From clicks to contributions: how environmental identity and impression management shape university students'...

With the growing prevalence of social media, college students' pro-environmental participation has become increasingly important for promoting environmental sustainability. However, empirical research on how social media environmental engagement influences college students' organizational citizenship behavior for the environment remains limited. Based on social identity theory and impression management theory, this study investigates the mechanism linking social media environmental engagement to organizational citizenship behavior for the environment among college students. It examines the mediating role of Environmental Identity and the moderating role of impression management motivation.

Data were collected from 360 valid responses through a three-wave longitudinal survey. Hypotheses were tested using hierarchical regression analysis and the Bootstrap method.

Results show that social media environmental engagement positively predicts environmental identity among college students. In turn, environmental identity transmits the effect of social media environmental engagement onto organizational citizenship behavior for the environment. Impression Management Motivation negatively moderates the relationship between environmental identity and organizational citizenship behavior for the environment. It also weakens the mediating effect of environmental identity in the link between social media environmental engagement and organizational citizenship behavior for the environment.

These findings provide theoretical guidance for universities and social organizations to promote substantive pro-environmental behavior among college students via social media as part of their educational mission. They help facilitate the transformation from virtual engagement to real environmental action.