Leadership Climate for Sustainability, ESG Awareness, and Employee Green Behavior: The Case of Healthcare Organizations in Greece

Abstract

Healthcare sustainability has become increasingly important due to the sector’s environmental footprint and the growing emphasis on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria. This study examines ESG awareness, sustainability reporting readiness, and the association between sustainability-oriented leadership climate and employee green behavior in Greek healthcare organizations. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 379 healthcare professionals employed in public hospitals and private clinics in Greece. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis, correlation analysis, non-parametric group comparisons, and hierarchical regression. The findings indicate limited ESG awareness and weak institutionalization of sustainability reporting across the sampled organizations. The analysis also identified two distinct and reliable constructs, leadership climate for sustainability and employee green behavior. These constructs were positively associated, and leadership climate for sustainability remained a significant predictor of employee green behavior after controlling demographic and occupational characteristics, although the overall explained variance remained modest. The study contributes empirical evidence from the Greek healthcare sector by linking ESG awareness and sustainability reporting readiness with perceived leadership climate and employee green behavior, while identifying leadership climate for sustainability as one relevant organizational condition associated with employee-level green behavior.