Sustainable HRM in International Business: A Research Agenda for Inequality and the SDGs

PurposeThis special issue explores the relationship between sustainable human resource (HR) management (HRM) and organizational performance. It introduces new definitions, theoretical frameworks and practical implications. The issue highlights the significance of sustainable HRM in navigating tensions between social, environmental and economic objectives and examines how HRM can contribute to fostering more innovative and sustainable workplaces.Design/methodology/approachThrough a combination of literature reviews, conceptual papers and empirical studies, this issue contributes to the understanding of how sustainable HRM practices can effectively support sustainability and organizational performance. It integrates insights from diverse geographical regions – including Asia, Oceania, Africa, the Middle East, North America and Europe – and examines various industries such as hospitality, ICT, local government and SMEs. Additionally, it introduces a new definition of sustainable HRM and the 5E conceptual framework, which helps navigate tensions between efficiency, equity, ethics, engagement and environmental sustainability.FindingsThe articles in this issue collectively argue that sustainable HRM extends beyond traditional HR functions to play a transformative role in organizational strategy. We propose a reconceptualization of sustainable HRM as an integrated approach that fosters sustainable employment relationships, enhances stakeholder collaboration and aligns HR practices with broader sustainability goals and the common good.Practical implicationsThe insights presented in this issue have significant implications for HRM professionals, business leaders and policymakers. The proposed frameworks and strategies emphasize the need for HRM to move beyond a performance-driven focus to actively contribute to low-carbon, sustainability transitions. By implementing sustainable HRM practices, organizations can foster innovation and long-term value creation for both businesses and society.Originality/valueThis special issue advances our understanding of how HRM operates at the intersection of organizational performance and sustainability. It expands the scope of stakeholders considered in sustainable HRM, the importance of respecting the limits of ecosystem sustainability and the transformative impact of technology in shaping HR strategies. Additionally, it emphasizes social sustainability by exploring how HRM can foster sustainable employment relationships and enhance worker well-being. The issue offers a critical and reflective perspective on the role of HRM in addressing contemporary global challenges.

PurposeOver time, sustainability and human resource management (HRM) have become inseparable. The duo involves applying the multifaceted idea of sustainability and the United Nations' (UN) sustainable development goals (SDGs) to people and work organizations. Lately, green human resource management (GHRM) has emerged as a distinct area to explore organizational initiatives, aimed at sustainable practices. Despite the potential growth of literature in specified domains, there is a dearth of studies focused on synthesizing the literature from sustainability and organizational performance views. The present study aims to review and synthesize extant literature on sustainable and green HRM and their role in organizational performance and propose a future research agenda.Design/methodology/approachThe present study is based on the review of 65 articles on sustainable and green HRM. Scientific Procedures and Rationales for Systematic Literature Review (SPAR-4-SLR) and theory, characteristics, context and methodology (TCCM) framework have been applied to synthesize the results. Scopus is used as a major database for retrieving the articles. The publications for this research are selected using CABS ranking (4*, 4 and 3) as the criterion.FindingsApplication of the TCCM framework and synthesis of the literature revealed that the introduction of SDGs and emphasis on sustainability has reinvigorated research interest in sustainable HRM and tremendous research being published post-SDGs adoption. GHRM plays an important role in affecting organizational performance The results also revealed the widespread use of resource-based perspective, social identity theory, A-M-O and social exchange theory. Additionally, the quantitative approach has been largely employed for GHRM research. Future research can be undertaken by employing a qualitative approach as current literature due to the dearth of qualitative approaches in contemporary literature.Practical implicationsThis study advances the body of knowledge by offering a unified conceptual framework and surfaces the latest trends and future directions in this domain. A conceptual framework can be empirically tested in future studies. The study identifies antecedents, moderators, mediators and outcomes of GHRM. The application of these variables can practically help in achieving sustainability and organizational effectiveness. It can further align organizational efforts toward the achievement of sustainable development goals. The concept establishes the role of GHRM in organizational performance.Originality/valueDespite the growing literature in the domain of GHRM, knowledge remains diverse and piecemeal. Anchored by several theoretical lenses, the concept of GHRM is a fragmented phenomenon. As a result, this Systematic Literature Review (SLR) is critical in identifying gaps and bringing to light various theories that can enhance the domain's theoretical lens. The role of antecedents, moderators and mediators of GHRM in affecting organizational performance has been established. Furthermore, by synthesizing the methods used to get authentic and robust results, the piece of research will serve as a guide for future researchers.

Over the past two decades, sustainable human resource management (sustainable HRM) has emerged as a new approach to human resource management. Sustainable HRM takes a stakeholder-inclusive perspective to ensure the sustainable development of organizations along multiple objectives (financial, social, environmental, and organizational). Human resource (HR) managers are key actors in sustainable HRM implementation. However, how these important stakeholders perceive sustainable HRM remains understudied in the growing literature. This qualitative study explores how 32 HR managers in Italy construct the meaning of sustainable HRM and perceive their roles in and the barriers to implementing a sustainable HRM strategy. The findings reveal that Italian HR managers interpret sustainable HRM in line with the triple bottom line sustainability framework but give particular prominence to the social dimension. We develop a framework of HR managers’ roles in the sustainable HRM paradigm comprising sustainability strategy owners, social innovators, corporate social responsibility (CSR) partnership architects, genuine employee champions, and administrative experts. Additionally, we develop a model of the barriers to sustainable HRM adoption. This study advances the sustainable HRM literature by providing a contextualized, country-specific understanding of sustainable HRM and frameworks for the roles of HR managers under a sustainable HRM paradigm and the barriers to its adoption.

As sustainability becomes an increasingly important element in global business, sustainable human resource management (sustainable HRM) has received attention from both researchers and practitioners. Key focuses of this area include how HRM systems can be sustainable and how HRM can promote organizational sustainability. However, the work on sustainable HRM is still in its early phase. There is no clear and consensual definition of sustainable HRM. The effectiveness of sustainable HRM practices is uncertain. Little is known about the antecedents of sustainable HRM. Therefore, this chapter aims to provide a brief review of the state-of-the-art and offer some future directions in this emerging area, with special attention to the relationship between sustainable HRM and innovation.KeywordsSustainabilitySustainable human resource management and innovation

Purpose This study aims to examine how Sustainable Human Resource Management (SHRM) is changing and how it affects businesses in different sectors. This review analyzes how SHRM incorporates environmental, social, and economic sustainability into workforce management by drawing insights from key influential studies. It highlights important trends like data-driven decision-making, corporate social responsibility (CSR), green human resource management (HRM) and sustainable leadership. Design/methodology/approach Using a systematic literature review approach, this paper examines recent studies on SHRM in a variety of industries, including as small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), health care, construction and tourism. This study looks at how businesses apply sustainability ideas to HRM procedures and how these adjustments affect sustainability and company performance. Findings The results demonstrate how SHRM practices influence organizational efficiency and long-term sustainability. Green HRM policies like environmentally friendly recruitment, the use of sustainability training and environmentally sustainable employee engagement practices indicate positive transformation. At the same time, SHRM is paramount to CSR, ethical employment practices and leadership policies oriented toward sustainable development. The focus of this research has also shown the impact of SHRM on sustainability reporting and how decision-making can be enhanced through the use of business intelligence tools. Moreover, sustainable initiatives to foster tourism, as well as innovations in health care or other SMEs, are possible through SHRM. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is among the first to systematically examine the evolving role of SHRM across multiple industries. By synthesizing insights from ten key studies, it provides a comprehensive framework for understanding how SHRM integrates sustainability principles into workforce management. This research offers valuable insights for academics and practitioners on the impact of SHRM on corporate sustainability, ethical employment and organizational innovation.

This manuscript presents a systematic review of “sustainable human resource management” (HRM), highlighting its major themes and the evolution and tendencies observed in this field. It contributes to the development of this relatively new topic, offering a critical evaluation and identifying the highest impact research strands. The Web of Science database returned 111 documents spanning the period 1997–2018, and a conceptual science mapping analysis based on co‐word bibliographic networks was developed, using SciMAT as an analytical tool. The motor themes (well developed and important for the structure of the discipline) in the field of sustainable HRM are environmental management, socially responsible HRM, and turnover. Employee engagement is a specialised theme (well developed but less important for the structure of the research field), human resource practices is a basic or transversal theme (important for the discipline but not developed), and sustainable leadership and environmental performance are emerging themes (both weakly developed and marginal to the field).

PurposeThis paper investigates the interactional relationships between sustainable human resource management (SHRM) and organizational performance (OP). Sustainable HRM is an approach that links HRM and sustainability. These studies focused on integrating HR with sustainable developments, such as economic and social aspects, in favour of focusing on the environmental aspect. Organizational change is an ongoing process that has to be managed effectively to keep the change in place for a long time.Design/methodology/approachA framework was offered to estimate the cause-and-effect relation of the SHRM and OP factors. Data is gathered from professionals from various pharmaceutical industries. This study applied two methods, Fuzzy AHP and DEMATEL Type II. These techniques are used to understand the cause-and-effect factors and their interactions.FindingsIt was observed from the findings that the factor of SHRM, such as Social Justice (F2), Green Job Design (F5), Green Training (F6) and Implementation of Green Policy (F8), was the most critical for the pharmaceutical sector that effects Financial performance (F13), Customer Satisfaction (F15) and Market performance (F14). Pharmaceutical firms ought to coordinate public health advocacy efforts, engage in healthcare initiatives and provide financial support for environmentally friendly efforts that improve social and economic conditions.Practical implicationsFor this sustainability, managers concentrate on creating an environment that is healthy and acceptable, and they work hard to mitigate the impact of natural factors and repair damage done to the environment; it is essential to move towards sustainable development to resolve environmental problems. Improving HR efficiency is among essential HRM responsibilities, as they expand the knowledge base of the workforce, enhance human capital, and eventually create valuable intangible assets and promote and encourage sustainable pharmaceutical products for some years.Originality/valueThis research paper has presented exclusive worth to the SHRM and organizational performance literature as it employs fuzzy FAHP and DEMATEL type 2. There is less research on SHRM in the pharmaceutical sector with these factors. In addition, FAHP and TYPE 2 DEMATEL are used in very few researches on SHRM approaches.

Shaped by the current turbulent era of macroeconomic forces, inclusive of the technological challenges of Industry 4.0, and ubiquitous uncertainties, the business environment and its stakeholders hold high expectations for sustainable organizational practices, including harmonized and comprehensible sustainability reporting. Increasingly, responsible behavior towards internal stakeholders comes from within organizations, valuing employees as a key asset and introducing sustainable human resource management (S-HRM) practices to motivate their workforce. Reporting on these S-HRM practices and sustainability is in the highest interests of managers and investors alike. Focusing on the involved parties, employees most particularly, the paper contributes to the stakeholder theory. The literature review, previous S-HRM studies’ interpretation and their critical assessment, the GRI standards’ comparative analysis, and Lawshe’s content validity approach have been applied as the methodological framework. With the purpose to extend the scientific literature on S-HRM and its reporting, the authors aim to close the gap between purely theoretical S-HRM treaties and more practically oriented studies on reporting. The findings on the key areas of S-HRM practices give rise to the S-HRM Practices Model, the main goal of this study. This comprehensible model may serve as a harmonized instrument for sustainable HRM reporting analysis and auditing for academia and practitioners alike.

In the current competitive business environment, organisations are required to continuously adapt their strategies to respond to economic, social and environmental challenges. The emergence of Sustainable Human Resource Management (SHRM) is being used as a vital instrument by organisations to achieve sustainable organisational performance (economic, social and environmental) which has become a key area of concern. Hence, the objective of this systematic literature review was to analyse the relationship between SHRM and sustainable organisational performance. A total of 77 research articles on SHRM and sustainable organisational performance were extracted from scopus and google scholar and analysed. The study has therefore shed light on the trends of these two key areas and identified future avenues for research. This chapter has proposed a conceptual framework by integrating sustainable employee performance and sustainable competitive advantage as mediators and examine how SHRM and sustainable organisational performance can help to achieve sustainable tourism.

Background/problem: The reliance on tourism in The Gambia, was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and revealed critical vulnerabilities in organizational sustainability. While sustainable human resource management (SHRM) aligns human resource (HR) practices with long-term goals, limited research explores its human-centered outcomes. This study addresses the gap in HR management research on the human and social dimensions of sustainability, focusing on how proactive HR functions and organizational agility contribute to SHRM in resource-constrained contexts like The Gambia. Objective/purpose: This research aimed to evaluate the influence of proactive HR functions on SHRM during the COVID-19, with a particular focus on examining the mediating role of organizational agility. Design and Methodology: This study adopted a quantitative approach, utilizing data from 222 directors and managers of private businesses in The Gambia, and applied structural equation modeling for hypotheses testing. Results: The results reveal that proactive HR function has a significant direct effect on sustainable HRM (β = .14, p < .001) and organizational agility (β = .54, p < .001). Additionally, organizational agility demonstrates a strong and significant direct relationship with sustainable HRM (β = .54, p < .001). Furthermore, proactive human resources function indirectly influences sustainable HRM through the mediation of organizational agility (β = .40, p < .001). Conclusion and Implications: This study highlights the critical role of proactive HR functions in fostering SHRM and organizational agility. By integrating resource-based theory, social cognitive theory, and organizational development principles, it is recommended that proactive strategies need to optimize resources, enhance employee behavior, and cultivate adaptability. Hence, this provides insights for building resilient and sustainable organizations.

PurposeThis study aims to systematically review sustainable human resource management (HRM) research with the aim of establishing its research themes, methods and contextual focus to develop a better understanding of the state of the field and the gaps in the research, as well as to propose a future research agenda.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses a systematic literature review method that involves the use of 122 studies from six reputable databases covering January 2003 to March 2020.FindingsThere is an over-concentration on the ecological perspective of sustainable HRM and managers dominate the examined population. Moreover, there are geographical imbalances in sustainable HRM research. More so, the idea of bundling sustainable HRM practices together has received scanty research attention relative to the individual sustainable HRM best practices. Consequently, from a strategic HRM perspective, the authors highlight various ways to bundle sustainable HRM practices together. Also, the authors suggest that the ability-motivation-opportunity enhancing (AMO) theory’s perspective provides particularly useful means for this investigation. Furthermore, the findings suggest that sustainable HRM can influence organisations to become more competitive and effective in their quests to ensure economic prosperity, social well-being and ecological outcomes for their stakeholders.Practical implicationsThe evidence reveals that there are significant gaps in the literature on the topic and confirms that the field is still at its developmental stage. Hence, there is a need for more rigorous research on the topic to help develop a better understanding of this new field.Originality/valueThis study contributes by providing the first comprehensive review of sustainable HRM themes, methods and contextual focus and by proposing future research agenda. It, therefore, offers a valuable point of departure for those moving into the sustainable HRM domain, as well as valuable insights for those already working in this space.

Sustainable human resource management and employee performance: A conceptual framework and research agenda

This empirical investigation investigates the strategic incorporation of environmental leadership development and training in green skills within sustainable human resource management (Sustainable Human Resource Management (SHRM)) frameworks, addressing a significant gap in contemporary organizational development literature. This study develops and validates a comprehensive implementation framework for environmental leadership programs and training in green skills initiatives through a rigorous mixed-method research design, incorporating quantitative data from 250 organizations and qualitative insights from 25 sustainability leaders. This study investigates the strategic integration of environmental leadership development and green skills training within Sustainable Human Resource Management (SHRM) frameworks. Through a mixed-methods approach, we developed and validated a comprehensive implementation framework. Our findings reveal a significant correlation between integrated environmental leadership programs and enhanced organizational performance, leading to improved ecological performance and employee engagement. We propose the Environmental Leadership and Green Skills Integration (ELGSI) Model, a novel framework to guide organizations in developing environmental capabilities. This research contributes to the theoretical understanding and practical application of SHRM, offering evidence-based guidelines for practitioners. Keywords : Sustainable HRM, Environmental Leadership, Green Skills, Corporate Sustainability, Leadership Development.

This perspective explores the integration of strategic human resource management (strategic HRM) and sustainable human resource management (sustainable HRM) as a dual strategy for organizational competitive advantage. Strategic HRM focuses on aligning HR policies with business goals to maximize employee engagement, innovation, and productivity, thereby enhancing organizational performance. Key strategic HRM practices include performance management, talent development, and fostering a cohesive company culture that values inclusivity and adaptability. However, strategic HRM’s strategic focus often prioritizes immediate organizational needs over long-term societal concerns. In contrast, sustainable HRM emphasizes a broader, long-term perspective, addressing economic, social, and environmental impacts. This approach integrates multi-stakeholder engagement, ethical practices, and a commitment to societal well-being, thus ensuring the organization’s resilience and sustainability. The research highlights the evolving nature of HRM, noting that the contemporary business landscape requires organizations to balance financial success with social responsibility and environmental stewardship. The findings underscore the complementary nature of strategic HRM and sustainable HRM. While strategic HRM drives performance and competitive advantage, sustainable HRM ensures ethical governance and societal impact. Implementing both approaches enhances organizational adaptability, employee satisfaction, and long-term success. This paper concludes with strategic recommendations for HR leaders, emphasizing the need for strategic alignment, stakeholder engagement, and flexible HR practices that promote both organizational excellence and sustainability.

Retrenchment and downsizing has not been an effective cost efficient strategy. On contrary many organisations have lost their valuable HR asset and community and government is left with handling aftermath of retrenchment and downsizing. Decline in rate of population growth in many developed countries poses a major HR supply threat to organisations. But organisations HR waste their HR by construing that HR supply is readily available in community because it is gift of Mother Nature. Using Sustainable Human Resource Management (Sustainable HRM) framework, this study attempts to explain HR as a scarce resource and how retrenchment cause damages to social and emotional web of community and depletes HR supply. Sustainable H RM is defined as the management of HR to meet needs of company and community of present without compromising ability to meet needs of future. Sustainable HRM is a theoretical framework, which highlights direct and indirect effects of downsizing or retrenchment on community, government and eventually organisation too. Sustainable HRM explores benefit of HR conservation in understanding HR asset and how this can be used in retrenchment and downsizing strategies.