Why is green HRM an important issue in the management of people at work?

In your
response, consider the benefits and challenges of green HRM and adopting
environmentally friendly practices for employment relations stakeholders such as
employees, employers/managers, and/or unions. 

Green human resource management (Green HRM) is a quintessential characteristic of

human resource management. Green HRM is the administration of environmentally friendly
practices within the HRM process which stimulate sustainable development by decreasing
the environmental impact of business activities while simultaneously improving the welfare of
employees and employers. With green HRM having a myriad of benefits linking to
environmental, social and economic factors they also face their fair share of challenges.
These include resistance to change and resource constraints. Businesses must ensure that
they are able to overcome these challenges and create an environmentally friendly culture
as this will ultimately increase stakeholder satisfaction in a wide range of circumstances
(Wulansari, Witiastuti and Ridloah, 2018). Sustainability and ethical business practices are a
growing concern within today’s society. As a result, businesses must ensure that they are
promoting green HRM as it directly impacts stakeholders such employees, employers, trade
unions and the wider society. Various research articles and studies emphasise the
importance of green HRM within the workplace and its role in improving workplace culture
and creating a socially responsible organisation. Overall, green Human Resource
Management is a vital component of current HRM, and its adoption can assist organisations
in achieving their sustainability objectives while also promoting their marketability, reputation
and well-being of staff.

Implementing green HRM practices has several benefits including environmental, social and
economic. It essentially encourages everybody within the workplace to ensure that their
processes are efficient and socially responsible, which will contribute to less wastage and
therefore, a more environmentally conscious society in general. A study conducted by Kuo et
al. (2022) uses a survey of 500 participants in the chemical industry in Pakistan to highlight
the importance of green HRM for both social and environmental reasons. By analysing the
results from the 3-part survey, it was concluded that green HRM, which was demonstrated in
the form of training/development, appraisal, rewards, compensation and green recruitment
has a significant positive impact on employees' environmental performance. The study
reveals that training activities such as teaching employees how to correctly gather trash
information and increase the business’s standard of environmental efficiency can increase
performance and productivity as they are able to learn new skills and therefore, they are
motivated to continue their sustainable behaviour. Similarly, another article written by
Saifulina et al. (2020) also highlights the social, environmental and economic benefits
associated with green HRM. The research suggests that the implementation of GRM
strategies such as recycling or using clean forms of energy to power machines or lighting
can contribute to sustainable use of resources and limit the amount of wastage a business
produces, which is a growing concern in today’s society. By doing this, a business is able to
also benefit economically as sustainability ultimately allows a business to create an ethical
image and thus, have an advantage within the market. Both studies also reveal that there
are immense social benefits that come with green HRM. If a business has support for
environmental initiatives such as creating group transportation systems to limit pollution that
occurs when people individually commute, or creating flexible working conditions where
employees could work from home, employees are more likely to feel satisfied and valued
within the workplace and this leads to enhanced performance. Green HRM practices aim to
reduce the negative impact that business activities have on the environment, while
simultaneously improving the economic position of the business by strengthening its image
and increasing its profitability. 

Regardless of the various benefits of green HRM, there are still challenges associated as a
result of utilising green HRM. Since it is a relatively new and emerging concept for
businesses to adopt, employees can often feel uncertain of the future and thus may not want
to change their practices or enhance their skills. Employees accustomed to conventional
business practices may be resistant to the implementation of green HRM practises because
it necessitates a change in organisational culture. Employees might not be aware of the
environmental advantages of green HRM practises or might suppose they lack the
knowledge to put them into practice. Employee resistance can pose significant obstacles to
the planning and development, particularly for projects that attempt to change the way in
which people work (Laframboise, Nelson and Schmaltz, 2018). Resistance to change in the
workplace can slow down the flow of the business and staff may become less motivated and
productive due to lack of knowledge and open mindedness. A study conducted by Nejati,
Rabiei and Chiappetta Jabbour, 2017 uses 161 firms in manufacturing industries in Iran to
study the impact of resistance to change on a business trying to implement green HRM.
Resistance to change was found to have a moderating impact because it often delays the
first step of creating a sustainable work culture which is the acquisition and recruitment
phase for employees. This means that businesses may encounter employees who are not
willing to develop their skills, however support and encouragement may effectively solve this
issue and motivate employees to be more inclined to change. Additionally, it may be
required for the business to make significant expenditures in infrastructure, technology and
resources in order to execute green HRM practices. Small and medium-sized businesses
who lack sufficient funds, may struggle to put these practices into place which proposes a
challenge for some businesses. A major challenge that businesses face in regard to green
HRM is the initial start-up cost as it is expensive to change business procedures and
resources to more sustainable options. Over time, this cost will allow the business to be
more profitable, however it is a relatively large initial outlay which some businesses may not
be willing to undertake. 

Green HRM has several impacts on employment relation stakeholders including employees,
employers and managers and unions. Green HRM practices often have a positive impact on
employees, employers/ managers and unions. In regards to employees, environmentally
friendly policies like decreased use of paper and energy efficient lighting can assist in
reducing indoor pollution and encourage a healthy work environment. Promoting green HRM
can encourage work life balance through flexible work arrangements, can enhance
employee welfare, increase job satisfaction, improve retention rates and productivity. This is
evident within Kulsum’s journal where an online survey was conducted with 50 people on
green HRM. In figure 3 of the article, 40 out of 50 employees agreed that green HRM
increases productivity. In relation to employers and managers, green HRM significantly
benefits them and their company. It helps save money across multiple ways such as
disposal costs and energy efficient practices, as well as increasing profitability. By
implementing green HRM a company is more likely to draw in eco conscious clients and
boost employee morale. Employers may offer awards, compensation and monetary
incentives to improve the productivity of their staff. When employers implement successful
HR practices, employees are more engaged in their work which leads to better outcomes
and positive attitudes (Gomes, Sabino and Antunes, 2023). Furthermore, green HRM can
also positively impact unions as there would be fewer formal complaints about working
conditions as staff are adequately trained and work conditions have improved due to green
HRM. Trade union plays a vital role in the establishing and implementing of environmental
management goals of the firm (Uddin and Islam, 2016). With employers also creating a
friendly and healthy work environment, employees are less likely to want to proceed to a
union and can negotiate the issue within their workplace. Furthermore, stimulating green
HRM behaviour can aid unions in attracting environmentally concerned individuals and
developing their membership base. Green HRM practices also have a positive impact on
unions by enhancing the bargaining power of union members. Thus, the implementation of
green HRM assists in the management of people at work. 
Ultimately, the utilisation of green Human Resource Management practices assists
organisations in becoming more sustainable. With various benefits and challenges,
companies are able to adopt environmentally friendly practices for employment relations
stakeholders such as employees, employers/managers and unions. Through environmental,
social and economic benefits, companies improve the welfare of their employees and reduce
stress levels within the workplace. Although there are challenges such as resistance to
change and financial boundaries, companies are able to overcome these challenges and
enhance their sustainability. Therefore, green HRM is an important issue in the management
of people at work and strategies should be implemented in a range of business practices. 

Reference list

Gomes, J.F.S., Sabino, A. and Antunes, V. (2023) The effect of green human resources
management practices on employees’ affective commitment and work engagement:
The moderating role of employees’ biospheric value, MDPI.

Kulsum, Z. (2019) Impact of green HR practices on Employees Performance - IJRESM,

Impact of Green HR Practices on Employees Performance.

Kuo, Y.-K. et al. (2022) Impact of green HRM practices on environmental performance: The
mediating role of green innovation, Frontiers.

Laframboise, D., Nelson, R.L. and Schmaltz, J. (2003) Managing resistance to change in
workplace accommodation projects, Journal of Facilities Management

Nejati, M., Rabiei, S. and Jabbour, C.J.C. (2017) Envisioning the invisible: Understanding
the synergy between Green Human Resource Management and Green supply chain
management in manufacturing firms in Iran in light of the moderating effect of
employees’ resistance to change, Journal of Cleaner Production.

Saifulina, N., Carballo-Penela, A. and Ruzo-Sanmartín, E. (2020) Sustainable HRM and

Green HRM: The role of Green HRM in influencing employee pro-environmental
behavior at work, Journal of Sustainability Research.

Witiastuti, R.S., Ridloah, S. and Wulansari, N.A. (2018) Employee Performance

Measurement Development Based on Green HRM Indicators.