Journal of Corporate Real Estate

Purpose – The study seeks to investigate the mechanisms for the effects of environmental design features of a green building on occupants' environmental awareness (EA) and organizational image (OI).

Design/methodology/approach – One mechanism investigated the direct effects of environmental design features of a green building on occupants' EA and OI. The other mechanism investigated the indirect effects on occupants' EA and OI resulting from the direct effects of environmental design features on occupants' workplace satisfaction. The data were collected from 175 occupants of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified green building using a questionnaire instrument.

Findings – Based on frequency, correlational, and regression analyses of the data, the study found no evidence for direct effects of environmental design features on occupants' EA and OI. The study, however, found some evidence for indirect effects, indicating that individual workspace and departmental space features affected occupants' satisfaction with individual workspaces and the building, which then affected occupants' EA and OI.

Research limitations/implications – The study involved only the employees of an organization who occupy a single LEED-certified green building. Future studies should involve a larger sample of green buildings. Future studies should also involve other stakeholders of these buildings.

Practical implications – The study is important for the long-term market growth of green buildings, because it provides supporting evidence for the organizational leaders who want to use green buildings to enhance organizational values and benefits.

Originality/value – The study makes an original contribution to the field, because studies focusing on the potential links between green buildings and organizational benefits and values, and the mechanisms that may help explain these links are still rare.