THE IMPACT OF GREEN SERVANT LEADERSHIP ON GREEN INNOVATION: MEDIATING ROLE OF GREEN ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE IN EMPLOYEE PERSPECTIVE (SPECIAL REFERENCE OF APPAREL INDUSTRY IN BALANGODA ZONE)

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of Green Servant Leadership on Green Innovation as mediated by green Organizational Culture from the employee perspective in the apparel sector of the Balangoda Zone, Sri Lanka. The primary data was collected from 302 respondents using a stratified random sampling technique, and the data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS 26.0). Descriptive statistics, correlation, and regression analyses were used to understand the relationships between the variables. Results revealed a high positive relationship between Green Servant Leadership and Green Innovation, with a Pearson correlation value of 0.635, indicating a statistically significant correlation (p < 0.05). Similarly, a high and significant positive relationship was found between Green Servant Leadership and Green Organizational Culture, also with a Pearson correlation value of 0.715 (p < 0.05). The study further demonstrated a high significant positive relationship betwee4 Green Organizational Culture and Green Innovation, with a Pearson correlation value of 0'766 (p < 0.05)' Additionally, the analysis revealed that Green Organizational Culture partially mediates the relationship between Green Servant Leadership and Green Innovation, with significant total, direct, and indirect effects. The data from the study implies that promoting Green Servant Leadership and fostering a Green Organizational Culture can have a noteworthy positive impact on Green Innovation within organizational settings. Thus, with the above findings, it is recommended that leaders should prioritize the values of the environment since this fosters awareness that leads to the development of environment-friendly practices. Hence, this study adds to the theoretical understanding of how leaders influence the development of innovations for sustainable practices in the apparel sector to enhance leadership and culture for effective environmental interventions.