEB index), perceived organizational support for the environment, personal attitudes about environmental responsibility, reported identity overlap with coworkers, and level of education. Perceptions about the social and corporate support of an environmental mission predict work PEB even after accounting for the influence of individual factors, including environmental attitudes, suggesting that they are associated with increased work PEB for employees with both high and low concern about climate change. We also find that higher work PEB is associated with greater job satisfaction. This suggests that there may be a virtuous cycle between companies' mission-driven actions and policies and employee perceptions, behavior, and personal and corporate well-being, with potential implications for employee engagement and retention.