Relationship of green human resource management with environmental performance: mediating effect of green organizational culture

Abstract

PurposeEnvironment concerns and climate changes have led organizations to reorient their processes with a focus toward sustainability. Organizations recognize that incorporating greening in HR practices has the potential to address environmental concerns. The present study aims to focus on investigating the relationship between green human resource management (GHRM) practices and environmental performance (EP). It is premised that the adoption of green human resource practices facilitates the development of a green organizational culture (GOC) that helps the organization to gain strategic business advantage with respect to the competitors. The literature suggests that the adoption of green human resource practices among organizations is at a nascent stage. The present study focusses on understanding the mediating role of three dimensions of GOC, that is, degree, diffusion and depth in the relationship between green human resource practices and EP that has not been addressed in the empirical literature.Design/methodology/approachThe present study developed a model consisting of GHRM practices as an independent variable, the three dimensions of culture (degree, diffusion and depth) as mediators, and EP as the dependent variable. The study followed a quantitative exploratory research approach. The sample consisted of 278 employees from private and public sector organizations located in India. The hypothesized model was analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM).FindingsThe study found the green human resource practices to be significantly related with EP of the organization. Results of parallel mediation confirmed that the “degree” dimension of GOC played a significant mediating role in the relationship between green human resource practices and EP of the organization. The other two dimensions of GOC, diffusion and depth, did not have a significant mediating role in this relationship. The findings of the study have been explained in the context of social identity theory, resource based view and ability–motivation–opportunity theory.Practical implicationsThe study provides practical insights for researchers and managers who seek to adopt sustainability objectives in the organization. The findings have the potential to encourage human resource managers to adopt green human resource management practices toward promoting a culture of greening in the organization. The importance of developing and measuring EP targets for industry leadership is also emphasized.Originality/valueThe originality of the study lies in classifying and understanding GOC in terms of three dimensions, that is, degree, diffusion and depth, following the model proposed by Harris and Crane (2002). The three dimensions help in assessing the current level of GOC. This assessment promotes the judicious application of resources by the organization and adopts green practices to foster the organizational EP.

Green Human Resource Management and Green Culture: An Integrative Sustainable Competing Values Framework and Future Research Directions

“…Our green CVF contributes to the green HRM knowledge base (Garavan et al, 2022; Roscoe et al, 2019) by highlighting the need for organizations to comprehend specific cultural fundamentals in facilitating employee green behaviors and undergoing transformative cultural shifts in pursuing environmental sustainability. We also extend existing research on AMO-enhancing green HRM practices (Aggarwal & Agarwala, 2023; Masri & Jaaron, 2017; Norton et al, 2015), as it predominantly focuses on mainstream, unitarist, and functionalist views on how organizations shape staff behaviors and culture to embrace environmental sustainability (Garavan et al, 2022; Roscoe et al, 2019). These extensions are needed because relevant literature works suffer from the limitations of description, size, and relevance.…”

“…Such critique is needed because AMO-based green HRM works mainly concern prescribing how organizations could “go green” by employing particular workplace practices. We also critique the existing literature on the application of such green HRM practices (Aggarwal & Agarwala, 2023; Masri & Jaaron, 2017; Norton et al, 2015) by rigorously appraising the CVF and AMO theory to explain stakeholder organizational behavior, which is needed as it is less seen in other studies. Moreover, some green HRM works lack robustness and risk descending into over-claiming benefits, e.g., firms using sustainability and green HRM to help increase profits or enhance employee satisfaction (Yuan et al, 2023).…”

“…Studies show that HRM practices can facilitate intended behaviors and values, leading to a green culture that stimulates environmental sustainability in the organization (Aggarwal & Agarwala, 2023; Al-Swidi et al, 2021; Roscoe et al, 2019). However, it is essential to note that these sustainability goals could vary, corresponding to each dimension of the competing values framework, as, for example, Wijethilake et al (2021) highlight that each cultural dimension under the competing values framework aligns with its respective sustainability focus.…”

“…In sum, existing scholarly work on organizational culture has predominantly discussed the interlinkages of green HRM practices with green culture (Aggarwal & Agarwala, 2023; Masri & Jaaron, 2017; Norton et al, 2015). However, no study has yet discussed the role of specific green HRM practices in developing a particular green culture in an organization.…”

Two decades of workplace ecological behaviour: a systematic literature review

“…Empirically, EEB influences the environmental performance (EP) of organisations (Farrukh et al ., 2022; Ture and Ganesh, 2018). Organisational members who engage in environmental protection tasks effectively reduce carbon emission levels and increase environmental performance (Aggarwal and Agarwala, 2022).…”