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Sustainable Human Resource Management: Putting People in the Center
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Sustainable Human Resource Management: Putting People in the Center

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Economic and Business Aspects of Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2020) | Viewed by 51067

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Vicente Roca-Puig

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Business Administration and Marketing, Universitat Jaume I, Castellón, Spain
Interests: sustainable organizations, human resource management, society-business link; quality management; innovation management

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Human resource management (HRM) practices and social aspects of sustainability are critical in creating a sustainable organization and helping to usher in more advanced environmental practices, such as green supply chains, sustainable product development, and the implementation of environmental management systems (Jabbour and Santos, 2008; Roca-Puig, 2019). While much research has focused on sustainability to examine the environmental impact of business activity or to analyze the effects of sustainable practices on a company’s balance sheet, few studies have reflected on what sustainability means when dealing with people. The relevance of HRM in developing a sustainable organization has often been marginalized. However, taking sustainability seriously as a business strategy sooner or later brings us to HRM (Ehnert et al., 2014). To redress this imbalance, this Special Issue aims to emphasize the importance of the human or social dimension within organizations in the field of sustainability research, with a particular focus on the sustainable HRM literature.

Sustainable HRM is a broad field of research that seeks to connect HRM and sustainability, and many different definitions (e.g., socially responsible HRM, green HRM, sustainable work systems), levels of analysis (individuals, organization, and society) and time perspectives (short and long term) have been used to explore this relationship (Kramar, 2014, Macke and Genari, 2019; Stankevičiūtė and Savanevičienė, 2018). For example, sustainable HRM could be defined as “the pattern of planned or emerging HR strategies and practices intended to enable the achievement of financial, social and ecological goals while simultaneously reproducing the HR base over a long term. It seeks to minimise the negative impacts on the natural environment and on people and communities and acknowledges the critical enabling role of CEOs, middle and line managers, HRM professionals and employees in providing messages which are distinctive, consistent and reflect consensus among decision-makers.” (Kramar, 2014; p. 1084). In the same paper, Kramar (2014) distinguishes three categories of studies within this discipline: Capability reproduction, promoting social and environmental health, and connections. More recently, based on the work of Kramar (2014) and following a systematic review of the sustainable HRM literature, Macke and Genari (2019) identified four categories––sustainable leadership, environmental dimension, economic dimension, and social dimension––concluding that sustainable HRM is an innovative and emerging field of study which requires further research.

This monograph adopts an eclectic approach covering all the above categories in an endeavor to gather recent research, both theoretical and empirical, that identifies current trends and new challenges in the sustainable HRM field. We invite authors to submit original contributions with a solid theoretical grounding and analysis of empirical data (qualitative or quantitative) in an attempt to shed light on the following specific topics of possible interest (this list is not exhaustive):

  1. Antecedents and/or effects of sustainable HRM practices;
  2. The process of implementing sustainable HRM;
  3. The role of HRM in designing sustainable business models;
  4. Sustainable HRM in different contexts;
  5. Employees’ perceptions of corporate social responsibility;
  6. Measures of sustainable HRM;
  7. Business ethics and sustainable HRM;
  8. Integrating HRM in environmental management systems;
  9. Sustainable innovation and sustainable HRM.

References:

Ehnert I.; Harry W.; Zink K.J. Sustainability and Human Resource Management. CSR, Sustainability, Ethics & Governance. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg, 2014.

Jabbour, C.J.; Santos, F.C. The central role of human resource management in the search for sustainable organizations. International Journal of Human Resource Management 2008, 19, 2133-2154.

Kramar, R. Beyond strategic human resource management: Is sustainable human resource management the next approach? International Journal of Human Resource Management 2014, 25, 1069-1089.

Macke, J.; Genari, D. Systematic literature review on sustainable human resource management. Journal of Cleaner Production 2019, 208, 806-815.

Roca-Puig, V. The circular path of social sustainability: An empirical analysis. Journal of Cleaner Production 2019, 212, 916-924.

Stankevičiūtė, Ž.; Savanevičienė, A. Designing sustainable HRM: The core characteristics of emerging field. Sustainability 2018, 10, 4798.

Dr. Vicente Roca-Puig
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Human Resources Management
  • Sustainable HRM
  • Sustainable HRM Practices
  • Sustainable Business Models

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 1330 KiB  
Article
The Symbiotic Bond of Income Equality and Organizational Equilibrium
by Vicente Roca-Puig
Sustainability 2020, 12(21), 9267; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12219267 - 8 Nov 2020
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2738
Abstract
The corporate sustainability literature postulates that companies are social entities that constantly interact with the society in which they are located. Although this idea is generally accepted, one persistent research gap in this field relates to testing this connection through quantitative empirical studies. [...] Read more.
The corporate sustainability literature postulates that companies are social entities that constantly interact with the society in which they are located. Although this idea is generally accepted, one persistent research gap in this field relates to testing this connection through quantitative empirical studies. In this study, we shed light on the bidirectional relationship between income inequality and organizational equilibrium (i.e., balance in the employment relationship). From data on 2525 companies covering a nine-year period and using longitudinal structural equation modeling, findings demonstrate that equity in the distribution of resources among people in a society positively influences equity in the distribution of resources between employer and employees, and vice versa. A symbiotic union of mutual benefit between society and business is, therefore, developed over time. Theoretical and practical implications of our findings are presented. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Human Resource Management: Putting People in the Center)
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14 pages, 733 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Corporate Social Responsibility on Employees’ Organizational Citizenship Behavior: A Moderated Mediation Model of Grit and Meaning Orientation
by Jinsoo Choi, Young Woo Sohn and Suran Lee
Sustainability 2020, 12(13), 5411; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12135411 - 4 Jul 2020
Cited by 25 | Viewed by 6242
Abstract
Even though research on the micro-effects of corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been growing, our understanding of the psychological mechanisms through which perceived CSR affects employees’ organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) remains insufficient. Based on social identity theory and the concept of whole self, [...] Read more.
Even though research on the micro-effects of corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been growing, our understanding of the psychological mechanisms through which perceived CSR affects employees’ organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) remains insufficient. Based on social identity theory and the concept of whole self, this study examines the mediating role of meaning orientation as a psychological mechanism and tests the moderating role of grit, using survey data collected from 361 South Korean workers. Our results show that the positive association between perceived CSR and OCB is mediated by meaning orientation. In addition, grit strengthens the perceived CSR-meaning orientation relationship, which in turn boosts employees’ OCB. This study contributes to the literature by revealing a psychological mechanism and how it is moderated by individual traits, which are crucial in predicting CSR’s micro-effects. We discuss how our results can be practically applied by organizations as part of sustainable human resource management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Human Resource Management: Putting People in the Center)
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15 pages, 608 KiB  
Article
How Proactive Environmental Strategy Facilitates Environmental Reputation: Roles of Green Human Resource Management and Discretionary Slack
by Jinguo Zhao, Huanxin Liu and Wei Sun
Sustainability 2020, 12(3), 763; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12030763 - 21 Jan 2020
Cited by 41 | Viewed by 5460
Abstract
Based on natural resource-based theory, we examined how firms’ environmental strategies and environmental reputation depended on their green human resource management and discretionary slack. From the perspective of human resource management, we hypothesized that proactive environmental strategy predicted firms’ environmental reputation through the [...] Read more.
Based on natural resource-based theory, we examined how firms’ environmental strategies and environmental reputation depended on their green human resource management and discretionary slack. From the perspective of human resource management, we hypothesized that proactive environmental strategy predicted firms’ environmental reputation through the mediation of green human resource management. We further proposed that slack resources, which can be used discretely by managers for environmental management, enhanced the hypothesized relationships. Using data from firms in environmentally sensitive industries in eastern China, we provided empirical support for our hypotheses. The findings highlight the vital roles played by managers and green human resource management in implementing firms’ environmental strategies and promoting firms’ environmental reputation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Human Resource Management: Putting People in the Center)
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16 pages, 1163 KiB  
Article
Spiritual Leadership: Meaning in the Sustainable Workplace
by Joanna Samul
Sustainability 2020, 12(1), 267; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12010267 - 29 Dec 2019
Cited by 54 | Viewed by 16160
Abstract
The topic of leadership enjoys unflagging interest among management theorists and practitioners. One of the trends that arose in the 1990s is spiritual leadership. Some authors have pointed out the importance of spiritual leadership is to create a sustainable workplace for employees. Thus, [...] Read more.
The topic of leadership enjoys unflagging interest among management theorists and practitioners. One of the trends that arose in the 1990s is spiritual leadership. Some authors have pointed out the importance of spiritual leadership is to create a sustainable workplace for employees. Thus, there is a need to present the achievements of academic knowledge in this topic. The aim of the paper is to synthesize research in the emerging spiritual leadership theory and its importance for the creation of a sustainable workplace. This study explores the concept of spiritual leadership and proposes a conceptual model of spiritual leadership within the context of the sustainability of the workplace. The study is based on a literature review and bibliometric analysis of 373 publications from the Scopus database, spanning the period from 1980 to 2019. The findings obtained indicate that the development of the spiritual leadership theory is relevant and applicable to the creation and maintenance of a sustainable workplace for employees. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Human Resource Management: Putting People in the Center)
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13 pages, 229 KiB  
Article
Do Employees Matter in the Relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility and Financial Performance?
by Jae Mee Yoo, Woojae Choi and Mi Lim Chon
Sustainability 2019, 11(22), 6251; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11226251 - 7 Nov 2019
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3561
Abstract
This study investigated the mechanism behind the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on firms’ financial performance while focusing on internal stakeholders. Although many studies have examined the effects of CSR few has empirically investigated the underlying process of the mechanism. In addition, [...] Read more.
This study investigated the mechanism behind the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on firms’ financial performance while focusing on internal stakeholders. Although many studies have examined the effects of CSR few has empirically investigated the underlying process of the mechanism. In addition, previous research has rarely regarded employees as a link between CSR and firms’ outcomes, despite employees implementing CSR policies. This study explored the pathway of the CSR-employees-firm’s performance. Employee commitment was used to explain the relationship between CSR and performance, since it is an important employee-associated micro-level outcome of CSR. The results showed that CSR indirectly influenced a firm’s accounting profitability through enhanced employee commitment, as well as directly affected firm’s profitability. CSR increases employee commitment, which in turn leads to improvements in a firm’s accounting returns. The paper suggests that employees should be considered as an important agent for the effects of CSR initiatives. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Human Resource Management: Putting People in the Center)
13 pages, 562 KiB  
Article
How to Attract Talented Expatriates: The Key Role of Sustainable HRM
by Gahye Hong and Eunmi Kim
Sustainability 2019, 11(19), 5373; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11195373 - 28 Sep 2019
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4554
Abstract
Retaining talented expatriates is important for multinational enterprises (MNEs) to maintain knowledge sustainability between their headquarters (HQ) and subsidiaries. However, depending on the host country image of a subsidiary, the attractiveness of the subsidiary may make it challenging to recruit prospective expatriates. Based [...] Read more.
Retaining talented expatriates is important for multinational enterprises (MNEs) to maintain knowledge sustainability between their headquarters (HQ) and subsidiaries. However, depending on the host country image of a subsidiary, the attractiveness of the subsidiary may make it challenging to recruit prospective expatriates. Based on the sustainable human resource management (HRM) perspective, this study examines the direct effect of the host country image of a subsidiary and the moderating effect of family support policies on a subsidiary’s attractiveness, by comparing subsidiaries in the US and Vietnam. The results are based on data from 434 Korean potential expatriate applicants and show that the host country image of a subsidiary has a direct effect on the subsidiary’s attractiveness. Specifically, expatriate applicants are less attracted to a Vietnam-based subsidiary than to a US-based one. Further, the positive moderating effect of family support policies on subsidiary attractiveness is more relevant for the Vietnam-based subsidiary. This result suggests that family support policies can be a key strategy for overcoming the less preferred host country images of subsidiaries in emerging markets, thus improving subsidiary sustainability in the long term. The implications of these findings are provided in the context of sustainable HRM and the existing expatriate literature. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Human Resource Management: Putting People in the Center)
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20 pages, 663 KiB  
Article
Working in a Physically Dangerous Work Environment: Employee Vitality and Sustainable Behavior
by Asghar Afshar Jahanshahi, Alexander Brem and Hussain Gholami
Sustainability 2019, 11(19), 5170; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11195170 - 20 Sep 2019
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4856
Abstract
There is a limited understanding of the antecedents and consequences of employee vitality during war zone exposure. The current study is one of the first ones to investigate the direct effects of perceived danger on employee vitality by collecting data from Afghanistan, one [...] Read more.
There is a limited understanding of the antecedents and consequences of employee vitality during war zone exposure. The current study is one of the first ones to investigate the direct effects of perceived danger on employee vitality by collecting data from Afghanistan, one of the most dangerous countries in the world. Furthermore, it was investigated how employee vitality affects sustainable behavior at the workplace. The hypotheses of the study have been tested by using data from two surveys collected from 192 employees working in small-sized private businesses in Afghanistan. The results indicate that high levels of perceived danger negatively impact employee vitality at work. In addition, we found that employees with vitality engage in more pro-environmental behavior in the workplace. The engagement of vital employees in pro-environmental behavior is higher among those employees who have a high level of environmental awareness. This paper concludes by presenting the limitations and implications of this study, as well as highlighting potential avenues for future research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Human Resource Management: Putting People in the Center)
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