Cognitive and managerial pathways linking supportive leadership to eco-friendly building adoption

Abstract This study investigates how Supportive Leadership (SL) influences Eco-Friendly Building Adoption (EFBA) through Sustainability Cognition (SC) and Perceived Managerial Capability (PMC) within the Stimulus–Organism–Response (SOR) framework. Using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), data were collected from professionals engaged in sustainable construction projects. The results reveal that SL significantly enhances both SC and PMC, and directly contributes to EFBA. SC demonstrates a significant mediating role between SL and EFBA, indicating that leadership fosters sustainability-oriented cognition, which promotes eco-friendly practices. In contrast, PMC’s mediating effect was not statistically significant, suggesting that managerial competence influences adoption more indirectly. However, the total indirect effect operating through both SC and PMC was significant, highlighting their combined importance in translating leadership into sustainable outcomes. Overall, the findings confirm that leadership drives green building adoption both directly and through key cognitive and managerial mechanisms, offering valuable insights for advancing sustainable construction practices.