The Double-Edged Sword of Corporate Environmental Policies: Balancing Employee Engagement and Overload

Recently, Professor Lixian Qian from the Department of Intelligent Operations and Marketing International Business School Suzhou (IBSS) has published a research article, through the collaboration with  Professor Juelin Yin’s team from Sun Yat-sen University, in Journal of Business Research (ABS-3, ABDC-A, IF = 10.5). Titled “The double-edged sword of perceived corporate environmental policy (CEP): How perceived CEP encourages and hinders employee green behavior”, the article focuses on Corporate Environmental Policies (CEP) in today’s eco-conscious business world, and reveals the CEP’s dual effects: while CEPs can inspire employees’ green behaviors, they may also cause role overload and non-green actions—key insights for designing effective sustainability strategies.

The study shows perceived CEP enhances employees’ green self-efficacy, encouraging proactive eco-actions like recycling, in line with Conservation of Resources (COR) theory. Yet, sustainability tasks often feel like extra burdens, clashing with core responsibilities and leading to stress-induced non-green behaviors, as seen in cases where overworked employees resisted climate initiatives amid unmet basic needs.

Motivation plays a critical role: autonomously motivated employees (driven by personal values) thrive with higher green self-efficacy, while those with controlled motivation (pressured by external rewards) face more stress and overload.

Practical steps for employers include clarifying policy goals, providing supportive tools, integrating green tasks into workflows, fostering intrinsic motivation, and addressing employee concerns like fair conditions.

In conclusion, CEPs are powerful for sustainability but require balancing engagement and well-being to turn risks into green transformation opportunities.

Professor Lixian Qian is a Professor of Marketing and Innovation in the Department of Intelligent Operations and Marketing at International Business School Suzhou (IBSS) of Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU). He is currently serving as the Associate Dean for Research at IBSS and the Deputy Chair of University Research Committee. He was also the founding director of Smart Mobility Analytics Center of IBSS.

Professor Qian’s research focuses on innovation/technology adoption and diffusion, data-driven marketing strategy, smart mobility, and sustainability. His research has been published widely on leading international journals and his research has been funded three times by the General Programme of National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC).

Professor Qian is the Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) in the UK and the council member of China Marketing Association of Universities (CMAU). He serves as the Section Editor of Sustainable Futures (JCR Q1, CAS Q3, ABS-1), Editorial Advisory Board member of Technological Forecasting & Social Change (JCR Q1, CAS Q1, ABS-3), and ad-hoc reviewer for over 20 SCI/SSCI academic journals and international conferences.

Professor Qian received the 2016/2017 Outstanding Teacher Award of XJTLU, the 2018/2019 IBSS Research Excellence Award, the Outstanding Advisor of the Sixth China National College Students Competition on Energy Economics in 2020, the 2022 Honored Staff of XJTLU, and the Best Paper of 2024 Academy of Management Annual Meeting and the Best Paper Award of 2024 Chinese Academy of Management Annual Conference. He was selected into the Jiangsu 333 High-level Talent Programme in 2022.

Journal of Business Research is a leading international business journal with rigorous peer review and wide readership, publishing high-quality business research.