Ensuring sustainability through green HRM practices: a review, synthesis and research avenues

Abstract

Purpose

Over time, sustainability and human resource management (HRM) have become inseparable. The duo involves applying the multifaceted idea of sustainability and the United Nations' (UN) sustainable development goals (SDGs) to people and work organizations. Lately, green human resource management (GHRM) has emerged as a distinct area to explore organizational initiatives, aimed at sustainable practices. Despite the potential growth of literature in specified domains, there is a dearth of studies focused on synthesizing the literature from sustainability and organizational performance views. The present study aims to review and synthesize extant literature on sustainable and green HRM and their role in organizational performance and propose a future research agenda.

Design/methodology/approach

The present study is based on the review of 65 articles on sustainable and green HRM. Scientific Procedures and Rationales for Systematic Literature Review (SPAR-4-SLR) and theory, characteristics, context and methodology (TCCM) framework have been applied to synthesize the results. Scopus is used as a major database for retrieving the articles. The publications for this research are selected using CABS ranking (4*, 4 and 3) as the criterion.

Findings

Application of the TCCM framework and synthesis of the literature revealed that the introduction of SDGs and emphasis on sustainability has reinvigorated research interest in sustainable HRM and tremendous research being published post-SDGs adoption. GHRM plays an important role in affecting organizational performance The results also revealed the widespread use of resource-based perspective, social identity theory, A-M-O and social exchange theory. Additionally, the quantitative approach has been largely employed for GHRM research. Future research can be undertaken by employing a qualitative approach as current literature due to the dearth of qualitative approaches in contemporary literature.

Practical implications

This study advances the body of knowledge by offering a unified conceptual framework and surfaces the latest trends and future directions in this domain. A conceptual framework can be empirically tested in future studies. The study identifies antecedents, moderators, mediators and outcomes of GHRM. The application of these variables can practically help in achieving sustainability and organizational effectiveness. It can further align organizational efforts toward the achievement of sustainable development goals. The concept establishes the role of GHRM in organizational performance.

Originality/value

Despite the growing literature in the domain of GHRM, knowledge remains diverse and piecemeal. Anchored by several theoretical lenses, the concept of GHRM is a fragmented phenomenon. As a result, this Systematic Literature Review (SLR) is critical in identifying gaps and bringing to light various theories that can enhance the domain's theoretical lens. The role of antecedents, moderators and mediators of GHRM in affecting organizational performance has been established. Furthermore, by synthesizing the methods used to get authentic and robust results, the piece of research will serve as a guide for future researchers.

Citation

Anshima, A., Bhardwaj, B., Sharma, D. and Chand, M. (2024), "Ensuring sustainability through green HRM practices: a review, synthesis and research avenues", Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOEPP-10-2023-0493