Green HRM: A Zimbabwean Perspective

Abstract

Despite efforts to adopt Green Human Resource Management (GHRM) strategies by many small and medium companies in Zimbabwe, the practice is often hampered by existential challenges facing the country, such as shortages of cash resulting in people having to spend lengthy hours in queues outside banks, especially at month ends; water shortages, especially in cities such as Bulawayo; and country-wide electricity challenges resulting in load shedding. Skyrocketing prices also add further burdens and affect mobility as well as the general cost of living. The broad interpretation of green HRM strategies takes a particularly localized meaning in Zimbabwe, as many companies have had to make adaptations to compassionately allow workers to give of their best in the organization while balancing these organizational expectations with existential challenges that they face outside the organization. Implementing green human resource management strategies in Zimbabwe is, therefore, a delicate balancing exercise requiring diplomacy, sensitivity and a discerning eye to determine where to be firm and where to be compassionate. This chapter argues that green HRM as it is widely conceptualized does not perfectly fit the Zimbabwean HRM landscape but rather requires specific adaptations to ensure that the salient peculiarities of the Zimbabwean political-economic space are sufficiently accommodated. Companies do not operate in a vacuum, and to some extent, the prevailing environment and culture of the broader space in which they operate significantly shape their own practices. Similarly, the Zimbabwean political and socio-economic environment limits the extent to which companies can fully implement their green HRM strategies, leading to a tailored suite of strategies designed to bring out the best in people under the given circumstances.