Managing environmental challenges: Training as a solution to improve employee green performance

Area of Science:

• Environmental Management
• Organizational Behavior
• Hospitality Management

Background:

• Environmental training is crucial for sustainability but its link to employee green performance and the role of commitment and culture are under-researched.
• Existing literature lacks focus on the interplay between environmental training, employee in-role green performance (EIGP), and employee environmental commitment, especially considering cultural nuances.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the direct and indirect effects of environmental training on EIGP.
• To examine the mediating role of employee environmental commitment in the environmental training-EIGP relationship.
• To explore the moderating influence of cultural perspective (Western vs. Local) on these interrelationships.

Main Methods:

• A quantitative study utilizing survey data from 301 hotel employees in Vietnam.
• Application of social exchange theory and cultural perspective frameworks.
• Statistical analysis to test direct, mediating, and moderating effects.

Main Results:

• Environmental training significantly enhances EIGP directly.
• Employee environmental commitment acts as a significant mediator between environmental training and EIGP.
• The mediating effect of commitment is stronger in Western-managed hotels, but cultural influence does not moderate the direct training-EIGP link.

Conclusions:

• Environmental training is an effective tool for improving employee green performance, with commitment playing a key mediating role.
• Cultural context, particularly Western management influence, strengthens the indirect pathway from training to performance via commitment.
• Findings offer practical insights for organizations aiming to reduce their environmental impact through targeted training and commitment-building strategies.