Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Sustainability Starts with HR: Exploring Green HRM Practices in the UAE

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Green Human Resource Management

Abstract

This book chapter highlights the significance of incorporating green human resource management (GHRM) practices to create value for stakeholders. Specifically, it focuses on identifying and evaluating factors that contribute to the successful implementation of GHRM in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). To examine the relationship between GHRM pillars and its adoption, we employed structural equation modeling (SEM) and assessed model fitness using ADANCO 2.1. The five pillars of GHRM—green recruitment, green reward, and benefits, green performance management, green training and development, and green employee relations—were found to be strongly related to the adoption of GHRM. The results suggest that implementing GHRM can have a significant impact on stakeholders’ value creation, underscoring the importance of adopting sustainable HR practices in the workplace.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 119.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 159.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ahmad, S. 2015. Green human resource management: Policies and practices. Cogent Business & Management 2 (1), https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2015.1030817.

  • Ambec, S., and P. Lanoie. 2008. Does it pay to be green? A systematic overview. Academy of Management Perspectives 22: 45–62. https://doi.org/10.5465/AMP.2008.35590353.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aust, I., B. Matthews, and M. Muller-Camen. 2019. Common good HRM: A paradigm shift in sustainable HRM? Human Resource Management Review 30 (3): 100705. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2019.100705.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baruch, Y., & Holtom, B. C. 2008. Survey response rate levels and trends in organizational research. Human relations, 61(8), 1139–1160.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brekke, K. A., & Nyborg, K. 2008. Attracting responsible employees: Green production as labor market screening. Resource and Energy Economics, 30(4), 509–526.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, E., S. Taylor, and M. Muller-Camen. 2012. HRM’s role in corporate social and environmental sustainability. SHRM Foundation’s Effective Practice Guidelines Series, North American Human Resource Management Association..

    Google Scholar 

  • Dumont, J., J. Shen, and X. Deng. 2017. Effects of green HRM practices on employee workplace green behavior: The role of psychological green climate and employee green values. Human Resource Management 56 (4): 613–627.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dutta, S. 2012. Paradigms for sustainable development: Implications of management theory. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management 19 (1): 1–10.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ehnert, I. 2009. Sustainable human resource management. A conceptual and exploratory analysis from a paradox perspective, Heidelberg.https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7908-2188-8.

  • Farooq, K., M.Y. Yusliza, Z. Muhammad, M.K. Omar, and N.H. Nik Mat. 2022. Employee ecological behavior among academicians at the workplace. Social Responsibility Journal. https://doi.org/10.1108/SRJ-04-2021-0147.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Florida, R., & Davison, D. 2001. Gaining from green management: environmental management systems inside and outside the factory. California management review, 43(3), 64–84.

    Google Scholar 

  • Foster, B., Z. Muhammad, M.Y. Yusliza, J. Noor Faezah, M.D. Johansyah, J.Y. Yong, and O. Fawehinmi. 2022. Determinants of pro-environmental behaviour in the workplace. Sustainability 14(8), 4420.

    Google Scholar 

  • Govindarajulu, N., and B.F. Daily. 2004. Motivating employees for environmental improvement. Industrial Management and Data Systems 104: 364–372. https://doi.org/10.1108/02635570410530775.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grolleau, G., Galochkin, I., & Sutan, A. 2012. Escaping the zero‐sum game of positional races. Kyklos, 65(4), 464–479.

    Google Scholar 

  • Haddock-Millar, J., C. Sanyal, and M. Müller-Camen. 2016. Green human resource management: A comparative qualitative case study of a United States multinational corporation. The International Journal of Human Resource Management 27 (2): 192–211.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hair, J.F., G.T.M. Hult, C.M. Ringle, and M. Sarstedt. 2014. A primer on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hartog, M., C. Morton, and M. Muller-Camen. 2008. Corporate social responsibility and sustainable HRM. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hu, M.K., C. Sun, Y. Liu, and Y. Zhang. 2022. Top management support and green human resource management practices in Chinese firms: The role of environmental awareness. Journal of Business Research 140: 325–334.

    Google Scholar 

  • Human Resource Management Institute. 2018. What is Green HRM? Retrieved from https://hrmi.org/green-hrm/.

  • iEduNote. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://iedunote.com/green-hrm.

  • Ingram, D. 2019. Chron. Retrieved from https://smallbusiness.chron.com/importance-ethics-human-resources-12780.html.

  • Jabbour, C.J.C., and F.C.A. Santos. 2008. Relationships between human resource dimensions and environmental management in companies: Proposal of a model. Journal of Cleaner Production 16 (1): 51–58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2006.07.025.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jackson, S.E., and J. Seo. 2010. The greening of strategic HRM scholarship. Organization Management Journal, 278–290.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kapil, K. 2015. Green HRM: trends & prospects. International Research Journal of Management Research, 1–28.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu, H., T. Chin, and D. Hu. 2018. The continuous mediating effects of GHRM on employees’ green passion via transformational leadership and green creativity. Sustainability 10 (9): 3237. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10093237.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lombardi, R., V. Carbone, and R. Faraci. 2022. The role of circular economy practices in green human resource management: Evidence from Italy. Journal of Cleaner Production 317: 128329.

    Google Scholar 

  • Malik, S.Y., Y. Cao, Y.H. Mughal, G.M. Kundi, M.H. Mughal, and T. Ramayah. 2020. Pathways towards sustainability in organizations: Empirical evidence on the role of green human resource management practices and green intellectual capital. Sustainability 12 (8): 3228. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12083228.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mariappanadar, S., I. Maurer, R. Kramar, and M. Muller-Camen. 2022. Is it a sententious claim? An examination of the quality of occupational health, safety and well-being disclosures in global reporting initiative reports across industries and countries. International Business Review 31 (2), 101922. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2021.101922.

  • Marhatta, S., & Adhikari, S. 2013. Green HRM and sustainability. International eJournal Of Ongoing Research in Management & IT, 2.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meng, K., N.H. Ahmad, M.Y. Yusliza, and N.N. Rimi. 2021. Organisational culture and green human resource management practices in Malaysian firms. Journal of Cleaner Production 298: 126707.

    Google Scholar 

  • Milliman, J. 2017. Best environmental HRM practices in the US. Greening People: Routledge.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Moulaert, F., and O. Ailenei. 2005. Social economy, third sector and solidarity relations: A conceptual synthesis from history to present. Urban Studies 42 (11): 2037–2053.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pfeffer, J. 2010. Building sustainable organizations: The human factor. Academy of Management Perspectives, 34–45.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ramus, C. A. (2001). Organizational support for employees: Encouraging creative ideas for environmental sustainability. California Management Review, 43(3), 85–105.

    Google Scholar 

  • Renwick, D.W.S. 2012. Green human resource management: a review and research agenda. International Journal of Management Reviews 15 (1): 1–14.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rubel, M.R.B., D.M.H. Kee, M.Y. Yusliza, and N.N. Rimi. 2023. Socially responsible HRM and environmental performance of hotel employees: The mediating effects of employee green knowledge sharing and environmental commitment. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management. IJCHM-01-2022-0098.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rubel, M.R.B., D.M.H. Kee, and N.N. Rimi. 2021a. The influence of green HRM practices on green service behaviors: The mediating effect of green knowledge sharing. Employee Relations 43 (1): 996–1015. https://doi.org/10.1108/ER-04-2020-0163.

  • Rubel, M.R.B., D.M.H. Kee, and N.N. Rimi. 2021b. Green HRM practices and supervisor pro-environmental behavior: The role of green work climate perceptions. Journal of Cleaner Production 313 (1): 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.127669.

  • Saeed, B.B., B. Afsar, S. Hafeez, I. Khan, M. Tahir, and M.A. Afridi. 2019. Promoting employee’s pro-environmental behavior through green human resource management practices. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management 26 (2): 424–438.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shen, J. 2016. Employees’ perceptions of green hrm and non-green employee work outcomes: The social identity and stakeholder perspectives. Group & Organization Management, 594–622.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shen, J., Dumont, J., & Deng, X. 2019. Green human resource management in Chinese enterprises. Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh, M., M. Rao, and N. Rangarajan. 2021. Solidarity economy in promoting green human resource management practices: A conceptual framework. Journal of Cleaner Production 279: 123691.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stahl, G.K., C.J. Brewster, D.G. Collings, and A. Hajro. 2020. Enhancing the role of human resource management in corporate sustainability and social responsibility: A multi-stakeholder, multidimensional approach to HRM. Human Resource Management Review 30(3), 100708. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2019.100708.

  • Sudin, S. 2011. Strategic green HRM: A proposed model that supports corporate environmental citizenship. International Conference on Sociality and Economics Development, IPEDR 10: 79–83.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tang, Jiang, Chen, Paille, & Jia. 2018. Green human resource management practices: scale development and validity. Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, 31–55.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wehrmeyer, W. (Ed.). 2017. Greening people: Human resources and environmental management. Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ye, X., S. Cai, X. Li, and Z. Wang. 2022. How and when top management green commitment facilitates employees green behavior: a multilevel moderated mediation model. Chinese Management Studies.https://doi.org/10.1108/cms-11-2021-0493.

  • Yong, J.Y., M.Y, Yusliza, T. Ramayah, C.J.C. Jabbour, S. Sehnem, and V. Mani. 2020. Pathways towards sustainability in manufacturing organizations: Empirical evidence on the role of green human resource management. Business Strategy and the Environment 29 (1): 212–228. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.2359.

  • Zoogah, D.B. 2011. The dynamics of green HRM behaviors: A cognitive social information processing approach. German Journal of Human Resource Management 117–139.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to express their sincere gratitude for the invaluable contributions made by Nitin Chhalani, Mehrangez Rajabova, Saivinith Peddi, Hyeona Kwak, and Dohyun Kim (S P Jain School of Global Management Dubai, Mumbai, Singapore, and Sydney). Their unwavering support and involvement throughout the research process have been instrumental in completing this study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. SP Jain School of Global Management Dubai, Mumbai, Singapore, Sydney, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    Nitin Patwa

  2. School of Management, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800, Penang, Malaysia

    Daisy Mui Hung Kee

Authors
  1. Nitin Patwa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Daisy Mui Hung Kee
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nitin Patwa .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty Business, Economics and Social Development, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia

    M. Y. Yusliza

  2. Nottingham Business School, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK

    D.W.S. Renwick

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2024 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Patwa, N., Kee, D.M.H. (2024). Sustainability Starts with HR: Exploring Green HRM Practices in the UAE. In: Yusliza, M.Y., Renwick, D. (eds) Green Human Resource Management. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-7104-6_12

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation