Beyond the surface: understanding the mechanism between green HR practices and employees’ green creative behavior through mixed-methods exploration

Purpose Many studies have explored the relationship between green human resource management practices (GHRM) and employees’ green creative behavior (EGCB) within the hospitality industry. However, most prior studies have relied primarily on mono-method approaches, thereby limiting the depth of understanding about the underlying mechanism through which GHRM impacts employee behavior. The authors, in this paper, aim to argue that the connection between GHRM cannot be universal, and some individual factors will act as boundary conditions between these relationships. The authors employ a mixed-methods research design to address this gap to identify potential boundary conditions. Design/methodology/approach The authors adopted a two-phase approach, integrating qualitative (study 1) and quantitative (study 2) methodologies. Through qualitative research, the authors uncover valuable insights and construct a framework that is subsequently tested in the quantitative phase. Findings The findings suggest that the strength of the GHRM-EGCB relationship is contingent on the level of Environmental Specific Psychological Empowerment (ESPE) among employees. Employees with a higher degree of ESPE exhibit a stronger connection between GHRM perceptions and EGCB. Furthermore, the authors identify employees’ altruistic values (EAV) as an important moderator, indicating that the intervening effect of ESPE on the GHRM-EGCB relationship is particularly pronounced among employees with high levels of altruism. Originality/value By unmasking the complexity through a mixed-methods design, this study contributes to the existing literature by providing a more nuanced understanding of the mechanism between GHRM and green creative behavior.