From leadership to action: How green inclusive leadership drives pro-environmental behaviour

Background Organizations face increasing pressure to respond to environmental concerns, yet fostering pro-environmental behaviour among employees remains a persistent challenge. Leadership, particularly green inclusive leadership, is considered vital in promoting such behaviours, but the underlying mechanisms remain insufficiently explored. Objective This study investigates how green inclusive leadership influences employees’ pro-environmental behaviour by examining the mediating roles of environmental passion and green self-efficacy. It also explores the moderating role of face consciousness in enhancing these relationships. Methods Data were collected through a structured survey from employees in environmentally conscious organizations in China, yielding 356 valid responses. Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Model (PLS-SEM) was conducted with SmartPLS to examine the direct, mediating and moderating relationships among the study variables. Results The results show that green inclusive leadership significantly enhances both environmental passion and green self-efficacy, which, in turn, mediate its positive effect on pro-environmental behaviour. Moreover, face consciousness moderates these relationships by amplifying the influence of environmental passion and green self-efficacy on employee behaviour. Conclusions This study contributes theoretically by integrating leadership, psychological, and cultural perspectives through the lens of social exchange theory. Practically, it highlights the importance of promoting climate action by encouraging organizations to cultivate inclusive leadership, strengthen employees’ psychological resources, and tailor green initiatives to align with cultural norms—such as face consciousness—particularly in collectivist societies.