Ethical Leadership and Employee Green Behavior in Egypt’s Textile Industry: The Mediating Role of Psychological Empowerment

Abstract
As climate change has escalated, organizations have begun to focus on sustainable business practices, and employees’ eco-friendly behaviors are increasingly fundamental. Promoting green behavior among staff members is not straightforward. More work must be done to assess the impact of leadership and workplace environment on such environmentally concerned behavior. This study investigated the direct impact of ethical leadership on employee green behavior and psychological empowerment and examined the mediating role of psychological empowerment by drawing on Social Cognitive Theory (SCT). Data were collected using validated scales from 212 employees working in public-sector companies in the Egyptian textile industry. The results from structural equation modeling indicated that ethical leadership has positive effects on employees’ green behavior and psychological empowerment. Additionally, psychological empowerment mediates the relationship between ethical leadership and green employee behavior. To understand the relationship between ethical leadership, environmentally responsible behaviors, and psychological empowerment in resource-intensive industries, this study finds that ethical leadership contributes to both environmentally responsible behaviors and psychological empowerment. Furthermore, this study provides insights for organizations aiming to improve their environmental performance through strategies based on leadership and employee empowerment.