Pro-Environmental Behaviors of Private Sector Employees Within the Context of the Value-Belief-Norm and Theory of Planned Behavior

Abstract

Since the Industrial Revolution, the rapid increase in production and consumption activities has significantly intensified the use of natural resources, leading to irreversible environmental degradation in ecosystems. Today, global challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental pollution compel not only governments but also the private sector and employees to assume environmental responsibility. In this context, employees’ value systems and moral orientations play a decisive role in the emergence of pro-environmental behaviors. The private sector occupies a critical position in the generation of environmental impacts, particularly due to the intensive use of resources in production processes. The literature indicates that firms’ environmental performance is shaped not only by corporate policies and practices but also by employees’ individual attitudes, ethical perceptions, and moral values. Moral values are defined as a set of ethical principles and beliefs that guide individuals’ distinctions between right and wrong and good and bad. Values such as universalism and benevolence strengthen environmental responsibility awareness and support the development of pro-environmental behaviors among employees. Pro-environmental behaviors encompass conscious and voluntary actions such as energy conservation, recycling, waste reduction, and the preference for environmentally friendly products. This qualitative review study systematically examines national and international literature and policy documents published between 2000 and 2024, revealing that moral values are a critical determinant in understanding pro-environmental behaviors among private sector employees. When evaluated within the frameworks of the Value–Belief–Norm (VBN) theory and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), the findings demonstrate that the integration of individual moral values with organizational support mechanisms creates a strong synergy that enhances the intensity of pro-environmental behaviors. In conclusion, this study reinforces a employee-centered perspective within the sustainability literature and emphasizes the importance of designing education programs, value-based reward systems, ethical leadership practices, and employee participation mechanisms in an integrated and holistic manner to promote environmental awareness and foster sustainable pro-environmental behaviors within organizations.