“The Synergy of Ethical Leaders and Corporate Values”: nurturing employee pro-environmental behavior through psychological safety and organizational identification

This study examines how ethical leadership catalyzes employees’ pro-environmental behavior at work by drawing upon both attitudinal and contextual perspectives. Using a four-wave, time-lagged dataset from 421 professionals in South Korea, the findings reveal that ethical leadership directly inspires employees’ eco-friendly actions while also exerting an indirect influence through a sequential pathway involving psychological safety and organizational identification. Employees who perceive their leaders as principled and fair experience increased confidence in voicing concerns or suggesting innovative solutions for sustainability, which in turn fosters stronger identification with the organization’s values. These heightened feelings of security and identification culminate in concrete pro-environmental behaviors. Furthermore, results indicate that corporate ethics moderates the effect of ethical leadership on psychological safety. Organizations with more robust and visibly enforced ethical norms exhibit a stronger positive link between ethical leadership and employees’ sense of safety, thereby magnifying pro-environmental engagement. The study contributes to the literature by integrating social learning, social exchange, and broader organizational ethics frameworks into a comprehensive model of green behavior. Through highlighting the interplay of leadership, employee attitudes, and institutional ethics, these findings emphasize the importance of nurturing a climate where moral conduct is both exemplified by leaders and reinforced through formal organizational structures.