Integrating green strategy and green human resource practices to trigger individual and organizational green performance the role of environmentally

Journal of Sustainable Tourism

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Integrating green strategy and green human
resource practices to trigger individual and
organizational green performance: the role of
environmentally-specific servant leadership

Trong Tuan Luu

To cite this article: Trong Tuan Luu (2020) Integrating green strategy and green human
resource practices to trigger individual and organizational green performance: the role of
environmentally-specific servant leadership, Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 28:8, 1193-1222,
DOI: 10.1080/09669582.2020.1729165
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JOURNAL OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM
2020, VOL. 28, NO. 8, 1193–1222
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Integrating green strategy and green human resource

practices to trigger individual and organizational green
performance: the role of environmentally-specific
servant leadership

Trong Tuan Luu

Swinburne Business School, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia

ABSTRACT ARTICLE HISTORY
Received 7 October 2019
Integrating strategic, top-down management and employee-oriented, Accepted 9 February 2020
bottom-up approaches, this inquiry proposes a research model in which
green management initiatives (i.e., the fusion of green strategy and KEYWORDS
green human resource practices) influence organizational green per- Employees’ organizational
formance and in turn organizational performance. This research model citizenship behavior for the
was comparatively tested in South Korean and Vietnamese tourism ser- environment; environmen-
vice contexts. The research results revealed that in both samples, envir- tally-specific servant
onmentally-specific servant leadership mediated the top-down leadership; green human
relationship between green management initiatives and employees’ resource practices; green
organizational citizenship behavior for the environment (OCBE), and strategy; organizational
employee OCBE mediated the bottom-up relationship between environ- green
mentally-specific servant leadership and organizational green perform- performance; Vietnam
ance. Nonetheless, while the mediating role of organizational green
performance for the link between employee OCBE and organizational
performance was corroborated in the Korean sample, this mediation
mechanism was not found in the Vietnamese sample. Implications for
green management literature and practice are presented.

Introduction

One of the ways through which organizations demonstrate their corporate social responsibility
(CSR) toward the community is green performance (Kasemsap, 2018). However, many organiza-
tions have not demonstrated genuine or sincere social responsibility via green policies but CSR-
washed or greenwashed (i.e., deceived) their stakeholders (Coombs & Holladay, 2012; Donia,
Ronen, Sirsly, & Bonaccio, 2019). In the tourism and hospitality industry, many organizational
campaigns for environmental protection turned out to be symbolic since these initiatives were
highly visible (hence allowing organizations to appear committed to the cause) but had a large
cost-saving advantage, whereas less visible and less cost-saving green activities such as recycling
were rarely in place (Siegle, 2009). Nonetheless, according to Pope and Waeraas (2016), success-
ful CSR-washing and greenwashing are not rampant as the dominant perception among a vocal
contingent of academics, and profitability is very unlikely to follow from such insincere practices.
Organizations’ genuine green performance has been reportedly linked to organizational

CONTACT Trong Tuan Luu @swin.edu.au Swinburne Business School, Swinburne

University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia.

ß 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group

1194 T. T. LUU

performance (Obeidat, Al Bakri, & Elbanna, 2018), competitive advantage (Dangelico &
Pontrandolfo, 2015), and sustainable growth (Kushwaha & Sharma, 2016).

Regardless of the salience of organizations’ green performance and its link to organizational
performance (Obeidat et al., 2018), empirical studies have tapped mainly into organization-level
antecedents of organizational green performance (Obeidat et al., 2018) and relatively overlooked
antecedents at the individual level (Kim, Kim, Choi, & Phetvaroon, 2019; Pham, Thanh, Tuckova, &
Thuy, 2019). Neglecting the magnitude of individuals in examining an organization’s green per-
formance is problematic since it diminishes their roles as key assets of an organization (Safavi &

Bouzari, 2019) and as proactive agents of organizational green performance (Zhang, Luo, Zhang,
& Zhao, 2019). Prior research has not sufficiently unravelled how an organization’s green per-
formance originates from mechanisms at the organizational level, especially the integration of
green strategy and green HR practices, through the impact of such mechanisms on individuals
(Kim, Kim, et al., 2019).

Though both green strategy and green human resource (HR) practices are focal to the man-
agement of the human factors of organizational green performance in general business as well
as in the tourism industry (Chen, Tang, Jin, Li, & Paille, 2015; Kim, Kim, et al., 2019; Singjai,
Winata, & Kummer, 2018), the predictive role of their integration for organizational green per-
formance has been comparatively neglected in prior empirical work especially in the tourism ser-
vice sector. Investigations into this integration are crucial due to Ostroff and Bowen (2016)
emphasis on the consistency in signals from HR practices and other aspects in the organization’s
strategic posture, as well as Oke, Walumbwa, and Myers (2012) evidence regarding the inter-
action and integration of strategies and HR policies for organizational innovation performance.
Our research seeks to cover the above gaps by answering the following research question: How
does the integration of green strategy and green HR practices (termed “green management ini-
tiatives” from this point on) influence organizational green performance and in turn organiza-
tional performance through a microlevel process of supervisors’ leadership and employees’
behavior? This study focuses on environmentally-specific servant leadership and employees’
organizational citizenship behavior for the environment (OCBE). Environmentally-specific servant
leadership, through the lens of Liden, Wayne, Liao, and Meuser (2014) perspective of servant
leadership, alludes to leading with a motivation to engage and serve followers in their pursuit of
pro-environmental goals and contributions (Luu, 2018). By OCBE, we refer to discretionary behav-
iors not expected of employees in formal job descriptions that contribute to render their organ-
ization and/or society more environmentally-friendly and sustainable (Lamm, Tosti-Kharas, &
Williams, 2013, p. 165).

From the main research question aforementioned, the current study addresses two aims: 1)
investigating the macro-level relationships between the integration of green strategy and green

HR practices and organizational green performance and in turn organizational performance; and
2) examining the micro-level process of environmentally-specific servant leadership and
employee OCBE for such relationships. Our research model is drawn upon Coleman’s (1990)
framework for macro-micro-macro-level interactions and strategic human resource management
(HRM) perspective (Jiang, Takeuchi, & Lepak, 2013). According to Coleman’s (1990) framework,
organizational capabilities and performance are rooted in the actions and interactions of individ-
uals and organizational context to which they are exposed (Barney & Felin, 2013; Foss, 2011).
Strategic HRM perspective further advocates that HR practices contribute to organizational per-
formance through building human capital (Jiang et al., 2013). To cast light on the micro-level
process of environmentally-specific servant leadership and employee OCBE, the current study
will apply multiple theories used in the green management literature including social information
processing theory (Salancik & Pfeffer, 1978), social identity theory (Ashforth & Mael, 1989), social
cognitive perspective (Bandura, 1999), the value-belief–norm theory (VBN) (Oreg & Katz-Gerro,
2006; Stern, Dietz, Abel, Guagnano, & Kalof, 1999), and the organismic motivational theory of
Ryan and Deci (2000) self-determination theory.

JOURNAL OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM 1195

Based on a comparative analysis in the tourism industry in two non-Western contexts with a
certain extent of environmentalism divergence: Vietnam and South Korea, this study contributes
to the existing literature in various ways. First, the current study extends organizational green
performance research in the tourism discipline by conceptually identifying and empirically inves-
tigating an integration mechanism (i.e., “green management initiatives”) as an organization-level
precursor of organizational green performance and in turn organizational performance. Second,
this study indicates that this predictive relationship is mediated through a microlevel process of
environmentally-specific servant leadership and employee OCBE. Our research hence provides
further empirical endorsement for Coleman’s (1990) macro-micro-macro-level framework with
respect to a specific organizational performance (i.e., organizational green performance). So far,
this framework has been empirically validated in works on organizational innovation (Distel,
2019; Do, Budhwar, & Patel, 2018; Oke et al., 2012). Third, our research contributes to servant

leadership research by identifying environmentally-specific servant leadership as a crucial build-
ing block for translating green management initiatives into employee OCBE. This study thus
offers new insights into how environmentally-specific servant leadership is associated with organ-
izational green performance and how it can be shaped by organizational antecedents.

As the last contribution, this study provides contextual insights through its comparative ana-
lysis of the effects of green management initiatives on organizational outcomes through a
micro-level process in two non-Western contexts, namely South Korea and Vietnam. South Korea
and Vietnam are deemed to be attractive tourist destinations but with almost similar cultural val-
ues but different degrees of environmental sustainability (Ho, 2015; Kim & Shin, 2017) (to be fur-
ther discussed in the literature review section). Therefore, examining a research model of green
management initiatives in South Korea and Vietnam can offer a nuanced perspective on whether
Western theorizing holds valid in non-Western cultures, as well as whether any differences in
findings occur in two culturally similar Asian contexts with some environmentalist distinction.

Literature review

South Korea and Vietnam: cultural values and environmentalism

This study compares the model in two Asian countries—South Korea and Vietnam. Griffith, Hu,
and Ryans (2000), based on the Hofstede’s (1991) cultural dimensions, suggested two extreme
cultural types for research: Type I (individualism, low uncertainty avoidance, and low long-term
orientation) and Type II (collectivism, high uncertainty avoidance, and high long-term orienta-
tion). South Korea and Vietnam relatively belong to type II group vis-a-vis Western developed
countries mainly pertaining to type I group. South Korea and Vietnam were focused on in this
research since they share many Asian cultural values but represent differences in terms of envir-
onmental policy and practices. In light of Hofstede, Hofstede, and Minkov (2010) metric, South
Korea scores higher (85) in terms of uncertainty avoidance than Vietnam does (30). Barring
uncertainty avoidance index, other cultural dimension indexes of South Korea and Vietnam are
virtually analogous including collectivism, power distance, masculinity, and indulgence (Hill,

2016; Khosrowjerdi, Sundqvist, & Bystro€m, 2019). Even in terms of long-term orientation, while
South Korea scores the highest (100), Vietnam scores lower (57), but still pertains to the group
of long-term orientation (Hill, 2016; Khosrowjerdi et al., 2019). However, studies have indicated
that ethical perception and behavior (e.g., pro-environmental attitude and behavior) may differ
across nations albeit the participants pertain to the similar cultural values (e.g., Asian collectiv-
ism) (Chatterjee & Pearson, 2003; Chung, Eichenseher, & Taniguchi, 2008).

South Korea and Vietnam have different histories with respect to environmentalism and envir-
onmental policy. Environmentalism in Vietnam is a comparatively recent phenomenon. Since the
launch of open-door policy in 1986, Vietnam has experienced rapid industrialization and eco-
nomic growth, which has engendered austere pollution issues. Nonetheless, the government

1196 T. T. LUU

dismissed their magnitude until 1993 when the government promulgated the law on environ-
mental protection (Le, Hollenhorst, Harris, McLaughlin, & Shook, 2006). The implementation of
environmental regulations in Vietnam has been of little success over the past 20 years with refer-
ence to business compliance (Ho, 2015). Empirical evidence has raised question about the role of
inspection activities in enhancing business compliance (Ho, 2015).

On the contrary, the South Korean government commenced to actively engage in environ-
mental policy issues after the democratization in 1987, along with the global spread of environ-
mentalism. Since the 1990s, environmentalism has achieved increasing attention from the
Korean public (Kern, 2010). South Korea has received consistently high scores on
the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) over the past 15 years, and was highly ranked on the
2018 EPI (60th for South Korea versus 132nd for the Vietnam, out of 180 countries) (Kim &
Shin, 2017).

These differences in the history of environmentalism and environmental policy indicate that
differences in the underlying mechanisms of individuals’ pro-environmental behaviors may exist

between Koreans and Vietnamese. The comparative analysis of the current research model may
provide insights about the discrepancies in environmental performance that may exist between
different nations that are in the same region (Asia) and share cultural values.

Role of environmentally-specific servant leadership

Integration of green strategy and green HR practices
From Zhang, Shen, and Wu (2011) view, green strategy can be conceptualized as the degree to
which green activities are a priority in an organization as mirrored in plans or actions that the
organization undertakes to foster green performance. Irrespective of being a crucial instrument
through which organizations attain green performance, green strategy can serve merely as a
necessary condition, but not sufficiently ensure organizations’ green performance without inter-
action with relevant management practices, especially HR practices. However, in order to build
the pool of unique workforce for a specific goal such as green goal, organizations should adopt
specific and fine-grained HR practices (Shin & Konrad, 2017) such as green HR practices rather
than generic HR practices. Green HRM practices comprise selection, training, and involvement
designed to build green or pro-environmental values as well as knowledge and skills related to
pro-environmental activities (Renwick, Redman, & Maguire, 2013; Tang, Chen, Jiang, Paille, & Jia,
2018). In the tourism and hospitality industry, the relationship has been found between green
strategy and organizational green performance (Singjai et al., 2018). Green HR practices, if effect-
ively implemented, can catalyze green performance at the organizational and individual levels
(Pham et al., 2019).

Since HR practices are pivotal to an organization’s strategy (Laursen & Foss, 2003), the success
of a green strategy is by and large contingent on green HR practices it implements. Through
selection and training, green HR practices can build followers who not just have knowledge and
skills to undertake green activities and devise eco-initiatives but also have green values and
motivation to engage and influence others to engage in green tasks. Furthermore, through train-
ing, involvement, and recognition, green HR practices can shape a pro-environmental climate,
which is supportive toward green strategy implementation. Expressed differently, green strategy

implementation can be complemented by green HR practices that the organization adopts.

Green strategy and green HR practices must be integrated to generate mutual complementar-
ity so as to cultivate a pro-environmental environment. The integration of these two constructs
in our research is in line with Oke et al. (2012) complementarity view that better outcomes can
be yield by the complementarity of different practices. This integration is also in tune with
Ostroff and Bowen (2016) perspective in regards to the consistency in signals from HR practices
and other aspects in the organization’s strategic posture.

JOURNAL OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM 1197

Environmentally-specific servant leadership
Servant leadership is viewed as leading people with a motivation to serve their needs and inter-
ests in their process of task implementation and career development (Liden et al., 2014). They
act as a role model with empathy, altruistic values and the commitment to the goals of their
group (Whittington, 2017). Servant leaders prioritize the interests of stakeholders and demon-
strate moral responsibility to organizational sustainability (Ehrhart, 2004; Greenleaf, 1970; Liden
et al., 2014; Whittington, 2017).

There has emerged the shift from the focus in which servant leadership behaviors are
conceptualized to influence outcomes across diverse contexts, to a focus in which the same
set of servant behaviors focuses on reaching a specific target (e.g., Afsar, Cheema, & Javed,
2018, Luu, 2018). Robertson and Barling (2017) suggest extending the focus of servant lead-
ership to the environmental target and assessing the role of such an environmental form of
servant leadership in shaping targeted environmental outcomes. Scholars recently have con-
ceptualized environmentally-specific servant leadership by extending the focus of target spe-
cific servant leadership further to embrace environmental sustainability, and defined
environmentally-specific servant leaders as leaders who serve as a role model of green val-
ues, and serve and help others, such as employees, contribute to the sustainability of the
organization and a larger community (Luu, 2018). As such, environmentally-specific servant

leadership is a manifestation of servant leadership in which the content of the leadership
behaviors is all focused on fostering green behaviors among followers. Grounded in Van
Dierendonck (2011) servant leadership attribute framework, environmentally-specific servant
leaders demonstrate authenticity and interpersonal acceptance, direct and develop employees
to be pro-environmental citizens, and display stewardship toward their pro-environmental
contributions (Luu, 2018).

Employee OCBE
Employees’ green behavior is a specific form of organizational citizenship behavior (OCB)
(Zientara & Zamojska, 2018). Expanding the definition of OCB, Boiral and Paile (2012) deem
organizational citizenship behavior for the environment (OCBE) to be voluntary and not explicitly
recognized by the formal reward system and contribute to more effective environmental man-
agement by the organization (p. 431). Employee OCBE comprises eco-civic engagement (volun-
tarily engaging in the organization’s environmental activities), eco-helping (voluntarily helping
colleagues address environmental issues), and eco-initiatives (discretionary contributions in form
of novel environmental solutions) (Boiral & Paille, 2012).

However, due to unpredictable customer demands (Youn, Kim, & Song, 2017), long work
hours, and heavy workload (Karatepe, Karadas, Azar, & Naderiadib, 2013), frontline employees
especially in tourism and hospitality organizations may face conflicting time demands between
in-role and extra-role behaviors, and thus find it difficult or costly to go the extra mile in their
work (Bolino, Klotz, Turnley, & Harvey, 2013). They may feel pressured when they engage in
more discretionary citizenship behaviors such as OCBE that go beyond their in-role obligations
(Bolino et al., 2013), since such extra-role behaviors are often informally encouraged and
rewarded, as well as augment their workload (Youn et al., 2017). Hence, to trigger OCBE among
followers, organizations and leaders should communicate strong signals on serving employees in
their pursuit of green goals by equipping them with relevant green-related knowledge and skills,
and helping them alleviate intrapersonal conflicts. Such strong signals can be created through
the integration of green strategy and green HR practices as well as through servant leaders who
can communicate signals from green strategy, expose employees to green HR practices, and cul-

tivate favourable conditions for employees’ engagement in OCBE.

1198 T. T. LUU

Role of environmentally-specific servant leadership
The mutual complementarity of green strategy and green HR practices can provide employees
with resources (i.e., green values and green-related knowledge and skills) with which they can
develop capability and motivation to contribute to green goals of the organization. Nonetheless,
the relationship between HR practices and performance tends to be distal and is mediated by a
more proximal HR outcome that HR practices aims to foster (Jiang et al., 2013). Such a proximal
HR outcome can function as a channel to carry the remote resources from HR practices closer to
employees. Leadership, which may develop under the influence of HR practices (Do et al., 2018;
Han, Liao, Taylor, & Kim, 2018), can serve as such a channel as well as contribute to enhance
employees’ repertoire of resources through role modelling of values and behaviors and providing
support.

An organization’s strategic choice and structure may influence leadership behavior pattern
(Clarke & Higgs, 2016; Stordeur, Vandenberghe, & D’hoore, 2000). For instance, directive leader-
ship is more prevalent when an organization strategically targets the improvement of its financial
performance (Clarke & Higgs, 2016). Transformational leadership has been found to thrive when
strategic HRM focuses on organizational change (Han et al., 2018). Do et al. (2018) reported that
servant leadership tends to develop under innovation-led strategy and HR practices and serves
as a mediation mechanism linking such management initiatives (i.e., innovation-led strategy and
HR practices) and employee innovative behavior. Due to the alignment between environmen-
tally-specific servant leadership and green management initiatives in terms of serving others’
and a wider community’s development and sustainability (Liden et al., 2014), environmentally-
specific servant leadership is likely to emerge under the influence of green management
initiatives.

The development of environmentally-specific servant leadership under the interaction of

green strategy and green HR practices (i.e., green management initiatives) can be explained
through social information processing theory (Salancik & Pfeffer, 1978). In light of social informa-
tion processing perspective, the social environment in which individuals operate shapes their
attitudes and since the milieu provides “a direct construction of meaning through guides to
socially acceptable beliefs, attitudes, and needs, and acceptable reasons for action” (Salancik &
Pfeffer, 1978, p. 227). Individuals make sense of their work environments by interpreting cues
that surround them. Sense-making legitimizes a behavior and rationalizes behavioral develop-
ment (Wu, Wu, & Yuan, 2019). Therefore, making sense of a green work environment by inter-
preting cues from green strategy and green HR practices, leaders themselves may adopt
environmentally-specific servant leadership behavior to facilitate the transmission of such cues to
their followers. We consequently postulate that:

H1. Green management initiatives (i.e., the complementarity of green strategy and green HR practices) are
positively related to employees’ perceptions of environmentally-specific servant leadership.

Environmentally-specific servant leaders communicate green messages from green strategy of
their organization and transmit their pride in their socially responsible organization to their fol-
lowers. When followers perceive their organization being socially and environmentally respon-
sible, their self-esteem, self-distinctiveness, and self-continuity increase (Farooq, Rupp, & Farooq,
2017). Followers then deem their organization attractive, find a fit between themselves and their
organization (person-organization fit), and identify strongly with it (Tian & Robertson, 2019;
Zientara & Zamojska, 2018). In light of social identity theory (Ashforth & Mael, 1989), an individu-
al’s identification with and attachment to an entity drives their propensity to dedicate and sacri-
fice for that relationship. Hence, the identification with their organization through
environmentally-specific servant leaders’ communication may lead employees to devote to the
organization’s green strategy by engaging in OCBE.

Further, servant leaders lead people by first seeking to understand their existing resources
(knowledge, skills, values, motivation) and serving them in an appropriate way (Eva, Robin,

JOURNAL OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM 1199

Sendjaya, van Dierendonck, & Liden, 2018; Liden et al., 2014). Through a profound understanding
of their existing resources, environmentally-specific servant leaders can expose them to appropri-
ate green training opportunities so that they can acquire green-related knowledge and skills as
well as develop green values. Environmentally-specific servant leaders further serve as a role
model for employees to observe how to act pro-environmentally for the green strategy. Servant
leaders also represent the organization as cultivating a supportive environment for followers to
perform (Zhang, Kwong Kwan, Everett, & Jian, 2012). Environmentally-specific servant leaders
translate green management practices into green goals and norms, thereby cultivating a green
facilitative environment. Expressed differently, working with environmentally-specific servant
leaders, followers are exposed to green training, modelling of green values, and a green work-
place environment, and thus likely to internalize green values. In light of the value-belief–norm
theory (VBN) (Oreg & Katz-Gerro, 2006), an individual who holds certain values and believes that
those values are jeopardized experiences a duty (personal norm) to act in defence of those val-
ues (Stern et al., 1999). Thus, internalizing green values, employees feel responsible for acting to
sustain these green values by engaging in OCBE.

Social cognitive perspective further portrays the interactive relationships between environ-
mental factors, self-concepts, and behavior as a triadic reciprocity (Bandura, 2008). Working in a
green supportive environment that environmentally-specific servant leaders nurture, employees
may further internalize green values into their self-concept. The interaction between the green
norms and the self-concept may shape OCBE among employees. Besides, through socio-cognitive
lens on a triadic reciprocity, individuals are not only reactive to external influences but also pro-
active and able to self-regulate (Bandura, 1999). Therefore, working in a green environment
under environmentally-specific servant leadership, employees not only respond to the green
norms but likewise proactively engage in OCBE to conserve these norms. Further, through social
information processing lens (Salancik & Pfeffer, 1978), by interpreting cues from a work environ-
ment of green norms, sense making may emerge and legitimize green behaviors, thereby acti-
vating employee engagement in OCBE.

In light of the organismic motivational theory of Ryan and Deci (2000) self-determination, cer-
tain social and environmental forces, such as leadership, can help shape an individual’s autono-
mous motivation. Through facilitating employees’ internalization of green values, leaders can
foster autonomous motivation for the environment among employees (Han, Wang, & Yan, 2019).
Through self-determination lens, having highly autonomous motivation, employees are inclined
to engage in OCB on account of an augmenting desire to be causal agents within their own lives
in an attempt to act congruently with their integrated views of the self (Deci & Vansteenkiste,
2004). As employees’ belief is more environmentally friendly while working with environmen-
tally-specific servant leaders, their autonomous motivation will steer them to act in a way that is
harmonious with that belief (Kim, McGinley, Choi, & Agmapisarn, 2019) such as in the form of
OCBE (Raineri & Paille, 2016).

Furthermore, in a green workplace environment that environmentally-specific servant leaders
cultivate, followers perceive that they are supported and safe to propose and implement eco-ini-
tiatives. With further green-related resources (i.e., green-related knowledge and values) accrued
in such a supportive environment, employees are motivated to invest their resources in green
activities and in the generation of eco-initiatives beyond the minimum expectations (Luu, 2019a),
as well as become “servant leaders” who influence and assist colleagues to behave pro-environ-
mentally. In other words, environmentally-specific servant leaders can translate green manage-
ment initiatives into a green workplace environment that facilitates employee OCBE. Taken
together, we posit the following:

H2. Employees’ perceptions of environmentally-specific servant leadership are positively related to
employee OCBE.

1200 T. T. LUU

H3. Employees’ perceptions of environmentally-specific servant leadership mediate the relationship between
green management initiatives (i.e., the complementarity of green strategy and green HR practices) and

employee OCBE.

Role of employee OCBE

Servant leadership is associated with organizational performance through serving followers’ inter-
ests and bonding them around organizational goals and interests (Linuesa-Langreo, Ruiz-
Palomino, & Elche-Hortelano, 2018). Environmentally-specific servant leaders bond followers
around the green goal of the organization. By modelling and providing support, they shape
employees into “servant leaders” with OCBE, who in turn influence colleagues to serve the green
goal. OCB can be collectively aggregated in virtue of a contagion process (Shin, 2012). OCBE
among employees can thus aggregate and culminate in organizational green performance.
Moreover, since individual creativity functions as a starting point in innovation processes (Bidault
& Castello, 2009), employees’ eco-initiatives are a contributing factor to organizational green per-
formance. Empirical evidence has been found for the relationship between employee green
behavior at a unit level and green performance of the organization (Alt & Spitzeck, 2016).

In conjunction with the previous reasoning on the nexus between environmentally-specific
servant leadership and employee OCBE, we anticipate employee OCBE to position itself as pre-
dictor for organizational green performance and as a channel that mediates the nexus between
environmentally-specific servant leadership and organizational green performance:

H4. Employee OCBE is positively related to organizational green performance.

H5. Employee OCBE mediates the relationship between employees’ perceptions of environmentally-specific
servant leadership and organizational green performance.

Role of organizational green performance

Green performance is viewed as the actual outcome of efforts in conserving the environment
(De Burgos-Jimenez, Vazquez-Brust, Plaza-Ubeda, & Dijkshoorn, 2013, p. 984). Organizational

green performance reflects a long-term perspective, continuous efficiency improvement, and
continuous innovation (De Burgos-Jimenez et al., 2013; Dixon-Fowler, Slater, Johnson, Ellstrand, &
Romi, 2013; Porter & Van der Linde, 1995).

Mixed results have emerged in prior research regarding the relationship between organiza-
tional green performance and financial performance (Henri & Journeault, 2010). On the one
hand, some research has reported the negative link between organizational green performance
and financial outcomes (Palmer, Oates, & Portney, 1995; Wagner, Van Phu, Azomahou, &
Wehrmeyer, 2002). The premises for this negative link are that adding constraints on the organ-
ization with regard to addressing environmental standards may not lead to enhanced profit
(Obeidat et al., 2018) and that employees with conflicting time demands may not respond to
environmental agenda and customers may be driven by price of services rather than corporate
environmentalism (Sandhu, Ozanne, Smallman, & Cullen, 2010).

Other studies, on the other hand, have supported the positive consequences of organizational
green performance on both financial and non-financial performances (e.g., De Burgos-Jimenez
et al., 2013; Feng & Wang, 2016; Lee, Cin, & Lee, 2016). Environmental responsibility may enhance
corporate financial performance, measured by return on equity and return on assets (Lee et al.,
2016) albeit the effect of environmental performance on financial outcomes was higher in relatively
dirty and non-proactive industries than in comparatively clean and proactive contexts (Lucas &
Noordewier, 2016). Financial gains can be enhanced through revenue enhancement and cost
reduction (De Burgos-Jimenez et al., 2013; Nishitani, Jannah, & Kaneko, 2017). Revenue can be

JOURNAL OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM 1201

Figure 1. Research model.

enhanced through improvements in product quality, better access to markets, and increased cor-
porate reputation and image, whereas cost reduction can be attained through mitigating a waste
of resources and environmental incidents (De Burgos-Jimenez et al., 2013). Organizational green

performance may also contribute to financial gains through enhancing customer satisfaction and
customer loyalty (Feng & Wang, 2016). Singjai et al. (2018) found that environmental performance
leads to cost competitiveness and competitive advantage through differentiation.

Numerous empirical studies have further found evidence for the positive nexus between
organizational green performance and overall organizational performance (e.g., De Burgos-
Jimenez et al., 2013; Lee et al., 2016; Obeidat et al., 2018; Singjai et al., 2018). For instance, De
Burgos-Jimenez et al. (2013) empirically found a positive link between environmental perform-
ance and organizational performance. Obeidat et al. (2018) reported the positive nexus between
environmental performance and both financial and non-financial performances.

This study follows the stream of research which argues for the positive nexus between organ-
izational green performance and organizational performance based on two grounds. First, argu-
ments for the positive relationship between organizational green performance and
organizational performance are stronger and are supported by many empirical works (Obeidat
et al., 2018) as discussed above. Second, the current study considers both financial and non-
financial aspects of organizational performance rather than focusing merely on financial perform-
ance measures. In juxtaposition with the prior discussion on the link between employee OCBE
and organizational green performance, we can position employee OCBE as an antecedent for
organizational performance mediated by organizational green performance:

H6. Organizational green performance is positively related to organizational performance.

H7. Organizational green performance mediates the relationship between employee OCBE and
organizational performance.

Figure 1 summarizes the hypothesized relationships in this study.

Research methods

Sampling

This research targeted the population of tour companies in South Korea and Vietnam. Snowball
sampling approach was utilized to approach tour companies and their participants especially in
the South Korean context, since this approach is helpful in case of lack of adequate contact lists
and sampling frames for the investigation into the population (Hendricks & Blanken, 1992) par-
ticularly in the hospitality and tourism industry (Dhar, 2016). The requirements for the selection
of tour companies comprise an established environmental policy and the minimum of 100

1202 T. T. LUU

employees (Dhar, 2015; Dumont, Shen, & Deng, 2017). The chief executives of five tour compa-
nies in Vietnam connected the researchers to other Vietnam-based tour companies that met the
selection requirements, which then connected the researchers to tour companies in South Korea.

62 tour companies in Vietnam and 53 tour companies in South Korea agreed to partake in
our surveys. We invited company managers, HR managers, and supervisors to participate in email
questionnaire surveys. We further asked supervisors to help spread the link to employee ques-
tionnaire version to their subordinates. To match responses from supervisors and their subordi-
nates, each employee participant was requested to choose a five-digit number to enter their
response and give it to his or her supervisor.

We performed a two-wave data collection process. The likelihood to address ensuing ques-
tions using previously provided responses or contextually provided retrieval cues could be miti-
gated through the temporal separation between the collection of the data for independent,
mediating, and dependent variables (Podsakoff, MacKenzie, & Podsakoff, 2012). Moreover, two
survey waves at least are required for mediation path testing (Cole & Maxwell, 2003). In the first
survey wave (T1), company managers and/or HR managers were invited to provide data for
green management initiatives, and employees were requested to provide data for environmen-
tally-specific servant leadership. In the second survey wave (T2), which occurred three months

following T1, employee OCBE was rated by their direct supervisors, and the data on organiza-
tional green performance and organizational performance were collected from company manag-
ers. Through this multiple-respondent approach, common method variance (CMV) bias can be
alleviated (Zhong, Wayne, & Liden, 2016) since data for environmentally-specific servant leader-
ship and employee OCBE were not collected from the same participants (i.e., employees).

Eliminating non-response and missing data resulted in the final Vietnamese sample of 483
employees, 136 supervisors, and 101 firm managers and/or HR managers from 52 tour compa-
nies (response rate: 83.9%). From these respondents from the Vietnamese sample, we obtained
101 responses pertaining to organization-level variables and 483 responses pertaining to individ-
ual-level variables. The final Korean sample consisted of 416 employees, 121 supervisors, and 87
firm managers and/or HR managers from 46 tour companies (response rate: 86.8%). From these
respondents from the Korean sample, we obtained 87 responses pertaining to organization-level
variables and 416 responses pertaining to individual-level variables. Out of the Vietnamese
employees (61.5% female), their average age was 28.64 years (SD ¼ 5.91), and their average
organizational tenure was 6.21 years (SD ¼ 3.83). Among the Korean employees (57.2% female),
their average age was 31.52 years (SD ¼ 6.39), and their average organizational tenure was
7.97 years (SD ¼ 4.08). Participants’ demographic attributes are displayed in Table 1.

Non-response bias was assessed by comparing early respondents (i.e., those participating in
T1 survey) with late respondents (i.e., those participating in T2 survey) in terms of demographic
characteristics of the sample (Armstrong & Overton, 1977). T-tests denoted non-significant differ-
ences between the two groups of respondents in terms of managers’ and employees’ age, gen-
der, education, and organizational tenure in both samples. Non-response bias is hence not a
grave concern in the current research.

Measures

Unless otherwise stipulated, a five-point Likert scale (1 ¼ ‘strongly disagree’, 5 ¼ ‘strongly agree’)
was utilized to solicit participants’ responses. Built through translation and back translation proc-

esses (Schaffer & Riordan, 2003), the Korean version of the original English measure scales was
employed for the Korean sample and the Vietnamese version was employed for the Vietnamese
sample. Measurement items in the English version of the questionnaire are displayed in Table 2.

The index of green management initiatives was assessed through the integration of green
strategy implementation and green HR practices. Green strategy implementation was measured

JOURNAL OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM 1203

Table 1. Participants’ demographic attributes. Korean sample
Vietnamese sample Employees (N ¼ 416) Managers (N ¼ 87)
Frequency % Frequency %
Employees (N ¼ 483) Managers (N ¼ 101)

Age Frequency % Frequency % 181 43.50 6 6.89
18–25
26–35 246 50.93 5 4.95 114 27.40 27 31.03
36–45 124 25.67 32 31.68
46–55 73 15.11 41 40.59 76 18.26 35 40.22
> 55 27 5.59 16 15.84
13 2.69 7 6.93 28 6.73 14 16.09
Gender
297 61.49 38 37.62 17 4.08 5 5.74
Female 181 37.47 63 62.37
5 1.03 0 0.00 238 57.21 56 64.36
Male
121 25.05 5 4.95 169 40.62 31 35.63
Prefer not to say 317 65.63 82 81.18
45 9.31 14 13.86 9 2.16 0 0.00
Educational level

49 10.14 0 0.00 147 35.33 3 3.44
High school degree or lower 92 19.04 13 12.87
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent 148 30.64 57 56.43 238 57.21 68 78.16
Master’s degree or higher 137 28.36 25 24.75
Organizational tenure 57 11.80 6 5.94 31 7.45 16 18.39
˂ 1 year
1 – ˂ 3 years 37 8.89 0 0.00
3 – ˂ 5 years
5 – ˂ 10 years 71 17.06 9 10.34
10 years or over
109 26.20 52 59.77

117 28.12 19 21.83

82 19.71 7 8.04

through a seven-item scale from Banerjee, Iyer, and Kashyap (2003) and green HR practices were
measured through a six-item scale from Dumont et al. (2017). The fit of a second-order factor of
green management initiatives index from its two component dimensions was confirmatory-ana-
lyzed. A 12-item scale that Luu (2018) adapted from Liden, Wayne, Zhao, and Henderson (2008)
was utilized to assess environmentally-specific servant leadership. Employee OCBE was estimated
via Boiral and Paille (2012) ten-item scale. Organizational green performance was measured
through a four-item scale, which was the adaptation of Paille, Chen, Boiral, and Jin (2014) instru-
ment from a manufacturing to a service context. Obeidat et al. (2018) eight-item scale was
employed to assess organizational performance.

Control variables. Employees’ age, gender, educational level, and tenure within their organiza-
tion served as control variables by virtue of the link of employee behavioral responses to these
demographic attributes (Fu & Deshpande, 2014).

Common method bias

To mitigate the potential contaminating impact of common method variance (CMV) bias, this
study followed statistical treatments. Following the common method factor approach (Chang,
van Witteloostuijn, & Eden, 2010), the variance explained by the common factor was .29, under
the .50 cutoff value suggested by Fornell and Larcker (1981). We further followed Lindell and
Whitney (2001) marker variable approach, in which a marker variable (i.e., attitude toward social
media usage) that was theoretically unrelated to other variables was included into the survey. All
significant zero-order correlations remained significant after the marker variable was partialled
out. These results indicate a low threat of CMV bias in the findings.

Results
Measurement models

Following Byrne (2008), the cross-cultural equivalence was first assessed for the five-latent factor
measurement model. Fit indices used to estimate the model-data fit include Tucker–Lewis

1204 T. T. LUU

Table 2. Measurement items and loadings. Standardized loadings t values

Constructs and measurement items .86a

Green management initiatives (Green strategy 1 Green HR practices) (a .81 11.25
5 .84; CR 5 .85; AVE 5 .69)
.84 11.93
Green strategy
Our company has integrated environmental issues into our strategic .79 9.66

planning process. .22b 3.14

In our company, quality includes reducing the environmental impact of
.82 11.52
products and processes.
At our company, we make every effort to link environmental objectives with .80 10.49

our other corporate goals. .83 11.46
Our company is engaged in developing products and processes that
.85 12.64
minimize environmental impact.
Environmental protection is the driving force behind our .84 11.87

company’s strategies. .77 9.38
Environmental issues are always considered when we develop
.26b 3.49
new products.
Our company develops products and processes that minimize .82 11.16

environmental impact. .84a
Green HR practices
My company sets green goals for its employees. .86 12.38
My company provides employees with green training to promote
.83 11.72
green values.
My company provides employees with green training to develop employees’ .79 10.06

knowledge and skills required for green management. .81 11.24
My company considers employees’ workplace green behavior in
.78 9.61
performance appraisals.
My company relates employees’ workplace green behaviors to rewards and .82 11.47

compensation. .80 10.22
My company considers employees’ workplace green behaviors in promotion.
Environmentally-specific servant leadership (a 5 .80; CR 5 .82; AVE .84 11.56

5 .69) .83 11.41
My supervisor cares about my eco-initiatives.
My supervisor emphasizes the importance of contributing to the .79 9.84

environmental improvement. .81 11.39
My supervisor is involved in environmental activities.
I am encouraged by my supervisor to volunteer in environmental activities. .80a
My supervisor has a thorough understanding of our company and its
.85 12.16
environmental goals.
My supervisor encourages me to contribute eco-initiatives. .82 11.59
My supervisor gives me the freedom to handle environmental problems in
.79 9.81
the way that I feel is best.
My supervisor does what she/he can do to realize my eco-initiatives. .81 11.42
My supervisor holds high environmental standards.
My supervisor always displays green behaviors. .86 12.73
My supervisor would not compromise environmental principles in order to
.84 12.46
achieve success.
My supervisor values environmental performance more than profits.
Employee OCBE (a 5 .82; CR 5 .83; AVE 5 .66)
Eco-civic engagement
This employee actively participates in environmental events organized in

and/or by our company.
This employee stays informed of our company’s environmental initiatives.
This employee undertakes environmental actions that contribute positively

to the image of our company.
This employee volunteers for projects, endeavours or events that address

environmental issues in our company.
Eco-helping
This employee spontaneously gives his/her time to help his/her colleagues

take the environment into account in everything they do at work.
This employee encourages his/her colleagues to adopt more

environmentally conscious behaviour.
This employee encourages his/her colleagues to express their ideas and

opinions on environmental issues.
Eco-initiatives

(continued)

JOURNAL OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM 1205

Table 2. Continued. Standardized loadings t values
.78 9.52
Constructs and measurement items
.29b 4.07
In his/her work, this employee weighs the consequences of his/her actions
before doing something that could affect the environment. .83 11.65

This employee voluntarily carries out environmental actions and initiatives in .87a 12.54
his/her daily work activities. .85 10.82
.82 3.38
This employee makes suggestions to his/her colleagues about ways to .27b
protect the environment more effectively, even when it is not his/her 12.53
direct responsibility. .83a 10.38
.84 11.74
Organizational green performance (a 5 .83; CR 5 .86; AVE 5 .71) .80 9.82
Our company reduced waste and emission from operations. .82 9.57
Our company reduced the environmental impact of its services. .79 3.26
Our company reduced environmental impact by establishing partnerships. .77 11.29
Our company reduced the risk of environmental accidents, spills, .26b
.81
and releases.
Organizational performance (a 5 .79; CR 5 .79; AVE 5 .67)
Company image and reputation in public
Degree of service quality
Degree of efficiency of customer expectancy
Degree of customer satisfaction
Average sales volume growth
Average profit over the past three years
Average market share growth
Average return on investment

aFixed item
bExcluded item

coefficient (TLI), incremental fit index (IFI), comparative-fit index (CFI), standardized root mean
square residual (SRMR), and root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA). In light of Graves,

Sarkis, and Zhu (2013) view, Type I and Type II errors were balanced by abiding by .08 as an
upper threshold for SRMR and RMSEA and .95 as a lower threshold for TLI, IFI, and CFI.

Our study tested and compared configural and metric equivalence models through DCFI,
rather than Dv2 (Byrne, 2008; Vandenberg, 2002). Results unveiled adequate fits in the configural
equivalence model (v2 ¼ 1,685.88; df ¼ 892; TLI ¼ .95; IFI ¼ .96; CFI ¼ .95; SRMR ¼ .056; RMSEA
¼ .040 (90% CI [.036, .045])) and the metric equivalence model (v2 ¼ 1,569.48; df ¼ 902; TLI ¼
.96; IFI ¼ .96; CFI ¼ .95; SRMR ¼ .051; RMSEA ¼ .038 (90% CI [.031, .043])). No significant differ-
ence emerged between the configural and metric equivalence models by virtue of DCFI (¼ .009),
being below .01.

Internal consistency, convergent validity, and discriminant validity

Internal consistency was established through Cronbach’s a and composite reliability (CR) (Fornell
& Lacker, 1981). As Table 3 presents, in both Korean and Vietnamese samples, Cronbach’s a and
composite reliability coefficients exceeded the cutoff threshold of .70 (Bagozzi & Yi, 1988).

Convergent validity was established through average variance extracted (AVE) indices. AVE
indices surpassed the .50 benchmark level (Fornell & Larcker, 1981) for the constructs in both
Korean and Vietnamese samples (see Table 3). Within-method convergent validity was further
tested by estimating the significance and magnitude of item loadings (Yu, Patterson, & de
Ruyter, 2015). Within-method convergent validity was determined since, after the removal of the
low-loaded items (loadings under .30), items loaded significantly on their respective constructs
(minimum t-value ¼ 9.38 > 1.96) and achieved standardized loadings exceeding the .50 cutoff
benchmark (Siponen, Mahmood, & Pahnila, 2014).

The hypothesized five-factor model demonstrated a satisfactory model-data fit (v2 ¼ 597.38;
df¼ 289; TLI ¼ .95; IFI ¼ .95; CFI ¼ .95; SRMR ¼ .057; RMSEA ¼ .043 (90% CI [.037, .049])) and a
better fit than that in any alternative models formed by the collapse of antecedent variables (see

1206 T. T. LUU

Table 4). This lent evidence for the construct distinctiveness or discriminant validity. Discriminant
validity was further endorsed through the correlations of the factors that fell under .90 (Kline,
2011) and average variance extracted of each factor that exceeded the squared value of its cor-
relations to other factors (Fornell & Larcker, 1981).

Further, an alternative reversed model was fitted to the data. In the reversed model, organiza-
tional green performance functions as an independent variable, leading to employee OCBE and
then environmentally-specific servant leadership, which precedes green management initiatives.
The fit statistics of this model was worse than the fit of the hypothesized model: v2/df ¼
852.39/297 ¼ 2.87, TLI ¼ .87, IFI ¼ .85, CFI ¼ .86, SRMR ¼ .108, RMSEA ¼ .113 (90% CI [.106,
.124]), Dv (8) 2 ¼ 255.01, p < .01, Akaike’s information criterion (AIC) ¼ 3.6). The model with the
lowest AIC value tends to be the most favored (Bentler, 2004). Our hypothesized model thus pro-
vided a more fitting representation of the data (AIC ¼ 1.7) than did the reversed model.

Hypothesis testing

Separate path analyses were conducted for the Korean and Vietnamese samples. Given the multi-
level nature of individual data nested within organizations, multilevel structural equation model-
ing (MSEM; Muthen & Asparouhov, 2008) was run using MPlus 7.2. MSEM was reported to
perform better than other multilevel modeling techniques (e.g., random coefficient modeling in
hierarchical linear model) in obtaining unbiased estimates of standard errors for the estimated
model parameters in a multi-level mediation framework (Preacher, Zyphur, & Zhang, 2010; Sun,
Zhang, Qi, & Chen, 2012). To this end, this approach decomposes the variance of level 1
(employee level) variables into within-level and between-level elements and models simultan-
eously and independently the within-level and between-level elements at each level. This
approach minimizes conflation of the level 1 and level 2 (group level) relationships and allows
for a more precise estimation of indirect effects. The current study follows a 2-1-1 mediation
model, a 1-1-2 mediation model, and a 1-2-2 mediation model.

Direct relationships
Hypothesis H1 proposed that green management initiatives would be positively related to envir-
onmentally-specific servant leadership. As Table 5 and Figure 2 demonstrates, the positive and
significant association was found for green management initiatives and environmentally-specific
servant leadership for both Korean sample (B ¼ .26, p < .01) and Vietnamese sample (B ¼ .33, p
< .01), which lent credence to hypothesis H1. Recently applied in comparative investigations
into managerial impacts in different cultures (e.g., Rode, Huang, & Flynn, 2016), Cohen’s (1983)
procedure was utilized in our study to estimate the differences between the regression coeffi-
cients linked with Korean and Vietnamese samples. The difference between the coefficients for
the nexus between green management initiatives and environmentally-specific servant leader-
ship was significant (z ¼ 1.57, p < .05) (see Table 5).

Hypothesis H2 posited that environmentally-specific servant leadership would be positively
related to employee OCBE. Environmentally-specific servant leadership exhibited the positively
significant relationship with employee OCBE behavior for both Korean sample (B ¼ .31, p < .01)
and Vietnamese sample (B ¼ .42, p < .001), which provided evidence for hypothesis H2. The
divergence between the coefficients for the link between environmentally-specific servant leader-
ship and employee OCBE was significant (z ¼ 3.16, p < .01) (see Table 5).

Hypothesis H4 assumed that employee OCBE would be positively associated with organiza-
tional green performance. Employee OCBE demonstrated the significantly positive association
with organizational green performance for both Korean sample (B ¼ .38, p < .001) and
Vietnamese sample (B ¼ .26, p < .01), which lent support for hypothesis H4. The disparity

Table 3. Correlation matrix and average variance extracted.

Sample Variable Mean SD Skew-ness Kurt-osis 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Korea 1 Employee age 31.52 6.39 … ..

(N ¼ 416) 2 Employee gender .02 … ..

3 Employee education .03 .05 … ..

4 Employees’ organizational tenure 7.97 4.08 .05 .06 -.01 … ..

5 Green management initiatives 3.94 .52 -.54 .76 .02 .01 .04 .06 (.79)
.42 .03 .01 .03 .04 .28ÃÃ (.81)
6 Environmentally-specific servant leadership 4.26 .60 -.68 .56 .06 .03 .08 .02 .24Ã .33ÃÃ (.82)
-.62
7 Employee OCBE 3.89 .48 -.64 .65 .01 .01 .04 .02 .26ÃÃ .31ÃÃ .39ÃÃÃ (.84)

8 Organizational green performance 3.77 .43 -.39 .69 .02 .01 .06 .03 .23Ã .21Ã .34ÃÃ .36ÃÃ (.83)
.77
9 Organizational performance 3.58 .39 -.72 .83
.74
Cronbach’s a -.86 .80 .76 .85 .82 .82

CR .81 .78 .86 .82 .85

AVE .62 .66 .67 .71 .69

Vietnam 1 Employee age 28.64 5.91 … ..

(N ¼ 483) 2 Employee gender .01 … ..

3 Employee education .02 .03 … ..

4 Employees’ organizational tenure 6.21 3.83 .04 .07 -.02 … ..

5 Green management initiatives 3.71 .55 -.48 .01 .01 .03 .05 (.83)
.02 .02 .04 .03 .35ÃÃÃ (.83)
6 Environmentally-specific servant leadership 4.09 .57 -.62 .04 .01 .06 .01 .29ÃÃ .43ÃÃÃ (.81) JOURNAL OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM

7 Employee OCBE 4.12 .61 -.71 .01 .02 .05 .02 .24ÃÃ .21Ã .28ÃÃ (.84)

8 Organizational green performance 3.56 .41 -.48 .01 .01 .03 .02 .19Ã

9 Organizational performance 3.14 .36 -.81 .14 .16 .18 (.82)

Cronbach’s a .84 .80 .82 .83 .79

CR .85 .82 .83 .86 .79

AVE .69 .69 .66 .71 .67

CR ¼ Composite reliability, AVE ¼ Average variance extracted
Values in parentheses demonstrate the square root of the average variance extracted
Standardized correlations reported à p < .05; Ãà p < .01; ÃÃà p < .001

1207

1208 T. T. LUU

Table 4. Comparison of measurement models for variables.

Model v2 df Dv2 TLI IFI CFI SRMR within SRMR between RMSEA [90% CI]

Hypothesized five- 597.38 289 .95 .95 .95 .057 .092 .043 [.037, .049]

factor model 806.49 297 255.01ÃÃ .87 .85 .86 .108 .156 .113 [.106, .124]
Alternative reversed model 714.91 293 117.53ÃÃ .91 .93 .92
Four-factor model: .086 .137 .089 [.082, .094]

Green management

initiatives and

environmentally-specific

servant

leadership combined 778.49 296 181.11ÃÃ .88 .87 .89 .097 .143 .101 [.096, .105]
Three-factor model:

Green management

initiatives, environmentally-

specific servant leadership,

and employee

OCBE combined 861.22 298 263.84ÃÃ .78 .78 .77 .122 .175 .118 [.112, .126]
Two-factor model:

Green management

initiatives, environmentally-

specific servant leadership,

employee OCBE, and

organizational green

performance combined 1,081.92 299 484.54ÃÃ .68 .67 .68 .141 .189 .144 [.138, .151]
One-factor model:

All variables combined

ÃÃp < .01

between the coefficients for the relationship between employee OCBE and organizational green
performance was significant (z ¼ 2.63, p < .01) (see Table 5).

Hypothesis H6 proposed that organizational green performance would be positively associ-
ated with organizational performance. In the Korean sample, organizational green performance
was positively and significantly associated with organizational performance (B ¼ .34, p < .01),
which lent credence to hypothesis H6. This hypothesis, however, was not supported for the
Vietnamese sample due to the non-significant association between organizational green perform-
ance and organizational performance (B ¼ .17, p > .10) (see Table 5).

Indirect relationships
As shown in Table 6, the fit between the model and the data from the Korean sample for the
partial mediation model through environmentally-specific servant leadership was found to be
satisfactory and better than the alternative full mediation model. As Table 7 displays, the indirect
effect of green management initiatives on employee OCBE through environmentally-specific ser-
vant leadership was .08 (95% CI [.03, .14], SE ¼ .04, p < .05). The confidence interval range that

did not contain zero lent evidence for hypothesis H3 on the indirect effect of green manage-
ment initiatives on employee OCBE via environmentally-specific servant leadership as a medi-
ation mechanism.

The model-data fit for the partial mediation model through environmentally-specific servant
leadership among Vietnamese employees was found to be adequate and better than the alterna-
tive full mediation model (see Table 6). Akin to the Korean sample, the indirect effect of green
management initiatives on employee OCBE through environmentally-specific servant leadership
(hypothesis H3) was supported in the Vietnamese sample via the coefficient of .14 (95% CI [.08,
.19], SE ¼ .09, p < .05) (see Table 7). The divergence between the coefficients for the indirect
effect of green management initiatives on employee OCBE via environmentally-specific servant
leadership was marginally significant (z ¼ 1.29, p < .10) (see Table 7).

Table 5. Comparative results on direct effects.

Vietnamese sample (N ¼ 483) Korean sample (N ¼ 416) Comparative results
z value
Hypotheses Description of paths Path coefficients R2 value Conclusions Path coefficients R2 value Conclusions
(Unstandardized) (Unstandardized)

Controls tenure .03 .05
Employee age .01 .02
Employee gender Green management initiatives ! .05 .07
Employee education Employee OCBE .02 .01
Employees’ organizational .02 .03
R2 Green management initiatives ! .28ÃÃ (.11)
Environmentally-specific .33ÃÃ (.14) .26 Supported .22Ã (.08) .24 Supported 1.34†
Paths servant leadership 1.57Ã
Supplementary analysis .42ÃÃÃ (.19) .29 Supported .26ÃÃ (.10) .22 Supported
Environmentally-specific servant .20Ã (.07) 3.16ÃÃ

H1 leadership ! Employee OCBE .37 Supported .31ÃÃ (.13) .28 Supported 1.44Ã
.26ÃÃ (.12)
H2 Environmentally-specific servant .19 Supported .29ÃÃ (.09) .31 Supported 2.63Ã
leadership ! Organizational .15 (.06)
Supplementary analysis green performance .17 (.08) .27 Supported .38ÃÃÃ (.11) .36 Supported 1.26 JOURNAL OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM
1.21
H4 Employee OCBE ! Supported .32ÃÃ (.10) .31 Supported
Organizational green Unsupported .34ÃÃ (.11)
Supplementary analysis performance .36 Supported

H6 Employee OCBE !
Organizational performance

Organizational green
performance ! Organizational
performance

Korean sample: v2/df ¼ 231.82/134 ¼ 1.73; TLI ¼ .96; IFI ¼ .95; CFI ¼ .97; SRMR ¼ .041; RMSEA ¼ .038.
Vietnamese sample: v2/df ¼ 242.56/134 ¼ 1.81; TLI ¼ .95; IFI ¼ .96; CFI ¼ .96; SRMR ¼ .047; RMSEA ¼ .044. † p < .10; Ã p < .05; ÃÃ p < .01; ÃÃÃ p < .001. Standard errors are displayed

in parentheses.

1209

1210 T. T. LUU

Figure 2. Results from South Korean sample versus Vietnamese sample.
Thick solid lines indicate supported hypotheses; thin solid lines indicate significant supplementary results; thick dashed lines indicate unsup-
ported hypotheses; thin dashed lines indicate non-significant supplementary results; values in square brackets indicate indirect effect
coefficients.

As Table 6 exhibits, the model-data fit for the partial mediation model through employee OCBE
among Korean employees was found to be good and better than the alternative full mediation
model. Likewise, in the Vietnamese sample, the model-data fit for the partial mediation model
through employee OCBE was found to be good and better than the alternative full medi-
ation model.

As presented in Table 7, the indirect effect of environmentally-specific servant leadership on
organizational green performance via employee OCBE (hypothesis H5) was supported in both
the Korean sample (via the coefficient of .12 (95% CI [.04, .16], SE ¼ .08, p < .05)) and the
Vietnamese sample (via the coefficient of .11 (95% CI [.06, .17], SE ¼ .06, p < .05)). Nevertheless,
the non-significant z value (z ¼ 1.08, p > .10) was found for the difference between the coeffi-
cients for the indirect effect of environmentally-specific servant leadership on organizational
green performance through employee OCBE.

When it comes to the indirect impact of employee OCBE on organizational performance
through the mediating role of organizational green performance (hypothesis H7), the data from
the Vietnamese sample did not support this hypothesis (.05 (95% CI [-.02, .08], SE ¼ .02, p > .10)
(see Table 7). On the contrary, as displayed in Table 6, the model-data fit for the partial medi-
ation model through organizational green performance in the Korean sample was found to be
satisfactory and better than the alternative full mediation model. The coefficient of .13 (95% CI
[.08, .19], SE ¼ .07, p < .05) (see Table 7) provided evidence for hypothesis H7 in the Korean
sample as to the indirect effect of employee OCBE on organizational performance through the
mediating role of organizational green performance.

JOURNAL OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM 1211

Table 6. Comparison of partial versus full mediation models.

Model v2 df Dv2 TLI IFI CFI SRMR RMSEA [90% CI]

Korean sample

Green management initiatives ! 245.52 132 .95 .95 .96 .043 .047 [.041, .053]
.089 [.082, .095]
Environmentally-specific servant .039 [.033, .045]
092 [.087, .098]
leadership ! Employee OCBE (partial .057 [.053, .062]
.101 [.097, .105]
mediation model) 289.44 134 43.92ÃÃ .92 .92 .91 .091 .045 [.039, .051]
Green management initiatives ! .098 [.093, .106]
.048 [.041, .054]
Environmentally-specific servant .097 [.092, .104]

leadership ! Employee OCBE (full

mediation model)

Environmentally-specific servant leadership 96.39 51 .96 .95 .95 .041

! Employee OCBE ! Organizational

green performance (partial

mediation model) 117.66 53 21.27ÃÃ .91 .90 .91 .099
Environmentally-specific servant leadership

! Employee OCBE ! Organizational

green performance (full mediation model)

Employee OCBE ! Organizational green 91.29 51 .95 .95 .96 .055

performance ! Organizational

performance (partial mediation model) 115.54 53 24.25ÃÃ .90 .91 .91 .097
Employee OCBE ! Organizational green

performance ! Organizational

performance (full mediation model)

Vietnamese sample

Green management initiatives ! 256.08 132 .95 .95 .94 .049

Environmentally-specific servant

leadership ! Employee OCBE (partial

mediation model) 305.52 134 49.44ÃÃ .91 .92 .92 .095
Green management initiatives !

Environmentally-specific servant

leadership ! Employee OCBE (full

mediation model)

Environmentally-specific servant leadership 105.06 51 .95 .95 .95 .051

! Employee OCBE ! Organizational

green performance (partial

mediation model) 118.72 53 13.66ÃÃ .90 .91 .91 .102
Environmentally-specific servant leadership

! Employee OCBE ! Organizational

green performance (full mediation model)

ÃÃp < .01

Discussion

As the results unveil, in both South Korean and Vietnamese samples, credence was lent to hypoth-
esis H1 on the nexus between green management initiatives and environmentally-specific servant
leadership, hypothesis H2 on the relationship between environmentally-specific servant leadership
and employee OCBE, and hypothesis H4 on the nexus between employee OCBE and organizational
green performance. The finding for hypothesis H2 is in line with Luu’s (2020) report of the link
between environmentally-specific servant leadership and green creativity. Nonetheless, albeit
empirical evidence on organizational green performance and overall organizational performance
has been garnered in both Western and non-Western contexts (e.g., De Burgos-Jimenez et al., 2013;
Lee et al., 2016; Obeidat et al., 2018; Singjai et al., 2018), the endorsement for hypothesis H6 on the
nexus between organizational green performance and organizational performance was found only
for the South Korean sample, but not for the Vietnamese sample.

In both South Korean and Vietnamese samples, support was lent to hypothesis H3 on the
mediation of environmentally-specific servant leadership and hypothesis H5 on the mediation of

employee OCBE. The marginally significant divergence between the two samples was found only
for hypothesis H3. Hypothesis H7 on the mediation of organizational green performance received
validation only in the South Korean sample.