From boardroom to factory: how CEO commitment and CSR shape SMEs eco-performance

This study delves into factors influencing environmental performance, with an emphasis on green human resource management (GHRM), environmental corporate social responsibility (ECSR), pro-environmental behaviour, and CEO environmental commitment. After surveying middle-level managers from 410 SMEs through stratified random sampling, findings highlight GHRM's pronounced impact on augmenting environmental performance. Parallelly, ECSR positively steers both pro-environmental behaviour and environmental performance. Intriguingly, ECSR and pro-environmental behaviour serve as mediators between GHRM and environmental performance. The CEO's environmental dedication distinctly moderates the association between pro-environmental behaviour and environmental outcomes. Collectively, insights illuminate GHRM's centrality in bolstering environmental performance in SMEs while spotlighting ECSR and pro-environmental behaviour as integral mediators. The findings pave a strategic path for SMEs to amplify decarbonisation efforts, underscoring the essence of employee pro-environmental actions steered by GHRM and ECSR directives.