Green competencies: insights and recommendations from a systematic literature review

Abstract

Purpose

This study conceptualises the construct – green competencies. The concept is in the niche stage and needs further elaboration. Hence, to address the research gap, this study follows the steps proposed by Tranfield et al. (2003). The major part of the study comprises descriptive analysis and thematic analysis. Descriptive analysis of the selected 66 articles was examined with the classification framework, which contains year-wise distribution, journal-wise distribution, the focus of the concept, the economic sector, and dimensions of sustainable development. The paper conducts a thematic analysis of the following research questions. What are the green competencies and their conceptual definition? What are their dimensions?

Design/methodology/approach

This paper applies a systematic literature review of green competencies literature, extends the state-of-the-art using the natural resource-based view, and discusses future research directions for academicians and practitioners.

Findings

In recent years, there was considerable interest in green competencies (GC), as reflected in the surge of articles published in this genre. This paper asserts that green competencies are a multidimensional construct comprised of green knowledge, green skills, green abilities, green attitudes, green behaviours, and green awareness.

Originality/value

Despite the significance of green competencies, there has been a dearth of study to define the constructs and identify the dimensions. Hence, this study addresses the literature gap by conceptualisation and discusses dimensions of the construct.

Citation

Cabral, C. and Dhar, R.L. (2021), "Green competencies: insights and recommendations from a systematic literature review", Benchmarking: An International Journal, Vol. 28 No. 1, pp. 66-105. https://doi.org/10.1108/BIJ-11-2019-0489