Moral responsibility and willingness to sacrifice as drivers of voluntary environmental action in public organizations

Growing environmental pressures and the need for sustainable governance require public organizations to encourage voluntary environmental engagement among employees. While environmental policies and regulations are important, everyday sustainability practices within institutions often depend on individuals’ moral responsibility and commitment to environmental protection. This study examines how moral responsibility influences voluntary environmental action among employees in public organizations. Drawing on the Value–Belief–Norm framework and the Norm Activation Model, the study investigates the relationships between ascription of responsibility, environmental attitudes (eco-centric, techno-centric, and dual-centric), willingness to sacrifice, and voluntary environmental action in municipal public institutions. A cross-sectional survey of municipal employees was conducted, and structural equation modeling was used to test the direct and indirect relationships among the study variables and the moderating role of technocentric orientation. The results indicate that stronger perceptions of personal responsibility toward environmental protection are associated with more positive environmental attitudes and greater willingness to sacrifice for environmental goals. Willingness to sacrifice also serves as an important mechanism linking environmental attitudes to voluntary environmental action within public organizations. In addition, technocentric orientation moderates selected relationships, suggesting that beliefs about technological solutions influence how moral responsibility translates into sustainability-related behavior. Overall, the findings highlight the importance of internalized moral responsibility and motivational commitment in promoting voluntary environmental action in public organizations. The study offers practical implications for policymakers and public managers seeking to strengthen sustainability practices by fostering responsibility norms, environmental awareness, and voluntary employee engagement.