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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 11, No. 2.2
Publication Date: February 25, 2024
DOI:10.14738/assrj.112.2.16433.
Annisa, S. T., Abdul Rahim, R., Salleh, S. M., Zainal, N. Z., & Md Sari, N. A. (2024). A Conceptual Analysis of Green Human Resource
Management, Green Organizational Culture, and Employee Green Behavior Towards Environmental Performance. Advances in
Social Sciences Research Journal, 11(2.2). 422-436.
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
A Conceptual Analysis of Green Human Resource Management,
Green Organizational Culture, and Employee Green Behavior
Towards Environmental Performance
Sofina Tri Annisa
Department of Postgraduate and Professional Studies, Faculty of Business
and Management, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia
Ramita Abdul Rahim
*Corresponding Author: ramita@uitm.edu.my
Department of Technology and Supply Chain Management Studies, Faculty of
Business and Management, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia and
Institute of Continuing Education & Professional Studies (iCEPS) Level 2,
UiTM-MTDC Technopreneur Centre, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) 40450
Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
Sazimah Mohamed Salleh
Department of Technology and Supply Chain Management Studies, Faculty
of Business and Management, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia
Noor Zalina Zainal
Department of Technology and Supply Chain Management Studies, Faculty
of Business and Management, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia
Nor Afni Md Sari
Department of Technology and Supply Chain Management Studies, Faculty
of Business and Management, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia
ABSTRACT
This research addresses a critical gap in the existing literature on green human
resource management (GHRM) practices and their influence on a firm's
environmental performance. While scholars have demonstrated the positive
correlation between GHRM practices and environmental outcomes, there remains
a dearth of studies explicating the mediating roles played by green organizational
culture and employee green behavior in this relationship. By proposing a
comprehensive conceptualization of environmental performance, this study aims
to unravel the intricate mechanisms through which GHRM practices exert their
impact. The framework introduced not only bridges the existing gap in GHRM
literature but also serves as a foundation for understanding the interconnected
dynamics between GHRM, green organizational culture, employee behavior, and
environmental performance. This conceptual research offers valuable insights that
extend beyond theoretical considerations, providing practical implications for
fostering sustainable practices, particularly in the context of emerging economies.
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Annisa, S. T., Abdul Rahim, R., Salleh, S. M., Zainal, N. Z., & Md Sari, N. A. (2024). A Conceptual Analysis of Green Human Resource Management,
Green Organizational Culture, and Employee Green Behavior Towards Environmental Performance. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal,
11(2.2). 422-436.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.112.2.16433
It aligns economic goals with environmental objectives, thereby contributing to a
holistic understanding of the interplay between human resource practices and
environmental sustainability.
Keywords: Green Human Resource Management, Environmental Performance, Green
Organizational Culture, Employee Green Behaviour
INTRODUCTION
The protection of the environment has been a crucial problem globally during the past few
decades [2]. Firms have been pushed to adapt and encourage environmentally responsible
activities because of numerous demands from shareholders [2]. An organization's
environmental performance demonstrates how seriously it takes environmental protection.
The environmental performance of a company is measured using a set of metrics, including
waste minimization, recycling, minimal environmental releases, and pollution control [2].
Nearly every industry has recently adopted environmental protection policies, which have
shown to increase company performance through efficient waste management and prompt
disposal of hazardous materials [2]. Usually, this is caused by the worldwide awakening forcing
organizations to be environmentally responsible [2]. Stakeholder demand to lessen the
environmental impact of corporate operations has increased recently [7]. As a result, to align
with this demand, firms must adopt environmental values to fulfil their economic objectives as
well as build environmental management systems to assess their social performance [7].
Manufacturing companies who have worked to reduce their industrial waste have seen an
improvement in their overall performance [1], [7]. The hospitality sector, including hotels, also
sees lower operational costs and improved environmental performance as a result of efforts to
cut waste, educate clients and staff, and preserve energy [7]. The organization's dedication to
safeguarding the environment and designing its operations in a way that is in line with
established standards of environmental care is known as environmental performance [13].
Additionally, [14] asserts that when discussing individual motivations for eco-friendly conduct,
it is a systematic mistake to believe "that once people know what they should do and why they
should do it, they will immediately know how to continue". The ability of the workforce to act
in an environmentally responsible manner affects environmental performance [15]. The
"human dimension" is crucial for the adoption and implementation of cleaner manufacturing
[16], as improvements in environmental performance are unlikely to occur if employees lack
commitment [17].
Sustainability and sustainable development have been important academic topics in recent
years [19]. By adopting numerous organizational processes to support sustainable
development and employee green behaviour for establishing sustainable practices in the
environment, the research was orientated with a preference toward enterprises using green
practices [19]. Development of employee green behaviour in connection with the enhancement
of environmental performance led to the emergence of green human resource management as
a new sustainable approach. Employee green behaviour requires the support of managers who
act as enablers ensuring the achievement of sustainable goals [19]. The Environmental
Performance Index (EPI) is a thorough approach for profiling environmental performance that
ranks how well nations perform on high-priority environmental concerns like safeguarding
ecosystems and protecting people's health from environmental hazards [23]. The EPI seeks to
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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol. 11, Issue 2.2, February-2024
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
provide a national index of environmental problems and resource management. 180 nations'
environmental performance can be compared, examined, and understood using the 2022 EPI
as a quantitative basis. Using the most current year of data available, EPI rates and ranks these
nations based on their environmental performance. Malaysia, however, came up at number 130
out of 180 nations [23]. Additionally, when compared to its peers, Malaysia received the lowest
score for issue performance category [23] showed in figure 1.
Figure 1: Index of Issue Performance
Source: [24]
Regardless of the 2022 EPI results, the disparity in economic freedom between Malaysia and
other comparison nations is widening. Economic freedom itself provides a proven formula for
economic progress and success [24]. Malaysia’s economic freedom score is 68.1, making its
economy the 42nd freest in the 2022 Index. Malaysia is ranked 8th among 39 countries in the
Asia–Pacific region, and its overall score is above the regional and world averages. Economic
freedom ranked by Miller et al. [24] are grouped into four broad categories and one of them is
business freedom. Business freedom refers to the ability of an individual to establish and run a
business without undue state interference. As a result, it is one of the most important indicators
of economic freedom. Figure 2 shows index of business freedom of Malaysia compared with
other countries.
Figure 2: Index of Business Freedom
Source: [24]
46.5
46.3
43.6
42.7
42.4
40.9
38.1
37.7
37.5
35
0 10 20 30 40 50
ISSUE PERFORMANCE
Malaysia Russia Nicaragua Thailand Paraguay
Kuwait Moldova Brazil Costa Rica Ecuador
60.3
66
63.2
64.2
55.4
65.4
63.4
53.8
62.5
67.1
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
BUSINESS FREEDOM
Malaysia Russia Nicaragua Thailand Paraguay
Kuwait Moldova Brazil Costa Rica Ecuador