How green human resource management encourages employee green voice behaviors: the roles of psychological empowerment, felt obligation and intrinsic motivation

Purpose Green human resource management (GHRM) is increasingly viewed as an important organizational mechanism for integrating environmental priorities into workplace systems. However, limited attention has been given to how GHRM encourages hotel employees' green voice behaviors and the psychological processes underlying this relationship. Drawing on social identity theory, this study examines how GHRM encourages employees' promotive and prohibitive green voice through felt obligation and psychological empowerment and whether employee green intrinsic motivation strengthens these relationships. Design/methodology/approach A survey was used to collect data from 312 employees working in Vietnamese hotels. The direct, mediating and moderating relationships among variables were examined using partial least squares structural equation modeling. Findings The results show that GHRM is positively related to both promotive and prohibitive voice. Empowerment and obligation act as distinct mediating mechanisms, with empowerment more strongly associated with promotive voice and obligation with prohibitive voice. The positive effect of GHRM on employees' green promotive voice behavior is strengthened by green intrinsic motivation. Originality/value This study advances current understanding by clarifying how identity-based HRM practices shape employee-driven environmental voice in service-oriented workplaces. The findings provide hotel managers with actionable guidance on designing human resource practices that activate employee participation in sustainability through felt obligation and green intrinsic motivation.