The purpose of this paper is to explore how middle managers respond to the career challenges caused by environmental regulation. In particular, this paper examines whether environmental regulation strength is positively related to middle managers’ openness toward change, and whether middle managers’ openness toward change is positively related to proactive behavior. Furthermore, the moderating role of top managers’ bottom-line mentality in these two relationships is examined.,Cross-sectional survey research (n=155) was conducted. During a training program, data were collected from 155 middle managers from a listed company that manufactures primary products. With these data the authors examined the main relationship and also explored the moderating effect of top managers’ bottom-line mentality.,Analysis of the findings indicates that perceived environmental regulation strength influences middle managers’ openness toward change and consequently their proactive behavior. In addition, top managers’ bottom-line mentality moderates both the link between environmental regulation strength and openness toward change and the link between openness toward change and proactive behavior.,The findings of this study reveal how environmental regulation induces middle managers’ proactive behavior, and the influence of top managers’ mentality on how middle managers respond to environmental regulation both cognitively and behaviorally.

中文翻译：

---

环境法规如何以及何时诱发中层管理人员的积极行为

本文的目的是探讨中层管理人员如何应对环境法规引起的职业挑战。特别是，本文研究了环境监管强度是否与中层管理者的变革开放性正相关，以及中层管理者对变革的开放性与积极行为的正相关性。此外，还研究了高层管理者底线心理在这两个关系中的调节作用。进行了横断面调查研究（n = 155）。在培训计划中，从一家生产初级产品的上市公司的155名中层经理那里收集了数据。利用这些数据，作者检查了主要关系，还探讨了高层管理者底线心理的调节作用。对调查结果的分析表明，感知到的环境监管力量会影响中层管理者对变革的开放态度，从而影响他们的前摄行为。此外，高层管理者的底线心态既缓和了环境规制强度与对变革的开放性之间的联系，又缓和了对变革与主动行为的开放性之间的联系。以及高层管理者的心态对中层管理者在认知和行为上对环境调节的反应的影响。