An-Najah National University    
Faculty of Graduate Studies  
 
 
 
 
    
 
 
 
 

Assessing Green Human Resources 
Management Practices in West 
Bank: An Exploratory Study 

 
 
 
 
 

By 

Hiba Awad Masri 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Supervisor 

Dr. Ayham Jaaron 
 

 
 
 
This Thesis is Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the 
Requirements for the Degree of Master of Engineering 
Management, Faculty of Graduate Studies, An-Najah National 
University, Nablus, Palestine. 

2016 





iii 

Dedication 

To my father Eng. Awad Masri who taught me to never 

stop learning and be always ambitious... may his soul 

rest in peace. 

To my beloved mother, Hiyam Al-Hwaiti, the one who 

loved me unconditionally and never gave up in my 

abilities even when I doubt myself. 

Thank you for everything. 

  



iv 

Acknowledgment 

First and foremost, all praise and deep thanks are due 

to Allah (the creator), who helped and guided me through 

the challenges of my study. Glory is to Allah who has given 

me the strength, patience and knowledge to continue and 

finish this journey and proceed successfully. 

This thesis would never have seen the sun without the 

guidance of my committee members, and without the full 

support and help from friends and family. So, first of all, I 

would like to express my deepest gratitude and sincere 

thanks to my supervisor, Dr. Ayham Jaaron, for his 

excellent guidance, support, caring, patience, 

encouragement, motivation, valuable advices and assistance 

throughout this research that have resulted in the 

completion of this thesis. I owe him heartfelt thanks for his 

time and effort that assisted me throughout my study.  

I would like also to express my appreciation to all of 

the academic staff of the Engineering Management 

program at An-Najah National University for helping me in 

overcoming program courses successfully; and guiding me 

to develop my background in subjects that are related to this 

research. I would also like to thank committee members for 

their time and effort in reviewing this work. 

Many thanks to my mother, sisters, and brothers for 

supporting me and encouraging me with their best wishes. 



v 

My dear colleagues, thank you for the friendly and many 

unforgettable memories inside the University, especially 

Nour Samaro for giving me the necessary support and great 

friendship that enrich my life and make me proud of being 

your friend. I cannot list all the names here, but you are 

always in my heart. 

Finally, thanks to all study participants who provided 

me with valuable information and enrich this research with 

their experience. 

   





vii 

List of Abbreviations 

HRM Human Resources Management 

EM Environmental Management 

GHRM Green Human Resources Management 

EP Environmental Performance 

EMS Environmental Management System 

WB West Bank 

OECD Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development 

ISO International Organization for Standardization 

ET Environmental training 

ANOVA Analysis of Variance 

PMS Performance Management System 

EMIS Environmental Management Information Systems 

MENA Middle East and North Africa 

MEnA Ministry of Environmental Affairs 

PEnA Palestinian Environmental Authority 

NGOs Non-Governmental Organizations 

EQA Environment Quality Authority 

PFI Palestinian Federation of Industries 

EIA Environmental Impact Assessment 

OECD Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development 

 

  



viii 

Table of Content 

No. Content Page 
 Dedication iii 
 Acknowledgment iv 
 Declaration vi 
 List of Abbreviations vii 
 Table of Content viii 
 List of Tables xi 
 List of Figures xii 
 Abstract xiii 
 Chapter One: Introduction 1 
1.1 Chapter Overview 2 
1.2 Introduction 2 
1.3 The Research Problem 3 
1.4 Aim and Objectives of the Research 5 
1.5 Research Questions and Hypotheses 6 
1.6 Significance of the study 8 
1.7 Thesis Structure 9 
 Chapter Two: Literature Review 11 
2.1 Chapter Overview 12 
2.2 Background 12 
2.3 Green Human Resources Management (GHRM) 15 
2.3.1 The role of HRM in greening the firm 20 
2.3.2 Greening the firm via HRM practices 25 

2.3.2.1 
Greening the firm via recruitment and selection 
practices 

30 

2.3.2.2 Greening the firm via training 34 

2.3.2.3 
Greening the firm via Performance Management 
System 

39 

2.3.2.4 Greening the firm via Pay and Reward System 41 

2.3.2.5 
Greening the firm via supportive organizational 
culture 

43 

2.3.2.6 
Greening the firm via Employee empowerment and 
participation 

47 

2.4 Drivers, barriers and excepted benefits of GHRM 50 
2.4.1 Drivers 50 
2.4.2 Barriers 52 
2.4.3 Excepted benefits of GHRM practices 54 
2.5 Environmental management in Palestine 55 

2.6 
Food, chemical and Pharmaceutical Industries in 
Palestine 

58 



ix 

No. Content Page 
2.7 Human Resource Management in Palestine 62 
2.8 Research Hypotheses 63 
 Chapter Three: Research Methodology 66 
3.1 Chapter Scope 67 
3.2 Research Type 67 
3.3 Research Approach 68 
3.4 Research Methodology Flow Chart 69 
3.5 Research population and sample size 71 
3.6 Data collection 72 
3.6.1 Semi-structured interview 72 
3.6.2 Questionnaire 74 
3.6.2.1 Questionnaire Design 74 
3.6.2.2 Questionnaire Pilot study 77 
3.6.2.3 Questionnaire Reliability 78 
3.6.2.4 Questionnaire Validity 79 
3.7 Data analysis approach 79 
3.7.1 Interview analysis 80 
3.7.2 Questionnaire analysis 81 
 Chapter Four: Data analysis and results 83 
4.1 Chapter overview 84 
4.2 Interview analysis 84 
4.2.1 Theme 1: Environmental Practices 88 
4.2.2 Theme 2: Environmental Management Practices 88 
4.2.3 Theme 3: HRM Importance 89 
4.2.4 Theme 4: HRM Involvement in EM 89 
4.2.5 Theme 5: Challenges 90 
4.2.6 Theme 6: Success factors 91 
4.3 Questionnaire analysis 91 
4.3.1 Study population 92 
4.3.1.1 Gender 93 
4.3.1.2 Number of employees in the organization 93 
4.3.1.3 Location 95 
4.3.1.4 Industrial sector 95 
4.3.1.5 Respondent’s position in the organization 96 
4.3.1.6 Respondent’s educational level 96 
4.3.1.7 Respondent’s experience 97 
4.3.1.8 Environmental management 97 
4.3.1.9 HRM involvement in EM 98 
4.3.2 GHRM practices assessment 99 
4.3.3 Drivers, Barriers, Excepted benefits of GHRM 101 



x 

No. Content Page 
4.3.3.1 Drivers of GHRM 101 
4.3.3.2 Barriers of GHRM 102 
4.3.3.3 Benefits of GHRM 103 
4.3.4 Environmental performance 104 
4.4 Hypothesis testing 106 

4.4.1 
Testing Correlation between GHRM Practices and 
environmental performance 

108 

4.4.2 Testing Correlation among the GHRM Practices 109 
4.5 Bivariate Analysis 113 
4.5.1 Statistical differences of GHRM practices 113 
4.5.2 Drivers, Barriers, Benefits of GHRM 117 
4.5.3 Environmental performance 118 

 
Chapter Five: Discussion and model 
development 

120 

5.1 Chapter overview 121 
5.2 Discussion 121 
5.2.1 Discussion of GHRM practices 122 

5.2.2 
Discussion of drivers, barriers, and benefits of 
GHRM 

128 

5.2.3 Hypothesis testing discussion 132 
5.3 Model development 137 
 Chapter Six: Conclusions & Recommendations 142 
6.1 Chapter overview 143 
6.2 Conclusions 143 
6.3 Research contribution 145 
6.4 Recommendations 146 
6.5 Limitations 147 
6.6 Future research 148 

 References 150 
 Appendixes 170 
 @ABCDب ا 

 

  



xi 

List of Tables 

Table Table Page 
Table (2.1) Studies on GHRM 28 

Table (2.2) 
Food, chemical, and pharma industries effect 
on natural resources 

57 

Table (2.3) General information about selected sectors 59 
Table (3.1) Distribution of participant by industrial sector 71 

Table (4.1) 
Characteristics of the companies and role of 
the interviewee 

75 

Table (4.2 
Summary of identified codes, basic themes, 
and central themes 

87 

Table (4.3) Cronbach’s Alpha 92 
Table (4.4) Scaling Degrees 99 
Table (4.5) Application Degree for Best GHRM Practices 100 
Table (4.6) Drivers of GHRM 102 
Table (4.7) Barriers of GHRM 103 
Table (4.8) Benefits of GHRM 104 
Table (4.9) Environmental performance 105 

Table (4.10) 
Correlation coefficient between GHRM 
practices and EM 

109 

Table (4.11) 
Correlation coefficient among GHRM 
practices 

111 

Table (4.11) 
Summarized ANOVA Test for differences 
among GHRM practices according to (No. of 
employees, EMS, Industrial Sector) 

116 

Table (4.12) 

Summarized ANOVA Test for differences 
among drivers, barriers and benefits of GHRM 
according to (Position of respondent, Industrial 
Sector) 

118 

Table (4.13) 
Summarized ANOVA Test for differences in 
the environmental performance according to 
Industrial Sector 

118 

 
  



xii 

List of Figures 

No. Figure Page 

Figure (1.1) 
Aim, Objectives & Expected Outcomes of the 
Research 

6 

Figure (3.1) Research Methodology Flow Chart 70 
Figure (4.1) Gender Distribution 93 

Figure (4.2) 
Distribution of companies by Number of 
Employees 

93 

Figure (4.3) Distribution of companies by size 94 
Figure (4.4) Company location 95 

Figure (4.5) 
Sample distribution percentage by industrial 
sector 

96 

Figure (4.6) Respondent position 96 
Figure (4.7) Respondent's educational degree 97 
Figure (4.8) Respondents experience 97 
Figure (4.9) Environmental managemen 98 
Figure (4.10) HRM involvement in EM 99 
Figure (4.11) Hypothesis testing 107 
Figure (4.12) Hypothesis Testing 112 
Figure (5.1) Hypothesis status 136 
Figure (5.2) Conceptual model for GHRM best practices 138 

 
 



xiii 

Assessing Green Human Resources Management Practices in West 
Bank: An Exploratory Study 

By 
Hiba Awad Masri 

Supervisor 
Dr. Ayham Jaaron 

Abstract 

In the last few years, global concerns have increased regarding the 

environmental issues, especially after the consolidation of the industrial 

revolution which caused an increment in degradation of the environment. 

These concerns generated more pressure and inculcated business and 

industry to develop and use green management by adopting 

environmentally-friendly practices and products. Environmental 

Management (EM) has been included in many departments such as 

marketing, supply chain, finance and others. Recently, Human Resource 

Management (HRM) joined the green movement. The integration of EM 

into HRM practices is known as Green Human Resource Management 

(GHRM) which aims to help organizations improve Environmental 

Performance (EP) through increasing employees' involvement and 

commitment towards environment.  

The industrial sector is considered to be a source of various forms of 

environmental pollution in Palestine which needs to be assessed, monitored 

and rectified. Therefore, it should involve all employees to achieve EM 

goals. This research aims to explore and assess the extent of implementing 

GHRM practices in Palestinian manufacturing companies from three 

industrial sectors (food, Chemical and pharmaceutical industries) in the 



xiv 

West Bank (WB). An exploratory research inquiry using structured 

questionnaires with semi-structured interviews is used. This research 

discusses the current trends of GHRM practices in these companies based 

on findings of 17 semi-structured interviews and questionnaires submitted 

to 110 companies. The result of this research indicates that HRM practices 

are not used to a great extent to encourage employees to become more pro-

environmental. The total implementation of GHRM is 54.9% which is 

considered as a moderate level. It has been found that the preferable 

practice which increased employees’ commitment and awareness toward 

the environment is the “Green management of organizational culture”. On 

the other hand, the least used practices were “Green Reward and 

Compensation”. 

This study discusses the role of GHRM in creating a green culture 

and achieving EM goals which will improve EP. The results of hypotheses 

testing show that there is a statistically significant relationship between 

GHRM practices and EP. Furthermore, it devises a model that represents 

the best practices of GHRM to improve EP.  

In addition, this research identifies the variables that could affect 

GHRM implementation by supporting or hindering and the expected 

benefits of GHRM implementation from the viewpoint of the targeted 

companies. The results of the descriptive analysis show that the main driver 

of GHRM is “Environmental Considerations”, the main barrier of GHRM 

is “Cost of implementing GHRM programs” and the main expected benefit 



xv 

of GHRM is “promotes social responsibility toward environment among 

employees”. 

Finally, the findings of this research are expected to provide useful 

information for future research directions. 



1 

 

 

 

Chapter One 

Introduction 

  



2 

Chapter One 

Introduction 

1.1 Chapter Overview 

This chapter provides a general overview of this research. It includes 

a brief introduction, research problem, aims and objectives of the research, 

research questions and hypotheses, and finally thesis structure.  

1.2 Introduction 

The increased concern for environmental issues over the last two to 

three decades created new regulations, policies and an intangible culture. 

This required an increased organizational focus on their environmental 

impact, considered both from the perspective of its interaction with the 

firm’s financial and social growth and in terms of its stand-alone virtues. 

Human Resources Management (HRM) is one of the main functions of any 

organization; it plays a vital part in shaping organizational culture, structure 

and strategy and policy development. Lado and Wilson (1994) defined the 

HRM system as “a set of distinct but interrelated activities, functions, and 

process that are directed at attracting, developing, and maintaining (or 

disposing of) a firm’s human resources”. Thus, HR is properly seen to play 

a key role in Environmental Management (EM) in the organization.  

Many Researchers directed their attention toward the relation 

between HRM and EM and have emphasized the importance of individual 

green initiatives in the workplace. Based on the literature, it can be 

expected that this relation can be approached as Green Human Resources 



3 

Management (GHRM) to help organizations to improve Environmental 

Performance (EP) and achieve sustainability.  

Mampra (2013) illustrated GHRM by using HRM policies to 

stimulate the sustainable use of resources within the organization and 

generate green culture through outlining strategies and rules to increase 

employees' awareness and commitment toward environment. HRM 

participates in order to reinforce and spread sustainable business activities 

which consecutively will boost up employee morale and satisfaction by 

working in an environmentally-friendly manner (Aggarwal and Sharma, 

2014). GHRM practices can be seen during the whole of entry-to-exit 

processes in HRM (from recruitment to exit) (Jackson et al., 2011). 

Although there is an increasing extent of the substantial literature 

about GHRM, there is still uncertainty about how an effective 

implementation of GHRM can help the organization to achieve green 

corporate culture and increase EP.  

Therefore, this research endeavor is to develop a model which covers 

the GHRM best practices for the West Bank (WB) manufacturing 

companies, and to examine and assess the nature and extent of GHRM 

initiatives undertaken for innovating and improving the EP. 

1.3 The Research Problem 

"Industry is playing an important role in the economic and social 

wellbeing of the Palestinian society"(USAID & PFI, 2009). The industrial 



4 

sector is considered to be a source of various forms of environmental 

pollution in Palestine which needs to be assessed, monitored and rectified 

(Environmental Quality Authority, 2010). Because of the important role 

and effect of industrial sector in Palestinian society, there is an increasing 

need of adopting different environmentally-friendly practices. Based on the 

results of the estimation done by Environment Quality Authority (EQA) & 

PlanBleu (2015) for emissions from 600 industries across Palestine to the 

air, water and land it has been found that there is significant uncertainty in 

these estimates, primarily, due to the fact that there has been no source 

and/or ambient monitoring of industries in any of the three emission areas. 

Therefore, a meeting with a committee from EQA was conducted to decide 

which industries to target in this research. It was recommended to cover 

three industries (chemical, food and pharmaceuticals industries) due to 

their direct effect on human health and environment. Therefore, the 

targeted sample will cover companies from these three industries 

Applying green practices is not a responsibility of specific 

departments. In fact, all organization’s functions are equally responsible to 

keep their organization's environment green. Managers have to involve 

their employees in the environmental practices. Therefore, it was 

questioned to what extent Palestinian managers involve their employees in 

achieving EM goals. This research will provide a clear guide to help 

managers in applying and developing GHRM in order to improve EP. 

  



5 

1.4 Aim and Objectives of the Research 

The main of this research is to assess GHRM best practices in 

manufacturing companies from 3 industrial sectors (Food, chemical and 

pharma industries) in West Bank. This will be done through achieving two 

objectives. The first one, will explore to what extent Palestinian 

manufacturing companies are using GHRM practices to increase 

employees’ commitment and awareness to environment, and show what the 

best GHRM practices to enhance EP are. The second, will identify the main 

variables/factors that are enhancing the implementation of GHRM and 

what obstacles this movement is facing in Palestinian manufacturing 

organizations and the expected benefits of GHRM practices from the 

viewpoint of these companies. 

The expected outcome of this research is GHRM best practices 

model which is intended to give an explanation about the implementation 

of best practices of GHRM, in addition to help firms in understanding how 

they can improve their EP through HRM functions.  

The primary aim, the two main objectives and the expected outcomes 

of this thesis are illustrated in Figure (1-1).  



Figure (1.1): Aim, Objectives & Expected Outcomes of the Research

1.5 Research Questions and Hypotheses

To achieve the 

the following hypothesis and questions have been used:

� Achieving the first objective: to explore and determine the GHRM best 

practices. The research is based on the hypothesis that integration of 

HRM with environmental activities such as dedicated environmental 

training programs or the use of EP indicators can

overall effectiveness of these activities and hence the EP of a firm 

(Daily and Huang, 

Renwick et al., 

increase employees' awareness

(Sharmin, 2015). The

6 

: Aim, Objectives & Expected Outcomes of the Research

Research Questions and Hypotheses 

To achieve the research’s aim of assessing GHRM practices in WB, 

the following hypothesis and questions have been used: 

Achieving the first objective: to explore and determine the GHRM best 

practices. The research is based on the hypothesis that integration of 

HRM with environmental activities such as dedicated environmental 

training programs or the use of EP indicators can help to improve the 

overall effectiveness of these activities and hence the EP of a firm 

(Daily and Huang, 2001; Jabbour and Santos, 2008b; Daily et al., 

Renwick et al., 2008). This integration helps the organization to 

increase employees' awareness and commitment toward 

). The main hypothesis of this research is:

 
: Aim, Objectives & Expected Outcomes of the Research 

aim of assessing GHRM practices in WB, 

Achieving the first objective: to explore and determine the GHRM best 

practices. The research is based on the hypothesis that integration of 

HRM with environmental activities such as dedicated environmental 

help to improve the 

overall effectiveness of these activities and hence the EP of a firm 

b; Daily et al., 2007; 

). This integration helps the organization to 

and commitment toward environment 

main hypothesis of this research is: 



7 

“GHRM practices have a positive impact on EP in Palestinian 

manufacturing organizations.” 

Based on the assumption that using GHRM will improve EP, the 

following research sub-hypotheses have been used: 

o H1: Green Recruitment and selection affects EP positively in Palestinian 

manufacturing organizations. 

o H2: Green Training and development affects EP positively in Palestinian 

manufacturing organizations. 

o H3: Green Performance management and appraisal affects EP positively 

in Palestinian manufacturing organizations. 

o H4: Green Reward and compensation affects EP positively in Palestinian 

manufacturing organizations. 

o H5: Green Employee empowerment and participation affects EP 

positively in Palestinian manufacturing organizations. 

o H6: Green Management of organizational culture affects EP positively in 

Palestinian manufacturing organizations.  

o H7: The components of GHRM practices are interrelated and a strong 

relation is available between them in Palestinian manufacturing 

organizations. 

 



8 

� Achieving the second objective: to identify variables that help or stop 

GHRM implementation and the expected benefits of GHRM practices 

from the viewpoint of these companies. The following questions were 

used: 

1. What are the GHRM policy barriers/obstacles in Palestine? 

2. What are the GHRM drivers in Palestine? 

3. What are the expected impacts of GHRM practices in Palestine? 

1.6 Significance of the study 

This study is shedding light on a new concept that has not been 

searched in details in developing countries, especially in Palestine. 

This study reviews the current situation of the GHRM practices and 

provides solutions for the companies who are interested in this area. These 

solutions will be presented by a conceptual model that will provide a 

blueprint for these companies to adopt GHRM practices. This study, in 

fact, will better define which HRM practices or cluster of HRM practices 

could be more correlated with EP. So, by using this study, companies 

would understand which actions to adopt and implement first practices that 

have more impact on dependent variable EP. Eventually, for firms who 

have already implemented GHRM practices, this study will be a guide in 

order to improve their sustainability purposes. 

At the end of the research there will be a few recommendations for 

future studies; it opens up new researches avenues regarding GHRM and 



9 

green management in WB that can be applied. Additionally, GHRM best 

practices model can be tested for green activities irrespective of 

organization types and country context.  

1.7 Thesis Structure 

The thesis includes six chapters. The first chapter “Introduction” 

introduces the thesis subject through a brief background overview. It also 

encompasses the research problem and the importance to support this 

research. Also, it clarifies aims and objectives of the research, research 

questions and hypotheses. 

The second chapter “Literature Review” introduces a literature 

review and summarizes studies that addressed the GHRM, and previous 

studies which support the hypotheses formulation. In addition, a broader 

view was taken to look into how HRM may help in greening the 

organization. Also, it discusses the expected drivers, barriers and benefits 

of GHRM practices.  

The third chapter “Methodology” presents the methodology that has 

been followed in this research through discussing data collection process 

used, the population targeted, sampling process, the instrument 

development for data collection and the data analysis approach. The fourth 

chapter “Data Analysis and Result” presents the results and findings which 

illustrate the analytical results of quantitative and qualitative data and 

present the hypotheses testing results. 



10 

The fifth chapter “Discussion and model development” discusses the 

results illustrated in chapter four and presents the model development. 

Finally, the sixth chapter “Conclusion and Recommendation” gives brief 

conclusions on hypotheses' results with a set of recommendations and 

future research suggestions.  

  



11 

 

 

 

Chapter Two 

Literature Review 

  



12 

Chapter Two 

Literature Review 

2.1 Chapter Overview 

This chapter will present a revision and analysis of empirical and 

theoretical data found in the literature to demonstrate the importance that 

HRM practices have in the EM field, and the relationship between them. 

Then a brief description of GHRM practices that can be implemented by 

companies is to be made. Finally, research hypotheses will be designed at 

the end of the chapter based on the literature. 

2.2 Background 

Recently both developed and developing countries became more 

concerned about the importance of the environmental issues and 

sustainable development (Sharmin, 2015). Especially after the 

consolidation of the industrial revolution; the expansion of the levels of 

production and consumption in the world has been intensified causing an 

increment in degradation of the environment (Jabbour and Santos, 2008a). 

The increased awareness for environment has paved the way for 

establishing green concepts into several concerns such as green cities, 

green food, green education, green ethics and philosophy (Firdaus and 

Udin, 2014). The green movement inculcated business and industry to 

develop and use green management by adopting environmental friendly 

practices and products (Prasad, 2013). Haden et al. (2009) clarified green 

management by the process of using innovation organization-wide to 



13 

achieve sustainability by continuous learning and development and 

embracing integrating environmental goals and strategies with the goals 

and strategies of the organization.  

In the past, economic and financial status of an organization was 

vital for organization success and progress (Kapil, 2015a). But now 

shareholders are expecting companies to focus on minimization of 

ecological footprints and increased attention to social and environmental 

aspects (Sudin, 2011). In the corporate world today the concept of 

sustainable development has become a major focus and interest (Venkatesh 

et al., 2014). The main influential idea was defined by The World 

Commission on Environment and Development (1987) as "development 

which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of 

future generations to meet their own needs". In the environmental 

literature, the concept of ecologically sustainable development can be 

defined as the need for balance between industrial growth for wealth 

creation and safeguarding the natural environment so that the future 

generations may thrive (Daily and Huang, 2001). It became clear that 

sustainability in the organization and its Environmental Performance (EP) 

are critical factors for organization's survival and competitiveness (Lee, 

2009). As a result, an effective implementation of EM has become vital for 

the company's’ survival and achieving Sustainability (Preston, 2001; 

Hussain, 2013); which has grown the need to adopt a good Environmental 

Management System (EMS).  



14 

Since the 1990s, EMSs have stood out as one of the most effective 

tools to achieve sustainable development (Chan, 2011) through integrating 

aspects of EM into corporate decision-making (Wagner,2014). Wagner 

(2013) defined EMS as a set of common ‘Green’ practices aimed at 

improving EP. The most popular environmental-related standard is the ISO 

14001 standard. However, EMS could be insufficient to solve the 

complexity of environmental issues, based on the fact its effectiveness 

largely depends on informal voluntary initiatives that are difficult to control 

(Boiral, 2009; Daily et al., 2009); and if organization did not consider a 

basic process where employees and other stakeholders accept change it 

may fail in implementing EMS (Ronnenberg et al., 2011). Both Daily and 

Huang (2001) and Renwick et al. (2012) agreed on the idea that HRM is 

probably essential to successful EMS implementation. It could only be 

effectively implemented if the companies have the right people with the 

right skills and competencies (Daily and Huang 2001). 

Yet the issue of how to achieve sustainability through the green 

management movement in an individual organization or entire society is 

still debatable and unclear. Therefore, research to help business to enhance 

sustainability through green management initiatives is essential (Prathima 

and Misra, 2013; Sudin, 2011). Management scholars from areas as diverse 

as accounting, marketing, and supply-chain management are now analyzing 

how managerial practices in these areas can contribute to EM goals 

(Jackson et al., 2011), but HRM has not been explored sufficient yet as an 

aspect of EM (Renwick et al., 2012). Although Müller-Camen et al. (2012) 



15 

and Renwick et al. (2012) called for more researches into the linkage 

between HRM and EM, to date, there is few empirical works that have 

clearly addressed the extent to which strategic HRM stimulates employees’ 

friendly environmental behaviors, enabling firms to improve their EP 

(Paillé et al.,2013b).  

Renwick et al. (2012) proposed that GHRM has a considerable 

potential in management research area, but that academic research is rather 

lagging behind in practice. This indicates there is an imbalance between 

practitioner and academic publications. Jackson et al. (2011) called for 

more research on GHRM in relation to environmental sustainability in 

order to illuminate the role of HRM activities in supporting and driving EM 

initiatives.  

As a response to (Renwick et al., 2012; Jabbour and Santos, 2008a; 

Jackson et al., 2011) calls to integrate EM and HRM as a subject of 

research, this research aims to contribute in suggesting GHRM best 

practices for manufacturing companies in WB to improve their EP.  

2.3 Green Human Resources Management (GHRM) 

Many researchers contend that the availability and ability of HRM 

determine the effectiveness and success in any management innovation and 

strategic tools (Boselie et al., 2001; Paauwe and Boselie, 2003). HRM is 

one of the most effective parts of management because it deals with the 

most valuable assets of an organization which is human resources. Lado 



16 

and Wilson (1994) defined the HRM system as “a set of distinct but 

interrelated activities, functions, and process that are directed at attracting, 

developing, and maintaining (or disposing of) a firm’s human resources.” 

HRM practices are executed in line with the culture and business strategy 

of the organization (Boselie, 2001).  

Regarding the relation between human and environment, in general, 

human activity causes environmental issues; therefore, it should be worked 

on by changing human behavior (Ones and Dilchert, 2012), using suitable 

HRM practices to stimulate employees (Paille et al, 2013b). Research 

studies about greening the organization through the relation between HRM 

and EM started in the 1990s, perhaps originated in 1996 from the 

contribution by Wehrmeyer (1996) who edited a book titled “Greening 

people: human resources and environmental management”. With increasing 

numbers of these studies, organizations needs of HRM practices support to 

implement greening became more obvious (Daily and Huang, 2001; 

Govindarajulu and Daily, 2004). These needs were strengthened by studies 

discussed the positive effects of HRM to firms' performance (Schuler and 

Jackson, 2014; Renwick et al., 2012; Paauwe and Boselie, 2005). Since that 

time, a series of studies have appeared on this subject.  

Before 2008 the combination of HRM and EM was nameless. In the 

work of Renwick et al. (2008), this combination by “Green Human 

Resource Management” (GHRM) was coined for the first time, and began 

to incorporate it more systematically into the research agenda of HRM, 



17 

thus encouraging human resources scholars to include an environmental 

focus in their studies. In 2011, Jackson et al. organized the first Special 

Issue on HRM, decisively merging the research areas of human resources 

and environmental/green management. Since then, studies on HRM have 

become more common, encouraging new special issues on the subject 

(Renwick et al., 2012). 

The notion of GHRM is related to the HRM function as the main 

driver in an organization to take up the green initiatives (Mandip, 2012). 

GHRM is an off-shoot of green management philosophy, policies, and 

practices followed by a firm for EM (Patel, 2014). 

Sharmin (2015) defines GHRM by using HRM practices with the 

intention to promote the sustainable use of resources which will reinforce 

cause of environmental sustainability in general. It encompasses human 

resource initiatives to advocate sustainable practices and increase employee 

awareness and commitments on the issues of sustainability. Opatha and 

Arulrajah (2014) describe GHRM by the process of making employees of 

the organization green for the benefit of the individual, society, natural 

environment, and the business by using policies, practices and systems and 

activities involved in development, implementation and on-going 

maintenance of a system. It is the side of HRM that is concerned with 

transforming normal employees into green employees so as to achieve 

environmental goals of the organization and finally to make a significant 

contribution to environmental sustainability.  



18 

Nagendra and Kansal (2014) portrayed GHRM as the ecological 

aspects of fiscal policies, foreign policies, and industrial policies as well; 

which will foster eco-friendly initiatives resulting in a cleaner environment, 

reduction in consumption of paper, high retention rate and proper disposal 

of wastage. While Yusoff (2015b) sum up the earlier concept of strategic 

GHRM by CSR activities, work-life balance, E-HRM that could help 

enhance the sustainability of all stakeholders of organizations which 

requires consideration of its economic, social, and environmental aspects. 

However, it should be noted that traditional HRM subsystems are various 

from GHRM subsystems; where GHRM which has unique characteristics 

(Fayyazi, 2015). 

GHRM is essential for the effective greening of organizations 

(Aragon-Correa et al., 2013; Brío et al., 2008). The emergence of GHRM 

includes the extent of improving the social (e.g., work-life balance) and 

economic well-being (e.g., sustain profits) besides awareness towards 

environmental concern (e.g., reduced wastes). GHRM has actually held and 

supported the paradigmatic understanding of the concept of ‘triple bottom-

line’; that is to say, that GHRM involves practices aligned with the three 

sustainability pillars–environment, social and economic balance (Yusoff, 

2015a). GHRM form part of wider programs of corporate social 

responsibility (Sathyapriya et al., 2013). The implementation of GHRM is 

needed to implement the HRM systems that fit the organization's culture 

and long-term objectives (Sudin, 2011). 



19 

In fact, environmental sustainability typically begins with the 

development of a successful vision and strategy; executing the new strategy 

requires changing work process and behavior through training, talent 

management and the basis of the basic competencies of HRM (Cohen et al., 

2012). Even though many companies are trying to effectively influence and 

increase employees’ environmental behavior; there is a clear discrepancy 

between environmental policies and actual behavioral patterns in 

organizational everyday life which create challenge in the HRM literature. 

Renwick et al. (2012) have mapped out how the GHRM practice can 

motivate, engage and increase employee’s involvement in the 

environmental activities. The concept of environmental sustainability must 

be comprehended to the talents as they are the prime leader in an 

organization. Thus, it can be said that through effective implementation of 

GHRM in talent management it can be connected to business sustainability 

and bring the benefits to the organization in the long run (Wagner, 2013).  

It can be assumed that the full potential of GHRM in theory and 

practice has not yet been realized. Once organizations incorporate the 

environmental dimension into their dynamics, HRM have a crucial role in 

stimulating the success of its integration with the EM. However, it is 

noteworthy that GHRM is still in its early stages and many studies in this 

area is a theoretical phase (Jabbour, 2013b). 



20 

2.3.1 The role of HRM in greening the firm  

Today, “being green” has become a norm (Margaretha and Saragih, 

2013); greening is a holistic process aimed at smarter energy usage, low 

costs, low wastage using sustainable resources or recyclable materials for 

end results that are products, targets, etc. (Jafri, 2012). A Green Workplace 

is environmentally sensitive, resource efficient and socially responsible 

(Sathyapriya et al., 2013). In addition, it incorporates a virtual workplace 

and green buildings. A Green Workplace could have one or more of the 

following components: written environmental policy, specific targets for 

improving EP, publication of environmental reports, EMS, environmental 

purchasing policy, environmental training and education, fossil fuel use 

reducing policy and policy of reducing the use of the unsustainable product 

(Ramus, 2002). Google is leading the way publicizing their environmental 

record and in its environmental practices (Kaur, 2013). 

Over the last three decades, organization’s relationship with the 

environment has been largely defined by environmental regulations. How 

organizations, primarily in developed countries, respond to the demands of 

environmental law has determined their relationship with the environment 

(Aragon-Correa and Sharma, 2003). Past research had developed various 

classifications for the relationship between business and the natural 

environment (Jabbour and Santos, 2006; Aragon-Correa and Sharma, 2003; 

Staffelbach et al., 2012). In general, “corporate strategies for managing the 

natural environment can be classified along a continuum that ranges from 

reactive to proactive” (Aragon-Correa and Sharma, 2003). 



21 

Jabbour and Santos (2006) classified environmental strategies into 

three types: 

(1) Functional specialization of environmental dimension (or reactive 

stage); occurs when the area of EM created is strongly linked to the 

need of meeting legislative demands and with an isolated position 

within an organization; 

(2) Internal integration of environmental dimension (or preventive stage); 

occurs when the organizational areas’ involvement in EM increases; 

however, the environmental dimension is not considered 

systematically strategic; 

(3) External integration of the environmental variable (or proactive stage); 

occurs when all the areas of a company are designed to explore 

competitive advantages systematically by using principles and tools of 

EM. 

The evolution of EM throughout these stages depends on the 

contributions of HRM (Ferna´ndez et al., 2003). Obviously, proactive stage 

requires a huge amount of effort for training and restructuring the 

employees through HRM function involvement, since the company aims 

for a better and deeper understanding of the environmental issues. 

Staffelbach et al. (2012) described the HR functions roles that can 

support the organization greening; (1) Strategic partner who understands 

the business model and gather the relevant stakeholders (including 



22 

employees, customers, shareholders, and society) together and encourage 

the dialogue between them, also shares with the managers’ strategies, the 

value of human resources and the consequences of managing people 

effectively. (2) Innovator who enables the organization to develop the 

learning culture, guiding and directing people and does not just copy what 

others are doing and contributes special knowledge on environmental 

aspects to the initiative; (3) Collaborator who brings specific competencies 

of each function together to make a win-win situation understands how to 

build win-win situations, cooperates and supports and works task-oriented 

across internal and external organizational constraints. Finally, (4) Change 

Facilitator who manage and supervises the implementation of the initiative 

and is aware of the need for change and creates favorable conditions in the 

organization for it, helps leading changes in strategy and energizes others 

for the desired change. 

Opatha and Arulrajah (2014) mentioned four roles for an employee 

to become a green employee; which are: a preservationist, conservationist, 

non-polluter, and maker. The preservationist is the one who protect the 

natural environment from harm loss, or negative change and keep it in its 

original; Conservationist is the one who treat natural environment very 

carefully and use it at the minimum level in order to let it last as long as 

possible so that future generations will be able to utilize it.  

Non-polluter, is the guardian who stops any behaviors and outcomes 

that could endanger the planet/earth where humans and non-humans are 



23 

living through preventing from (or minimizing) contaminating the water, 

air, atmosphere, etc. through unpleasant and poisonous substances and 

wastes. Maker is the employee who intentionally builds parks and places 

which have plants, trees, and grass. A Green employee is a nature-lover or 

an eco-activist (Opatha and Arulrajah, 2014). 

In the area of environmental affairs, HRM practices can aid in 

balancing corporate values, financial goals and environmental strategy and; 

in ensuring that employees implement this balanced strategy consistently 

across the organization (Cohen et al., 2012). The responsibility of the 

present generations, HR managers is to create awareness amongst the 

youngsters and among the people working for the organization about the 

GHRM (Shaikh, 2012). Through being an advocator; HR managers should 

initiate the environmental sustainability concept and employee’s 

involvement in environmental-friendly activities in the organization, and 

guide line managers in terms of gaining full staff co-operation towards 

implementing environmental policies which means HR needs to nurture 

supporters and create networks of problem-solvers willing to act to change 

the current status quo (Mandip, 2012). 

It’s important to include greener activities in every step of HRM 

activities; once it becomes a daily activity then it will be treated as a 

culture. Similarly, Jabbour and Santos (2008b) also stated that superior EP 

outcome requires HRM practices that support the whole implementation 

and maintenance of EMS in the organizations, where supportive HRM 



24 

practices such as top management support, environmental training, 

empowerment, and rewards are likely to be critical to the successful 

implementation of policies and initiatives associated with an EMS (Daily 

and Huang, 2001; Govindarajulu and Daily, 2004). The development of 

products with lower environmental impact requires the support of HRM 

(Govindarajulu and Daily, 2004; Jabbour et al., 2008); many research 

support the idea that companies which pay attention to the greening of 

human factors may be more productive, thus gaining a competitive 

advantage (Jackson and Seo, 2010; Paille et al., 2013b), in contrast with 

other organization that is not using full range of GHRM will have potential 

limitation in the effectiveness of total environmental improvement 

(Renwick et al., 2012). 

To build a green organization, the organization, and HRM must 

increase efficiencies in organizational hierarchies, perform more virtualized 

work or eliminate unnecessary time spent in the office and optimizing the 

use of company resources, including travel, etc. Also, companies that are 

supporting greener options include telecommuting, flexible work schedules 

(Sathyapriya et al., 2013); In GHRM, researchers have asserted the 

importance through all the functions of HRM ranging from of staffing, job 

analysis, environmental training and communication, participation, 

empowerment, recognition and compensation, the performance of EM 

programs, performance appraisal and use of technology (Paille et al., 2014; 

Kapil, 2015a; Renwick et al., 2008).  



25 

Against this backdrop, it can be assumed that GHRM is all about the 

holistic application of the concept of sustainability to the organization and 

its workforce. It involves green actions focused on increasing efficiency 

within processes, reducing and eliminating environmental waste, and 

revamping HR products, tools, and procedures resulting in greater 

efficiency and lower costs. The results included: electronic filing, ride 

sharing, job sharing, teleconferencing and virtual interviews, recycling, 

telecommuting, online training, and developing more energy-efficient 

office spaces (Sharmin, 2015). In fact, GHRM promotes various Green 

processes and practices in different HR functions. Some of the practices 

concerning Green management in which HR is actively involved have been 

described above. Specifically, the functional areas where HR can have a 

green approach and which can have a bearing on acquisition, development 

and retention of human capital could be the following 

2.3.2 Greening the firm via HRM practices 

GHRM consists of two essential elements: Environmentally-friendly 

HR practices and the preservation of knowledge capital (Mandip, 2012). In 

fact, GHRM policies focus on collective and individual capabilities to bring 

about green behavior. Such policies are aimed at developing an 

environmental corporate culture (Sharmin, 2015). The green performance, 

green behaviors, green attitude, and green competencies of human 

resources can be shaped and reshaped through adaptation of GHRM 

practices (Arulrajah et al., 2015). GHRM focuses on employees’ 



26 

environmental behavior in the company, which in turn, could be carried on 

to consumption pattern in their private life (Muster and Schrader 2011). To 

implement GHRM in the organization, it is strategic to begin with the 

policies, procedures and ideas that make up the HR practices in order to 

assist the achievement of the going green management (Prasad, 2013).  

Looking at the recent past in the area of GHRM, some research 

results are particularly relevant. There is a consensus that GHRM is 

established through the alignment of the HRM practices, with the aims of 

organizational EM (Jackson and Seo, 2010). Some recent papers illustrate 

the cross-fertilization between EM and HRM for the achievement of EP. 

Applying the link between HR practices and firm performance to the realm 

of EP, Daily and Huang (2001), Ferna´ndez et al., (2003), Madsen and 

Ulhoi (2001) and Jabbour and Santos (2008) emphasize the association 

between HR factors such as environmental training, employee 

empowerment, rewards, teamwork, and support of top management as 

essential in achieving sustainability and in implementing successful EMS. 

The table below (Table 2-1) summarizes the HRM practices related to 

green management and identified in different studies.  

In this research the term GHRM best practices involves the 

human/organizational aspects relevant to EM, the following were used in 

this study:  

� Green (environmental) recruitment and selection.  



27 

�  Green (environmental) training, to provide the capacity to address EM 

situations. 

�  Green (environmental) performance evaluation, which measures 

employee contributions to the advancement of EP. 

� Green (environmental) reward systems for EP, which value employees 

who contribute the most to environmental sustainability. 

� Green (environmental) empowerment, providing employees with the 

autonomy to make environmental decisions. 

� Green (environmental) Organizational culture management; support 

from top management for environmental initiatives. The environmental 

issue is dealt with as a value of a company’s organizational culture. 

These more traditional GHRM practices are more tangible and may 

guarantee that green issues will be considered in organizational routines 

(Jabbour, 2015). These practices will be discussed in details below to see 

how companies can transform HRM practices in green ones and their utility 

in contributing to and supporting the EM. 

  



28 

Table (2.1): Studies on GHRM 

No. Authors Summary 

1 
Daily and 
Huang, 
(2001) 

The authors identify HR factors such as top 
management support, environmental training, 
employee empowerment, teamwork, and rewards 
systems fundamental for implementing an EMS 

2 Ramus (2000) 

An investigation into companies of 12 countries 
concluded that an organization’s ability to produce 
environmental innovation depends on the 
organizational support and the HRM that 
employees notice. 

3 Ramus (2002) 

A survey, involving employees from companies of 
12 countries, shows the importance of HRM 
dimensions, such as reward systems, performance 
evaluation, and organizational culture 
management, to create environmental innovation. 

4 
Rothenberg 

(2003) 

The main instruments and organizational 
mechanisms which favor employees’ participation 
in projects related to the improvement of EP in 
automobile assembly plants are analyzed. 

5 
Daily et 
al.(2007) 

Authors conclude that the employees did not view 
environmental training as having a direct impact 
on EP. However, training was positively related to 
teamwork. This mediator variable had a positive 
influence on EP. Thus, environmental training 
empowered the environmental teams. 

6 
Brı´o et al. 

(2007) 

Authors conclude that the top management’s 
involvement, the strategic integration of 
environmental dimension and employees’ 
motivation and participation have a great influence 
on companies’ EP. 

7 
Brío et al. 

(2008) 

Authors identified the key factors related to 
organizational culture and the management of 
HRM (such as selection, environmental training, 
teamwork, employee involvement) that drive EP. 

8 
Jabbour and 

Santos (2008) 

Consider HRM may contribute to EM in 
companies if they: (a) green recruitment and 
selection (b) green training and green performance 
evaluation (c) green rewarding for individual and 
collective EP; (d) stimulate continuous education 
in EM; (e) treat environmental aspects as values of 



29 

a corporate culture; and (f) promote interaction 
between teams in order to deal with environmental 
problems and strive for continuous improvement 
of EM activities. 

9 
 

Jabbour et al. 
(2010) 

State that HRM had a decisive role in the 
evolution of EM in organizations and that HRM 
practices, such as performance evaluation and 
rewards, are critical to achieving more proactive 
EM. 

10 Sudin (2011) 

Researcher discussed that employees must be 
motivated, empowered and environmentally aware 
of greening in order to carry out green 
management initiatives; using top management 
support, employee relations, rigorous recruitment, 
and selection of employees, performance-based 
appraisal system, the introduction of training 
programs and reward system to address green 
movement. Also discussed the positive effects of 
the types of green intellectual capital on corporate 
environment citizenship, leading to the 
competitive advantage of firms. 

11 
Jackson, et al. 

(2011) 

Mention that Green responsibilities can be used by 
environmentally responsible employers to attract 
talent that fits and contributes to achieving the 
organization’s environmental goals, using HRM 
functions (Recruitment, Performance 
measurement, Training, development, and 
learning, Compensation and rewards and Greening 
the organizational culture) 

12 Jabbour, 2011 

The manner in which HRM can be greened is 
often observed and studied in terms of a 
continuum surpassing all HRM practices – 
recruitment and selection of talent; compensation 
and rewards; performance and appraisal; training 
and development; employment relations and 
organizational existence 

13 
Mandip 
(2012) 

Discussed in detail how entry-to-exit processes in 
HRM (from recruitment to exit) translate GHRM 
policy into practices. 

14 
Daily et al., 

(2012) 

Authors analyzed the influence of environmental 
empowerment and environmental training 
(independent variables) on employee-perceived EP 



30 

(dependent variable). They found that 
environmental training influenced EP to a greater 
extent than did environmental empowerment. 
Environmental teams among the employees were 
the mediators in this relationship. 

15 Dutta (2012) 

Explains organization can maintain its green 
objectives all throughout the HRM process of 
recruiting, hiring, training and compensating, 
developing and advancing the firm’s human 
capital. 

16 
Margaretha 
and Saragih 

(2013) 

There are seven levers to a green culture which are 
talent development for the greening of the 
organization, designing of green jobs, top manager 
following green modeling, information sharing 
techniques and empowerment, measurement of 
green performance and green recruitment and 
retention. The levers ensure bringing in changes in 
the desired green behavior of employees. 

17 
Renwick et 
al., (2012) 

Find the implementation of rigorous recruitment 
and selection of employees, performance-based 
appraisal system, training programs aimed at green 
management initiatives have a basic importance 
for fostering environmental innovations and 
associated with superior EP. 

18 
Opatha and 
Arulrajah 

(2014) 

Listed the main HR activities that should be 
focused when going green, namely job analysis, 
recruitment, selection, induction, training, 
performance evaluation, rewards management and 
discipline management. 

19 
Jabbar and 

Abid (2014) 

The findings of the paper suggest that how HRM 
practices (Rewards, Assessment, Supervisory 
Behavior, Management Commitment and 
environmental Training) influence employee 
motivation to become involved in the 
organizational EP. 

2.3.2.1 Greening the firm via recruitment and selection practices  

The main goal for recruitment and selection is to attract potential 

applicants and hire them as employees for a given organization (Jabbour 

and Santos, 2008a). To fill an existing and projected job openings, the 



31 

recruitment process aims to locate and motivate potential candidates to 

apply; therefore, the recruitment process influences the quantity and 

diversity of candidates for a specific vacancy (Jabbour et al., 2008; 

Fayyazi, 2015); in fact, attracting high-quality employee is crucial for the 

firms that want to obtain certain performance. The selection process aims 

to choose the ideal candidate from potential candidates list for a position 

(Jabbour et al., 2010).  

To build and maintain a green workplace the organization needs to 

select and hire an employee who supports and is interested in the 

environment (Renwick et al., 2012). Talent management is experiencing 

numerous pressures for change which has led many manufacturing 

organizations struggling to effectively manage next generation talent and 

fill the position with the right match (Muniandi and Nasruddin, 2015). 

Green job candidates, who comprise a large section of talented and 

knowledgeable manpower, use green criteria when applying for jobs, and, 

therefore, companies having green practices can attract good talent (Kapil, 

2015b).  

In order to improve their selection attractiveness for an increasingly 

environmentally aware younger generation (Ehnert, 2009), before the 

organization sets out with the process of recruitment, it is important that 

they brand themselves as being green. The image that organizations build 

in the market should primarily be inspired by the thought that these 

organizations are environment responsive (Kapil, 2015a). Job seekers often 



32 

consider several organizations when they apply for a job, according to 

Renwick et al. (2012), they prefer organizations that have a close fit 

between their and the organizations’ values; which makes a recruiting 

organization’s environmental reputation and images increasingly 

outstanding in recruitment efforts. Guerci (2015) surveyed a sample of 180 

students attending the final year of a Master’s in Business Administration 

at three universities in Northern Italy; based on their answers the results 

found that there is an impact of green reputation on attracting applicants 

but no impact of information on the recruitment website. 

Recruitment practices can support effective green management by 

ensuring that new recruits understand an organization’s green culture and 

share its environmental values (Jackson and Seo, 2010). As well as using 

interviews to draw out candidate’s environmental knowledge, values and 

beliefs (Renwick et al., 2012). In general, when this activity includes the 

environmental dimension, the EP of the company is implemented as an 

element to absorb talents (Jabbour, 2011). The recruitment messages 

should include environmental criteria (Arulraja et al., 2015).  

During job analysis, job description, and person specifications, HR 

managers should emphasize on environmental aspects, green 

accomplishments and what is expected out of future green employee 

(Mandip, 2012; Renwick et al., 2012). It should reflect the sustainability 

agenda and the company's website and other research tools available for 

candidate access clearly outline its greening attempt (Kapil, 2015a; 



33 

Arulrajah et al., 2015). These days, some companies have incorporated 

environmental and social tasks, duties and responsibilities as far as possible 

in each job in order to protect the environment (Arulrajah et al., 2015). This 

will help the employee in acknowledging that in the future he has to be a 

part of an environmentally sustainable organization. During shortlisting of 

candidates; employees’ selection process should ensure granting higher 

chances of being selected for environmentally committed candidates who 

were involved in previous related green initiatives earlier than those who, 

on the other hand, were not involved in such initiatives in the past (Jabbour, 

2011). When interviewing candidates or evaluating them for selection, 

environmental-related questions are asked by those companies (Renwick et 

al., 2012; Arulraja et al., 2015). Nowadays many companies have designed 

environmental concerned new jobs or positions in order to focus 

exclusively on EM aspects of the organizations (Opatha, 2013). 

Going green in recruitment requires implementing technologies into 

HRM activities which is known as Electronic HRM (E-HRM) (Yusoff, 

2015a); Green recruitment defined as a paperless process in which 

applications are invited through online tools (Audio/Video interview, 

Online test, SMS, emailing, apply through organizations website) to reduce 

the carbon footprint and cost of operations and minimize any travel related 

environmental impact (Muniandi and Nasruddin, 2015). The automation of 

HRM’s systems has ability into promoting sustainability as it 

simultaneously helps in reducing environmental waste (e.g., paper, staples, 

files) and social waste (e.g., process’ time for searching documents and 



34 

decision making), and economic waste (e.g., cost related to preparing 

documents, labours’ salary due to extra time of working) of conducting 

HRM’s task (Yusoff, 2015; Muniandi and Nasruddin, 2015).  

Green organizations have emphasized the importance of green 

recruitment (Hussain, 2013). Although it is clear that the recruitment and 

selection of employees who are committed to the environment are 

important for greening organizations, studies show that these practices do 

not always incorporate environmental aspects (Jabbour and Santos, 2008). 

Little is known about the dynamics of inserting environmental issues in an 

organization recruitment process (Fayyazi, 2015). While there is a lack of 

systematic studies exploring ‘green collar’ recruitment practices (Renwick 

et al., 2012), a notable exception is Jabbour et al. (2010) who surveyed 94 

Brazilian organizations and found recruiters selected candidates based on 

environmental knowledge and motivation. 

2.3.2.2 Greening the firm via training  

For Ivancevich (1995), training may be understood as a systematic 

process that leads the employees’ behavior towards accomplishing the set 

of organizational objectives. As a consequence, it is considered as an 

essential component of successful companies. It is the preferred practice for 

changing the skills, knowledge and behavior of management and non-

management employees (Patel, 2014). 

Environmental training (ET) stands out as one of the primary 

methods through which HRM support EM (Daily et al., 2012; Jabbour, 



35 

2013; Brío et al., 2008, 2007). According to Teixeira et al. (2012), “green 

training is one of the most important tools to develop human resources and 

facilitate the transition to a more sustainable society”. It’s used to improve 

the capacity to address EM situations (Jabbour, 2013). ET can be 

understood as an important human or organizational factor to the recent 

literature on GHRM (Renwick et al., 2012; Jackson and Seo, 2010). Opatha 

and Arulrajah (2014) stated that the most significant impact towards 

environmental awareness among employee was through environmental 

training. It was also responsible for creating the culture to foster the green 

practice in organizations. 

Employee training and development programs should include social 

and environmental issues at all levels, from technical health and safety 

considerations on the shop floor to strategic sustainability issues at 

executive management and board level (Mandip, 2012). The environmental 

maturity of companies tends to increase as environmental training improves 

and becomes more intense (Teixeira et al., 2012). In the same token, it was 

essential to identify the relevant and appropriate training for the respective 

employee (Margaretha & Saragih, 2013). According to Cherian and Jacob 

(2012), it was imperative to design Environmental training based on 

training needs in order to garner optimum benefits from the training. 

Training needs have to be detected in an integrated way, involving the staff 

responsible for the EM programs and other areas of a company (Ferna´ndez 

et al., 2003), and including top management as well (Jabbour and Santos, 

2008a).  



36 

Employee is required to possess a sufficient amount of knowledge 

and skills in respect of greening and without this knowledge and skills 

(competencies) it is not possible for the employee to become a green 

employee (Daily and Huang, 2001; Ramus, 2002; Rothenberg, 2003; 

Sudin, 2011). Training, development and learning plans should include 

programs, workshops, and sessions to enable employees to develop and 

acquire knowledge in EM, green skills, and attitude (Prasad, 2013). This 

knowledge allows the employees to be able to achieve the objectives of EM 

programs (Jabbour, 2013).  

ET is fundamental to any successful activity of EM, conservation, 

and recycling of resources (Jabbour, 2013). Renwick et al., (2008 and 

2012) suggest certain green training and development practices such as 

training staff to produce green analysis of workspace, provision of specific 

training on EM aspects of safety, energy efficiency, waste management, 

and recycling, development of green personal skills, and re-training of staff 

losing jobs in relevant polluter industries, supporting flexible schedules and 

telecommuting, and reducing long-distance business travel (Jackson et al, 

2011) and provide opportunity to engage employees in environmental 

problem solving (Zoogah, 2011) are very useful to reduce the negative 

environmental impacts of the organizations. Also, job rotation in green 

assignments should become an essential part of career development plans 

of talented green managers of the future; it provides a useful way to train 

green executives or future board members in EM and is seen as a crucial 

part of successful environmental programs (Wehrmeyer, 1996; Arulraja et 



37 

al., 2015; Prasad, 2013). Other specific types of training, such as 

participation in teams, brainstorming and construction of consensus may 

qualify employees to participate in EM programs (Govindarajulu and 

Daily, 2004) 

More and more people are passionate about environmental 

stewardship and appreciate the opportunity to obtain training in this area. 

Employees should have access to workshops and conferences, ecologically-

friendly (eco-friendly) topic (Liebowitz, 2010). Extensive use should be 

made of online and web-based training modules and interactive media as 

training tools for not only EM training but for other functional areas as 

well. Training managers should rely more on online course material and 

case studies rather than on printed handouts, thus further reducing the use 

of paper (Kapil, 2015b). 

Organizations should ensure that new recruits understand their 

environmental responsibilities, become familiar with health and safety 

arrangements, appreciate the corporate environmental culture, adopt the 

company's environmental policy and practices, and know given relevant 

contact persons within the organization (Renwick et al., 2008; Renwick et 

al., 2012). Also, Mandip (2012) added that they should be exposed to the 

organization’s environmental policy. So from the very first day of work the 

new employee determines his own goal which aligns to the organization’s 

policy.  



38 

Wehrmeyer (1996) recommends seven key elements of a training 

program in EM: 

(1) The environmental message has to be kept simple and relevant; 

(2) The training sessions have to be kept short, informal and for small 

groups; (3) Employees have to be involved in the open thematic sessions; 

(4) It is important to notice who the leaders of the environmental 

management are among the employees of a session; (5) The ecological 

dimension has to be treated as a new value of organizational culture; (6) 

The environmental results achieved by employees of other companies are 

important to be highlighted; (7) The effects of training in the employees’ 

routine of work have to be evaluated. 

Although the research on the relationship between human factors and 

environmental sustainability is slowly progressing, environmental training 

has attracted the most attention from researchers and practitioners (Jabbour, 

2013). Daily et al. (2012) analyzed the influences of environmental 

empowerment and environmental training (independent variables) on 

employees' perceptions of EP (dependent variable). Those authors found 

that environmental training tended to influence EP more than 

environmental empowerment. Teixeira et al. (2012) presented case studies 

on the relationship between environmental training and EM based on 

Brazilian cases, suggesting that these two variables of contemporary 

organizational management have co-evolved. However, there remains a 

lack of research that integrates and systematizes the available knowledge 



39 

on organizational environmental training; more research is needed on 

environmental training, combining training and GHRM and 

defining/measuring the objectives of the environmental training actions. 

(Jabbour, 2013; Daily et al., 2012; Jackson et al., 2011; Jackson and Seo, 

2010).  

2.3.2.3 Greening the firm via Performance Management System 

Performance Management System (PMS) is defined as a challenge 

of how to measure EP standards between different departments of a firm 

and gathering beneficial data about the EP of managers (Wehrmeyer, 

1996). One of the parts of PMS is the performance appraisal which is 

defined by Ivancevich (1995) as the dimension of human resources that 

aims to improve employees’ performance and productivity over time 

through analyzing and evaluating an employees’ performance related to 

their responsibilities and comparing their goals and their result. 

Performance management programs are essential to guarantee the 

effectiveness of green management work over time because they guide an 

employee’s performance to the EP desired by an organization through 

measuring employees' contribution to the advancement of EP (Jabbour and 

Santos, 2008; Jackson et al., 2011). In order to sustain good EP, 

organizations must establish Environmental Management Information 

Systems (EMIS) and environmental audits (Arulrajah et al., 2015).  

HR managers prevent harm to EM when they integrate EP into PMS 

by setting EM objectives, monitoring EM behaviors, and evaluating 



40 

achievement of environmental objectives by using green work rating as the 

key indicators of job performance (Sharmin, 2015; Kapil, 2015b). Without 

this practice, any organization cannot ensure the realistic EP (firm level) in 

long term basis (Arulraja et al., 2015). Evaluation of green performance of 

employee must be done separately or at least as a part of the performance 

evaluation system of the organization. It could be done by adopting 

corporate-wide metrics for assessing resource acquisition, usage, and 

waste; implementing information systems to track resource flows; and 

conducting field audits to provide employees opportunities to identify 

problems while gaining information and feedback about the green 

performance of the firm (Jackson and Seo, 2008). 

Incorporating EM objectives and targets with the performance 

evaluation system of the organization, or using green performance indicator 

and appraisals only is not enough. Green schemes, performance indicators, 

and standards should be clear to all levels of staff through performance 

evaluation system and establish a firm-wide dialogue on green matters 

(Renwick et al., 2008; Renwick et al., 2012). Green targets, goals, and 

responsibilities for Managers and employees should be created and 

included in their appraisals (Prasad, 2013; Renwick et al., 2012). Also, 

supervisors and managers of those companies should provide a regular 

feedback to the employees or teams to achieve environmental goals or 

improve their EP (Arulraja et al., 2015; Jackson et al., 2011); this practice 

will help the employees to enhance their knowledge, skills and ability. 

Organizations may provide an online system that allows employees to track 



41 

their own carbon emissions and provide an opportunity for employees to 

participate and suggest practical ways to make the organization greener 

(Kapil, 2015b).  

There are not only good rewards for people who have good EP, but 

there might be negative consequences, such as suspensions, criticisms and 

warnings, in performance management systems to get employees to make 

environmental improvements (Renwick et al., 2008).  

2.3.2.4 Greening the firm via Pay and Reward System  

The main goal of reward and compensation policies is to attract, 

retain and motivate the best employees to foster the development of new 

knowledge, and abilities, which lead to the achievement of organizational 

goals (Teixeira et al., 2012). The reward and compensation systems could 

contribute to EM in an organization if it focuses on avoidance of negative 

behaviors and encourage the eco-friendly behavior.  

Ferna´ndez et al. (2003) conducted several studies which proved that 

paying for EM performance is really effective. Rewards motivate and 

increase commitment from workers to be environmentally responsible and 

get involved in eco-initiatives (Renwick et al, 2012; Daily &Huang, 2001). 

It values employees who contribute the most to environmental 

sustainability (Renwick et al., 2012); through recognizing and rewarding 

employees who dedicate to environmental goals by helping in waste 

reduction and those in the middle management who encourage their 



42 

subordinates to adopt green practices, motivate managers and non-

managerial employees on corporate EM initiatives (Kapil, 2015a; Arulraja 

et al., 2015; Jabbour and Santos, 2008). It sensitizes employees to 

environmental consciousness; and discourage undesired behaviors while 

reinforcing preferred ones (Sharmin, 2015); and doing so needs effective 

employment of both incentives and disincentives (Renwick et al., 

2008).The core success of recognition rewards is making them available at 

different levels within the organization (Arulraja et al., 2015). 

There are many green reward management practices that can be used 

to gain green stewardship/citizenship; such as linking suggestion green 

scheme with rewards system, linking participation in green initiatives with 

promotion/career gains (managers advance through supporting staff in 

EM), or by providing incentives to encourage recycling and waste 

management, supporting flexible schedules and telecommuting, and 

reducing long-distance business travel, can include the use of nature-

friendly workplace and lifestyle benefits, which may include carbon credit 

offsets, free bicycles and pollution-free vehicles (Jackson et al, 2011; 

Renwick et al., 2012; Jabbar and Abid, 2014; Prasad, 2013). Also, 

managers can use rewards to encourage some green creativity and 

innovation among the workforce by asking employees to bring innovative 

green ideas pertaining to their individual jobs (Shoeb, 2015). 

There are several types of reward practices to reward green skills 

acquisition, it can be done using monetary-based EM rewards (bonuses, 



43 

cash, premiums), use of non-monetary based EM rewards (sabbaticals, 

leave, gifts), use of recognition-based EM rewards (awards, dinners, 

publicity, external roles, daily praise), positive rewards in EM (feedback) 

(Renwick et al, 2013; Opatha, 2013).  

Developing effective monetary incentives could be a challenge for 

HR managers because of the difficulty of accurately and fairly evaluating 

environmental behaviors and performance (Fernández et al, 2003). Hussain 

(2013) suggests that the amount of reward depends on a measure of the 

environmental behavior of the single employee but without significant 

results in the EP of the company. However, more researchers needed to 

determine how can HR manager design and implement green compensation 

practices that may lead to the achievement of the corporate environmental 

goal (Shoeb.2015). 

2.3.2.5 Greening the firm via supportive organizational culture 

Organizational culture could be defined as the set of basic 

assumptions that a certain group came up with, discovered or developed in 

its process of learning in order to deal with problems of either external 

adaptation or internal integration (Jabbour et al., 2008). From an 

environmental aspect, Harris and Crane (2002) define the organization 

environmental culture as the set of assumptions, values, symbols, and 

organizational artifacts that reflect the desire or necessity of being an 

environmentally correct organization. 



44 

According to Ferna´ndez et al. (2003), organizational culture and 

HRM are closely linked and critical for the achievement of superior 

environmental patterns: in fact, organizations, that have solid mechanisms 

of EM supported by an organizational culture which values environment, 

tends to attract more motivated and competent workers, therefore, to be 

more powerful when a company has a group of collaborators who are 

environmentally aware. Govindarajulu and Daily (2004) consider 

organizational culture as a factor of either promotion or inhibition to 

employee's motivation and willingness to adopt responsible environmental 

behaviors, and employee's participation in improvement projects for the 

EM in companies (Rothenberg, 2003; Ones and Dilchert, 2012; Paillé et al., 

2013a; Ramus and Steger, 2000; Paillé and Raineri, 2015). Based on that 

both a weak organizational culture and inefficiencies in HRM are 

considered as major barriers to the implementation of environmental action 

processes (Brío et al., 2008).  

Johnson and Walck (2004) stated that company could integrate 

environmental dimension in the set of values that form an organizational 

culture effectively using five steps as follows:  

(1) Top management recognizes and spreads the environmental 

dimension as a new value of a company; (2) Top management recognizes 

and spreads how environmental practices can influence the routines of a 

company; (3) Top management shows how the environmental values have 

to support the various phases of EMS; (4) There are systems for training, 



45 

performance appraisals, and rewards focused on employees’ EP; (5) 

Employees incorporate the ecological dimension as a new organizational 

value. 

Many researchers support that top management and supervisor’s 

support is a key component to successful organizational performance and 

implementation of organization-wide EM programs; they are crucial for 

motivating employee towards EM. (Daily and Huang, 2001; Ramus and 

Steger, 2000). Researchers have suggested that when supervisors adopt the 

democratic style of decision making towards EP and show that 

management is strongly committed, employees so participate more 

willingly (Ramus، 2002; Govindarajulu and Daily, 2004). Also, Ramus 

(2001) proved by an empirical study that one of the most significant factors 

that increase employees’ environmental initiatives is supervisors who 

incorporated daily appreciation in their organizations.  

All level of employees should understand the environmental values 

in the organization; if top management didn’t clarify environmental goals 

and environmental responsibilities employee participation in environmental 

work will be decreased, as a result, top management should broadcast 

environmental programs, initiatives, and goals again and again to all 

employees (Ramus, 2001; Daily and Huang, 2001; Daily et al., 2007; 

Govindarajulu and Daily, 2004). Also, top management has to provide 

employees with a feedback of EP in order to maintain correct values, and 

should reinforce them through education and training (Ferna´ndez et al., 



46 

2003). On the other hand, top management should define penalties for 

environmental regulations and rules violation, so disciplinary actions 

(warning, fining, suspension, warnings, suspensions for lapses etc.) are 

taken against an employee who violates environmental rules (Renwick et 

al., 2008; Renwick et al., 2012; Mandip; 2012).  

Top management in an environmentally proactive organization that 

provides strong culture that gives employee time for experimentation 

towards EP and making environmental improvements without excessive 

management intervention which would ultimately increase their motivation 

towards EM to (Daily and Huang 2001; Daily, et al., 2007; Govindarajulu 

and Daily, 2004) and promote innovation and risk taking (Govindarajulu 

and Daily, 2004; Ramus, 2001; Ramus and Steger, 2000).  

Paillé and Mejía Morelos (2014) contend that “if employees are 

aware that becoming greener is an important objective of their employer, 

and the employer demonstrates its interest in creating, developing and 

maintaining high-quality relationships in the long term, individuals might 

be more prone to reciprocate by performing pro-environmental behaviors 

on the job”.  

From this standpoint, organizational culture is the most important 

and most relevant human factor in the greening of organizations (Harris 

and Crane, 2002), based on top management support (Govindarajulu and 

Daily, 2004), values, and principles for supporting EM in companies 

(Jabbour et al., 2010).  



47 

2.3.2.6 Greening the firm via Employee empowerment and 

participation 

Even though top management commitment to EM provides the 

underpinning framework for EM, without wider employee engagement the 

success of EM may be limited (Renwick et al., 2012). HR managers have 

to encourage the employee to participate and initiate the green and eco-

friendly ideas of the organization. The traditional organization (top-down 

management) hinders the independence of workers, in contrast with the flat 

and horizontal organization which motivates the empowerment of workers 

(Govindarajulu and Daily, 2004). Therefore, HR staff can highlight the 

necessity to create a participative work environment to top management; 

where employees can disagree with management and offer different ideas 

to address important issues (Liebowitz, 2010).  

Employee participation creates an environment where the employee 

has an influence on decisions and actions that affect their jobs. It also leads 

to acceptance of the organizational objectives and targets by the employee 

(Patel, 2014) beside enhancing and facilitating motivation and morale of 

the employees (Patel, 2014; Daily & Huang, 2001); in green initiatives it 

increases the chances of better green management as it aligns employees’ 

goals, capabilities, motivations, and perceptions with green management 

practices and systems (Shoeb, 2015; Sharmin, 2015). Encouraging 

employee participation creates entrepreneurs within the organization who 

are socially or ecologically oriented; to achieve that employee should get 



48 

involved in formulating an environmental strategy which will enable them 

to create and expand the requested knowledge to market green products 

(Margaretha and Saragih, 2013). 

Employee participation enhances a tacit knowledge inside people; 

which has great influence in identifying pollution sources, managing 

emergency circumstances and expanding preventive solutions (Boiral, 

2012). The enhanced tacit knowledge will improve EP as employees 

possess knowledge and skills that managers lack Rothenberg (2003).  

Mandip (2012) suggests that the workers can participate on 

environmental projects in two ways: 

� Gather the specialist staff (who are more involved in project initiation) 

with line level workers (who are more likely to participate in project 

implementation) in a suggestion programs and problem-solving 

circles. 

� Encourage employees to seek green habits like allowing flexible work 

weeks, establishing a carpool program, offering free or discounted 

free transportation passes, adding car sharing as an employee benefit 

and setting up transportation savings account 

The role of empowerment in organizational environmental issues has 

received significant attention in recent years (Daily et al., 2007; Daily and 

Huang, 2001; Ferna´ndez et al., 2003; Govindarajulu and Daily, 2004; 

Ramus, 2002). Many researchers support that individual empowerment 



49 

positively influences productivity and performance, and facilitates self-

control, individual thinking, and problem-solving skills, which should be 

developed at all hierarchical levels of an organization, including the 

operational level (Daily et al., 2007; Renwick et al., 2008). Empowerment 

is defined in a way that reflects the sharing of power with employees. 

Therefore, environmental empowerment is defined as a process through 

which authority shares its power with employees to address environmental 

issues (Daily et al., 2011) which offer the independence for employees to 

generate creative solutions to solve problems and to invest the best of their 

abilities. 

In EM practices, empowered employees are more susceptible to be 

involved in the improvement of the environment (Govindarajulu and Daily, 

2004). Researchers support that best idea for environmental initiative are 

originated by all employees who work in that particular area (Liebowitz, 

2010; Fernández et al., 2003) It's more convenient in many cases for 

managers to set the environmental goals for employees (such as reduce 

hazardous wastes by 10%); but, frequently, it will be much better if 

employees are in the position to participate in determining how to achieve 

that goal (Liebowitz, 2010).  

The majority of environmental problems cannot be related to 

individual projects only; the complexity of these problems requires 

teamwork of a conglomeration of various types of individual competencies 

who share respect for the environment to implement EMS effective more 



50 

than individual contributions (Daily et al., 2007; Rothenberg, 2003;Neto 

and Jabbour, 2010 ), 

Beside effective implementation of EM teamwork is essential in 

demonstrating the value of HR; also, it foster EM practices and tacit 

knowledge particularly when environmental problems are group-oriented 

within organizations (Daily & Hung, 2001; Daily et al., 2007).  

2.4 Drivers, barriers and excepted benefits of GHRM 

Based on the literature, this section aims to provide a brief 

explanation of factors that could drive or hinder an organization from 

implementing GHRM, as well as its associated benefits and challenges.  

2.4.1 Drivers 

Companies now realize that they have to develop a powerful social 

conscience and green sense of responsibility where corporate responsibility 

is not just a brand building tool to have, but it is an essential factor for 

business development (Sathyapriya et al., 2013). Traditionally, a majority 

of companies around the world has used the compliance approach in their 

environmental or green management initiatives driven by laws and 

regulations (Sudin, 2011). Few researchers have been done to define the 

drivers of applying GHRM in organizations. 

In 2011, SHRM conducted a survey “Advancing Sustainability: 

HR’s Role is “to collect more information on what companies are doing to 

balance financial performance with contributions to the quality of life of 



51 

their employees, the society at large and environmentally sensitive 

initiatives. HR professionals Firms were asked to identify the main driver 

for their organization’s investment in sustainability. The key drivers were: 

1) contribution to society, 2) competitive financial advantage, 3) 

Environmental considerations 4) Economic consideration and 5) health and 

safety considerations. Less frequently cited drivers included employee 

activism, market share improvement, public/media relations strategy, 

consumer pressure, local/federal regulations, internal activism, local/ 

federal incentives and recent corporate scandals.  

Jafri (2012) conducted a study to identify the drivers behind GHRM 

practices in certain automobile manufacturing organizations in India. Based 

on data analysis it was found that the main driver of GHRM practices is its 

contribution to society and health and safety considerations followed by 

environmental considerations, Economic considerations, Public relations 

strategy, Competitive advantage, finally Market share improvement. 

In 2008 SHRM Green Workplace survey to examine 

environmentally responsible practices from the perspective of HRM 

professionals; they were asked to select their top three drivers of 

environmentally responsible programs for organizations. The results 

indicate that the top driver of GHRM practices is a contribution to society 

followed by environmental considerations, economic considerations, health 

and safety considerations, and employee activism. 



52 

Yusoff et al. (2015b) interviewed HRM managers in four Malaysian 

certified ISO 14001 firms located in Penang and Kedah, Malaysia. Based 

on interview analysis they draw five motivational factors to the 

implementation of GHRM and its success are centered on (a) sustainable 

policies (such as ISO 14001, OHSAS 18000, and DOA); organizations 

which apply these policies choose to implement GHRM practices. It has 

been noticed that organizations will follow sustainable policies set because 

of government pressure, (b) top management support; organizations depend 

on top management support before adopting any green initiatives in HRM, 

because it enables changes to take place easier, (c) benchmarking; these 

organizations agree that benchmarking best practices from other 

organizations is one of the factors they practice GHRM. (d) leadership 

meetings, consultation, and seminar; HRM gets the orders to transform or 

change its practices from leadership meetings, consultation, and seminar, 

and (e)employees’ awareness, participation and receptivity; the HRM 

professionals stated that employees’ awareness, participation, and 

receptivity are very important to help them successfully implement GHRM.  

2.4.2 Barriers  

It is not so easy making sustainable firm and especially greening 

HRM; there are lots of barriers that the progress requires overcoming. This 

section will briefly present some of barriers found in the existing literature: 

Aggarwal and Sharma (2014) demonstrate few challenges or 

limitations of implementing GHRM are such as: difficulty of changing 



53 

employee’s behavior in a short span of time, the differences between 

employees motivation to participate in the promotion of GHRM practices 

in the organization, developing GHRM as the new corporate-wide culture 

is a heavy process, recruitment and induction of green employees with 

quality talents is a challenging task, difficulty of measuring the 

effectiveness of GHRM practices in employees’ behavior, HRM 

professionals are faced with being expected to provide the essential green 

structures, green processes, green tools, and green thinking to make the 

best selection and develop the future green leaders of the organization. 

Jafri (2012) conducted a study to identify the barriers to the 

implementation of GHRM practices; the main barriers are the cost of 

implementing green programs and cost of maintaining green programs, 

followed by cost of maintaining the program, lack of support by 

management, lack of support by employees. 

Another study done by Fayyazi et al. (2015) to investigate the 

barriers of the GHRM practices implementation in the oil industry. They 

found 13 factors that hinder the implementation of GHRM. The top five 

barriers were a lack of a comprehensive plan to implement GHRM and 

ambiguous of green values, followed by lack of GHRM infrastructures, 

The Lack of understanding of green policies, The unavailability of HR 

system structure, lack of organizational leadership support. Furthermore, 

staff resistance had the lowest importance. 



54 

In another study, Yusoff et al. (2015c) determined the challenges of 

GHRM into the technical issues, demographic barriers and receptivity, 

persuasion skills, attitude or receptivity toward change, funds, difficulty to 

measure and feel, mental change difficulty, perceived low attachment to 

sustainability;, and difficulty to ensure employees practice sustainability in 

their private life. 

2.4.3 Excepted benefits of GHRM practices 

Many researchers discussed what organization could benefit from 

using GHRM. Margaretha and Saragih (2013) has highlighted that 

organizations focus on environmentally sustainable business practices by 

initiating greener corporate culture resulting in greater efficiencies, lower 

costs and creating an atmosphere of better employee engagement. Firdaus 

and Udin (2014) stated that many firms may use GHRM, have benefited 

from their implementation, their employees have a better morale and green 

organizations have better financial performance. 

Also, the increasing understanding of the companies as to how the 

green initiatives not only benefit the environment but also help in attraction 

and retention of the scarce talent pool makes GHRM today an important 

field of business management (Patel,2014).  

Equally, the GHRM practices are likely to improve employee well-

being in the workplace, not just through improving the working 

environment and satisfying the needs of an increasingly environmentally 



55 

aware workforce, but also to contribute positively to both employee well-

being and organizational performance (Renwick et al., 2012). 

Aggarwal and Sharma (2014) mentioned many advantages or 

benefits of GHRM in achieving broader objectives such as: cost saving, 

corporate social responsibility, talent acquisition, and management and 

gaining an advantage over the competition. It further has the following 

benefits: It helps in building green employer image to attract green talents, 

enhance brand image of the company in the market, could be used as a 

marketing strategy, Also, it can be a part of enhancing the quality of the 

overall organization both internal and external and improving relationship 

with the company with its stakeholders- customers, suppliers, vendors, 

shareholders, government agencies, employees and the media. 

2.5 Environmental management in Palestine 

The developing countries have a great diversity in economic, 

cultural, and environmental issues interest and concerns. There is a drastic 

difference in environmental concerns among the Euro-Mediterranean 

countries and the Arab countries in the Middle East and North Africa 

(MENA) region, due to a variety of reasons including trade relationships, 

geographic proximity, and Tran’s boundary pollution issues. Distant or 

neighboring developed countries and trade partners play the main role by 

pressuring to improve EP; also, import restrictions are commonly used to 

force these countries to abide by environmental laws or improve EP and 

curb environmental damages (Djoundourian, 2012). 



56 

Regarding the Palestinian situation, the Ministry of Environmental 

Affairs (MEnA) was created by the Palestinian National Authority in Dec 

1996. MEnA, now called The Palestinian Environmental Authority 

(PEnA), is responsible for developing regulations, strategies, management 

plans and monitoring programs, which aim sound use and conservation of 

the environment in Palestine by developing human resources and capacity 

building, promoting environmental awareness programs and activities. 

MEnA is acting as the central representative authoritative body responsible 

for all environmental issues in the Palestinian Territories. Also, its stated 

policy is to actively involve other ministries, institutions, Non-

Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and the private sector in the decision-

making process (MEnA, 2015). 

One of the main sectors under MEnA supervision is the Industrial 

sector. The industry is a main pillar of the economy and the establishment 

of a future Palestinian state (MEnA, 2015). The industrial sector is 

considered to be a source of various forms of environment pollution in 

Palestine; such as producing hazardous chemical pollutants and solid, 

liquid and gaseous waste. Its situation needs to be assessed, monitored and 

rectified (Environmental Quality Authority, 2010).  

Industries with long-term cumulative pollution problems, including 

such high-pollution industries as the oil industry, chemical industry and 

steel industry are more willing to take the initiative to disclose 

environmental information than lower-pollution industries such as service 



57 

industries (Shih et al., 2006). The fact that the industries are major 

consumer of natural resources like air, water, land minerals, plants and 

animals made its impact so great. Therefore, it affects the environment and 

become the basic cause of for pollution and ecological imbalances. The 

table below indicates the industries effecting natural resources (Shaikh, 

2012): 

Table (2.2): Food, chemical, and pharma industries effect on natural 
resources 

No. Industry 
Natural 

Resources used 
Products Impact /Effects 

1 Pharma 
Plants and 

animals 
Medicines 

Flora and fauna 
Bio-diversity 

2 Paper Plants & Trees Paper Forest 

3 Automobiles 
Petroleum 
Products 

Cars & trucks Air pollution 

4 
Food 

Product 
Plants & 

animals, water 

Human 
consumption 

product 

Air, water 
pollution 

5 Chemicals 
Soil, ores, 
minerals 

Agricultural 
products, 
Industrial 
products 

Pollutes 
environment air, 

water 

Palestine has many industrial zones and industrial activities. Some 

industries emit smoke and hazardous and toxic gases in huge quantities. 

Thus, the level of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has increased 

(European Environment Agency, 2014). EQA & PlanBleu (2015) have 

done a first estimation for emissions from 600 industries across Palestine to 

the air, water and land. Based on their results, it has been found that there is 

significant uncertainty in these estimates primarily due to the fact that there 



58 

has been no source and/or ambient monitoring of industries in any of the 

three emission areas. 

In the first stages of this study, a meeting with a committee from 

EQA was conducted to decide which industries to target in this research. 

They recommended to cover three industries (chemical, food and 

pharmaceuticals industries) due to their direct effect on human health and 

environment. Therefore, the targeted sample will cover companies from 

these three industries. 

2.6 Food, chemical and Pharmaceutical Industries in Palestine 

Statistical Yearbook of Palestine 2015 (PCBS, 2015) shows that 

17,047 enterprises engaged in the industrial sector, with more than 782243 

employed persons in this sector in Palestine for the year 2014. The majority 

of the industrial enterprises are private, family-owned small enterprises 

employing fewer than 10 workers. The number of large industrial 

enterprises in Palestine is still very limited, with only about 100 of the 

manufacturing, mining and construction enterprises having a workforce of 

more than 100 employees (USAID and PFI, 2009). The value of the output 

of enterprises in industrial activities was $ 410,217 million; intermediate 

consumption totaled $2,390.8 million; and the value added was $171,214 

million in 2013 (PCBS, 2015). 

The industrial sector is represented by the Palestinian Federation of 

Industries (PFI); a private national institution. It includes food and 



59 

beverages, construction, stone and marble, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, 

metals and engineering, textiles, garments and leather, paper, printing and 

packaging, handicrafts, plastic and rubber, and furniture (USAID and PFI, 

2009). Table 2-3 shows some general information about the three selected 

sectors (USAID and PFI, 2009). 

Table (2.3): General information about selected sectors 

 

N
o

. o
f 

fi
rm

s 

T
o

ta
l 

in
ve

st
m

en
t 

(m
il

li
o

n
) 

G
D

P
 

%
 

N
o

. o
f 

em
p

lo
y

ee
s 

M
a

rk
et

 
sh

ar
e 

%
 

E
m

p
lo

y
ee

 
p

ro
d

u
ct

iv
it

y  
($

) 

Pharmaceuticals 6 90 <1 1,200 55 44,000 
Food and 
Beverage 

224 480 4.8 8,000 50 28,000 

Detergents and 
Cosmetic 

55 NK NK 825 35 NK 

The pharmaceutical industry in Palestine is considered unique in 

terms of innovation and development. This industry was deve