Leading with integrity: how ethical leadership drives green innovative behavior through green knowledge sharing in hospitality

This study examines the mediating role of green knowledge sharing (GKS) in the relationship between ethical leadership (EL) and employees’ green innovative behavior (GIB). It also investigates how an organization’s service climate (OSC) and ethical climate (EC) moderate the relationship among EL, GKS, and GIB. Data were collected in three phases through questionnaires from 413 hotel employees in Oman. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the proposed hypotheses. The results demonstrate that EL positively influences GIB, and GKS fully mediates the relationship between EL and GIB. Additionally, the findings indicate that the OSC significantly strengthens the relationship between EL and GKS, while the EC enhances the link between GKS and GIB. These results suggest that EL motivates employees to engage more actively in GIB. By fostering a supportive, environmentally focused culture and encouraging the exchange of green ideas, ELs inspire employees’ innovative efforts toward sustainability. Therefore, hospitality organizations may benefit from selecting and developing leaders who demonstrate ethical principles and promote GKS by cultivating a culture of integrity and responsibility. When leaders demonstrate ethical values, employees are more likely to share green ideas openly. EL fosters trust and accountability, encouraging employees to participate creatively in eco-friendly practices that advance the organization’s sustainability. These findings offer valuable theoretical insights by highlighting the roles of EL, GKS, OSC, and EC in promoting employees’ GIB within hospitality firms in emerging economies.