Department of Management, Majoring HRM, Institute for Humanities and Cultural Studies, Tehran, Iran. , e.ebrahimi@ihcs.ac.ir
Abstract: (683 Views)
Objective: In response to the growing organizational need for sustainable development, this study tried to identify mechanisms through which environmental training can lead to practical changes in employee behavior by integrating behavioral and managerial perspectives in the field of human resources. Accordingly, the aim of this research was to examine the role of green training in enhancing employees’ green performance. The mediating role of green job crafting and the moderating role of sustainable leadership were also tested.
Methodology: To achieve the research objective, a survey method and structural equation modeling were employed. Using data collected from 144 questionnaires completed by employees of a gas company, the conceptual model of the study was tested. SmartPLS 3 software was used for hypothesis testing.
Findings: The results show that green training does not have a significant direct effect on employees’ green performance, but it has a significant positive indirect effect through the mediating variable of green job crafting. Moreover, the relationship between green job crafting and green performance is influenced by the level of sustainable leadership in the organization; specifically, this relationship is strengthened when sustainable leadership exists.
Originality: From a theoretical perspective, by integrating three key constructs, i.e., green training, green job crafting, and sustainable leadership into a novel conceptual framework, this study contributes to the enrichment of literature on green human resource management.
Implications: From a practical perspective, merely providing environmental training is not sufficient to improve employees’ green performance; rather, the activation of job crafting behaviors and the creation of appropriate behavioral contexts are necessary conditions for achieving sustainability goals.
Methodology: To achieve the research objective, a survey method and structural equation modeling were employed. Using data collected from 144 questionnaires completed by employees of a gas company, the conceptual model of the study was tested. SmartPLS 3 software was used for hypothesis testing.
Findings: The results show that green training does not have a significant direct effect on employees’ green performance, but it has a significant positive indirect effect through the mediating variable of green job crafting. Moreover, the relationship between green job crafting and green performance is influenced by the level of sustainable leadership in the organization; specifically, this relationship is strengthened when sustainable leadership exists.
Originality: From a theoretical perspective, by integrating three key constructs, i.e., green training, green job crafting, and sustainable leadership into a novel conceptual framework, this study contributes to the enrichment of literature on green human resource management.
Implications: From a practical perspective, merely providing environmental training is not sufficient to improve employees’ green performance; rather, the activation of job crafting behaviors and the creation of appropriate behavioral contexts are necessary conditions for achieving sustainability goals.
Keywords: Green Training, Employees’ Green Performance, Green Gob Crafting, Sustainable Leadership, Green Human Resource Management.
Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Development Process
Received: Oct 04 2025 | Accepted: Jan 18 2026
Received: Oct 04 2025 | Accepted: Jan 18 2026
References
1. Achmad, F., & Wiratmadja, I. I. (2024). Driving sustainable performance in SMEs through frugal innovation: the nexus of sustainable leadership, knowledge management, and dynamic capabilities. IEEE Access. [DOI:10.1109/ACCESS.2024.3433474]
2. Amrutha, V. N., & Geetha, S. N. (2021). Linking organizational green training and voluntary workplace green behavior: Mediating role of green supporting climate and employees' green satisfaction. Journal of Cleaner Production, 290, 125876. [DOI:10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.125876]
3. Avakh Darestani, S. and Fazel, F. (2020). The Impact of Green Training on Organizational Performance Through the Mediating Role of Green Supply Chain Management (the Case: National Oil Products Distribution Company of Guilan). Industrial Management Studies, 18(56), 245-274. )In Persian)
4. Begum, S., Dong, W., Shahzad, K., Luu, T. T., & Ashfaq, M. (2025). How green training drives green process innovation and green product innovation: testing the underlying mechanisms. Business Process Management Journal. ahead-of-print. [DOI:10.1108/BPMJ-10-2024-0985]
5. Boiral, O., & Paillé, P. (2012). Organizational citizenship behavior for the environment: Measurement and validation. Journal of business ethics, 109(4), 431-445. [DOI:10.1007/s10551-011-1138-9]
6. Chaokromthong, K., & Sintao, N. (2021). Sample size estimation using Yamane and Cochran and Krejcie and Morgan and green formulas and Cohen statistical power analysis by G* Power and comparisons. Apheit International Journal, 10(2), 76-86.
7. Chen, I. S., Wu, S. H., & Choi, J. N. (2025). Make an environmental impact beyond organizational boundaries through green leisure crafting of employees. Applied Psychology, 74(1), e12595. [DOI:10.1111/apps.12595]
8. Colombo, V. L. B., Frare, A. B., & Beuren, I. M. (2022). From green training and involvement to an organizational rationale for sustainability: does it improve individual green performance?. Revista de Administração de Empresas, 62, e2021-0363. [DOI:10.1590/s0034-759020220508]
9. Daily, B. F., & Huang, S. C. (2001). Achieving sustainability through attention to human resource factors in environmental management. International Journal of operations & production management, 21(12), 1539-1552. [DOI:10.1108/01443570110410892]
10. El Baroudi, S., Cai, W., Khapova, S. N., & Jiang, Y. (2023). Green human resource management and team performance in hotels: The role of green team behaviors. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 110, 103436. [DOI:10.1016/j.ijhm.2023.103436]
11. Elshaer, I. A., Azazz, A. M., Kooli, C., Alshebami, A. S., Zeina, M. M., & Fayyad, S. (2023). Environmentally specific servant leadership and brand citizenship behavior: the role of green-crafting behavior and employee-perceived meaningful work. European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education, 13(6), 1097-1116. [DOI:10.3390/ejihpe13060083] [PMID] [PMCID]
12. Garg, S., & Arora, R. G. (2025). Examining the influence of green human resource practices on organizational citizenship behavior for environment in Indian banking: mediating role of green crafting through JD-R theory perspectives. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 1-41. [DOI:10.1007/s10668-024-05833-6]
13. Gerard, L., McMillan, J., & D'Annunzio-Green, N. (2017). Conceptualising sustainable leadership. Industrial and commercial training, 49(3), 116-126. [DOI:10.1108/ICT-12-2016-0079]
14. Gull, S., & Idrees, H. (2022). Green training and organizational efficiency: mediating role of green competencies. European Journal of Training and Development, 46(1/2), 105-119. [DOI:10.1108/EJTD-10-2020-0147]
15. Hakak, M. (2024). Identifying the factors affecting sustainable human resources with a meta synthesis approach. Journal of Sustainable Human Resource Management, 6(10), 178-157. (In Persian)
16. Hao, F., Ng, W., Aman, A. M., & Zhang, C. (2025). Technology for sustainability: the impact of avatar-led green training on OCBE and green creativity. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 37(1), 140-160. [DOI:10.1108/IJCHM-12-2023-1927]
17. Hobfoll, S. E. (1989) Conservation of resources: A new attempt at conceptualizing stress. American Psychologist, 44(3), 513-524 [DOI:10.1037/0003-066X.44.3.513] [PMID]
18. Jabbour, C. J. C., Santos, F. C. A., Fonseca, S. A., & Nagano, M. S. (2013). Green teams: understanding their roles in the environmental management of companies located in Brazil. Journal of cleaner production, 46, 58-66. [DOI:10.1016/j.jclepro.2012.09.018]
19. Japir Bataineh, M. A., Ghasemi, M., & Ghadiri Nejad, M. (2023). The role of green training in the ministry of education's corporate environmental performance: A mediation analysis of organizational citizenship behavior towards the environment and moderation role of perceived organizational support. Sustainability, 15(10), 8398. [DOI:10.3390/su15108398]
20. Joshi, G., & Dhar, R. L. (2020). Green training in enhancing green creativity via green dynamic capabilities in the Indian handicraft sector: The moderating effect of resource commitment. Journal of Cleaner Production, 267, 121948. [DOI:10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.121948]
21. Kazemi Saraskanrood, Z., shirkhodaie, M. , Yahyazadeh far, M. , Safari, M. , & Namdar Tajari, S. (2024). Designing a model of sustainability in the workplace based on the environmental behavior of employees. Journal of Sustainable Human Resource Management, 6(10), 324-297. (In Persian)
22. Li, S., Ngniatedema, T., & Chen, F. (2017). Understanding the impact of green initiatives and green performance on financial performance in the US. Business Strategy and the Environment, 26(6), 776-790. [DOI:10.1002/bse.1948]
23. 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. [DOI:10.1080/09669582.2019.1601731]
24. Mandal, V., & Pal, D. (2025). Sustainable leadership: empowering green organizational citizenship behaviour through employee green value in the Indian healthcare sector. Journal of Asia Business Studies, 19(1), 79-102. [DOI:10.1108/JABS-08-2023-0338]
25. Moran, A. O. (2023). The influence of ethical leadership and sustainable leadership on sustainable performance: The moderating role of gender. International Journal of Economics & Business Administration (IJEBA), 11(3), 97-113. [DOI:10.35808/ijeba/818]
26. Nazir, S., Khadim, S., & Syed, N. (2025). Go where the winners go-examining the impact of sustainable leadership on firms' sustainable performance through mediation and moderation analysis. Management Research Review, 48(7), 1015-1042. [DOI:10.1108/MRR-04-2024-0288]
27. Pham, N. T., Jabbour, C. J. C., Vo-Thanh, T., Huynh, T. L. D., & Santos, C. (2023). Greening hotels: Does motivating hotel employees promote in-role green performance? The role of culture. In Knowledge management, organizational learning and sustainability in tourism (pp. 57-76). Routledge. [DOI:10.4324/9781032626512-4]
28. Pinzone, M., Guerci, M., Lettieri, E., & Huisingh, D. (2019). Effects of 'green'training on pro-environmental behaviors and job satisfaction: Evidence from the Italian healthcare sector. Journal of cleaner production, 226, 221-232. [DOI:10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.04.048]
29. Shafait, Z., & Huang, J. (2024). Examining the impact of sustainable leadership on green knowledge sharing and green learning: Understanding the roles of green innovation and green organizational performance. Journal of Cleaner Production, 457, 142402. [DOI:10.1016/j.jclepro.2024.142402]
30. Siddiqui, H., Hummayun, G. K., & Raza, F. (2023). Crafting green culture around the components and challenges in the higher education institutes in Pakistan. Pakistan Journal of International Affairs, 6(1), 58-77. [DOI:10.52337/pjia.v6i1.706]
31. Sun, H., Bahizire, G. M., Pea-Assounga, J. B. B., & Chen, T. (2024). Enhancing employee green performance through green training: the mediating influence of organizational green culture and work ethic in the mining sector. Journal of Cleaner Production, 449, 141105. [DOI:10.1016/j.jclepro.2024.141105]
32. Sutarmin, S., Yulianeu, A., Darmawan, A., & Kurniawan, A. A. (2023). Driving sustainable change: Green transformational leadership, job crafting, and work engagement in frugal eco-innovation. International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning, 3883-3893. [DOI:10.18280/ijsdp.181220]
33. Tang, G., Chen, Y., Jiang, Y., Paillé, P., & Jia, J. (2018). Green human resource management practices: scale development and validity. Asia pacific journal of human resources, 56(1), 31-55. [DOI:10.1111/1744-7941.12147]
34. Teixeira, A. A., Jabbour, C. J. C., de Sousa Jabbour, A. B. L., Latan, H., & De Oliveira, J. H. C. (2016). Green training and green supply chain management: evidence from Brazilian firms. Journal of cleaner production, 116, 170-176. [DOI:10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.12.061]
35. Tims, M., Bakker, A. B., & Derks, D. (2012). Development and validation of the job crafting scale. Journal of vocational behavior, 80(1), 173-186. [DOI:10.1016/j.jvb.2011.05.009]
36. Tuan, L. T. (2021). Effects of environmentally-specific servant leadership on green performance via green climate and green crafting. Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 38(3), 925-953. [DOI:10.1007/s10490-019-09687-9]
37. Woo, E. J., & Kang, E. (2020). Environmental issues as an indispensable aspect of sustainable leadership. Sustainability, 12(17), 7014. [DOI:10.3390/su12177014]
38. Wrzesniewski, A., & Dutton, J. E. (2001). Crafting a job: Revisioning employees as active crafters of their work. Academy of management review, 26(2), 179-201. [DOI:10.2307/259118]
39. Yafi, E., Tehseen, S., & Haider, S. A. (2021). Impact of green training on environmental performance through mediating role of competencies and motivation. Sustainability, 13(10), 5624. [DOI:10.3390/su13105624]
40. Yahya poor., M., Tabari., M., Mehrara, A., Bagher Zadeh., M., & Balooei Jamkhaneh., E. (2020). Evaluation of Green Human Resource Management Model in Electric Power Distribution Companies of the North of Iran with DEMATEL Technique. Journal of Sustainable Human Resource Management, 2(2), 117-135. (In Persian)
| Rights and permissions | |
 |
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. |
