Green Inclusive Leadership and Intellectual Capital: The Mediating and Moderating Pathways to Competitive Advantage in the Hospitality Sector

This study investigates how green inclusive leadership (GIL) affects green intellectual capital (GIC) and sustainable competitive advantage (SCA) in the hospitality industry. Guided by the upper echelon theory (UET) and the resource-based view (RBV), it explores how GIC mediates the relationship between GIL and SCA and examines the moderating role of voluntary pro-environmental behavior (VPEB). Data from 395 respondents employed at five-star hotels in Egypt’s Red Sea and South Sinai governorates were analyzed utilizing Smart PLS software. Importantly, the results show that GIL has a favorable impact on both GIC and SCA, and that GIC mediates the link between GIL and SCA. Furthermore, VPEB motivates these connections, serving as a motivator for attaining a long-term competitive advantage. This research distinctly employs UET and RBV to clarify the impact of GIL on SCA via GIC, with VPEB serving as a moderator, thereby providing novel insights into leadership and intellectual capital within the hospitality sector.