Driving green loyalty: how employee environmental values shape organizational outcomes in the US hospitality

Purpose – The US hospitality industry faces challenges in achieving sustainability, with limited research focusing on employee-centric factors. This study aims to examine the impact of employees’ environmental awareness, knowledge and concern on perceptions of environmental corporate social responsibility (CSR), environmental commitment and green trust and how these factors subsequently affect organizational pride and loyalty. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from 347 US hospitality employees using a self-administered questionnaire distributed via Prolific, with judgmental sampling. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the relationships between variables. Findings – Environmental knowledge and awareness significantly enhance perceptions of environmental CSR and commitment, positively influencing organizational pride and loyalty. However, green trust has a limited impact on loyalty, and environmental CSR unexpectedly shows an adverse effect on loyalty, challenging prior assumptions. Practical implications – The findings show that knowledge, commitment and trust alone are not enough; organizations must prioritize employee well-being, fair workloads, and inclusive participation, while using meaningful incentives and recognition to translate sustainability efforts into lasting pride and loyalty. Originality/value – The findings underscore the importance of cultivating employees’ environmental awareness and knowledge to promote sustainability in the hospitality industry. Practical strategies are proposed to enhance employee engagement and environmental performance, with a particular focus on addressing high employee turnover. The study advances theoretical understanding of employee-driven sustainability and offers actionable insights for hospitality firms to improve sustainable practices and organizational loyalty from a green perspective. © Emerald Publishing Limited