Greening Organizations: The Relationship between Employee Environmental Concern, Perception of Advantages of Eco-Innovations, and Support for Innovation

Salvatore Zappalà (), Luca Radassao and Ferdinando Toscano
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Salvatore Zappalà: Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
Luca Radassao: Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
Ferdinando Toscano: Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 24, 1-12

Abstract: Environmental sustainability is a relevant challenge for companies, and employees’ perceptions of the advantages of ecological innovation, or eco-innovation, introduced by the company represent an important driver of organizational change adoption. This study examines if employees’ environmental concerns, considered as a general attitude and a value orientation, are related to the perception of the advantages of eco-innovation. Building on climate literature, it also investigates if the climate of support for innovation moderates that relationship. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 130 Italian workers. A confirmatory factor analysis and a moderation model were tested. Results show a significant positive relationship between employees’ environmental concern and perceived benefits of eco-innovation. Intriguingly, the climate of support for innovation negatively, instead of positively, moderated this relationship. Results suggest that in order to increase the perception of the benefits of the introduced eco-innovations, organizations should consider the whole set of innovations undertaken and address, especially to very concerned and value oriented employees, the unique environmental benefits of those innovations.

Keywords: employees’ environmental concern; ecological innovation; climate of support for innovation; environmental sustainability; environmental attitudes (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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