The Paradox of Trust: How Leadership, Commitment, and Inertia Shape Sustainability Behavior in the Workplace
This study explores the factors driving employees’ sustainability-switching behaviors (SSBs) by integrating the Push, Pull, and Mooring (PPM) model with the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA). A quantitative, cross-sectional survey was conducted with a convenience sample of 132 professionals actively i...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-06-01
|
| Series: | Administrative Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3387/15/7/254 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850067532496502784 |
|---|---|
| author | Winston Silvestre Sérgio Begnini Isabel Abreu |
| author_facet | Winston Silvestre Sérgio Begnini Isabel Abreu |
| author_sort | Winston Silvestre |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study explores the factors driving employees’ sustainability-switching behaviors (SSBs) by integrating the Push, Pull, and Mooring (PPM) model with the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA). A quantitative, cross-sectional survey was conducted with a convenience sample of 132 professionals actively involved in organizational sustainability initiatives across diverse industries and global regions. The findings reveal that leadership commitment significantly fosters both affective and normative employee commitments, with normative commitment positively influencing SSB. Surprisingly, organizational trust showed a negative impact on SSB, suggesting that employees may delegate responsibility for sustainability to the organization when trust is high. Inertia emerged as a strong barrier to behavioral change, independently inhibiting sustainability efforts. The study highlights the complex dynamics among leadership, trust, and inertia, offering practical insights for organizations aiming to foster sustainability. Addressing inertia directly and promoting shared responsibility for sustainability are critical for successful organizational transitions. Future research should explore the psychological mechanisms behind inertia and further investigate the paradoxical role of trust in sustainability initiatives. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-925a0d5b9d8f4c44876ae52275e3500a |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2076-3387 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Administrative Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-925a0d5b9d8f4c44876ae52275e3500a2025-08-20T02:48:17ZengMDPI AGAdministrative Sciences2076-33872025-06-0115725410.3390/admsci15070254The Paradox of Trust: How Leadership, Commitment, and Inertia Shape Sustainability Behavior in the WorkplaceWinston Silvestre0Sérgio Begnini1Isabel Abreu2DINÂMIA’CET Centro de Estudos sobre a Mudança Socioeconómica e o Território, Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), 1649-026 Lisboa, PortugalPós-Graduação em Administração (PPGA), University of Westem Santa Catarina (UNOESC), Santa Catarina 89600-000, BrazilRISE–Health, Faculty of Science and Technology, Fernando Pessoa University, 4249-004 Porto, PortugalThis study explores the factors driving employees’ sustainability-switching behaviors (SSBs) by integrating the Push, Pull, and Mooring (PPM) model with the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA). A quantitative, cross-sectional survey was conducted with a convenience sample of 132 professionals actively involved in organizational sustainability initiatives across diverse industries and global regions. The findings reveal that leadership commitment significantly fosters both affective and normative employee commitments, with normative commitment positively influencing SSB. Surprisingly, organizational trust showed a negative impact on SSB, suggesting that employees may delegate responsibility for sustainability to the organization when trust is high. Inertia emerged as a strong barrier to behavioral change, independently inhibiting sustainability efforts. The study highlights the complex dynamics among leadership, trust, and inertia, offering practical insights for organizations aiming to foster sustainability. Addressing inertia directly and promoting shared responsibility for sustainability are critical for successful organizational transitions. Future research should explore the psychological mechanisms behind inertia and further investigate the paradoxical role of trust in sustainability initiatives.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3387/15/7/254sustainability-switching behaviorleadership commitmentorganizational trustbehavioral inertiaemployee commitment |
| spellingShingle | Winston Silvestre Sérgio Begnini Isabel Abreu The Paradox of Trust: How Leadership, Commitment, and Inertia Shape Sustainability Behavior in the Workplace Administrative Sciences sustainability-switching behavior leadership commitment organizational trust behavioral inertia employee commitment |
| title | The Paradox of Trust: How Leadership, Commitment, and Inertia Shape Sustainability Behavior in the Workplace |
| title_full | The Paradox of Trust: How Leadership, Commitment, and Inertia Shape Sustainability Behavior in the Workplace |
| title_fullStr | The Paradox of Trust: How Leadership, Commitment, and Inertia Shape Sustainability Behavior in the Workplace |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Paradox of Trust: How Leadership, Commitment, and Inertia Shape Sustainability Behavior in the Workplace |
| title_short | The Paradox of Trust: How Leadership, Commitment, and Inertia Shape Sustainability Behavior in the Workplace |
| title_sort | paradox of trust how leadership commitment and inertia shape sustainability behavior in the workplace |
| topic | sustainability-switching behavior leadership commitment organizational trust behavioral inertia employee commitment |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3387/15/7/254 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT winstonsilvestre theparadoxoftrusthowleadershipcommitmentandinertiashapesustainabilitybehaviorintheworkplace AT sergiobegnini theparadoxoftrusthowleadershipcommitmentandinertiashapesustainabilitybehaviorintheworkplace AT isabelabreu theparadoxoftrusthowleadershipcommitmentandinertiashapesustainabilitybehaviorintheworkplace AT winstonsilvestre paradoxoftrusthowleadershipcommitmentandinertiashapesustainabilitybehaviorintheworkplace AT sergiobegnini paradoxoftrusthowleadershipcommitmentandinertiashapesustainabilitybehaviorintheworkplace AT isabelabreu paradoxoftrusthowleadershipcommitmentandinertiashapesustainabilitybehaviorintheworkplace |