Human Resources Practices in the Context of Sustainability: The Forestry Case

Abstract

This article aims to understand how Human Resources (HR) practices are articulated in the organizational context focused on the insertion and operationalization of sustainability. This is a qualitative research, conducted via case study in a forest operation of a Brazilian company that has sustainability at the core of its business strategy. Direct observation, semi-structured interview, and documentary research were adopted as data collection instruments; the data were analyzed according to thematic analysis of narratives. The results indicate efforts to articulate the organization’s intention to adopt HR practices in the context of sustainability. We also verified that the intertwining of formal HR practices with those situated at the relationship level of groups contributes to the expansion of participation and communication, security culture, and of the generation and sharing of knowledge, enabling a working environment where the value of sustainability is shared, favoring the emergence of the human dimension of sustainability.