Leading by Example: A Model of Organizational Citizenship Behavior for the Environment

Organizational citizenship behaviors for the environment (OCBEs), which are based on individual, voluntary and informal initiatives, are increasingly considered as an essential ingredient of corporate greening. Drawing on the emerging literature on this issue, this paper explores the determinants and consequences of managers' OCBEs. A study of 304 managers from the manufacturing sector allowed us to validate a new model of managers' OCBEs based on structural equation modeling. The model shows the role of environmental values and perceived behavioral control (PBC) in the adoption of OCBEs. As expected, the model also shows positive and significant relationships between OCBEs, environmental management practices and performance in this area. The study sheds new light on the impacts of OCBEs and explores the reasons why they can be used to lead by example and to improve environmental performance. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment