Heliyon (May 2024)
Employee green behavior: Bibliometric-content analysis
Abstract
Purpose: – This research conducted a thorough literature review to analyze current research on Employee Green Behavior (EGB) and its contexts. It identified key areas of emphasis in EGB and provided a precise roadmap for future research. Design/methodology/approach: The research on employee green behavior will be visually represented using bibliometric analysis. Additionally, we provided a comprehensive overview of the correlation between relevant theories and determinants of employee green behavior. We also offered specific suggestions for future research to deepen consumer researchers' understanding of this concept. Findings: A bibliometric analysis was conducted on 275 journal articles regarding employee green behavior sourced from the Web of Science database spanning 2012 to 2023. The study revealed an increasing focus on employee green behavior research across diverse fields such as management, economics, psychology, sociology, and law. China, the United States, and Italy emerged as the top three countries both in publication volume and literature centrality. The academic literature primarily centers on investigating antecedent variables of green employee behavior, broadly categorized into corporate social responsibility, organizational support, green human resource management, transformational and ethical leadership, organizational commitment, job satisfaction, responsible leadership, intentions, values, organizational identification, and organizational climate. To comprehensively analyze prior studies, content analysis was performed, outlining and scrutinizing four empirical areas including antecedents, mediators, moderators, and outcomes of employee green behavior. While research on antecedents and influencing mechanisms of green loyalty was prevalent among the influencing variables, boundary conditions such as moderators received relatively less attention. Originality/value: This comprehensive literature review offers a clear understanding of the conceptual content, organization, and assessment of employee green behavior. Furthermore, it includes a bibliometric analysis of 275 papers on employee green behavior published between 2012 and 2023 in the Web of Science database. The text analysis reveals insights into the theoretical foundation, antecedent and outcome variables, and processes of employee green behavior, providing valuable guidance for future research.
