The increasing emphasis on sustainability in the energy sector has highlighted the importance of understanding the factors that promote employees’ pro-environmental behavior (PEB). Although green training (GT) is widely regarded as an effective organizational practice for encouraging PEB, the psychological mechanisms underlying this relationship remain insufficiently understood. Drawing on Social Learning Theory, this study proposes a dual-pathway framework through which GT is associated with employees’ PEB via perceived corporate environmental responsibility (CER) and environmental self-identity (ESI). Using purposively sampled, cross-sectional survey data from 1028 employees of a large Chinese energy company, the proposed framework was tested through structural equation modeling and bootstrap mediation analysis. The results indicate that perceived CER alone does not independently mediate the relationship between GT and PEB. However, perceived CER plays an important role by serving as a bridge through which employees internalize organizational environmental values into their ESI. Furthermore, ESI emerged as an independent and robust mediator, highlighting the central role of the identity-based pathway. This study contributes context-specific evidence from a large Chinese energy company, providing a deeper understanding of the psychological mechanisms linking GT and PEB and offering practical implications for organizations seeking to foster sustainability-oriented behaviors among employees.

Despite growing attention to corporate environmental responsibility, there is limited understanding of the psychological and social mechanisms linking corporate environmental responsibility to employees’ coworker-focused pro-environmental behaviors in the workplace, such as advocacy directed at peers. This study examined the influence of corporate environmental responsibility on employees’ coworker pro-environmental advocacy in the Chinese energy sector, with a sample of 1528 employees. Focusing on the mediating roles of long-term orientation, meaningful work, and sense of community, the research integrates insights from Social Exchange Theory, Self-determination Theory, and Affective Events Theory. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the hypothesized relationships. The findings revealed that corporate environmental responsibility positively impacted employees’ advocacy for eco-friendly behaviors among coworkers through forward-thinking attitudes, intrinsic motivation, and strengthened social bonds. The study offers theoretical contributions by unpacking the interplay of individual and organizational factors and provides practical recommendations for cultivating an environmentally conscious culture through value alignment, meaningful work initiatives, and fostering a strong sense of community.

Purpose: This study investigates the psychological mechanisms through which green transformational leadership behaviors predict employees' organizational commitment. By integrating Self-Concept Theory and Conservation of Resources Theory, the study aims to provide a process-oriented explanation of how leadership behaviors shape employees' psychological resources and commitment within the context of organizational sustainability. Design/methodology/approach: A theoretically specified sequential mediation model was constructed and tested using structural equation modeling (SEM) based on survey data collected from 1,528 employees of a large Chinese energy group. Green transformational leadership behaviors were examined in relation to employees' intrinsic spirituality, intolerance of uncertainty, organization-based self-esteem, and job involvement. Findings: Green transformational leadership behaviors – such as articulating a clear environmental vision and inspiring employees with sustainable goals – were found to enhance employees' psychological resources and self-concept. The results support a sequential but interrelated psychological process through which meaning construction, uncertainty regulation, self-evaluative resources, and work investment jointly contribute to organizational commitment. Practical implications: The findings emphasize the value of incorporating green transformational leadership development into HR practices. By embedding sustainability-oriented communication, recognition, and leadership development practices into everyday management routines, organizations can align individual values with corporate sustainability goals and foster long-term employee commitment, particularly in sustainability-driven and regulated organizational contexts. Originality/value: This study provides a theoretically grounded, process-oriented explanation of the employee–organization relationship by clarifying how established psychological mechanisms jointly translate green transformational leadership into organizational commitment in sustainability-driven contexts. The study advances existing green leadership research by specifying the sequential integration of meaning-related, self-evaluative, and behavioral processes.