The role of sustainable HRM in sustaining positive organizational outcomes: An interactional framework

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the interactional relationships between sustainable human resource management (HRM) and positive organizational outcomes, in the context of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), focusing on employees’ perception and mediation of the direct relationships drawing on the theoretical background of the social exchange theory.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected using a web-based survey (293 usable responses). Respondents were full-time employees from the UAE’s oil-and-gas sector. The proposed hypotheses were tested using hierarchical regression for direct and indirect relationships. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to confirm the validity of the proposed framework.

Findings

Sustainable HRM has a significant direct effect on sustainable employee performance and perceived sustainable organizational support. The mediating influence of organizational knowledge sharing (OKS) and employee empowerment were significant to varying degrees, proving the different interactions between the study constructs.

Practical implications

The mediating effect found for OKS and employee empowerment suggests that organizations should consider multiple combinations of practices to sustain positive outcomes, especially in dynamic markets. The alignment between different managerial practices can enhance anticipated organizational outcomes. Establishing knowledge-sharing practices will, therefore, help in enhancing employee performance, supporting the role of sustainable HRM. Empowering employees will also help in establishing a sense of perceived support that employees will value, leading to positive reciprocity from employees.

Originality/value

This study extends the literature on sustainable HRM and its links to positive organizational outcomes in the context of the UAE. The study also demonstrates that mediators of the direct relationships can have varying effects and associations with different organizational outcomes.

Citation

Almarzooqi, A.H., Khan, M. and Khalid, K. (2019), "The role of sustainable HRM in sustaining positive organizational outcomes: An interactional framework", International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, Vol. 68 No. 7, pp. 1272-1292. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPPM-04-2018-0165