Top management support as a catalyst: unpacking the influence of green culture, green HRM, and green work engagement on employee ecological behaviour

Purpose The research investigated the moderating role of top management support in the association between green human resource management (green HRM), green culture, and green work engagement. Design/methodology/approach Three hundred fifteen Malaysian higher-education employees provided data via a self-administered questionnaire for which partial least squares-structural equation modelling was used to examine the study’s hypotheses. Findings The result revealed that green work engagement had no significant relationship with employee ecological behaviour. However, the findings demonstrated that top management support moderates the association between green culture and employee ecological behaviour. Research limitations/implications The study’s results provide valuable insights for higher education institutions and policymakers to shape employee ecological behaviour among academic staff members by developing green policies. Future studies should include larger sample sizes and different target groups with different educational levels to enable a better understanding of ecological behaviour. Originality/value This paper offers three valuable contributions. First, it contributes to the ecological behaviour and environmental management literature. Second, it introduces top management as a moderator that could significantly assist organisational culture in engendering desirable green outcomes. Third, it includes green culture and green work engagement as mediating variables in the association between green HRM and EEB.