Based on the trickle-down effect model, social learning theory and trait activation theory, this study explores the mechanisms of multi-level responsible leadership on employees’ pro-environmental behaviors in the hotel industry in China. The results show that responsible leadership positively influences employees’ pro-environmental behaviors; mid-level responsible leadership significantly mediates the positive relationship between high-level responsible leadership and employees’ pro-environmental behaviors; and the perceived role of ethics and social responsibility positively moderates the relationship between responsible leadership and employees’ pro-environmental behaviors. The results of this study provide empirical support for further analysis of the “black box” of responsible leadership on employees’ pro-environmental behaviors, fill the gap of the trickle-down model in leadership, and provide new directions for sustainable value creation in hospitality industry organizations.
The Trickle-Down Effect of Responsible Leadership on Employees’ Pro-Environmental Behaviors: Evidence from the Hotel Industry in China