Abstract
Orientation: In the 21st century, human resource (HR) practitioners are expected to be agile, transformative and environmentally conscious. HR operations are required to be aligned with the current environmental trends to ensure business sustainability and profitability.Research purpose: The aim of this study is to determine whether the implementation of green human resource management (HRM) practices in organisations is a priority or not, and also to investigate the perceptions of HR practitioners on the implementation of green HRM in organisations.Motivation for the study: Although green HRM studies have been conducted on various continents, there is a paucity of information on green HRM on the African continent. The researcher was motivated to investigate the status of green HRM in the African context considering socio-economic development challenges and other pressing priorities that developing African countries and organisations are facing.Research design, approach and method: Qualitative research method was employed in the study. Twenty human resource managers and senior practitioners from higher education institutions formed the population interviewed. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data collected.Main findings: Results revealed that the majority of HR practitioners have a perception that greening activities should not be in a list of priorities for the HR division. The results also revealed that HR practitioners are not experts on greening issues and that there were no green HR policies in the institutions surveyed. As a result, the HR division plays little to no role in greening initiatives within the institutions.Practical/managerial implications: Information from the study can be used to advise managers and HR policymakers on the importance of infusing an environmental sustainability concept in HR policies, and also on how green HRM can be implemented effectively within organisations.Contribution/value-add: This study extends green HRM discourse by investigating the importance of green HRM implementation in an African institution.
Highlights
South Africa, known as a rainbow nation to its beloved people, is a beautiful and colourful land of many contrasts, with a mix of both developed and developing world characteristics
The key reasons they stated were that human resource (HR) division is overwhelmed with too much responsibility and HR practitioners are not experts in environmental sustainability
This investigation has focused on probing the role, commitment and contribution of the HR division in the bigger movement of curbing ecological degradation and using natural resources efficiently to ensure green and sustainable organisations
Summary
South Africa, known as a rainbow nation to its beloved people, is a beautiful and colourful land of many contrasts, with a mix of both developed and developing world characteristics. It is a country where green and beautiful jungles with wild animals coexist in close proximity with modern cities and where the protection of the environment by government, industry and citizens is hailed in the constitution and in different sector policies and legislation. The country in the last decade has seen both government and private industries trying to play a role towards greening efforts within and outside their organisations. In the 21st century, HR practitioners need to be agile, transformative and align themselves with the current trends to ensure http://www.actacommercii.co.za
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