Green human resource management and green human capital: a systematic literature review

Abstract

Purpose – green human resource management (GHRM) and green human capital (GHC) are relatively overlooked aspects in the existing literature of human resource management. Keeping in view, this systematic literature review attempts to highlight and explore its related avenues in the fresh domains of GHRM-GHC and provide a future research agenda for the development of knowledge. Research methodology – this study employs a systematic literature review methodology. The review analyses 25 studies especially focused on secondary data of peer-reviewed articles published in academic journals from 2008 to 2020. Findings – this study demonstrated that green HRM is imperative for the implementation of environmental sustainability. More importantly, green human capital is considered an important strategic tool for HR managers and policy makers for devising human resource policies. Research limitations – this study only focus on articles reported in high-quality research journals. However, other scholarly materials, such as books and conference articles have not been included in the review analyses. Practical implications – this study provides guidelines to policymakers and managers to pay attention towards environmental sustainability and future research agenda to carry out analytical and empirical research. Originality/Value – this study enhances the body of knowledge on GHRM field. This study provides a pathway for scholars to explore the emerging areas of human resource management such as green intellectual capital and green human capital to achieve sustainable development and competitive advantage.