Greenwashing Within Higher Education: Empirical Evidence from a Mixed-Methods Study on Employee Dark Triad Traits

Abstract

Sustainability has become a central priority in higher education institutions (HEIs), with ethical climate (EC) commonly assumed to promote employee green behavior (EGB). However, inconsistent expressions of green behavior within ethically oriented environments suggest that this relationship may be contingent upon individual personality characteristics. Drawing on the Dark Drawing on the Dark Triad framework, this study examines whether employee Dark Triad (EDT) traits moderate the relationship between ethical climate and employee green behavior. Using a mixed-methods design, quantitative data were collected from 700 HEI employees through purposive non-probability sampling and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The qualitative phase involved thematic analysis of 12 semi-structured interviews to contextualize and explain the quantitative findings. Results from the pilot analysis indicate that ethical climate does not exert a significant direct effect on employee green behavior (H1 rejected, p = 0.198). In contrast, employee dark triad traits significantly moderate the EC–EGB relationship (H2 supported, p < 0.001), demonstrating that the effectiveness of ethical climates depends on individual personality dispositions. Qualitative findings further revealed patterns of strategic conformity, green spotlighting, and sustainability apathy, indicating that dark personality traits often shift green behavior from authentic engagement to performative compliance. Overall, the findings suggest that ethical climate alone is insufficient to ensure genuine sustainability practices in HEIs. Practical implications emphasize the need for institutions to address personality-driven behavioral distortions alongside structural ethics to achieve authentic sustainability outcomes. Study limitations include reliance on self-reported personality measures and a single-country HEI context.