The Moderated Mediation Effect of Green HRM on Employee Green Behaviors: A Study on

Manufacturing and Service Industries of Bangladesh

1. Introduction to the Study

This study aimed at investigating the moderate mediating effect of Green Human Resource
Management (GHRM) on employee green behavior on the context of manufacturing and service
industries of Bangladesh. Data collected through a self-administered questionnaire from 30
employees from different manufacturing and service providing companies in Bangladesh were
analyzed by employing correlation and multiple regression analysis. The study results showed
that there was a positive association between green focused HRM functions and Employee Green
Behavior. It was further confirmed that Green Training & Development, Green Performance
Appraisal and Green Compensation& Rewards had significant contribution in explaining the
green behavior of the employee.

2. Background of the Study

Over the last few decade sustainability has become a major concern in every industry due to the
increased pressure of conserving the environment. As the ecological sustainability as well as the
financial sustainability can be disrupted due to the depletion of natural resources (Hawken et al.,
1999) almost every organization throughout the world has focused on simultaneous
consideration of social, environmental, and economic dimensions of business (Andriate & Fink,
2008). But the success of a firm’s environmental management programs depends on the
performance of the employee because the employees‟ environmentally responsible behavior
strengthens the firm’s environmental performance (Daily et al., 2009). Environmental
performance can be referred to the outcomes of a firm’s initiatives to reduce the negative effects
on the environment. If the employees are concerned with the eco-friendly behavior, they are
more likely to engage themselves in the implementation of firm’s environmental management
programs (Bhattacharya et al., 2009). So to enhance the organization’s environmental
performance employees‟ involvement in the green behavior is critical. HR department of the
organization can play an important role here in increasing the employees‟ involvement or
engagement and commitment to the organization because HRM supports a company to achieve
its strategic vision and goals, even if it is environmental goals (Fernández et al., 2003). So the
integration of human resource management and environmental management issue is the major
element in greening the organization. However, there is a lack of studies that link the HRM
functions to employee green behavior (EGB).
This is to design and implement the HRM practices to support and achieve the organizations’
environmental sustainability goals as well as to promote green attitudes and behavior among the
employees for the improvement of the organizations‟ environmental performance (Ren et al.,
2017).
This study links the Green HRM functions to EGB in the context of manufacturing and service
industry in Bangladesh. The purpose of the study was to investigate whether Green HRM
functions (Green Recruitment & Selection, Green Training & Development, Green Performance
Appraisal, and Green Compensation & Rewards) can affect employee’ green behavior.

1
 The Moderated Mediation Effect of Green HRM on Employee Green Behaviors: A Study on
Manufacturing and Service Industries of Bangladesh

3. Justification of the Study

The rationale of this study is to analyze and examine the extent of awareness regarding Green
Human Resource Management among different levels of HR Professionals and the real
implications of green practices in human resources management by the workforces among
various service and manufacture based organizations in Bangladesh.

4. Literature Review
In the twenty first century business world, inclusion of environmental sustainability as a
significant organizational goal and human resource management (HRM) functions being the
driving force towards that goal attainment is no more surprise (Mandip, 2012) as this function is
central to organizations due to its direct connection with top management, all other divisions and
trade unions (Eisenstat, 1996). The concept of green human resource management (Green HRM)
developed as organizations world-wide began to think and act sustainably (Marcus &Fremeth,
2009) as a result of increased awareness of and regulations relating to environmental
sustainability (Ren et al., 2017). Faced with the challenge of equally prioritizing their economic,
social and environmental goals, organizations are increasingly leaning towards Green HRM
(Jabbour& Santos, 2008).
As the ecological sustainability as well as the financial sustainability can be disrupted due to the
depletion of natural resources (Hawken et al., 1999) almost every organization throughout the
world has focused on simultaneous consideration of social, environmental, and economic
dimensions of business (Andriate& Fink, 2008). In addition to manufacturing industries, the
service industries such as hotels are transforming their operations into green in the form of
reducing waste, conserving energy and water and educating the employees (Rahman et al.,
2012). For instance Marriott International and Hilton have developed eco-friendly policies,
programs and goals to protect the environment. It was found that Hilton Worldwide reduced its
overall water consumption by 14.1% and energy usage by 14.5% during the period of 2009–2014
(Bohdanowicz et al., 2011). But the success of a firm’s environmental management programs
depends on the performance of the employee because the employees‟ environmentally
responsible behavior strengthens the firm’s environmental performance (Daily et al., 2009).
Environmental performance can be referred to the outcomes of firm’s initiatives to reduce the
negative effects on the environment. If the employees are concerned with the eco-friendly
behavior, they are more likely to engage themselves in the implementation of firm’s
environmental management programs (Bhattacharya et al., 2009). So to enhance the
organization’s environmental performance employees’ involvement in the green behavior is
critical. HR department of the organization can play an important role here in increasing the
employees’ involvement or engagement and commitment to the organization because HRM
supports a company to achieve its strategic vision and goals, even if it is environmental goals
(Fernández et al., 2003). So the integration of human resource management and environmental
management issue is the major element in greening the organization. However there is a lack of
studies that link the HRM functions to employee green behavior (EGB). Though few studies
exist, evidence of Green HRM practices in the hotel industry is less understood (Pham et al.,
2019).

2
 The Moderated Mediation Effect of Green HRM on Employee Green Behaviors: A Study on
Manufacturing and Service Industries of Bangladesh

Green HRM refers to the development, implementation and continuous maintenance of pro-
environmental policies, practices and systems directed at the greening of organizational
employees for mutual benefits of individual, society, natural environment and the organization
(Opatha & Arulrajah, 2014). Renwick et al. (2012) identified three core components of Green
HRM; i.e., developing green abilities, motivating green employees and providing green
opportunities. These authors provided valuable insights into greening of regular HRM functions.
According to Renwick et al. (2012), greening of the workforce begins with attracting potential
employees through green employer branding, inclusion of green issues in job description,
recruiting green aware employees, setting green criteria for selection, and introducing new
employees with the green philosophy of the organization. Development of green attitudes and
skills through training on environmental management, setting of green performance indicators
and linking demonstrated environmental management skills with the compensation system in the
presence of green-supportive organizational environment can play vital roles in greening the
employee behavior. Designing and implementing effective measures in case of employee non-
compliance with organizational environmental policies is also required.
Milliman and Clair (1996) were among the first to propose an exploration of the great role of
HRM in environmental management. They built a model of Environmental HRM practices
involving four main steps. First, a firm requires an environmental vision as a guideline for
shaping its strategy. Second, employees must be trained to understand the firm’s philosophy of
environmental vision through its goals and strategy. Third, employee environmental performance
needs to be evaluated using an appropriate appraisal system in line with these goals. Four,
recognizing pro-environmental activities carried out in the workplace. Renwick et al. (2013) also
summarized three core components of the HR aspects of environmental management (EM). The
first core component is related to the development of green abilities and implies practices such as
selecting, recruiting, training and developing environmental knowledge, and encouraging EM
leadership. The second core component is related to the motivation of green employees and
implies appraisal and rewards. The third core component is related to the stimulation of
employee involvement and implies valorizing tacit knowledge, empowering employees, and
creating a green organizational culture. The Green HRM literature is largely a western one and,
given the importance of Asian economic development for environmental management, this is an
important gap for future studies to reduce (Renwick, Redman, & Maguire, 2013). Scholars of
management around the world are now analyzing various managerial practices that can facilitate
the achievements of the goals of GHRM and also have a significant impact on the environmental
competitiveness of the organizations.

3
 The Moderated Mediation Effect of Green HRM on Employee Green Behaviors: A Study on
Manufacturing and Service Industries of Bangladesh

5. Conceptual Framework of the Study

Employee awareness on green HRM depends on the various factors. The following framework
has been developed based on the literature study and experts opinion.

Attending HR related foreign training and Increase

seminar. employee’
Attending HR related local training and s
seminar. awareness
Presenting HR related paper in conference. on Green
HR related publications in journal. HRM
Attending at conference as a keynote speaker. practices
Friend, who is a university teacher, helps to
develop GHRM issue.
Figure5.1: Factors to Increase Employee Awareness on Green HRM.

Pro-environmental

Psychological capital

Green HRM Practices

Green recruitment and selection.
Green training and development. Pro-environmental behavior
Green performance management
and appraisal.
Green reward and compensation.
Green empowerment.
Environmental Knowledge
Figure 5.2: Conceptual Framework

4
 The Moderated Mediation Effect of Green HRM on Employee Green Behaviors: A Study on
Manufacturing and Service Industries of Bangladesh

6. Objectives of the Study

6.1 Broad Objectives:

The broad objective is to analyze the awareness level of employees about the Green HRM
practices.

6.2 Specific Objectives:

1. To examine the relationship between Green HRM practices and Employees Green
Behavior (EGB) within the context of manufacturing & service industry in
Bangladesh.
2. To find out the significance of each of the element of Green HRM in fostering
employee green behavior (EGB).
3. To identify the factors that increase awareness on Green HRM of employees.
4. To know green work behavior and environmental knowledge of employees and
organizational environment management plan.
5. To know about their green performance indicators in their performance
management system and appraisals.

7. Methodology of the Study

This research employed a quantitative research design, utilized a deductive approach for theory
development, and collected data through a survey strategy. We followed a one-stage sampling
process. In Bangladesh private sectors where they use the GHRM practice in working place and
the effect of the using of GHRM. Green HRM refers to all tasks and duties involved in evolving,
pursuing and prolongation of a system those targets at making human resource of an organization
environment conscious in their private and professional lives. Green HRM means outlining the
strategies for awareness of green practices in order to promote and prolong sustainable business
activities which in turn help organizations to conduct in an environment friendly manner.

7.1 Population
The life and leadership after GHRM survey was conducted from this year 7february, 2021.We
survey on the manufacture and service private sectors on Bangladesh as the population for the
GHRM practice in the employee behavior. Basically, we select the private sector there use the
green HRM and we can easily collect the data from the sectors easily and it was referred by our
madam. Our selected farms are bank, restaurant, financial institution etc. This survey is only
upon those who are currently working in those sectors now.
7.2 Sample Size
We use a vast population for the survey based on the questionnaire where we focus only on the
running worker on the organization. We complete our work in two stage, firstly our group
members collect the information from the employee and secondly merge the data. We are six
members in our group and all of we collect five questionnaire data from the workers. That’s
mean our sample size (6*5=30) thirty.

5
 The Moderated Mediation Effect of Green HRM on Employee Green Behaviors: A Study on
Manufacturing and Service Industries of Bangladesh

7.3 Technique
Technique is the main part of a survey because based on this technique we find out the actual
outcomes and the assumption of the survey. For that reason, we are using the (scale measure )5-
point Likert Scale. Because it is the best measurement scale which we prefer for the analysis and
we think we get the best output. In this scale we use 52 questions based on five categories those
are- Green Human Resource Practices, Green Empowerment, Environmental Knowledge, Pro-
environmental Psychological Climate, Green Work Behavior. By using this technique, we have
completed our analysis.
Activities Time Line

First 5 days Second 5 days Third 5 days

Primary phases
Collection of data

Analysis phases
Analysis of data

Repost preparation phases

Prepare Paper
Review paper
Submit paper

Figure 7.3.1: Gantt Chart

Note:
Primary phases
Analysis phases
Repost preparation phases

6
 The Moderated Mediation Effect of Green HRM on Employee Green Behaviors: A Study on
Manufacturing and Service Industries of Bangladesh

8. Analysis and Interpretations of the Study

Green HRM becomes a key of aggressive improvement in the organization. This happened
because this problem has previously become organization’s important issue. Being greener wants
combination of environmental management into human resource management practices. The HR
strategy must reproduce and motivate the goals of the HR team and other employees, supporting
with the organization’s approach, values and culture, bring sustainable returns to investors,
address customer needs, identify and take action to emerging societal trends, respond to
governmental and dictatorial expectations, and influence the public policy agenda. According to
Mandip (2012) the practice of green HR should be explain in to the HR processes, namely
recruitment; performance management training and development; employment relations; and
compensation and appraisal. Finally, by developing green environment, it would provide some
benefits for organization.

The survey that was conducted to collect data consists of 52 questions of 5 different types of
categories. Of total there were 19 questions based on Green Human Resource Practise, 6
questions based on Green Empowerment, 9 questions about Environment Knowledge, 5
questions about Pro-environmental Psychological Climate and 13 questions based on Green
Work Behavior.

Catagories of questions

Green Human Resource Practices

25% Green Empowerment

37%
Environmental Knowledge

10%
Pro-environmental Psychological
Climate
17% 11%
Green Work Behavior

Figure 8.1: Categories of Questions

The total respondent was in number of 30. The following pie chart shows the result that has
found form the survey. Of them the female respondents are 7 in number and rest 21 are male
respondent. They are from different types of institutions. Their post as well as their designation
are also different from one another. Their opinion reflects on the result. The result is showed on
an average of the total information. The following pie chart shows the result that is calculated.

7
 The Moderated Mediation Effect of Green HRM on Employee Green Behaviors: A Study on
Manufacturing and Service Industries of Bangladesh

Results from Questionnaire

Green Human Resource Practices

19% 18%
Green Empowerment

Environmental Knowledge
19%
22%
Pro-environmental Psychological
Climate
22% Green Work Behavior

Figure 8.2: Results from Questionnaire

9. Discussion and Implications of the Study

Green HRM is increasingly coming into light as an outcome of developing concern over
environmental issues and ill-effects of various enterprise practices on the natural habitat.
Companies are making themselves competent enough to boost up their image, gear up employee
morale and drastically reduce costs. Green HRM helps in gaining competitive edge by green
brand building (creating brand as an environment friendly organization), creating more satisfied
and loyal employee base and customer market by implementing green strategies. Green HRM
attracts employees who are preservationists and conservationists and wish to work in a
sustainable environment. This helps in the fulfillment of self- actualization needs of such
employees. Green HRM also develops a learning environment to educate HR on efficient green
practices to be utilized in their professional as well as personal lives. It leads to refinement of
employee behavior in order to develop eco- friendly habits in their private and professional lives
then serves as a helping hand in realization of the self- actualization needs of an employee. It
helps in generation of employment opportunities for the employees who are actually highly eager
to do the proper use of GHRM.
The study examined the relationship between GHRM and in-role green behavior, extra-role
green behavior and GIWB through the mediating effect of GWE. The results demonstrate that
GHRM significantly predicated both in-role and extra-role green behavior. The results were in
line with the research of Dumont et al. (2017) that found that GHRM positively influenced both
in-role and extra-role green behavior. Furthermore, these results were in line with the norm of
reciprocity embedded in SET in which employees exchange the green management efforts of the
organization with task-related and voluntary green behaviors. The results, as well, suggest the
GHRM exerted a positive and significant effect on employees’ GIWB. This implies that
attributes of HRM practices determine employees’ innovative work behavior as suggested by
(Wright and Nishii, 2013).
8
 The Moderated Mediation Effect of Green HRM on Employee Green Behaviors: A Study on
Manufacturing and Service Industries of Bangladesh

The results indicated that GHRM and GWE were positively associated. The results support what
has been discussed in the JD-R framework (Demerouti et al., 2001), highlighting that resources
at work serve as a motivational variable to encourage employee’s engagement at work. Further,
GWE was found to positively affect in-role green behavior, extra-role green behavior and
GIWB. This implies that employees with higher levels of GWE are more prone to have a trustful
and quality exchanges with their organization, which would ultimately encourage employees to
display positive outcomes such as green outcomes.

Finally, the results suggest that GWE demonstrated to be a significant mediating mechanism
among the examined relationships. GWE significantly mediated the relationship between GHRM
and in-role green behavior, GHRM and extra-role green behavior and GHRM and GIWB. This
implies the relationship between GHRM and green outcomes may not be only direct, which
means that HRM (GHRM in this case) affects workplace outcomes (green outcomes) through a
particular mechanism (Karatepe and Olugbade, 2016) such as GWE.

This study has several contributions to GHRM research in general and higher education research
on green management in particular. Research on GHRM is evolving, and more research is
needed (Pham et al., 2019), especially within the context of the higher education sector (Gilal et
al., 2019). In response to that, the study proposed a model and empirically examined a new
mechanism through which the relationship between GHRM and its consequences can be
explained. It is the first study of its kind to use the GWE construct as a study variable and as an
intervening mechanism. The intervening mechanisms used were green psychological climate,
environmental knowledge, environmental passion, green employee empowerment, green capital
and green crafting (Dumont et al., 2017; Fawehinmi et al., 2020; Gilal et al., 2019; Hameed et
al., 2020; Song et al., 2020; Luu, 2019). Furthermore, a new variable (GIWB) was introduced in
the model as a latent variable, among other green outcomes. Most of what has been introduced
on employees’ green behaviors in the GHRM literature was task-related green behaviors,
voluntary green behaviors, organizational citizenship toward the environment (Pham et al.,
2019), while GIWB was not addressed as a potential outcome of GHRM practices.
Managerially speaking, higher education organizations are called upon going green and creating
a roadmap for their staff to serve as environmental activists. Hiring staff (academic and
administrative) with common environmental protection values is an important practice to create a
state of person-organization fit.

10. Future Implications / Recommendations

The results received from this study suggest that green human resources management (GHRM)
was a significant predictor of employee in-role green behavior, extra-role green behavior and
GIWB. Furthermore, GWE demonstrated to be a significant intervening mechanism to explain
the above-mentioned relationships. Green HRM affects both employee in‐role and extra‐role
workplace green behavior; however, this occurs through different social and psychological
processes.©2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. The results provide useful insights for higher education
policymakers on how GHRM may positively contribute to employee green outcomes.

9
 The Moderated Mediation Effect of Green HRM on Employee Green Behaviors: A Study on
Manufacturing and Service Industries of Bangladesh

i. This research strongly recommends that HR specialists and senior management in higher
education establish core organizational concepts and principles when articulating GHRM
strategies.
ii. Organizations should encourage their employees to be more concerned in discretionary
efforts (e.g. the environmental commitment in the workplace) even though they are
entirely equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills (e.g. through training).
iii. The importance of green organizational culture in interacting with green reward and
green training to boost employee commitment towards the environment.
iv. Organizations should concentrate on interactions of the aforementioned GHRM practices,
especially the essential role of green organizational culture development to improve
employee environmental commitment at work.
v. The result suggests to the companies that interacting GHRM practices should represent
the basis of development of green culture and training program.
vi. Organizations will need to effectively and successfully implement GHRM activities for
better environmental management and to promote employees’ green behaviors at the
workplace.
vii. Higher education organizations are required to adopt sustainable green practices to assist
employees in resolving environmental challenges and concerns. This may lead to the
improved green performance of these organizations and the community as a whole.
viii. Human resource (HR) professionals in higher education are advised to include GHRM
practices at the top of their agenda, in addition to other HRM systems such as high-
performance work practices and high-commitment HRM systems.
ix. GHRM practices should include clear green hiring policies, green training and
development, a system of green performance evaluation and effective rewarding green
rewarding and compensation policies.
x. HR practitioners in higher education should give a strong example by communicating
their environmental morals and ethics at work through different techniques such as
communication emails, broachers and regular seminars on green management.
xi. HR professionals can also assess candidate’s environmental principles in the interview
process by analyzing their awareness and readiness to get involved in green management
practices.
xii. HR personnel can provide higher education staff with adequate training and coaching
about environmental conservation, which will help align staff with the environmental
policies of their organizations and increase awareness of environmental management
concerns.
xiii. HR policymakers in higher education may link performance appraisal and rewarding
schemes with employee’s environmental performance. This might include measuring the
amount of paper used within a period of time and the number of printing orders
performed, which can be tracked using printing monitors.

10
 The Moderated Mediation Effect of Green HRM on Employee Green Behaviors: A Study on
Manufacturing and Service Industries of Bangladesh

11. Conclusion
This research aims to exam the effects of GHRM practices (green training, green reward, and
green organizational culture) on employee commitment towards the environment. It can be seen
that going green with HRM practices is an extra responsibility for the corporate which in turn
obtains a competitive advantage in the long-term. Thus, organizations should concentrate on
GHRM practices. Specifically, these green practices can be applied simultaneously to stimulate
employee attachment in the environmental project. It is quite easy to conclude that an with
proper understanding and implementation of scope and depth of green HR practices, a firm can
improve its social and organizational performance in a sustainable manner that will create some
competitive advantages for them. It is just a matter of time when almost all the firms must adopt
environment friendly practices for the betterment of the overall society and also, for the world.
Therefore, firms should integrate the green issues and practices into the regular, day to day HRM
activities and also into the strategic HR decisions and corporate policies.

12. References
“A Study of Green Human Resources Management GHRM and Green Creativity for Human
Resources Professionals.” https://www.researchgate.net/publication/345310210

“A Study on Implications of Implementing Green HRM in the Corporate Bodies with Special
Reference to Developing Nations.” https://www.researchgate.net/publication/319257412

“Green Human Resource Management, Awareness, Sustainable Environment, Strategic Human

Resource Management.” Human Resource Management Research, 2019, 9.
Aboramadan, M. (2010). The effect of green HRM on employee green behaviour in higher
education: the mediating mechanism of green work engagement. International Journal of
Organizational Analysis, 1934-8835

Al Mamun, M.A., 2019. An Analysis of Employee Awareness on Green Human Resource

Management Practices: Evidence from Bangladesh. Human Resource Management
Research, 9(1), pp.14-21.
Karmoker, Kajol, TasniaZannat, and Bipul Roy. “Can Green HRM Practices Influence Hotel
Employees’ Green Behavior? Evidence From Khulna City Hospitality Industry, Bangladesh.”
International Journal of Human Resource Studies 10, no. 4 (November 4, 2020): 149.
https://doi.org/10.5296/ijhrs.v10i4.17641.
Sushma Rani & Dr. K. Mishra. Green HRM: Practices and Strategic Implementation in the
Organizations. International Journal on Recent and Innovation Trends in Computing and
Communication. : 2321-8169 Volume: 2 Issue: 11 3633 – 3639

11