Telework and Employee Green Innovation Performance: The Mediating Role of Voluntary Green Behavior and the Moderating Role of Green Self-Efficacy

With the increasing adoption of telework and growing attention to sustainable development, understanding how telework relates to employees’ green innovation has become an important research issue. Drawing on Self-Determination Theory and Social Cognitive Theory, this study develops a moderated mediation model to examine the relationships among telework, voluntary green behavior, green self-efficacy, and employees’ green innovation performance. Questionnaire data were collected from 322 employees in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region of China and analyzed using SPSS 26.0, AMOS, and hierarchical regression analysis, structural equation modeling, and PROCESS macro analyses. The results indicate that (1) telework is positively associated with employees’ green innovation performance, with voluntary green behavior partially mediating this relationship; (2) green self-efficacy positively moderates the relationship between telework and voluntary green behavior, such that the relationship is stronger among employees with higher levels of green self-efficacy; and (3) green self-efficacy significantly moderated the indirect effect of telework on employees’ green innovation performance through voluntary green behavior. Theoretically, this study integrates Self-Determination Theory and Social Cognitive Theory to explain both how telework is associated with employees’ green innovation performance through voluntary green behavior and when this relationship becomes stronger under different levels of green self-efficacy. Practically, the findings suggest that organizations should support employees’ voluntary green behavior by providing appropriate telework practices, green-skills training, supportive management, and opportunities to strengthen green self-efficacy.