Green Human Resource Management and Sustainability Performance: A Systematic Review Using PRISMA Methodology

Abstract

In light of growing global concerns such as environmental degradation, climate change, and corporate social responsibility, organizations are increasingly embedding sustainability into their strategic agendas. One of the most effective internal drivers for achieving sustainability objectives is Green Human Resource Management (GHRM). This systematic review critically examines the impact of GHRM practices on sustainability performance, applying the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) methodology to ensure a transparent and evidence-based review process. Literature was sourced from Scopus, Web of Science, and Science Direct, covering the period from 2010 to 2024. From an initial pool of 172 studies, a final set of 84 peer-reviewed articles that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria was analyzed in depth. The study categorizes GHRM into five core practices: green recruitment and selection, green training and development, green performance management, green compensation and rewards, and green employee participation, all of which positively influence environmental, social, and economic sustainability outcomes. The review indicates how GHRM practices can facilitate organizational efforts to shape workforce behaviours and cultures through proactive HR relating to sustainability. Secondly, the review identifies mediating or moderating variables such as employee engagement, organizational commitment, leadership style, institutional pressures, and green organizational culture that may strengthen the relationship between GHRM and sustainability performance. Theoretical foundations such as Resource-Based View (RBV), Ability-Motivation-Opportunity (AMO) framework, and stakeholder theory are the most used theoretical lenses in the reviewed studies, and can reveal better understanding of how GHRM may help to enhance sustainable outcomes. The review considers practical, theoretical and policy implications. The review concludes by demonstrating the merit of studies that compare or assess GHRM practices in other contexts, especially from SMEs, public sector institutions, and organizations from developing economies, and the longitudinal effects of GHRM on sustainability performance.

Keywords: Green HRM, Sustainability Performance, PRISMA, Systematic Review.