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The Mediating Role of Employees’ Green Motivation between Exploratory Factors and Green Behaviour in the Malaysian Food Industry

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  • Ha Junsheng

    (School of Economics and Management, Xi’an University of Posts and Telecommunications, Xi’an 710061, China
    Western Institution for Digital Economy, Xi’an 710121, China
    Research Center for Digital Economy and Industrial Integration and Innovation, Xi’an 710121, China)

  • Muhammad Mehedi Masud

    (Department of Development Studies, Faculty of Economics and Administration, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia)

  • Rulia Akhtar

    (Ungku Aziz Centre for Development Studies, Faculty of Economics and Administration, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia)

  • Md. Sohel Rana

    (Department of Business Policy and Strategy, Faculty of Business and Accountancy, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia)

Abstract

Global business entities face the challenge of incremental pressures to restructure their strategic alignments and capabilities to be in accordance with the sustainable development initiatives of the United Nations. This study endeavours to investigate the mediating role of employees’ green motivations in the relationships of environmental ethics, the institutional environment, and managerial support with the green behaviour of companies in the Malaysian food manufacturing industry. Data were collected using a questionnaire survey completed by 230 respondents to achieve the study objectives. The respondents consisted of CEOs, company managers, marketing managers, human resources department managers, concerned authorities from environmental protection departments, and producers in the Malaysian food manufacturing industry. The study found that environmental ethics, the institutional environment and managerial support play significant roles in motivating employees’ green activities within organisations, while employees’ green motivation substantially contributes to the green behaviour of the company. This study also revealed that employees’ green motivation plays an important mediating role in the relationships of environmental ethics, the institutional environment, and managerial support with the green behaviour of the company. The implications of this study will be important for allowing governments to take instantaneous action for their climate change pledges to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) following the Paris Accord of 2015 and the Marrakech Proclamation of 2016.

Suggested Citation

  • Ha Junsheng & Muhammad Mehedi Masud & Rulia Akhtar & Md. Sohel Rana, 2020. "The Mediating Role of Employees’ Green Motivation between Exploratory Factors and Green Behaviour in the Malaysian Food Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-18, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:2:p:509-:d:306798
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