University of East Anglia Research Links Positive Workplace Culture to Greener Employee Behaviour

The study, which surveyed more than 400 workers in the UK and US, found that positive workplace relationships play a key role in encouraging environmentally friendly behaviour on the job.

(IN BRIEF) New research from the University of East Anglia found that employees are more likely to take meaningful climate and sustainability actions at work when they feel supported by their organisation and managers. The study surveyed more than 400 workers in the UK and US and found that organisational support is particularly important for encouraging larger sustainability actions, such as proposing greener procurement policies, identifying wasteful processes or promoting cycle-to-work schemes. Manager support is more closely linked to everyday green behaviours such as recycling and saving energy. The research also found that sustainability efforts are strongest in workplaces where environmental values are clearly embedded in the culture. The authors said businesses should combine green policies with supportive leadership, clear communication and visible action to encourage employees to contribute more actively to sustainability goals.

(PRESS RELEASE) NORWICH, 20-Jul-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — Employees are more likely to take meaningful action on sustainability when they feel supported by their employer and managers, according to new research from the University of East Anglia.

The study, which surveyed more than 400 workers in the United Kingdom and United States, found that positive workplace relationships can play an important role in encouraging environmentally friendly behaviour at work.

Researchers found that broad support from an organisation is especially effective in motivating employees to take larger and more complex sustainability actions that can contribute significantly to environmental goals.

Depending on the organisation, these actions could include proposing more sustainable procurement policies, identifying inefficient waste streams, highlighting unnecessary energy use, helping establish cycle-to-work schemes or encouraging senior leaders to adopt stronger environmental commitments.

Support from direct managers, meanwhile, was found to be more closely linked to smaller everyday green behaviours, such as recycling more consistently or saving energy in the workplace.

The research, published in Business Strategy and the Environment, also found that employees who feel emotionally connected to their workplace and valued by their organisation are more likely to adopt environmentally friendly habits.

The effect is strongest in organisations where sustainability is already part of the workplace culture. In these settings, employees are more likely to move beyond simple green actions and take part in initiatives with broader environmental impact.

The authors said employee green behaviour is important for advancing organisational sustainability, but the role of emotional support in encouraging this behaviour has not been fully examined.

The findings suggest that organisations seeking to improve environmental performance should not only introduce sustainability policies, but also ensure employees feel supported, engaged and part of the process.

Dr Duncan Maguire, lead author of the study and Lecturer in Organisational Behaviour at UEA’s Norwich Business School, said the research helps identify barriers to green behaviour change in the workplace.

“This research helps identify key barriers to green behaviour change and highlights that practical solutions depend on organisations clarifying which types of employee green behaviour they want to promote and what level of support employees require to perform them,” said Dr Maguire.

He said organisations can strengthen employee green behaviour even with limited resources by focusing on low-cost relational and cultural measures.

These can include clearly and consistently communicating environmental goals, sharing progress, highlighting successes and showing employees how their contributions are supporting sustainability efforts.

Dr Maguire said a key priority for organisations is to create a workplace culture where sustainability is visible, valued and actively encouraged.

“When employees can see that environmental commitments are being backed up by real action, they are more likely to engage in green behaviours themselves,” he said.

The study explains that a green organisational climate reflects how employees perceive their organisation’s commitment to environmental sustainability and whether they see it as part of the organisation’s values.

When that climate is combined with strong day-to-day support from supervisors, employees are more likely to engage in simpler green behaviours. Broader signals of organisational care, however, can help encourage more complex and far-reaching sustainability actions.

“Consistently communicating a genuine commitment to environmental sustainability could reinforce employees’ perception of a strong green climate and possibly further amplify these effects,” added Dr Maguire, who is also a member of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at UEA.

He said combining a positive workplace culture with strong environmental values can help employees play a larger role in achieving sustainability goals.

The research formed part of Dr Maguire’s PhD, completed under the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations, a global research hub focused on the role people play in tackling climate change. CAST is based across five UK institutions, including UEA.

The paper, “Microfoundations of environmental strategy: how support and climate influence proximal vs. distal employee green behaviours,” was authored by Duncan Maguire, George Michaelides and Olga Tregaskis and published in Business Strategy and the Environment.

Media Contact:

email: communications@uea.ac.uk

SOURCE: University of East Anglia