When and how ethical leadership leads to pro-environmental behavior: an empirical examination

Purpose Drawing on social information processing (SIP) theory and conservation of resources (COR) theory, this study aims to investigate the direct relationship between leader behavioral integrity and employee pro-environmental behavior (PEB) and indirect mechanisms through the mediating roles of follower’s burnout and peer knowledge hiding. Moreover, this study also examines the moderating effect of individual power distance orientation. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected using a three-wave, time-lagged survey design from 342 matched responses in the hospitality and tourism sector in Oman. Leader integrity, power distance orientation and control variables were measured in Wave 1, employee burnout and peer knowledge hiding in Wave 2, and employee PEB in Wave 3, as rated by supervisors. Data were analyzed using SmartPLS 4. Findings Results reveal that leader behavioral integrity and employee PEB are directly related. Results also revealed that follower’s burnout and peer knowledge hiding serve as mediating mechanisms. Furthermore, individual power distance orientation moderates the relationships between leader behavioral integrity and employee burnout as well as leader behavioral integrity and peer knowledge hiding. Practical implications The findings emphasize the importance of leaders walking the talk by aligning their words with actions to foster trust, reduce employee strain, and discourage counterproductive behaviors, such as knowledge hiding. Managers in high-power distance contexts should leverage integrity to motivate positive behaviors. In contrast, in low-power distance contexts, leaders must maintain high accountability to sustain employee trust and environmental engagement. Originality/value This study contributes to leadership and sustainability research by integrating SIP and COR theories to reveal how leader integrity influences employee PEB directly and through emotional and motivational mechanisms. It further advances the literature by identifying peer knowledge hiding as a novel mediator and by demonstrating how cultural orientations shape the integrity-behavior relationship in an understudied Middle Eastern context.