The role of working conditions and opportunities for pro-environmental behavior at work

Purpose Despite growing interest in pro-environmental behavior at work, little is known about how working conditions facilitate or inhibit this behavior. This study investigates the associations of specific working conditions (i.e. task control, time control, opportunities for pro-environmental behavior at work, variability, environmental-related complexity, environmental-related performance constraints, environmental and mobility stressors, time pressure and environmental-related uncertainty) and pro-environmental behavior at work, drawing on action regulation theory. Design/methodology/approach We conducted a quantitative online survey with employed adults from Germany (N = 563) and analyzed the data using hierarchical regression analysis. Findings Task control, environmental-related complexity, environmental and mobility stressors, and environmental-related uncertainty were positively associated with pro-environmental behavior at work, whereas environmental-related performance constraints were negatively associated. When opportunities for pro-environmental behavior were included in the analysis, the associations of task control, environmental-related complexity and environmental-related performance constraints became nonsignificant. However, as opportunities for pro-environmental behavior at work were highly correlated with pro-environmental behavior at work, results including this variable should be interpreted cautiously. Practical implications The findings emphasize the importance of organizations considering (environmental-related) working conditions, particularly by providing task control and minimizing environmental-related performance constraints to support pro-environmental behavior at work. Originality/value Taking a comprehensive perspective, this study examines a broad set of working conditions based on action regulation theory by combining general and environmental-related working conditions into a single quantitative study. Furthermore, it conceptualizes opportunities for pro-environmental behavior at work as a regulation possibility related to pro-environmental behavior at work.