Green HRM Practices and Sustainable Performance: The Mediating Role of Employee Green Behavior

Abstract

The paper is an exploration of the connection between Green Human Resource Management (GHRM) practices and sustainable performance and whether the connection between these two is mediated by employee green behavior (EGB). The paper is based on the Ability-Motivation-Opportunity (AMO) theory and the Social Exchange Theory (SET) and aims to suggest that HR systems should integrate sustainability into the routine business processes by shaping the green competencies of the employees, encouraging their motivation to act eco-friendly, and presenting them with opportunities to be involved in the green projects. It involved a quantitative, explanatory survey design, data collection from full-time employees in manufacturing and service organizations, and structural equation modeling as the analysis tool. The findings have shown that GHRM practices have a positive correlation with sustainable performance, based on the triple bottom line (environmental, social and economic outcomes). GHRM has a positive impact on EGB, and EGB significantly predicts sustainable performance. Mediation analysis supports the claim that EGB partially moderates the relationship between GHRM and sustainable performance, and that employee behavior is one of the main mechanisms through which HR practices are translated into sustainability outcomes. The study is significant because it helps understand the behavioral pathway the GHRM has on overall sustainable performance and provides practical recommendations for shaping HR policies that reinforce day-to-day sustainability implementation.

Keywords: Green HRM, Employee Green Behavior, Sustainable Performance, AMO Theory, Social Exchange Theory, Triple Bottom Line, Mediation