Towards green intellectual capital for sustainable corporate performance: moderation role of green transformational leadership

Purpose This study endeavors to elucidate how Green Intellectual Capital (GIC) contributes Sustainable Corporate Performance (SCP) through the mediating roles of Green Human Resources Management (GHRM) and Employee Green Behavior (EGB), while also investigating the moderating effect of Green Transformational Leadership (GTL). Design/methodology/approach The study applied a two-phase mixed methods design. First, semi-structured interviews with industry experts were conducted to validate the proposed relationships in the Vietnamese business context. Subsequently, survey data were collected from 428 managers from multinational companies and analyzed using PLS-SEM with SmartPLS. Findings The observations indicated that GIC exerts a significant favorable effect on GHRM, EGB, and SCP. Both GHRM and EGB partially mediate the relationship between GIC and SCP. In addition, GTL strengthens the effects of GIC on GHRM and EGB. Practical implications The findings provide actionable insights for managers and leaders seeking to leverage green knowledge assets, human resource systems, and leadership practices to foster environmentally responsible behaviors and achieve long-term sustainability performance. Originality/value This study shifts knowledge-based view from merely explaining the importance of knowledge to clarifying the internal conditions under which green knowledge can be translated into sustainable corporate performance. By integrating green human resource management and employee green behavior as mediating pathways, and green transformational leadership as an amplification mechanism aligned with transformational leadership theory, the study offers a process-oriented and people-centric explanation of sustainability value creation in multinational enterprises operating in emerging economies.