This research investigates how ethical leadership shapes employees’ green behaviour—both task-related and discretionary—by considering the intermediary roles of green intrinsic motivation and employees’ perceptions of a green-oriented organisational climate. It also explores whether green extrinsic motivation moderates the link between intrinsic motivation and green behaviour. A quantitative approach was utilised, relying on a structured questionnaire administered to staff in the hotel sector. The study focused on supervisors and departmental managers working in three-, four-, and five-star hotels situated in Pretoria and Johannesburg within South Africa’s Gauteng Province. These individuals were selected because they are typically well aware of their organisations’ environmental initiatives and strategic directions, have closer insight into senior managers’ ethical conduct, and occupy roles that often include environmental performance responsibilities. Participants were chosen through convenience sampling. Of the 450 employees approached, 280 completed the survey. Data analysis was performed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling. Results confirmed the mediating effects of green intrinsic motivation and perceptions of a green organisational climate. However, green extrinsic motivation did not significantly moderate the tested relationship. Overall, the findings highlight how leadership style, organisational context, and employee-level factors collectively foster green behaviour. The study also introduces a novel theoretical framework demonstrating that green motivation and perceptions of a green work climate act as pathways through which ethical leadership shapes green behaviour.
