Leader expectations facilitate employee pro‐environmental behavior

Abstract Faced with increasing global environmental problems, organizational scholars and practitioners have increasingly considered how to promote employee pro‐environmental behavior. This research seeks to expand our understanding of the facilitators of employee pro‐environmental behavior from the perspective of leader expectations. Drawing on behavioral confirmation theory, we propose that leader pro‐environmental expectations are expressed in active support for the environment, which subsequently facilitates employee pro‐environmental behavior, thus rising to meet the leader's initial expectations. Furthermore, we argue that the above relationship becomes stronger with the increase in employees' pro‐environmental self‐expectations. Based on data from 197 leader‐employee dyads, the results of regression analysis showed that leader pro‐environmental expectations are positively related to employee pro‐environmental behavior via demonstrated leader support for the environment, and this indirect relationship is positively moderated by employee pro‐environmental self‐expectations. When an employee holds high pro‐environmental expectations for himself or herself, a leader with high pro‐environmental expectations will render support for the environment, which ultimately increases employee pro‐environmental behavior. Our findings highlight the relevance of incorporating behavioral confirmation theory into the pro‐environmental behavior literature and provide valuable insights for managers on how to effectively promote employee pro‐environmental behavior.