When and how environmental corporate social responsibility shapes pro-environmental behavior: environmental passion and organizational support as key mechanisms

Purpose – Drawing on social cognitive and social exchange theories, this study aims to investigate how environmental corporate social responsibility (ECSR) influences employees’ pro-environmental behavior (PEB), through environmental passion. Additionally, how perceived organizational support moderates the relationship between ECSR, and environmental passion is also explored. Design/methodology/approach – The authors tested the conceptual model from dual sources (224 employees and their respective supervisors) in two waves by using a self-administered survey in the Pakistani banking context and used smart PLS for data analysis. Findings – The findings revealed that employees’ pro-environmental behavior is driven by their perceptions of organizational efforts on ECSR. Employees’ environmental passion mediated the relationship between ESCR and employee’s pro-environmental behavior, and perceived organizational support toward the environment (POS-E) also found to moderate the relationship between ESCR and environmental passion. These findings hold significant implications in the organization and environmental management domains, helping organizations draft useful strategies to counter environmental degradation issues through sustainable work practices. Originality/value – This study integrates social cognitive and social exchange theories to explain the ECSR–PEB link via environmental passion. Furthermore, it introduces POS-E as a novel boundary condition.