Pro-environmental behavior at work: Construct validity and determinants Pascal Paillé * , Olivier Boiral 1 Department of Management, Administrative Sciences Faculty, Pavillon Palasis-Prince, 2325, rue de la Terrasse, Laval University, Québec G1V 0A6, Canada article info Article history: Available online 31 July 2013 Keywords: Organizational citizenship behavior for the environment Organizational citizenship behavior Distinctiveness Job attitudes Perceived organizational support abstract Pro-environmental behaviors in the workplace are less investigated than pro-environmental behaviors outside the work setting are. This study focuses on organizational citizenship behavior for the envi- ronment (OCBE) as a new construct to capture pro-environmental behaviors in the work setting. Three independent studies were conducted: Study 1 provides evidence for the validity of the three-factor model of OCBE, namely, eco-helping, ecoecivic engagement, and eco-initiatives. Study 2 indicates that there is a difference between OCBE, consisting of eco-helping, ecoecivic engagement and eco-initiatives, and OCB, consisting of helping, civic virtue, and sportsmanship. Finally, using social exchange theory, Study 3 shows that when employees feel supported by their organization, they become more committed and satisfied and are willing to engage in OCBEs. Whereas a direct effect is reported for employee commitment to the organization, findings indicate that perceived organizational support and job satisfaction have an indirect effect on OCBE. Ó 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction Pro-environmental actions are essential for tackling pollution problems and promoting sustainable development (De Groot & Steg, 2010). In environmental psychology, a great deal of atten- tion has been paid to describing pro-environmental behaviors and examining their determinants (e.g., Bamberg & Möser, 2007; Clark, Kotchen, & Moore, 2003; Scannell & Gifford, 2010; Steg & Vlek, 2009; Stern, 2000). Despite these efforts, Ones and Dilchert (2012b) have noted that “pro-environmental behaviors have been studied in both the public and private sphere, but rarely in work settings” (p. 452). Although pro-environmental behaviors in the workplace is an overlooked topic, empirical works have reported findings indicating that employee involvement toward corporate greening is associated with pollution prevention, more efficient environmental management systems, improvements in environ- mental performance, and green innovations (e.g., Andersson & Bateman 2000; De Bruijn & Hofman, 2000; Govindarajulu & Daily, 2004; Ramus & Killmer 2007). However, the specific nature of employee involvement in corpo- rate greening remains unclear. What type of pro-environmental behaviors can employees adopt in organizations? Are these behaviors specific to environmental issues, or are they dependent on other types of employee involvement? To what extent can these pro- environmental behaviors be encouraged? These questions are important for understanding the role of employee involvement in corporate greening. The concept of organizational citizenship behavior for the environment (OCBE) has emerged recently in the environmental literature, and it seems to be a promising approach to capturing employees’ pro-environmental behaviors in the workplace. Boiral and Paillé (2012) and Daily, Bishop, and Govindarajulu (2009) have rooted OCBE in the organizational citizenship behavior framework built over the years by Organ and his colleagues (e.g., Organ, 1988, 1990; Organ, Podsakoff, & MacKenzie, 2006; Smith, Organ, & Near, 1983). Given that OCBEs derive from organiza- tional citizenship behaviors (OCBs), Daily et al. (2009) called for further research to investigate whether the two constructs overlap or are independent. Unfortunately, Daily et al. (2009) provided no clear guidance about how to do so. More recently, Boiral and Paillé (2012) have encouraged future research to examine the de- terminants of OCBE. The aim of the present paper is to address these issues. This paper begins with an overview of the concepts of OCB and OCBE, before reporting three independent investigations: Study 1 aimed to examine the validity of measures of organizational citi- zenship behavior for the environment by replicating the confir- matory factor analysis conducted by Boiral and Paillé (2012). Study * Corresponding author. E-mail addresses: Pascal.Paille@fsa.ulaval.ca (P. Paillé), Olivier.Boiral@ mng.ulaval.ca (O. Boiral). 1 Tel.: þ1 418 656 2131x5460; fax: þ1 418 656 2624. Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of Environmental Psychology journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jep 0272-4944/$ e see front matter Ó 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2013.07.014 Journal of Environmental Psychology 36 (2013) 118e128