Conceptual Evolution of Green Leadership Literature: Web of Science (WoS) Based A Bibliometric Analysis (1994–2025)

Aim: In recent years, the increasing impact of environmental problems on a global scale has paved the way for the development of new trends based on the principle of sustainability in leadership approaches. Today, climate crisis, resource depletion and institutional environmental responsibilities have made green leadership an indispensable element of sustainable management. In this context, green leadership stands out as a contemporary governance approach that focuses on environmental awareness and directs institutional transformation. The lack of theoretical clarity and methodological diversity in the literature limits the development of the field. The aim of this study is to systematically analyze the development of green leadership literature through scientific publications indexed in the Web of Science (WoS) database.Method: In this study, scientific publications published in the WoS database between 1994 and 2025 were examined through bibliometric analysis and the conceptual evolution of green leadership literature was comprehensively mapped. The data collection process was structured according to PRISMA principles, and co-word technique, citation maps and thematic matches were used in the analyses.Results: The findings show that there has been a remarkable increase in the literature in the post-2020 period, and the concept of green leadership has found a prominent place in studies on management, environmental sciences and business. In particular, the concepts of "environmental belief", "green organizational culture" and "corporate environmental responsibility" constitute prominent focus areas. In terms of publication volume, Asian countries, especially China, have become dominant in the literature.Conclusion: This study demonstrates that green leadership has evolved into a strategic and interdisciplinary concept, gaining increasing academic attention especially after 2020. However, there is still a thematic and regional concentration in the literature, indicating the need for more in-depth, sector-specific, comparative international analyses and integrated research between theory and field practice in future studies.