The Role of Green Transformational Leadership on Pro-Environmental Behaviour: through Green Thinking in Fauji Fertilizers Company

Abstract

This thesis investigates the role of Green Transformational Leadership (GTL) in shaping Pro-Environmental Behaviour (PEB) among employees of Fauji Fertilizer Company (FFC), one of Pakistan’s largest agro-industrial firms. Situated within the high-emission and resource-intensive fertilizer sector, the study critically examines how leadership influences sustainability behaviours at the operational level, extending beyond policy rhetoric to explore behavioral mechanisms. Grounded in Social Learning Theory, Self-Determination Theory, and Resource Conservation Theory, the study employs a quantitative, cross-sectional design, surveying 100 employees from multiple departments including EHS, HR, CSR, and production units. The research tests a triadic model in which GTL serves as the independent variable, Green Thinking acts as a cognitive mediator, and Environmental Climate functions as a contextual moderator. Using validated measurement scales and statistical techniques such as Structural Equation Modelling and Hayes’ PROCESS macro, the study finds that GTL has a strong positive influence on PEB (β = 0.616, p < .001). Mediation analysis confirms that Green Thinking significantly explains the pathway from GTL to PEB (indirect effect = 0.3770, CI = [0.1988, 0.5870]), while moderation analysis reveals that the influence of GTL is significantly amplified under favourable environmental climates. These findings contribute theoretically by validating the cognitive-behavioural pathway through which leadership promotes sustainability, particularly in under-researched South Asian industrial contexts. Practically, the study underscores the need to embed GTL within leadership development programs, align human resource systems with green values, and foster an organizational climate that institutionalizes environmental responsibility. The research highlights the inadequacy of isolated sustainability initiatives and stresses the importance of integrated strategies that target leadership behaviour, employee cognition, and organizational systems simultaneously. Overall, the thesis provides a robust framework for transforming sustainability from a top-down mandate into a deeply embedded cultural and behavioural norm within agro-industrial organizations like FFC.