Greening the cubicle: unraveling the impact of corporate environmental ethics on employees’ green innovative behavior through the affective events theory

Previous research has acknowledged that employees’ Green Innovative Behavior (GIB) is a pivotal driver for organizations striving towards sustainable development. However, the comprehensive understanding of its antecedents and underlying mechanisms remains insufficient. In response, drawing upon the Affective Events Theory (AET), our investigation establishes a moderated sequential mediation model to delve into the psychological processes by which Corporate Environmental Ethics (CEE) stimulate employees’ GIB. Derived from a cohort of 358 employees in the manufacturing sector, our findings indicate a positive influence of CEE on employees’ GIB, with environmental passion and environmental commitment serving as sequential mediators in the relationship. Particularly noteworthy is that personal innovativeness weakens the positive impact of CEE on environmental passion, suggesting a certain degree of substitution between personal innovativeness and CEE regarding environmental passion. Furthermore, this moderating effect extends to the sequential stages of environmental passion and environmental commitment, exerting indirect influences on employees’ GIB. Our study provides valuable insights into the relationship between CEE and employees’ GIB from affective perspectives, while also offering empirical evidence to support organizations in driving employees’ GIB.