Conceptual Evolution of Green Leadership Literature: Web of Science (WoS) Based A Bibliometric Analysis (1994–2025)

Öz

Aim: In recent years, the increasing impact of environmental problems on a global scale has paved the way for the development of new trends based on the principle of sustainability in leadership approaches. Today, climate crisis, resource depletion and institutional environmental responsibilities have made green leadership an indispensable element of sustainable management. In this context, green leadership stands out as a contemporary governance approach that focuses on environmental awareness and directs institutional transformation. The lack of theoretical clarity and methodological diversity in the literature limits the development of the field. The aim of this study is to systematically analyze the development of green leadership literature through scientific publications indexed in the Web of Science (WoS) database. Method: In this study, scientific publications published in the WoS database between 1994 and 2025 were examined through bibliometric analysis and the conceptual evolution of green leadership literature was comprehensively mapped. The data collection process was structured according to PRISMA principles, and co-word technique, citation maps and thematic matches were used in the analyses. Results: The findings show that there has been a remarkable increase in the literature in the post-2020 period, and the concept of green leadership has found a prominent place in studies on management, environmental sciences and business. In particular, the concepts of "environmental belief", "green organizational culture" and "corporate environmental responsibility" constitute prominent focus areas. In terms of publication volume, Asian countries, especially China, have become dominant in the literature. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that green leadership has evolved into a strategic and interdisciplinary concept, gaining increasing academic attention especially after 2020. However, there is still a thematic and regional concentration in the literature, indicating the need for more in-depth, sector-specific, comparative international analyses and integrated research between theory and field practice in future studies.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Green leadership
• Sustainability
• Bibliometric analysis
• Systematic Review
• Prisma

Yeşil Liderlik Literatürünün Kavramsal Evrimi: Web of Science (WoS) Tabanlı Bibliyometrik Bir Analiz (1994–2025)

Öz

Amaç: Son yıllarda, çevre sorunlarının küresel ölçekte artan etkisi, liderlik yaklaşımlarında sürdürülebilirlik ilkesine dayalı yeni eğilimlerin gelişmesine zemin hazırlamıştır. Günümüzde iklim krizi, kaynakların tükenmesi ve kurumsal çevresel sorumluluklar, yeşil liderliği sürdürülebilir yönetimin vazgeçilmez bir unsuru haline getirmiştir. Bu bağlamda, yeşil liderlik, çevresel farkındalığa odaklanan ve kurumsal dönüşümü yönlendiren çağdaş bir yönetişim yaklaşımı olarak öne çıkmaktadır. Literatürdeki kuramsal açıklık ve metodolojik çeşitliliğin eksikliği, alanın gelişimini kısıtlamaktadır. Bu çalışmanın amacı, Web of Science (WoS) veri tabanında indekslenen bilimsel yayınlar aracılığıyla yeşil liderlik literatürünün gelişimini sistematik olarak analiz etmektir. Yöntem: Bu çalışmada, 1994-2025 yılları arasında WoS veri tabanında yayınlanan bilimsel yayınlar bibliyometrik analiz yoluyla incelenmiş ve yeşil liderlik literatürünün kavramsal evrimi kapsamlı bir şekilde haritalandırılmıştır. Veri toplama süreci PRISMA ilkelerine göre yapılandırılmış ve analizlerde co-word tekniği, atıf haritaları ve tematik eşleştirmeler kullanılmıştır. Bulgular: Elde edilen veriler 2020 sonrası dönemde literatürde dikkat çekici bir artış yaşandığını ve yeşil liderlik kavramının yönetim, çevre bilimleri ve işletme alanındaki çalışmalarda önemli bir yer bulduğunu göstermektedir. Özellikle "çevresel inanç", "yeşil örgüt kültürü" ve "kurumsal çevre sorumluluğu" kavramları öne çıkan odak alanlarını oluşturmaktadır. Yayın hacmi açısından başta Çin olmak üzere Asya ülkelerinin literatürde baskın hale geldiği görülmektedir. Sonuç: Bu çalışma, yeşil liderliğin stratejik ve disiplinlerarası bir kavram haline geldiğini, özellikle 2020'den sonra akademik ilginin giderek arttığını göstermektedir. Ancak literatürde hala tematik ve bölgesel bir yoğunlaşma görülmekte olup, bu da gelecek çalışmalarda daha derin, sektöre özgü, karşılaştırmalı uluslararası analizler içeren ve teori ve saha uygulaması bütünleşik araştırmalara ihtiyaç olduğunu göstermektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Yeşil liderlik
• Sürdürülebilirlik
• Bibliyometrik analiz
• Sistematik İnceleme
• Prisma

Kaynakça

1. ACAR, S. (2022). Örgütlerde yeşil insan kaynakları yönetiminin önemi. Ankara: İktisat Yayınevi.
2. AFSAR, B. & UMRANI, W. A. (2019). Transformational leadership and innovative work behavior. European Journal of Innovation Management, 23(3), 402–428. doi:10.1108/EJIM-12-2018-0257
3. AFSAR, B., BADIR, Y. & KIANI, U. S. (2016). Linking spiritual leadership and employee pro-environmental behavior: The influence of workplace spirituality, intrinsic motivation, and environmental passion. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 45, 79–88. doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2015.11.011
4. ARICI, H. E. & UYSAL, M. (2022). Leadership, green innovation, and green creativity: A systematic review. The Service Industries Journal, 42(5–6), 280–320. doi:10.1080/02642069.2021.1964482
5. AWAN, F. H., DUNNAN, L., JAMIL, K. & GUL, R. F. (2023). Stimulating environmental performance via green human resource management, green transformational leadership, and green innovation: A mediation-moderation model. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 30(2), 2958–2976. doi:10.1007/s11356-022-22424-y
6. AZHAR, A. & YANG, K. (2022). Examining the influence of transformational leadership and green culture on pro-environmental behaviors: Empirical evidence from Florida city governments. Review of Public Personnel Administration, 42(4), 738–759. doi:10.1177/0734371X211027347
7. BASS, B. M. & AVOLIO, B. J. (1994). Improving organizational effectiveness through transformational leadership. London: Sage Publications.
8. BERNIAK-WOŹNY, J. & RATAJ, M. (2023). Towards green and sustainable healthcare: A literature review and research agenda for green leadership in the healthcare sector. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(908), 11–18. doi:10.3390/ijerph20020908

9. BOIRAL, O., BARON, C. & GUNNLAUGSON, O. (2014). Environmental leadership and consciousness development: A case study among Canadian SMEs. Journal of Business Ethics, 123(3), 363–383. doi:10.1007/s10551-013-1845-5
10. BURNS, J. M. (1978). Leadership. New York: Harper & Row.
11. CHEN, Y., SHAO, X., XIAO, H., YANG, R. & AN, X. (2023). The research on the green leadership: A systematic review and theoretical framework. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 27, 377–408. doi:10.1007/s10668-023-03960-0
12. CHEN, Y. S. (2011). Green organizational identity: Sources and consequence. Management Decision, 49(3), 384–404. doi:10.1108/00251741111120761
13. CORREA, J. A., TORRES, H. N., SHARMA, S. & MORALES, V. J. (2008). Environmental strategy and performance in small firms: A resource-based perspective. Journal of Environmental Management, 86(1), 88–103. doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2006.11.022
14. DADDI, T., HERAS-SAIZARBITORIA, I., MARRUCCI, L., RIZZI, F. & TESTA, F. (2021). The effects of green supply chain management capability on the internalisation of environmental management systems and organisation performance. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 28(4), 1241–1253. doi:10.1002/csr.2144
15. EGRI, C. P. & HERMAN, S. (2000). Leadership in the North American environmental sector: Values, leadership styles, and contexts of environmental leaders and their organizations. Academy of Management Journal, 43(4), 571–604. doi:10.2307/1556356
16. ERYEŞİL, K. & ÖZTÜRK, M. (2024). Yeşil liderlik. In G. DURMUŞ (Ed.), Liderlik dinamikleri üzerine araştırmalar II (ss. 229–248). İstanbul: Özgür Yayınları. doi:10.58830/ozgur.pub551.c2250
17. HE, J., MORRISON, A. M. & ZHANG, H. (2021). Being sustainable: The three-way interactive effects of CSR, green human resource management, and responsible leadership on employee green behavior and task performance. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 28(3), 1043–1054. doi:10.1002/csr.2104
18. HE, J. & SU, H. (2022). Digital transformation and green innovation of Chinese firms: The moderating role of regulatory pressure and international opportunities. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(20), 1–21. doi:10.3390/ijerph192013321
19. HEIZMANN, H. & LIU, H. (2018). Becoming green, becoming leaders: Identity narratives in sustainability leadership development. Management Learning, 49(1), 40–58. doi:10.1177/1350507617725189
20. HOBFOLL, S. E. (1989). Conservation of resources: A new attempt at conceptualizing stress. American Psychologist, 44(3), 513–524. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.44.3.513
21. KAMILAH, M., MAMDUH, U., DAMAYANTI, I. A. ve ANSHORI, M. I. (2023). Ethical leadership: Literature study. Indonesian Journal of Contemporary Multidisciplinary Research (MODERN), 2(4), 655–680. doi:10.55927/modern.v2i4.4753
22. KARAMALLY, T. & ROBERTSON, J. L. (2024). Green leadership. In D. MACKIE (Ed.), The handbook of climate change leadership in organisations: Developing leadership for the age of sustainability. London: Taylor & Francis.
23. KHAN, S. A. R., SHARIF, A., GOLPÎRA, H. & KUMAR, A. (2019). A green ideology in Asian emerging economies: From environmental policy and sustainable development. Sustainable Development, 27(6), 1063–1075. doi:10.1002/sd.1958
24. KHAN, A. N. (2022). Is green leadership associated with employees’ green behavior? Role of green human resource management. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 66(9), 1962–1982. doi:10.1080/09640568.2022.2049595
25. KIM, J. J., WALDMAN, D. A., BALTHAZARD, P. A. & AMES, J. B. (2023). Leader self-projection and collective role performance: A consideration of visionary leadership. The Leadership Quarterly, 34(2), 1–12. doi:10.1016/j.leaqua.2022.101623
26. KUENZI, M., MAYER, D. M. & GREENBAUM, R. L. (2020). Creating an ethical organizational environment: The relationship between ethical leadership, ethical organizational climate, and unethical behavior. Personnel Psychology, 73(1), 43–71. doi:10.1111/peps.12356
27. LAMBOOY, T., TOOMEY, E. H., PIMOR, A., VAN APELDOORN, D., WARD, L., SHARMA, P., … & VAN SOEST, T. (2024). Nature as a stakeholder: Including nature in corporate governance practices to meet the EU corporate sustainability reporting directive. Journal of Innovative Business and Management, 16(2), 1–11. doi:10.32015/JIBM.2024.16.2.5
28. MITTAL, S. & DHAR, R. L. (2016). Effect of green transformational leadership on green creativity: A study of tourist hotels. Tourism Management, 57, 118–127. doi:10.1016/j.tourman.2016.05.007
29. NURASA, H., PUTRI, S. S. U., ABDILLAH, A. ve WIDIANINGSIH, I. (2025). Green leadership in policy making towards sustainable future: Systematic critical review and future direction. Polish Journal of Environmental Studies, 34(1), 519–534. doi:10.15244/pjoes/186576
30. PAGE, M. J., MCKENZIE, J. E., BOSSUYT, P. M., BOUTRON, I., HOFFMANN, T. C., MULROW, C. D., SHAMSEER, L., TETZLAFF, J. M., AKL, E. A., BRENNAN, S. E., CHOU, R., GLANVILLE, J., GRIMSHAW, J. M., HRÓBJARTSSON, A., LALU, M. M., LI, T., LODER, E. W., MAYO-WILSON, E., MCDONALD, S., … MOHER, D. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: An updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ, 372, n71. doi:10.1136/bmj.n71
31. PURWANTO, F., RİYADİ, S. & ARDİANA, I. D. K. R. (2024). Green transformational leadership and organizational culture on environmental performance. Corporate Governance and Organizational Behavior Review, 8(Special Issue 2), 265–275. doi:10.22495/cgobrv8i2sip2
32. THABET, W. M., BADAR, K., ABORAMADN, M. & ABUALIGAH, A. (2022). Does green inclusive leadership promote hospitality employees’ pro-environmental behaviors? The mediating role of climate for green initiative. The Service Industries Journal, 43(1–2), 43–63. doi:10.1080/02642069.2022.2120982
33. TUAN, L. T. (2020). Environmentally-specific servant leadership and green creativity among tourism employees: Dual mediation paths. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 28(1), 86–109. doi:10.1080/09669582.2019.1675674
34. VURAL, S. (2025). Sustainability of air logistics: A bibliometric analysis. Journal of Aviation, 9(2), 311-320. https://doi.org/10.30518/jav.1534869
35. VURAL, M. F. & VURAL, S. (2024). Havalimanı ve havayolu işletmelerinin sürdürülebilirliği üzerine bibliometrik bir inceleme. Marmara Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Dergisi (Sürdürülebilirlik ve Yeşil Ekonomi Özel Sayısı), 59-73. https://doi.org/10.14780/muiibd.1461083
36. WANG, J. & FENG, T. (2022). Supply chain ethical leadership and green supply chain integration: A moderated mediation analysis. International Journal of Logistics Research and Applications, 26(9), 1145–1171. doi:10.1080/13675567.2021.2022640
37. WANG, Q. & ZHOU, C. (2023). How does government environmental investment promote green development: Evidence from China. PLOS ONE, 18(10), 1–17. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0292223
38. WU, W.L. (2021). How ethical leadership promotes knowledge sharing: A social identity approach. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 1–11. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.727903
39. YANG, L., SHAO, X. & JIANG, Y. (2023). Fostering employees’ voluntary green behavior: The role of environmentally specific servant leadership, positive affectivity, and workplace anxiety. Sustainability, 15(20), 1–17. doi:10.3390/su152014883
40. ZHONG, J., SHAO, X., XIAO, H., YANG, R. & AN, X. (2025). The research on the green leadership: A systematic review and theoretical framework. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 27(1), 377–408. doi:10.1007/s10668-023-03960-0