The Relationship between Green Management of Organizational Culture, Green Behavior and Green Campus in Private Universities: A Conceptual Paper

The primary objective of this paper is to examine the relationship between the green management of organizational culture, green behavior, and green campus among private university academic staff in China through a comprehensive literature review. While previous research has been conducted on green management of organizational culture and green campus, and academic staff's green behavior has also attracted the attention of researchers, the investigation of the interconnections among these three variables remains largely overlooked, despite their crucial significance for private university academic staff. This research relies on a thorough analysis of existing literature as the primary data source. Furthermore, the paper aims to summarize the current literature addressing the issues of green management of organizational culture, green behavior, and green campus among private university academic staff, while also aiming to provide a conceptual framework for further research in this area.


Introduction
In recent decades, China has encountered several challenges in its quest to become a world power.These challenges include issues related to sustainable development, pollution, social responsibility initiatives, and the delicate balance between economy and society aimed at promoting a "harmonious society" (Shulla et al., 2020).At the same time, China's worldwide influence and expansion has been impressive and has attracted the attention of Vol 14, Issue 6, (2024) E- ISSN: 2222-6990 To Link this Article: http://dx.doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v14-i6/21813DOI:10.6007/IJARBSS/v14-i6/21813 Published Date: 07 June 2024 economists, governments, and policy makers (Yuan & Zhang, 2020).However, this development has also brought with it significant environmental challenges and a range of socio-economic issues (Naz et al., 2023).Despite these challenges, China has demonstrated a strong commitment to achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs).In this regard, green management of organizational culture (GMOC) provides an opportunity for companies and employees to address these societal challenges by implementing environmentally focused policies while supporting environmentally sustainable development (Sugiarto et al., 2022).
As a social construct, environmental education holds transformative power as it enhances a country's capacity for knowledge, skills, and innovation (Mukherjee et al., 2020;Suparyanto dan Rosad, 2020).Moreover, it has the potential to improve environmental quality by raising public awareness of ecological issues and pollutants, and by facilitating the dissemination of knowledge required for the implementation of carbon reduction policies, eco-innovation, green manufacturing, and sustainable living standards, particularly in developing countries (Abbas, 2020;Akhtar et al., 2022).Consequently, sustainable societal development is emphasized in every "Five Year" development plan, along with the associated environmental policy (Yuan & Zhang, 2020).The educational sector, particularly higher education, must increasingly play an active role in assisting Chinese society in achieving strategic goals for sustainable environmental development (Shuqin et al., 2019).
Higher education lies at the heart of the economic development of an economy due to its numerous implications for knowledge and technological development (Singh & Stückelberger, 2017).That said, a scarcity of empirical studies on the interaction between higher education and environmental pollution, particularly CO2 emissions, suggests that environmental economists have paid little attention to this important factor (Gu et al., 2022).Meanwhile, there are very few resource saving measures in terms of material and waste, and there is no distinct achievement in this field.Comparing with gradual generalization of reused or recycled material and waste in universities abroad, there is little use of reusable building material, recycled paper, recycled electronic products, reused furniture, and garbage compost as well (Shuqin et al., 2019).So that, economic and environmental sustainability issues in China, studies should be developed to fill in the literature gap (Najad et al., 2018).
Meanwhile, in China more and more universities are incorporating environmental management into their policies, curricula, research projects, building designs, technology, and other campus activities as they become more aware of their responsibilities to the environment (Anwar et al., 2020) and have been engaged in environmental statements.Nevertheless, their development toward sustainability is extremely slow (Piwowar-Sulej, 2021).Up until recently, university environmental initiatives were more concerned with the behavioral aspects of environmental performance than the technical aspects, such as energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (Fawehinmi et al., 2020).The impact of GMOC on employee behavior is still being studied (Iqra Anwar & Sajid Bashir, 2017), and green campus need to research at it (Gandasari et al., 2020).Furthermore, the "indirect" effects of educational institutions on sustainable development, which extend beyond energy consumption, should not be disregarded.In recognition of this, the Chinese government has chosen to promote sustainable development in universities, with the aim of achieving the construction of "Green Campus" (Zhu et al., 2021).
Therefore, many universities have adopted large scale environmental sustainability initiatives but still their progress towards environmental management is slow, inefficient, and encountered with many obstacles (Pandey & Asif, 2022).The factors that impede implementation of environmental sustainability initiatives in higher education institutes include inadequate environmental policies, lack of specialized environmental trainings， undefined environmental performance indicators for employees, conservative and bureaucratic organizational structure that undermines the involvement of employees in sustainability initiatives (Najad et al., 2018) .In additional, green campus has developed from energy-saving campus, and its technical standards mostly focus on "energy-saving", which leads to the narrow connotation of green campus in China; strong top-down policy, low public participation; and slow development of construction standards and technical specifications (Zhu et al., 2021).Moreover, concerns about environmental sustainability on university campuses are also raised by the fact that these institutions' operations and activities have a negative impact on the environment in terms of material consumption, waste production, the excessive movement of people and vehicles on campus, and the use of electricity (Gandasari et al., 2020).
This study focuses on private institutions as research locations due to the greater autonomy enjoyed by private universities compared to public universities.This autonomy enables private universities to encourage their academic staff to prioritize sustainable development of the "green campus" (Singh & Stückelberger, 2017).Additionally, factors such as job security, remuneration, and work autonomy among academic staff serve as conduits for promoting green behavior, which in turn contributes to high-quality education (Anwar et al., 2020).Furthermore, according to Anwar et al (2020), the institutionalization of environmental sustainability in universities heavily relies on the dedication and active involvement of academic staff.The ability of academic staff to support initiatives and their willingness to do so are crucial components for achieving environmental sustainability in higher education institutions (Ali et al., 2022).Academic staff play a vital role in the process of improving the sustainability of green campuses due to their knowledge, technical skills, and direct relationships with university officials and students (Gandasari et al., 2020).Therefore, within the context of higher education, employee green behavior is essential for preventing environmental degradation and ensuring effective green environmental management (Anwar et al., 2020).In other words, China's private universities are still in the early stages of developing green campuses, and as a result, there are still many aspects that require research and improvement.
In additional, there is little research on GMOC compared to previous research literature, so this will be one of the gaps to be examined in this paper.Meanwhile, GMOC has been researched in the context of companies (Abou-AL-Ross & Abu Mahadi, 2021; Tahir et al., 2019), Nevertheless, in contrast to the corporate sector, GMOC research has paid little attention to educational institutions.So that, there exist gaps in GMOC in the context of sustainable higher education institutions, which is an emerging area of research for future development.Nowadays, employee green behavior and GMOC is still an under-researched topic.Because of the least researched with respect to GMOC while still expanding the research on developing countries (Al-Swidi et al., 2021).Meanwhile, researchers have suggested that GMOC practices play a significant role in developing, motivating, and involving employees in improving environmental management (Abou-AL-Ross & Abu Mahadi, 2021).However, there is limited research assessing the efficiency of GMOC in promoting green behaviors and improving green campus.
In conclusion, the significance of GMOC, the green behavior of academic staff, and the creation of a green campus in private universities are emphasized as crucial factors in fostering sustainability.Meanwhile.it identifies a research gap in understanding the specific relationship between GMOC practices, the green behavior of academic staff, and the development of a sustainable campus in private universities.In additional, emphasizing the importance of addressing the research gap.The potential benefits of studying the relationship between GMOC practices, academic staff green behavior, and the development of a green campus are highlighted.These include enhanced sustainability initiatives, improved resource management, and a positive impact on the environment.

Literature Review Green Management of Organizational Culture (GMOC)
GMOC refers to the strategic approaches and practices employed by organizations to foster and promote a culture of environmental sustainability.It involves the integration of sustainable development principles, values, and norms into the overall culture and decisionmaking processes of the institution (Al-Swidi et al., 2021).Meanwhile, GMOC encompasses several key aspects.Firstly, it requires leadership commitment to environmental stewardship, where top management plays a crucial role in championing sustainability and setting an example for others.Secondly, it involves the development of clear environmental goals and objectives that align with the organization's sustainability aspirations.These goals provide a framework for action and guide the organization's efforts towards achieving sustainable management of the environment (Tahir et al., 2019).Additionally, GMOC entails the implementation of environmental policies and practices that encourage and support sustainable behaviors among employees.This can include initiatives such as energy and resource conservation, waste reduction and recycling, the use of environmentally friendly materials, and the adoption of sustainable business practices (Danilwan et al., 2021).
In the study, GMOC also recognizes the importance of providing training and resources to academic staff to support their understanding and adoption of green behavior.This can involve green campus programs, workshops, and the dissemination of information on environmental best practices (Karmoker et al., 2021).Meanwhile, GMOC plays a pivotal role in embedding environmental sustainability into green campus culture and operations.By integrating sustainable development principles, values, and norms, organizations can foster a collective commitment to environmental stewardship.

Green Behavior of Academic Staff
Green behavior can be defined as actions that contribute to environmental protection and sustainability, such as waste reduction, energy conservation, and the use of sustainable transportation.The authors also highlight the role of individual motivations, such as environmental awareness and personal values, in shaping green behavior (Wang et al., 2018).Additionally, the predictors of green behavior have been the focus of numerous investigations, examining both internal and external factors.For internal variables, studies have explored the significance of values, attitudes, and norms in predicting green behavior (Fu et al., 2018) , while others have utilized the perception of organizational support as a predictor of green behavior (Li et al., 2023).However, research on green behavior is still in its early evolution, and further studies are needed to fully understand these effects (Francoeur et al., 2021) In the domain of green campuses, the green behavior of academic staff plays a crucial role in promoting sustainability.Therefore, academic staff members play an essential role in shaping the culture of private universities and impacting the behavior of students and other employees (Liu, 2017).Their adoption of environmentally sustainable behaviors can serve as a model for others within the private university, contribute to the promotion of a green campus, and enhance the reputation of the institution (Malik et al., 2021).Moreover, measuring the green behavior of academic staff has been identified as a representative indicator for assessing the green campus.However, measuring such behavior has proven to be a challenging process, given the emphasis on empirical research in this area (Anwar, 2018).

Green Campus
Green campus, also commonly referred to as environmentally friendly campus, embody the commitment of the higher education sector to enhance resource conservation, energy efficiency, and environmental quality by promoting sustainability and fostering an improved way of life and learning environment (Setyowati et al., 2018;Tamiami Fachrudin, 2020).Moreover, they emphasize the implementation of long-term environmental protection, management, and preservation initiatives within educational institutions (Vázquez-Brust et al., 2022).Essentially, a green campus setting is characterized by the harmonious coexistence of environmentally conscious practices and education, where practical applications actively demonstrate environmental protection principles (Gandasari et al., 2020).
Simultaneously, the establishment of environmentally friendly campuses relies on a variety of factors, including the design and condition of campus facilities and infrastructure, energy utilization and mitigation of global warming, comprehensive waste management, efficient water usage, implementation of environmentally sustainable transportation systems, and the provision of environmentally conscious education (Fachrudin & Fachrudin, 2021).In additional, the need for environmental sustainability in green campus of universities is increasing day by day because of the direct and indirect negative impacts of university activities and operations on the environment in terms of resource consumption, waste generation, excessive movement of people and vehicles within the campus, and consumption of electricity for the operation of equipment (Zhu et al., 2021).As an indication of the growing international consensus on the role of universities in sustainable development, many others have pointed out that "green campus" are also on the verge of leading to competition among universities (Setyowati et al., 2018;Sonetti et al., 2016;Yadav et al., 2021).

Relationship between GMOC, Green Behavior and Green Campus
There can be found significant association between GMOC, green behavior and green campuses, which are mutually reinforcing and supportive (Anwar et al., 2020).Firstly, GMOC provides the basis and support for green behavior and green campus.By shaping positive environmental protection values and behavioral norms, organizational culture management encourages employees to take environmentally friendly actions in their work and life.It motivates employees to demonstrate active involvement in sustainability practices by fostering their environmental awareness and providing relevant training and resources (Fawehinmi et al., 2020).
Secondly, green behavior is crucial to achieving a green campus.When academic staff take environmental actions in their daily work and life, they directly contribute to the construction and operation of a green campus.For example, they can save energy, reduce waste, and promote recycling and recovery, thereby reducing the campus' carbon footprint and resource consumption (Anwar et al., 2020).Simultaneously, a green campus supports and reinforces green behavior and GMOC (Fachrudin & Fachrudin, 2021).A green campus provides a sustainable physical environment and facilities, such as the use of renewable energy, construction of energy-efficient buildings, and installation of recycling facilities.These green campus features and facilities provide facilities and opportunities for employees, encourage them to take environmental actions, and reinforce the values of a green organizational culture (Ribeiro et al., 2021).
Hence, there exists an interdependent and mutually reinforcing relationship among GMOC, green behavior, and green campus.A favorable GMOC serves as a catalyst for promoting green behavior, whereby green behavior actively contributes to the attainment of a green campus.In turn, a green campus provides the tangible foundation for facilitating and propagating green behavior and fostering a green organizational culture.This integrated relationship enables organizations to cultivate a community characterized by heightened sustainability awareness and behaviors, while concurrently safeguarding the environment and achieving sustainable development objectives.

Proposed Conceptual Framework
In the sphere of this research project, the ensuing conceptual framework delineates the pertinent variables.The independent variable encompasses the green management of organizational culture, while the mediating variable refers to green behavior, and the dependent variable pertains to green campus.These three variables were primarily selected to investigate their interrelationships, with particular emphasis on discerning the influence exerted on the dependent variable.

Conclusion
This paper aims to provide a comprehensive review of the relationship among the three variables specifically within the context of private university academic staff.The variables under examination include GMOC, green behavior, and green campus.While previous studies have explored the relationship between green behavior and green campus, as well as GMOC and green behavior in various contexts, there is limited research focusing on private university academic staff.Thus, this paper seeks to address this research gap by examining the relationship between these variables within the specific context of private university academic staff.It highlights the significance of these variables within their roles and explores potential interconnections among them.Additionally, the paper presents a conceptual framework that serves as a foundation for future empirical research.To further investigate the relationship between GMOC, green behavior, and green campus among private university academic staff, future studies could adopt a quantitative research approach utilizing questionnaires.Moreover, examining the mediating effect of green behavior on the relationship between GMOC and green behavior could provide valuable insights into this interplay.