Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments 60 (2023) 103540

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Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/seta

Original article

Green Leadership, environmental knowledge Sharing, and sustainable

performance in manufacturing Industry: Application from upper
echelon theory
Rizwan Ullah Khan a, Abdul Saqib a, Munir A. Abbasi b, Alexey Mikhaylov c, Gabor Pinter d, *
a
Graduate School of Business, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia
b
BSB, Benazir Bhutto Shaheed University Lyari, Karachi, Pakistan
c
Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia
d
Faculty of Engineering, Soós Ernő Research and Development Center, Renewable Energy Research Group, University of Pannonia, Veszprém, 8200, Hungary

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Keywords: The changing climate with new regulations, policy changes, consumer behaviour, technological shifts, and
Green Practices changes in business-as-usual places significant pressure on organizations to safeguard the ecosystem and strive
Green Leadership for sustainable performance. Sustainability is essential for firms to effectively handle environmental challenges.
Environmental knowledge sharing
As stakeholders become more environmentally conscious, firms are under greater pressure to implement green
Sustainable performance
Manufacturing industries
leadership and environmental knowledge sharing to enhance sustainable performance. In this context, this study
examines the impact of green leadership on environmental knowledge sharing. Second, we examined the impact
of environmental knowledge sharing on firms’ sustainable performance. In addition, we explore the mediating
role of environmental knowledge sharing in the relationship between green leadership and firms’ sustainable
performance, as supported by upper echelon theory. To capture firms’ sustainable performance, we considered
economic, social, and environmental dimensions. For hypotheses testing, we collected data from 257 respondents
working in Pakistan’s manufacturing sector small and medium-sized firms, and analyzed the data using a
structural equation model (SEM) with partial least squares (SmartPLS). The results reveal a positive and sig­
nificant impact of green leadership on environmental knowledge sharing. This finding reveals that firms’ sus­
tainable performance can be improved by adopting green leadership practices and by sharing environmental
knowledge in the workplace. Importantly, our results show that environmental knowledge sharing significantly
and positively mediates the relationship between green leadership and firms’ sustainable performance. This
finding suggests that environmental knowledge sharing channels the impact of green leadership practices on
firms’ sustainable performance. The current study’s findings and theoretical underpinnings shed new light on
firms’ sustainable performance, shaped by green leadership practices and environmental knowledge sharing in
the workplace.

Introduction have recently strived to find a good balance between the individual
pillars of sustainable development: economic, social, and environ­
The changing climate with new regulations, policy changes, con­ mental, which are interrelated [34]. Contemporary enterprises face
sumer behaviour, technological shifts, and changes in the business mounting pressure from diverse stakeholder groups to mitigate adverse
environment places significant pressure on the way organizations should effects on the natural environment. Notably, the energy sector of the
be managed. An important change comes from the global shift towards manufacturing industry has been identified as a substantial contributor
sustainability, which forces firms to safeguard the ecosystem and strive to global climate change, intensifying the scrutiny of companies oper­
for sustainable performance. Until the 1970 s, traditional development ating within this industry [22,61]. Consequently, stakeholders and
theories were mainly based on economic development, and traditional regulatory bodies increasingly anticipate the integration of robust
leadership only chased profit-making [81]. However, business leaders environmental management practices into the routine operations of

* Corresponding author.
E-mail addresses: [email protected] (A. Mikhaylov), [email protected] (G. Pinter).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seta.2023.103540
Received 11 July 2023; Received in revised form 30 October 2023; Accepted 8 November 2023
Available online 16 November 2023
2213-1388/© 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-
nc-nd/4.0/).
R. Ullah Khan et al. Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments 60 (2023) 103540

energy companies [80,78,93]. This emergent emphasis on environ­ improving organizational performance (Maak and Pless, 2006). Addi­
mental concerns extends across various dimensions within the business tionally, Hallinger et al. (2020) underlined the critical impact of envi­
sphere, encompassing domains such as green operations, green mar­ ronmental information sharing on an organization’s environmental and
keting, and green accounting. financial outcomes. This study proposes an indirect association between
As a result, manufacturing industries are focusing on improving green leadership and sustainable performance through environmental
environmental sustainability by creating and implementing environ­ information sharing, because good communication and knowledge
mentally friendly policies and practices, such as green leadership [52]. sharing makes it easy to implement green organizational strategies to
Organizations are also promoting green practices because of increased enhance sustainable performance. Additionally, we encourage pre­
environmental resource use and the implementation of different envi­ cursors (green human resource management) to support the sustainable
ronmental regulations in many countries to protect the environment and performance of SME manufacturers. Nonetheless, through knowledge
general ecosystems [31,69,99,102]). Industrial polluters are becoming sharing, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) remain the pri­
increasingly concerned about the economic consequences of pollution mary cause of the abuse of natural resources and energy in Pakistan
[47,59]. Notably, sustainable development is a critical challenge for the (Qadir & and Dosmagambet, 2020).
economies of South Asian countries [85]. In South Asian countries, This study contributes to the body of knowledge on sustainable
whose economic growth is dependent on energy-intensive, carbon- development in three ways. First, it clarifies the mechanism through
emitting production, and polluting sectors, there are growing concerns which green leadership and sustainable performance are connected.
over sustainable development [104]. Although constrained by the Examining the mediating role of environmental knowledge sharing
manufacturing sector, these nations have substantial SDG objectives theoretically strengthens the relationship between green leadership and
[109,116]. Therefore, this study focuses on redirecting the adoption of sustainable performance. Second, the gap in the empirical data on the
green leadership practices to impact social and economic issues globally. transfer of environmental knowledge sharing in the relationship be­
Additionally, we focus on the integration of sustainability into business tween green leadership and sustainable performance was filled by the
operations, which has become a mainstream organizational activity, upper echelon hypothesis. Several scholars have underlined the influ­
with a particular focus on environmental concerns [23,10]. Companies ence of leadership on long-term success in earlier studies [27,75].
investing in environmental management can gain a first-mover advan­ Nevertheless, the present research attempted to evaluate sustainable
tage, enabling distinctive differentiation strategies, improved green performance via environmentally responsible leadership and behaviors
reputation, and competitive advantages [110]. This commitment to that drew on upper echelon theory. Third, the current research focuses
green strategies also tends to yield better employee outcomes [98]. exclusively on SMEs that are active in Pakistan’s manufacturing
Consequently, organizations are increasingly emphasizing green industry.
behavior as a recognized role for employees in addressing environ­ The reminder of the paper is structured as follows. The next section
mental issues [13]. To ensure environmental sustainability, organiza­ discusses hypotheses development and conclude with research gap and
tions need to explore how Green Leadership (GL) influences employees’ theoretical framework. Section 3 outlines data descriptions, methodol­
pro-environmental behavior, ultimately impacting overall environ­ ogy, and variables measurements. The following section focuses on
mental performance [2,21]. empirical results and its interpretations. Section 5 provides discussion of
The contemporary literature also underscores the significance of empirical results. Whereas section 6 and 7, respectively, outlines im­
developing the environmental competencies, attitudes, and behaviors of plications and conclusion of the study.
employees as a strategic imperative for enhancing the environmental
performance of organizations [97,114]. In this vein, the confluence of Hypotheses development
behavioral research in human resource management (HRM) and the
nascent field of GHRM illuminates a compelling nexus [87]. This Green leadership and environmental knowledge sharing
intersection elucidates how GHRM practices reverberate through an
organization, influencing employees’ work attitudes and behaviors. Green leadership practices have been found to paly a critical role in
Drawing on antecedent HRM studies, empirical evidence has revealed shaping employees green behaviour [35,107,14]. Employees are in­
intricate relationships between GHRM practices and various employee clined to invest more resources in environmentally friendly outcomes,
work outcomes [7], including but not limited to pro-environmental such as having an environmentally conscious attitude and behaviour
behavior [63], the cultivation of a psychological green climate [58], who receive more environmental friendly resources and support from
social proof mechanisms [18], the empowerment of green employees their leaders, termed as grean leadership [76]. Leadership has a signif­
[87], and the nurturing of pro-environmental psychological capital [21]. icant role in organizational performance because it influences employee
Despite the strides made in understanding the interface between GHRM behavior and thoughts [45]. Considering the critical role of leadership in
GL practices and employee-related outcomes, a comprehensive encouraging employees to participate in the business’s environmental
comprehension of their collective impact on sustainable organizational initiatives without harming the natural environment on the basis of
performance, a cornerstone of sustainability, remains in its infancy. This balancing the environment and economy. Green leadership can be
lacuna in the extant literature underscores the need for further research defined as the ability of the leaders to influence individuals and orga­
that delves into the intricate social and psychological mechanisms un­ nizations to realize a vision of long-term ecological sustainability [38].
derpinning the relationship between GHRM GL practices and sustain­ However, climate change drivers (e.g., precipitation and temperature)
able performance outcomes [84,112]. Responding to this scholarly call, and increasing national and international climate legislations discour­
the present study undertook a comprehensive examination of GHRM ages unsutainable development [90]. Therefore, given the growing
practices and their influence on sustainable performance within Paki­ concerns of climate change and resultant national and international
stan’s energy sector [6]. This investigation situates green knowledge climate legislations, it is important for companies to adopt green lead­
sharing (GKS) as a pivotal underlying mechanism, endeavoring to shed ership practices in order to attain sustainable performance.
light on its role in mediating the relationship between GL practices and According to the upper echelon hypothesis, eco-friendly resources
organizational environmental performance. Therefore, we made an are necessary to maintain organizational effectiveness [46]. In this
effort to evaluated the indirect impact of green leadership on sustainable study, sustainable leadership was employed as a core resource because it
performance via environmental information sharing in line with the is suitable for the environment. Leaders devoted to sustainability have
recommendations of Nor-Aishah et al. [79]. However, social exchange sustainable perspectives, acknowledge sustainability concerns, promote
theory drives the exchange of environmental information. According to green initiatives, and adopt green management practices [65]. Envi­
the social exchange theory, KS based on social exchange is essential for ronmental leadership or green leadership has a favorable correlation

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R. Ullah Khan et al. Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments 60 (2023) 103540

with green activities, such as green innovation, among workers [68], and creativity and competitive [42]. As a result, this study pro­
[111,115]. Sustainable leaders monitor prospective external environ­ poses that mechanisms for sharing knowledge can act as “enablers” for
mental changes while maintaining high-quality relationships with transmitting information, leading to better long-term outcomes. Hence,
stakeholders [105]. It also enhances organizational performance by based on the above debates regarding the impact of knowledge-sharing
lowering operating expenses and identifying new business prospects. practices on sustainable performance, we postulate that environmental
Effective top management environmental leadership or green lead­ knowledge sharing practices has a positive and significant impact on
ership also enables businesses to use internal innovation resources, firms’ sustainable performance, as follows:
enhance green innovation capabilities, and strategically integrate low-
Hypothesis 2. Environmental Knowledge sharing has a positive and sig­
carbon innovatives and through environmental knowledge sharing
nificant impact on firms’ sustainable performance.
practices enhances firms’ sustainable performance (Aftab et al., 2022a).
Biedenkopf et al. (2019) argued that effective green leadership practices
Mediating role of environmental knowledge sharing between green
can inspire and communicate environmental knowledge in the work­
leadership and Firms’ sustainable performance
place to improve environmental-friendly strategies through the use,
creation, and promotion of original concepts. Green leadership better
The capacity to quickly adapt to changing market conditions and
understand the need for environmental management, and through
future threats is essential for success in today’s business climate [60]. In
ecological and environmental knowledge sharig practices enhances eco-
a continually changing market, organizational expertise helps them
friendly production processes and are more committed to organizational
adapt and execute consistently and successfully. Therefore, this study
change to achieve sustainable performance (Papagiannakis and Lioukas,
examines organizational knowledge as a dynamic capability. Corporate
2012).
knowledge-sharing procedures focus on an organization’s adaptability
Furthermore, leaders must encourage and push their staff to work
to changes in its external environment, allowing for advantageous
more creatively [5,39,5]. As a result, long-term leaders substantially
organizational changes and a rapid response to turbulence. Based on the
influence knowledge management implementation, which may improve
dynamic capacity idea, organizational knowledge enables strategic
organizational output [29,40]. According to previous studies, green
planning and execution to be flexible to gain market development,
leadership impacts knowledge-sharing practices and performance
competition, and customer expectations [89]. In terms of organizational
[5,67]. Thus, based on the above discussions, we posit that green lead­
knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and strategies may serve as a road map
ership has a positive effect on environmental knowledge sharing prac­
for improving performance. Consequently, sharing organizational
tices as follows:
knowledge is crucial for long-term success [51].
Hypothesis 1. Green leadership has a positive and significant impact on In addition, a company’s knowledge-sharing network has the po­
environmental knowledge sharing. tential to uncover and capture new market opportunities and influence
its ongoing willingness to engage in environmentally responsible oper­
ations [89,108]. Through improved quality financial and strategic de­
Environmental Knowledge-Sharing and Firms’ sustainable performance
cision making, organizational knowledge may enhance management
abilities and performance [11,19,19]. This is achieved by locating high-
The concept of “knowledge sharing” encompasses a wide range of
quality external sources of information [12]. Knowledge of the organi­
activities. Knowledge can be an asset for a company and an important
zation fosters extra-role activities and civic values, encouraging em­
resource for its success [57]; Lin et al. 2020). Due to the dynamic nature
ployees to behave appropriately. In contrast, green leadership
of the business world, it is generally accepted that companies that are
sometimes conflicts with knowledge-management approaches [28].
able to manage the knowledge that is ingrained in their operations will
Managerial strategies may boost the pro-environmental behaviors and
be ahead of their competitors [97], and failure to do so can cause the
actions of workers [71]. In addition, Chang, Bai and Li, (2015) research
game to be turned around. Particulary in industrialised economies,
indicates that successful leadership contributes to an organization’s
knowledge has altered the conventional view of competitiveness [8].
social, environmental, and economic sustainability through transmitting
Additionally, knowledge sharing is linked to knowledge absorption and
useful information and expertise and making sound strategic choices. In
integration. According to Lin et al. (2020), increased resource intensity
light of the theoretical underpinnings and empirical literature, we posit
can be achieved through knowledge sharing. Knowledge is essential for
that environmental knowledge sharing mediates the relationship be­
achieving long-term success in any industry and has become common
tween green leadership and firms’ sustainable performance.
knowledge for many businesses [20,9,63]. Similarly, Abbas and Khan
[1] found that environmental or green knowledge sharing strengthens Hypothesis 3. Environmental Knowledge sharing explains the indirect
firm green innovation capabilities leading to sutainable performance. path between Green Leadership and Firms’ Sustainable Performance.
Businesses currently have an urgent need to generate knowledge and
look for information that can produce environmentally friendly results Literature gap
and give them a competitive advantage over rivals [15].
Creating and applying intellectual know-how is critical for the long- In existing literature, most of the studies found a direct link between
term success of many businesses. As Ishak et al. [55] stated, a strong green leadership and sustainable performance (see e.g., [66,30,53,1].
knowledge management culture will lead to consistently better results. While other studies like Wang et al. [112] did not found any relationship
Hoopes and Postrel [49] note that such an integrated approach can between green leadership and sustainable performance in the Malaysian
produce competitive advantages and thus enhance long-term perfor­ educational institutions. Notably, much of the existing literature has
mance by creating a unique knowledge-sharing model. In the context of predominantly focused on the direct link between green leadership and
climate change, Dinesh et al. [37] claimed that new models of knowl­ sustainable performance [63]. Whereas Burawat (2019) suggested to
edge production and sharing are needed, with a particular emphasis on investigate the mediating variables influencing the relationship between
societal outcomes. Based on human capital theory, encouraging em­ green leadership and firms’ sustainable performance. However, the in­
ployees to share knowledge and develop a culture of openness would direct link between green leadership and firms’ financial performance is
help an organization adapt and grow in a way that is both profitable and missing in the extent literature [54]. Therefore, it is important to explore
environmentally friendly [70,57,101]. Therefore, environmental the potential mediators in the green leadership and sustainable perfor­
knowledge sharing has become vital for firms sustainable performance. mance relationship to understand what engages employees and firms to
Because firms have begun to see environmental knowledge sharing as an perform sustainably. In support of this, Abbas and Khan [1] found that
important tool for operational excellence [33], consumer happiness environmental or green knowledge sharing strengthens firm green

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R. Ullah Khan et al. Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments 60 (2023) 103540

innovation capabilities leading to sutainable performance. However, to screening and removing missing values, we retained 257 valid answers
the best of our knowledge, no past study examined the indirect rela­ for final hypotheses testing, with a response rate of 49.66 %. Table 1
tionship between green leadership and firms’ sustainable performance. shows the respondents’ gender, education, experience, and city
To address this gap, the current study examines the mediating role of information.
environmental knowledge sharing in the relationship between green The respondent demographic data show that there are 54 per cent
leadership and firms’ financial performance in Pakistan manufacturing males, and the remaining are female electronic sector top managers. Our
sector SMEs. survey showed that 80 managers/owners had an intermediate- or lower-
Furthermore, a notable research gap exists concerning the anteced­ level education, 97 managers had a degree holder, 143 held a master’s
ents of environmental knowledge sharing and sustainable performance degree, and only 37 managers and owners had doctoral qualifications.
in the context of environmentally responsible behaviors, encompassing Additionally, 64 social media sector SMEs had 20–50 employees, 49
in-role, extra-role, and innovative dimensions [114]. Scholars have SMEs had 51–100 employees, 79 social media sector SMEs had 101–250
highlighted the need to investigate the factors that stimulate pro- full-time employees, 94 had 251–350 employees, and 71 social media
environmental sustainable performance [84,112]. In other words, sector SMEs had 351–499 employees (Table 1).
although the literature reported many antecedents of firms’ sustainable
performance. However, past studies did not explore the impact of Measurement
environmental knowledge sharing on firms’ sustainable performance.
Therefore, this study seeks to address this gap by first examining the Green leadership
direct relationship between green leadership and environmental GL is defined as the leader’s abilities and skills that reduce the
knowledge sharing. In doing so, it adopted a comprehensive approach negative effects of the production process on the environment, lifestyle,
aimed at assessing the combined impact of various green leadership and utilization of natural resources. In this study, we measured green
practices. This holistic perspective enhances the reliability of our anal­ leadership through 15 items adapted from Al-Zawahreh, Khasawneh,
ysis, particularly in elucidating the contextual factors influencing pro- and Al-Jaradat [17], with 0.92 reliability statistics mentioned by Khan
environmental sustainable performance. In nutshell, to fill the et al. (2022).
research gap, the current study examines the impact of environmental
knowledge sharing on firms’ financial performance and the mediating Table 1
role of environmental knowledge sharing in the relationship between Respondents’ Information.
green leadership and firms’ sustainabile performance. Fig. 1 provides
Description Frequency Percentage
the conceptual framework of this study.
Firm’s Size
1. 20–50 employees 64 17.92
Materials and methods 2. 51–100 49 13.72
3. 101–250 79 22.12
Context of Study, population, and sample size 4. 251–350 94 26.33
5. 351–499 71 19.88
The extent of previous literature has highlighted that in social sci­
ence, a 3 per cent response rate is acceptable [103]; Cameron & Caza, Firm’s Age
2005), and for calculating the minimum sample size, we adopt the 1. 10 years and less 89 24.92
2. 11–20 years 145 40.61
G*Power software based on three predictors, a confidence level of 0.80, 3. 21 and above years 123 34.45
and an effect size of 0.15, which mandated 107 minimum sample sizes
[106,82]. The survey included a declaration of permission, information
Education of Respondents
about the aim of data gathering, and assurances that the data would be 1. Intermediate and below 80 22.41
kept private. Data on demographic characteristics (e.g., age, experience, 2. Bachelor 97 27.17
education, firm size, and designation) as well as the performance of 3. Master 143 40.05
sustainable SMEs were obtained in the first round of data collection. 4. PhD and so forth 37 10.36

Before data collection, the researcher deployed pre-and pilot testing

from highly qualified academicians and the top management of Cities
manufacturing firms. 1. Karachi 146 56.80
2. Islamabad 44 17.12
Subsequently, 900 self-structured questionnaires were distributed 3. Lahore 67 26.07
using Google Forms, and only 293 responses were acquired. After

Fig. 1. Conceptual Framework.

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R. Ullah Khan et al. Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments 60 (2023) 103540

Sustainable performance Data analysis

In this study, sustainable performance was measured as multidi­
mensional (social, economic, and environmental performance). Social To assess the final hypotheses, Smart PLS and SPSS were employed
Performance is defined as organizational output in the form of social for the descriptive statistics. Smart PLS software is recommended by
activities for society. Additionally, it was measured through five ques­ researchers in social science empirical research because of the
tionnaires adapted from the literature [62]. Economic performance is complexity of the model in social science research. It was found that the
the second dimension of sustainable performance, and has been used as existing model was highly complicated, including second- and first-
a dependent variable. In addition, it was measured using five ques­ order mediation and moderation. Smart PLS is the program of choice
tionnaires adapted from the literature. Table 2 presents the descriptive for nonlinear data according to Sarstedt et al. [94].
statistics of the data collected from top management in the social media Hair Jr et al. (2020), Khan et al. (2022), and Saqib et al. [92] and
sector. The results clarify that each value of the mean of the main con­ other experts say that the composite reliability value shows that each
structs lies within the acceptable range because, on a 5 Likert scalesa 5 main construct has a C.R value greater than 0.80, which is what they say
Likert scale, the mean values equal to or less than 2.99 is low, 3.99 mean is the best thing to do (Hair Jr, Howard, & Nitzl, 2020). AVE was also
value should be moderate, and above 4 should be considered high, as used to measure convergent validity, which was performed using the
recommended by Sekaran and Bougie [96].Table 3. standard suggested by Bagozzi, Yi, and Singh [24]. As Bagozzi, Yi, and
Table 2 explains the data normality, that is, how the data are nor­ Singh [24] said, for a good model, the AVE value should be more than
mally distributed; hence, it shows that data are equally distributed 0.50 (Table. and Fig. 2).
because kurtosis and skewness values are below the recommended
threshold of ± 3 [43]. Discriminant validity
The discriminant validity of the metrics was evaluated to determine
Results whether they were comparable or unrelated to one another. Previous
research has recommended numerous approaches to evaluate discrimi­
Data screening and common method bias nant validity, including the Fornell–Larcker and Heterotrait–Monotrait
(HTMT) ratio criteria, for measuring discriminant validity. Both meth­
Data screening should be checked for missing values, common odologies were found to be viable. However, the heterotrait-monotrait
method bias, and outliers before conducting the final hypotheses testing. (HTMT) ratio is becoming more popular in research, as seen in the
In the current study, the researcher collected the data online through recommendation of journal editors [94]. In the present study, we eval­
self-structured questionnaires using Google Forms and marked it uated discriminant validity, as described by Sarstedt et al. [94]. The
mandatory to fill in the items. Hence, after employing the z-score, the table displays the HTMT values of all reflective major structures,
researcher found that there were no outliers or missing values because demonstrating that there is no problem with multicollinearity. Table 4.
the z-score was less than 3.29 [103]. Additionally, to check the
normality of the data, we estimated it using the skewness and kurtosis Structured model
values. The values of all continuous variable skewness values are below
the threshold, as per recommendations (DeCarlo, 1997), such as green The structured model was assessed through 5000 subsamples using
leadership, environmental knowledge sharing, and sustainable perfor­ the bootstrapping method with Smart PLS. To test the hypotheses, SEM
mance, and are between 2.190 and 0.46, as shown in Table 2. was analyzed using bootstrapping.
We collected data from a single source; thus, there is a possibility of
rising bias. This bias might have a detrimental influence on the data Direct and indirect relationship
estimate for hypothesis testing, which is why it is important to minimize Table 5 shows that green leadership practices and policies signifi­
it. Therefore, before testing the hypotheses, we must first determine cantly enhance environmental knowledge (β = 0.83, p < 0.05). There­
whether there is a problem with the data. Therefore, researchers have fore, Hypothesis 1 is supported. Next, environmental knowledge sharing
offered several strategies for identifying the presence of bias. These significantly impacts SP (β = 0.83, p < 0.05) and the upper and lower
include Harman’s single-factor test [82] and a marker variable analysis confidence intervals under the threshold.Table A1.
[100]. However, according to a recent study, marker variables should be
used to detect common approach biases in data. As a result, this study Discussion
evaluated CMB using methodologies based on marker variables. In this
study, we use “attitude” as a marker variable because it has no rela­ According to the empirical data, green leadership has a substantial
tionship with the primary suggested model. To conduct testing, we positive and statistically significant influence on environmental
linked the attitude variable to each exogenous variable of the model knowledge sharing, verifying our first hypothesis, which was based on
(sustainable leadership and knowledge-sharing practices) and measured the direct association between green leadership and considerable impact
R2 before and after the marker variable. According to Malhotra et al. on environmental knowledge sharing. The present empirical study’s
[74], if the R2 change is larger than 10 %, CMV is present in the data. findings are in-linein line with the past research, such as Afsar and
[44], suggesting that an R2 greater than 30 % indicates the presence of Umrani [5], Feng et al. [39], and Feranita, Nugraha, and Sukoco [40],
CMV. Hence. The present research uses the threshold established by and which suggest that a strong and dynamic strategic leader is the main
Malhotra, Schaller, and Patil [74] because it is more trustworthy, which pillar of a successful organization; they are too many quirks about the
implies that there is no CMV concern because of the difference between employee’s skill and information because excess employee skill and
the thresholds before and after R2. information can help the organization’s objective. Afsar and Umrani [5]

Table 2
Descriptive Statistics.
Main Constructs Mean Std. Deviation Skewness Kurtosis

Statistic Statistic Statistic Std. Error Statistic Std. Error

Green Leadership 3.72 0.485 1.947 0.167 1.697 0.333

Environmental Knowledge Sharing 3.80 0.309 2.190 0.167 2.061 0.333
Sustainable Performance 3.73 0.514 0.469 0.167 3.427 0.333

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R. Ullah Khan et al. Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments 60 (2023) 103540

Table 3
Results of Composite Reliability and Convergent Validity.
First-Order Constructs Dimensions Items Loading Alpha CR AVE

Green Leadership SL1 0.718 0.941 0.948 0.567

SL2 0.768
SL3 0.810
SL4 0.808
SL5 0.779
SL6 0.728
SL7 0.775
SL8 0.636
SL9 0.775
SL10 0.707
SL11 0.761
SL13 0.775
SL14 0.707
SL15 0.776
Environmental Knowledge Sharing KSP1 0.867 0.888 0.923 0.750
KSP2 0.901
KSP3 0.815
KSP4 0.878
Sustainable Performance Social Performance SP1S 0.897 0.923 0.942 0.766
SP2S 0.909
SP3S 0.913
SP4S 0.821
SP5S 0.83
Economic Performance SP1E 0.865 0.904 0.929 0.722
SP2E 0.828
SP3E 0.865
SP4E 0.889
SP5E 0.799
Environmental Performance SP1E 0.313 0.793 0.863 0.577
SP2E 0.849
SP3E 0.853
SP4E 0.782
SP5E 0.852

Fig. 2. Measurement Model.

Table 4 Table 5
Discriminant Validity Heterotrait–Monotrait (HTMT) ratio criteria. Direct and Indirect Effects.
Main Constructs Environmental Green Sustainable Hypotheses Relationship β STDEV T-Stat P- Remarks
Knowledge Sharing Leadership Performance Value

Environmental 0.888 H1 GL -> EKS 0.840 0.023 35.846 0.000 Support

Knowledge Sharing H2 EKS -> SP 0.784 0.035 22.216 0.000 Support
Green Leadership 0.706 0.945 H3 GL -> EKS -> 0.660 0.044 14.881 0.000 Support
Sustainable 0.438 0.671 0.962 SP
Performance
Note: GL = Green Leadership, EKS = Environmental Knowledge Sharing, and SP
= Sustainable Performance.

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R. Ullah Khan et al. Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments 60 (2023) 103540

Table A1 Table A1 (continued )

Green Leadership Green Leadership

No. Main Construct Source 5 Our little business is concerned with

1 Your company’s leadership practises [17] hygiene aspects.
sustainable social responsibility. Financial
2 Your organization’s leaders act in a way Performance
that is good for the environment and is 1 We see that our microbusiness provides Khan &
sustainable. employment to ourselves and others. Quaddus,
3 Your organization’s leadership behaves [62]
in an ethically sound and sustainable 2 Our micro-firm’s economic performance
way. is at an acceptable level in terms of sales
4 The whole organisation is taken into growth
account when your company’s 3 Our microbusiness’s economic
leadership makes choices. performance in terms of income stability
5 When a mistake is committed that is satisfactory.
threatens the sustainability of your 4 The economic performance of our
organization’s leadership, it is publicly microbusiness is satisfactory in terms of
acknowledged. return on investment.
6 Your organization’s leadership is eager 5 Our micro-firms’ economic performance
to fix errors that jeopardise long-term in terms of profitability is at a
viability. respectable level.
7 Your organization’s leadership makes an
effort to tackle sustainability concerns
using novel and inventive techniques. claim that intelligent leaders are the main representatives of their lower
8 Your organization’s leadership strives to staff. Additionally, Afridi et al. [4] concluded that as organizations
develop wealth via long-term initiatives.
9 Your leadership team prioritises purpose
increasingly recognize the importance of green initiatives and sustain­
above profit. ability goals, the facilitation of environmental knowledge sharing
10 Your organization’s leadership strikes a emerges as a critical mechanism through which employees contribute to
balance between social duty and the organization’s overall environmental performance.
profitability.
Second, environmental knowledge sharing has a significant impact
11 Your organisational leadership is
enduring across all sorts of change, on sustainable performance. Consequently, our findings are the same as
demonstrating its durability. those in the previous literature [63,113], which revealed that environ­
12 How sustainability impacts workers is a mental information sharing has a positive effect on sustainable perfor­
priority for your organization’s mance, thereby confirming Hypothesis 2. Green leadership strategies
leadership.
13 Sustainability choices are communicated
promote sustainable thought, knowledge growth, and a culture of
to all stakeholders by your organization’s learning. According to Alkahtani et al., Nordin, and Khan [65], sus­
leadership. tainable leaders may improve their learning environments by imparting
15 Through its communication efforts, your information, participating in open communication, and taking re­
organization’s leadership aspires to
sponsibility for their errors. Green leadership promotes deep learning by
create a culture of sustainability.
Environmental encouraging individuals to enhance their problem-solving skills. This
Knowledge Sharing leads to increased productivity and profitability [113]. Furthermore,
1 I talk to my colleagues about my work Lin et al. Nazir’s [77] empirical evidence underscores the importance of creating
experience. (2020) a conducive environment for the exchange of environmental knowledge,
2 When my colleagues ask, I provide my
knowledge.
encompassing insights, best practices, and innovative solutions.
3 I discuss employment-related ideas with Hypothesis 3 is validated by our empirical findings, which demon­
my colleagues. strate that knowledge sharing mediates the link between GL and SP.
4 I share my career advice with my Sustainable leaders play a competitive advantage; they also help if the
employees.
leaders enhance the knowledge, information, and initiatives for sus­
Social Performance
1 Our family’s fundamental necessities are Khan & tainable performance. Our results are similar to those of previous studies
met by our microbusinesses. Quaddus, (Abdi, 2016; Narayanan and Rajaratnam, 2004). Previous literature has
[62] examined organizational norms and project success explained by
2 Our microbusinesses increase our social knowledge sharing [86], and knowledge sharing explains the indirect
standing in the community.
3 Our microbusinesses increase our social
path between intrinsic marketing and market-oriented organizations
empowerment. (Santo, Ferreira, & Marques, 2021). Additionally, knowledge sharing
4 Our micro-businesses provide us has been used as a prevailing variable in previous studies [56,12].
flexibility and control over how we live Additionally, Sahoo et al. [88] suggest that organizations with leaders
our lives.
who prioritize environmental concerns and promote green initiatives
5 Our microbusinesses are worried about
the usage of child labour. tend to facilitate knowledge sharing, which in turn translates into
Environmental improved sustainable performance outcomes. As mentioned above, our
Performance results represent the sustainable leadership theory feature that sustain­
1 Our micro business utilises utilities Khan & able leadership can gain suitable performance through knowledge-
(energy and water) in a sustainable way. Quaddus,
[62]
sharing practices in the organization.
2 Our microbusiness generates little trash
and emissions. Implications of the study
3 Our little business is involved with
garbage management.
The current study implications are covered in two subsections
4 Our microbusiness utilises little area to
establish and run. namely theoretical implications and practical implications.

7
R. Ullah Khan et al. Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments 60 (2023) 103540

Theoretical implications using different sources and time-lagged data, the potential for common
method bias cannot be entirely ruled out. Future research should
This study contributes to the literature on sustainable development incorporate objective measures or multiple data sources to address this
in several ways. First, it examines the connection between green lead­ limitation. Hence, to overcome these limitations, future research should
ership and environmental knowledge sharing. Green leadership con­ consider conducting longitudinal studies to explore the causal re­
tributes to the expansion of research in the fields of sustainable lationships among green leadership, knowledge sharing, and sustainable
development and achievement of SDGs. Green leadership solutions are performance over time. This approach provides insights into how
critical for enhancing workers’ knowledge, skills, and experience while changes in leadership behaviors impact knowledge sharing and, subse­
having a minimal negative effect on the environment and way of life (Lin quently, sustainable performance outcomes. Additionally, future re­
et al., 2020; Nazir, 023). From the perspective of social exchange theory, searchers can extend the current study by proposing different mediators,
the breadth of prior research has examined fragmented findings in the focusing on knowledge sharing as a mediator, and delve deeper into the
link between green leadership and environmental information sharing. underlying mechanisms that explain how green leadership influences
Instead, the most effective method for promoting a green mindset and sustainable performance. Exploring additional mediators such as
knowledge to achieve sustainable performance is the leader’s employ­ employee engagement, environmental consciousness, and innovation
ment of green strategies [25]. Previous studies have investigated the would provide a more comprehensive understanding of the processes
association between environmental information sharing and sustainable involved.
performance in prior publications [20,51,88]. On the other hand, the
present study was conducted in developing economies. Due to a lack of Conclusion
resources, senior leadership in developing economies has inadequate
green strategies and policies [26]. Hence, our study explored how As stakeholders become more environmentally conscious, firms are
environmental knowledge sharing is the main source of sustainability. under greater pressure to implement green leadership and environ­
Third, the researcher presented mixed findings (positive, negative, sig­ mental knowledge sharing to enhance sustainable performance. In this
nificant, or negligible) in the literature on the connection between green context, this study examines the impact of green leadership on envi­
leadership and sustainable performance. ronmental knowledge sharing and its impact on firms’ sustainable per­
formance. In addition, we explore the mediating role of environmental
Practical implications knowledge sharing in the relationship between green leadership and
firms’ sustainable performance, as supported by upper echelon theory.
Additionally, the current study provides several recommendations We considered the environmental, social and economic aspects of firm
for owners, policymakers, and the government. First, organizations performance to capture firms’ sustainable performance. The empirical
should push their top executives to develop plans that have the least analysis were carried on the data collected from 257 respondents
possible adverse impact on the environment and people’s lifestyles. This working in Pakistan’s manufacturing sector small and medium-sized
study investigated the application of green leadership in a complicated firms, and analyzed the data using a structural equation model (SEM)
social system. By establishing sustainability-based visions and sustain­ with partial least squares (SmartPLS). The results are threefold. First, the
able development goals, encouraging long-term commitment, and results show a positive and significant impact of green leadership on
involving stakeholders, organizations may advance green leadership environmental knowledge sharing. Second, we found a positive and
practices in their fields.Second, green leadership enhances environ­ significant impact of environmental knowledge sharing on firms’ sus­
mental knowledge-sharing. Green leaders’ exemplary behavior should tainable performance. Third, we found that environmental knowledge
be considered by management because it will shape the sustainable sharing positively mediates the relationship between green leadership
religious behavior of employees. Because of their familiarity with long- and firms’ sustainable performance. These findings suggest that green
term issues, leaders committed to sustainability positively impact an leadership practices can augment environmental knowledge sharing
organization’s knowledge environment. Third, sustainable leaders also which in turn accelerate firms’ financial performance. The findings
encourage employees to create a vision to minimize the harmful pro­ underscore the significance of fostering a green leadership ethos within
ductivity impact on the society of manufacturing firms in emerging organizations, as it not only directly contributes to sustainable perfor­
economies. Third, the findings of the current study reveal that knowl­ mance but also indirectly influences it by promoting knowledge-sharing
edge knowledge sharing mediates the relationship between GL and SP, behaviors among employees. This mediation mechanism highlights the
suggesting that by promoting knowledge sharing, green leaders can importance of leadership in driving environmental initiatives, and the
encourage employees to contribute innovative ideas for sustainability role of knowledge sharing as a pivotal conduit for translating green
improvements. This can lead to the development of new green tech­ principles into tangible organizational sustainability outcomes. As or­
nologies, processes, and products to enhance sustainable performance. ganizations navigate the complexities of sustainability in today’s global
landscape, understanding and harnessing the interplay between green
Limitation and future direction leadership, knowledge sharing, and sustainable performance has
emerged as a strategic imperative for fostering environmental re­
This study had certain limitations. First, the study is limited by its sponsibility and long-term organizational success.
reliance on cross-sectional data, which provide a snapshot of the re­ The current study’s data availability can be ensured through a formal
lationships at a specific point in time. This design does not allow for the request from the corresponding author.
examination of causal relationships over time. Future research could
employ longitudinal or experimental designs to better establish the CRediT authorship contribution statement
causality between green leadership, knowledge sharing, and sustainable
performance. Second, this study’s findings are based on data collected Rizwan Ullah Khan: Conceptualization, Methodology, Software,
from a specific industry or context. Generalizing the results to other Visualization, Investigation. Abdul Saqib: Conceptualization, Method­
industries or regions may be limited because different sectors and cul­ ology, Software, Visualization, Investigation. Munir A. Abbasi:
tural settings may exhibit varying dynamics in the relationships exam­ Conceptualization, Methodology, Software, Visualization, Investigation.
ined. Future research should explore diverse contexts to enhance the Alexey Mikhaylov: Data curation, Writing – original draft. Gabor
generalizability of our findings. Third, the study relied on self-reported Pinter: Software, Writing – review & editing.
data from participants, which may have introduced a common method
bias. Although measures have been taken to mitigate this bias, such as

8
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