International Journal of Human Capital in Urban Management
Quarterly Publication

From policy to practice: The role of Green organizational culture in shaping employee Green behavior in higher education institutions – A human capital perspective

https://doi.org/10.22034/IJHCUM.2026.03.08

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 20 February 2026
International Journal of Human Capital in Urban Management

Document Type : ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE

Authors

S. Pooja
J. Bhavani

VIT Business School, Vellore Institute of Technology, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In the face of growing environmental challenges, universities play a vital role in advancing sustainability through both institutional practices and individual actions. While organisational culture can significantly shape employee green behaviour, limited research has examined how specific elements of green culture drive such practices in academia. This study addresses this gap by exploring the link between green culture enablers and employee green behavior in higher education. As integral parts of the urban ecosystem, HEIs also influence urban management, extending their sustainability impact beyond campuses to support broader city-level environmental goals.
METHODS: Data were collected from 266 university employees through a structured questionnaire. The hypothesized model was tested using regression analysis to determine the predictive power of green culture enablers on employee green behavior in university employees.
FINDINGS: The green culture enablers were found to have a positive relationship with green behavior. Message credibility (β = 0.453) and employee empowerment (β = 0.296) were found to be the strongest and most significant predictors of green behavior. Leadership emphasis was found to be a weaker but significant predictor. Surprisingly, Peer involvement was not found to significantly predict green behavior when controlling for other variables.
CONCLUSION: This study concludes that cultivating a supportive green culture through credible communication, engaged leadership, and peer-driven initiatives is crucial for fostering sustainable behaviors in higher education institutions. It contributes to the growing body of sustainability literature by highlighting how internal cultural factors influence individual green behavior. By addressing contextual variables such as institution type, the research also overcomes the generalization limitations found in earlier studies. The findings offer insights for urban policymakers and HEI administrators on leveraging human capital to drive sustainable urban development."

Keywords

Environmental challenges
Green behavior
Green culture
Higher Educational Institutions
Sustainability
Urban development
Subjects
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  • Receive Date 08 July 2025
  • Revise Date 27 October 2025
  • Accept Date 14 February 2026

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