Green Human Resource Management: A Decadal Examination of Eco-Friendly HR Practices

Abstract

Academic and professional communities throughout the world have shown a great deal of interest in the topic of environmental or green human resource management (HRM) in the last decade. Despite this growing interest, there remains a lack of comprehensive analysis in this area. This study aims to fill this lack by conducting a systematic and extensive review of the literature. The objectives of this paper consist of three spectrums: firstly, to conduct an in-depth examination of literature related to the Green HRM studies encompassing diverse scopes, methodologies, and contexts, secondly, to explain various focal themes within the Green HRM discourse; and thirdly, to suggest potential avenues for future scholarly inquiry. Adopting systematic literature review, the selected articles for the review were classified into five distinct thematic areas within Green HRM, as identified from the existing body of literature. The research in the area of Green HRM has witnessed a substantial increase over the past 12 years. This review encompasses 70 articles, predominantly employing quantitative methodologies and originating from developing countries. The analysis reveals that the most significant focus within these studies has been on how Green HRM influences both the firm and employees. The scope of this review is confined to academic articles accessible through online databases, specifically those containing terms such as “Environmental training", "Green training," "Green HRM," and "Green human resource". Only peer-reviewed journal papers of the highest caliber are included in the review; books and conference proceedings are not included. This research organizes and synthesizes seventy peer-reviewed articles researches that were published in renowned research journals between 2007 and 2019. It advances our knowledge of the state, trends, and prospects for Green HRM research in greater detail.