International Journal of

ADVANCED AND APPLIED SCIENCES

EISSN: 2313-3724, Print ISSN: 2313-626X

Frequency: 12

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 Volume 13, Issue 3 (March 2026), Pages: 11-20

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 Original Research Paper

Investigating the impact of green transformational leadership on sustainable competitive performance: The mediating roles of green innovation and human resource management

 Author(s): 

Li Junling 1, 2, *

 Affiliation(s):

1Faculty of Business and Management, UCSI University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
2School of Accounting and Finance, Chongqing Business Vocational College, Chongqing, China

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 * Corresponding Author. 

   Corresponding author's ORCID profile:  https://orcid.org/0009-0009-5245-5211

 Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  https://doi.org/10.21833/ijaas.2026.03.002

 Abstract

This study examines the impact of green transformational leadership (GTL) on sustainable competitive performance (SCP), with green innovation (GI) and green human resource management (GHRM) as mediating variables. Data were collected through a cross-sectional survey of management experts in the construction industry in Chongqing and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results show that GTL has a positive and significant effect on both GI and GHRM, which in turn enhance SCP. Specifically, GTL positively influences GI (nonstandardized coefficient = 0.626, standardized coefficient = 0.456, p < 0.001) and GHRM (nonstandardized coefficient = 0.709, standardized coefficient = 0.482, p < 0.001). In addition, both GI (nonstandardized coefficient = 0.409, standardized coefficient = 0.424, p < 0.001) and GHRM (nonstandardized coefficient = 0.479, standardized coefficient = 0.532, p < 0.001) significantly improve SCP. These findings contribute to the literature on green management by providing empirical evidence that GTL enhances sustainable competitive performance through the combined mediating effects of green innovation and green human resource management. The study highlights the importance of integrating leadership, innovation, and human resource practices to achieve sustainability objectives. Practically, organizations should promote green transformational leadership to encourage innovation and align human resource policies with sustainability goals. Future studies are encouraged to investigate additional mediating mechanisms and contextual factors to further clarify how GTL influences competitive performance.

 © 2026 The Authors. Published by IASE.

 This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

 Keywords

Green transformational leadership, Sustainable competitive performance, Green innovation, Green human resource management, Construction industry

 Article history

Received 28 August 2025, Received in revised form 21 February 2026, Accepted 26 February 2026

 Acknowledgment

No Acknowledgment. 

 Compliance with ethical standards

 Ethical considerations:

Informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to survey completion. Respondents were assured of confidentiality and anonymity, and participation was voluntary. No personally identifiable information was collected. 

 Conflict of interest: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

 Citation:

Junling L (2026). Investigating the impact of green transformational leadership on sustainable competitive performance: The mediating roles of green innovation and human resource management. International Journal of Advanced and Applied Sciences, 13(3): 11-20

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 Figures

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 Tables

  Table 1 Table 2 Table 3 Table 4 Table 5 Table 6

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