16-09-2016, 04:15 PM
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Abstract
The topic of environmental sustainability is attracting increased attention among management scholars. Despite its importance to
managers, employees, customers and other stakeholders, however, there are very few research studies that consider the role of
human resource management systems in organizations striving to achieve environmental sustainability. There is thus a growing
need for the integration of environmental management into human resource management (HRM) – green HRM – research practice.
Green HR is the use of HRM policies to promote the sustainable use of resources within business organizations and, more
generally, promotes the cause of environmental sustainability. Green initiatives within HRM form part of wider programmes of
corporate social responsibility. Green HR involves two essential elements: environmentally-friendly HR practices and the
preservation of knowledge capital. The objective of this paper is to detail a process model of the HR processes involved in green
HRM on the basis of available literature on green HR. The literature has been classified on the basis of entry-to-exit processes in
HRM (from recruitment to exit), revealing the role that HR processes play in translating green HR policy into practice. The paper
also examines the nature and extent of Green HR initiatives undertaken by ITC Limited as a case study.
Keywords: Corporate social responsibility, environmental management, sustainability.
Introduction
Sustainable development is concerned with meeting the
needs of people today without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs. Companies now
realize that they have to develop a powerful social
conscience and green sense of responsibility where corporate
responsibility is not an altruistic nice to have, buta business
imperative. The HR function will become the driver of
environmental sustainability within the organization by
aligning its practices and policies with sustainability goals
reflecting an eco-focus. The HR strategy must reflect and
inspire the ambitions of the HR team and other employees,
aligning with the company‟s strategy, values and culture,
deliver sustainable returns to investors, address customer
needs, identify and respond to emerging societal trends,
respond to governmental and regulatory expectations, and
influence the public policy agenda. In a nutshell creating a
green World where consumers and employees force change.
In fact the HR function can be renamed as “People and
Society”.
Green human resources: Green human resources refer
to using every employee touch point/interface to promote
sustainable practices and increase employee awareness and
commitments on the issues of sustainability. It involves
undertaking environment-friendly HR initiatives resulting in
greater efficiencies, lower costs and better employee
engagement and retention which in turn, help organizations
to reduce employee carbon footprints by the likes of
electronic filing, car-sharing, job-sharing, teleconferencing
and virtual interviews, recycling, tele commuting, online
training, energy-efficient office spaces etc.
In this green world the green HR or people management
function has sustainability at its core as part of its people
management and talent management focus and organizations
engage with the society by aligning their agendas with it.
Communities, customers and contractors all become equal
stakeholders along with employees and shareholders. Refer
Figure 1.
Green HR or
People and
Society
Function
Sustainability
Society
Engagement
People
Shared
Services
People
Engagement