Prioritizing Green HRM practices from policymaker’s perspective

Abstract

PurposeThis study aims to identify and prioritize Green human resource management (GHRM) practices from the policymaker’s perspective in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based manufacturing and service sectors to facilitate sustainable environmental performance.Design/methodology/approachDrawing upon the ability–motivation–opportunity (AMO) and corporate environmentalism theory, this study uses the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), a multi-criteria decision-making model, to rank the most influential enablers of GHRM practices. Data were collected from 24 C-suite executives of UAE-based manufacturing and service units.FindingsTop management orientation for Green, Green organizational culture and Green corporate strategic planning were the most critical enablers that promote GHRM practices in the UAE’s manufacturing and service firms. Past research has mostly overlooked the strategic variables and focused only on organizational level antecedents based on HR bundles of practices.Research limitations/implicationsData were collected only from UAE firms, hence limiting its generalizability. The study shall help organizations operating in emerging countries adopt the best GHRM practices toward Green goal agendas.Originality/valueThis research provides an AHP framework that can be used to conceptualize and prioritize GHRM practices, which aids in a firm’s Green decision-making and transition toward sustainable Green growth. This study furthers understanding of GHRM practices play out at the various levels-of-analysis within organizations to present a comprehensive paucity of integrative and multi-level studies over recent years. The study may be relevant for other organizations in other national contexts with similar governance homogeneity.