See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/359555234

Two-decade journey of green human resource management research: a

bibliometric analysis

Article in Benchmarking An International Journal · March 2022

DOI: 10.1108/BIJ-10-2021-0619

CITATIONS READS

18 1,960

3 authors:

Prakash Chandra Bahuguna Rajeev Srivastava

University of Petroleum & Energy Studies University of Petroleum & Energy Studies
23 PUBLICATIONS 104 CITATIONS 14 PUBLICATIONS 57 CITATIONS

SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE

Saurabh Tiwari
University of Petroleum & Energy Studies
24 PUBLICATIONS 166 CITATIONS

SEE PROFILE

Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects:

Effectiveness of the operator training simulators View project

All content following this page was uploaded by Prakash Chandra Bahuguna on 25 May 2022.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

 The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
https://www.emerald.com/insight/1463-5771.htm

Two-decade journey of green Green human

resource
human resource management management
research
research: a bibliometric analysis
Prakash Chandra Bahuguna, Rajeev Srivastava and Saurabh Tiwari
School of Business, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Dehradun, India
Received 26 October 2021
Revised 26 December 2021
Abstract 9 March 2022
Accepted 12 March 2022
Purpose – During the past decade, the green workplace has attracted the attention of academics and industry
alike. As a result, new research areas like green human resource management (GHRM) started emerging. Green
workplace means greening of traditional business functions, namely, human resource management, marketing,
operations and supply chain. GHRM can play a strategic role in enabling organizations to implement and
formulate sustainable strategies and help them achieve corporate sustainability. This paper helps understand
the GHRM scholarship and provides an up-to-date account of GHRM practices.
Design/methodology/approach – In this paper, the authors have adopted the bibliometric analysis method
to analyse and draw inferences from 247 articles retrieved from the Web of Science (WoS) database for the time
horizon of almost two decades: 2005 to June 2021. The methodology’s schematic view comprises four steps:
data collection, data analysis, data visualization and interpretation. The present study intends to understand
GHRM scholarship using Bibliometric R-package and VOSviewer software.
Findings – The study offers some interesting insights that may help scholars, line managers and top
management to conceptualize the GHRM practices in their organization, which is currently limited to a few HR
practices (hiring, training and reward), geographies, developed countries and industries. These can be extended
to other HR practices (e.g. industrial relations). In addition, this paper contributes to the GHRM literature in
identifying the keywords, authors, journals, intellectual, conceptual and social structure.
Research limitations/implications – The study underpins the research in the area of GHRM in order to
understand the trends on this topic over the past 17 years in terms of prolific authors, most impactful journals,
key themes and the field’s intellectual and social structure. The study indicates that this field is still in its
development stage. Hence, there is a need for more arduous research on the topic to help develop a better
understanding of this new field.
Originality/value – The paper helps understand green practices in human resource functions, focusing on
corporate sustainability goals. It helps the line managers and top management make GHRM a central function
for achieving sustainability goals. In addition, these findings can be a road map for the researchers to
investigate the field of GHRM further.
Keywords GHRM, Sustainability, Corporate sustainability, Environmental management, Environmental
performance, Organizational performance, Sustainable development
Paper type Literature review

1. Introduction
Since the seminal works of Beer et al. (1984) and Fombrun et al. (1984), many studies have
been taken that are concerned with the effect of human resource management (HRM) or
strategic human resource management (SHRM) on economic benefits, productivity and
efficiency (e.g. Wright and MacMahan, 1992; Huselid, 1995; Jiang et al., 2012; Jackson et al.,
2014; Boxall et al., 2016). As a result, the field of HRM has established itself as one of the
essential pillars of strategic management, and today, academia and industry unanimously
agree about HR’s role as a strategic business partner (Bahuguna et al., 2009).
However, in today’s business environment context, where corporate frauds are on the rise,
society, environment, economic security (climate change, poverty, hunger, education and
equality) and sustainability are of significant concern, the business organizations are
required to rethink or revisit their corporate strategies (Bahuguna et al., 2009). They need Benchmarking: An International
Journal
to include social and environmental objectives in their economic goals, position themselves as © Emerald Publishing Limited
1463-5771
change agents (Aguilera et al., 2007) and participate in sustainable development DOI 10.1108/BIJ-10-2021-0619
BIJ (a development that seeks balance between needs of the present generation as well as the
future generations, World Commission on Environment and Development. Report, 1987)
agenda of the governments. Such a situation needs broader parameters of performance
(individual well-being, organizational effectiveness and societal well-being) that have
multiple stakeholder perspectives. If they fail in their pursuit of addressing economic, social
and environmental concerns, the resultant progress or growth is skewed and unsustainable.
Business sustainability means adopting a triple bottom line perspective that focuses on an
organization’s environmental, social and economic performance to keep business going
(CIPD, 2012; Colbert and Kurucz, 2007; Elkington, 1998; Tiwari, 2015). In the words of Wales
(2013), “Sustainable growth encompasses a business model that creates value consistent with
the long term preservation and enhancement of financial, environmental and social capital.”
The triple bottom line performance is possible when organizations make efforts to make
themselves green (Jabbour et al., 2012). Greening an organization impacts all the organizational
processes such as supply chain, production process, waste management, human resource
management and strategic management (Benevene and Buonomo, 2020). Today, many
organizations view green workplaces as an essential requirement for a competitive advantage
(Kiron et al., 2012). A green workplace means greening of traditional business functions, namely,
human resource management, marketing, operations and supply chain. In addition, the greening
of the workplace also means integrating different organizational functions (Jabbour, 2013).
Jabbour and Jabbour (2016) suggest that green human resource management (GHRM) and green
supply chain management integration synergize companies’ sustainable performance.
Thus concern for sustainability and subsequently greening workplace has led to new
research fields like GHRM, green supply chain and green marketing. This new research
paradigm in the larger human resource management domain is GHRM (e.g. Jabbour and
Jabbour, 2016; Renwick et al., 2013).
Jackson et al. (2011), in one of their well-cited (n 5 611) papers titled “State-of-the-Art and
Future Directions for Green Human Resource Management”, trace the history of the GHRM
movement to Wehrmeyer (2017), who for the first time called the academicians and
practitioners to come together and contribute to the understanding of GHRM by writing
articles for his edited book, Greening People: Human Resources and Environmental
Management. Subsequently, the growing environmental concern resulted in environmental
management systems (ISO 14001) and intensified the need to integrate HR practices with the
new mandate. Furthermore, Jabbour and Santos (2008), in their seminal work “The central
role of human resource management in the search for sustainable organizations”, suggest
integrating HRM with organizational management initiatives.
Over two decades of GHRM scholarship, a sizable body of research (e.g. Daily and Huang,
2001; Govindarajulu and Daily, 2004; Jabbour and Santos, 2008; Marcus and Fremeth, 2009;
Jabbour et al., 2010; Chan, 2011; Jackson et al., 2011; de Souza Freitas et al., 2012; Cohen et al.,
2012; Kiron et al., 2012; Jabbour et al., 2012, 2013; Mishra et al., 2014; Sawang and Kivits, 2014;
Jabbour and Jabbour, 2016; Renwick et al., 2016; Dumont et al., 2016; Guerci et al., 2016;
Yusliza et al., 2017; Ren et al., 2018; Jabbour and Renwick, 2018; Fawehinmi et al., 2020)
recognizes the strategic role of GHRM in environmental management and overall greening
efforts of organizations.
Jabbour and Santos (2008) present extensive evidence favouring the role of human
resource management in creating sustainable organizations (i.e. creating a superior
performance in economic, social and environmental aspects). Similarly, Ren et al. (2018)
mention that GHRM is among the many tools organizations employ to successfully
implement green strategies and environmental practices. Furthermore, according to Yong
et al. (2019), the significance of GHRM reflects by the fact that it has emerged as a critical
management practice that helps organizations reduce their carbon footprints and make the
business more sustainable.
 The expected outcomes of GHRM cited in the literature are environmental impact (e.g. Green human
Guerci et al., 2016; Longoni et al., 2016; Masri and Jaaron, 2017; Yusoff et al., 2018; Zaid et al., resource
2018), financial outcomes (e.g. Longoni et al., 2016; Zaid et al., 2018) and social performance
(e.g. Zaid et al., 2018). Additionally, at the individual level, GHRM has been linked with eco-
management
friendly behaviour (Dumont et al., 2016; Saeed et al., 2018; Kim et al., 2019), organizational research
commitment (Luu, 2018; Kim et al., 2019), performance (Shen et al., 2016; Ragas et al., 2017) and
retention (Shen et al., 2016; Chaudhary, 2018).
Moreover, the growing interest in GHRM scholarship, among academic journals like
Academy of Management, Journal of Cleaner Production, Sustainability, International Journal
of Human Resource Management, International Journal of Manpower and Corporate Social
Responsibility and Environmental Management, is the testimony of the significance of GHRM.
Although post-1987, after the publication of Brundtland Report, “Our Common Future”
and the pioneering work of Wehrmeyer (1996), a voluminous literature has emerged on
GHRM scholarship, there is no universally accepted definition for it (e.g. Table 1). Table 1
shows the different conceptualizations of the term.
Based on the literature review, we conclude that the concept of GHRM revolves around
sustainability, environmental and ecological concerns, organizational performance and HRM
practices.
A general understanding of GHRM suggests that green human resource means weaving
green practices in HRM functions (e.g. hiring, development, performance management,
compensation management) and thereby enhancing the prospect of organizational
sustainability (Yong et al., 2019).
Drawing from the research, we define GHRM as “a socially responsible and sustainable
human resource management system, which has clearly defined philosophy and a set of
strategies, policies, and practices with a triple bottom line focus”.
Green HR practices make the core of the GHRM system. They embody the essential work to
be performed by the GHRM system to implement organizational strategy and achieve intended
strategic objectives. As per the inference drawn from the literature (e.g. Roscoe et al., 2019; Shah,
2019; Jabbour and Renwick, 2018; Mukherjee and Chandra, 2018; Siyambalapitiya et al., 2018;
Tang et al., 2017; Jabbour and Jabbour, 2016; Ahmad and Nisar, 2015; Jabbour, 2011), the core
GHRM practices include green hiring (recruitment and selection), green training, green
performance and green reward management. In addition to these core GHRM practices,
Jabbour and Jabbour (2016) and Roscoe et al. (2019) suggest the existence of enablers such as
green organizational culture and leadership that empower the individuals and teams and
thereby ensure environmental performance and sustainable development of the firm.
In pursuit of understanding the progress of the field, in the recent past, some good reviews
(e.g. Paulet et al., 2021; Benevene and Buonomo, 2020; Yong et al., 2019; Khan and Muktar,
2020) have also been published, which helped immensely and contributed to a large extent in
the growth of the field. However, because of their diverse positioning, they have focused on
different aspects of GHRM. For example, Paulet et al. (2021) focused on meta-review, wherein
they tried to see the effect of Covid-19 on the development of the field. The bibliometric
analysis of GHRM by Khan and Muktar (2020) is based on 147 articles retrieved from the
Scopus database between 2008 and 2020. Similarly, the evidence-based systematic review of
the literature (Benevene and Buonomo, 2020) focuses on empirical findings.
Thus, a comprehensive review using an exhaustive Web of Science (WoS) database that
does not compromise on either quality or quantity and has the highest credibility is due. In
addition, the present paper seeks to provide an up-to-date account of GHRM that will help
future studies to advance the GHRM scholarship. With this objective, the present study
underpins the research question: What are the publication trends in GHRM over the past
seventeen years in terms of prolific authors, most impactful journals, key themes and the
field’s intellectual and social structure?
BIJ Sr.
No Author Year Definition

1 Benevene and 2020 Everything that relates to awareness, adoption, and implementation
Buonomo of HR practices, which impact sustainability, is GHRM. It covers all
the practices that contribute to an organization’s economic,
environmental, and social sustainability
2 Shah 2019 Green HRM is a multidimensional construct composed of seven
dimensions: green job design, green recruitment and selection,
green training and development, green performance management,
green compensation management, green health and safety, and
green labour relations
3 Kim et al. 2019 GHRM includes hiring and maintaining eco-friendly employees,
providing environmental training, and reflecting on employees’ eco-
friendly contributions in employee performance appraisals
4 Jabbour and Renwick 2018 Green HRM consists of the alignment of human management
practices such as recruitment, training, appraisal, and rewards and
human dimensions such as organizational culture, teamwork, and
empowerment), with the environmental mission and goals of
organizations
5 Bombiak and 2018 GHRM is a new approach to the realization of the HR function, the
Marciniuk-Kluska nature of which is to include ecological objectives in all HRM sub-
areas, from employment planning, through recruitment, selection,
employee motivation, and development, to their evaluation and
influence on working conditions
6 Ren et al. 2017 GHRM can be defined as phenomena relevant to understanding
relationships between organizational activities that impact the
natural environment and the design, evolution, implementation, and
influence of HRM systems
7 Ehnert et al. 2016 GHRM or sustainable HRM is about the adoption of HRM strategies
and practices that enable the achievement of financial, social, and
ecological goals, with an impact inside and outside of the
organization and over a long-term time horizon while controlling for
unintended side effects and negative feedback
8 Renwick et al. 2013 GHRM pertains to the human resource management aspect of
environmental management
9 Jabbour 2013 Green HRM is concerned with the systemic, planned alignment of
typical human resource management practices with the
organizations’ environmental goals. It requires the alignment
between HR and other functional areas of the organization
10 Jabbour et al. 2010 GHRM involves both traditional human resource practices
(recruitment, selection, performance evaluation, training, and
Table 1. rewards) aligned with environmental goals and strategic dimensions
Definitions of GHRM for HRM

2. Methodology
Following Van Eck and Waltman (2017) and Markoulli et al. (2016), the paper adopts the
bibliometric analysis method to analyse and draw inferences from 247 articles retrieved from
the WoS database from 2005 to June 2021. As bibliometric analysis is a sophisticated
(Markoulli et al., 2016) and scientific (Bouyssou and Marchant, 2011) methodology to
comprehensively understand any field of study, we performed a rigorous bibliometric
assessment of GHRM scholarship using bibliometric and VOSviewer software. Figure 1
represents the schematic view of the methodology adopted. The figure shows that the
methodology comprises four steps: data collection, data analysis, data visualization and
interpretation.
 Green human
Data Data Extraction Data Conversion resource
Collection
management
research
Data Analysis Descriptive Document X Network matrix and Mapping
analysis Attribute matrix data reduction

Data
Visualization

Figure 1.
Overview of
Interpretation methodology

2.1 Search criteria (keywords)

Based on the previously published work on GHRM and inputs from faculty colleagues and
practising managers from one of the Fortune 500 companies from oil and gas (the
organization has a well-structured GHRM system) from India, keywords used for database
search are “GHRM” OR “Green human resource management” AND “Sustainability” OR
“Corporate sustainability” AND “Organizational Performance” and “Environmental
management”.

2.2 Selection of database and data collection

WoS and Scopus databases are the two primary and most comprehensive sources of large-
scale bibliometric analyses and research evaluation practices (Pranckute, 2021). This study
collected data from WOS, as it is stricter in terms of peer review and, therefore, has superior
quality than Scopus. The search for the keywords as mentioned above in titles and abstracts
from WOS produced 247 articles (excluding conference papers and book chapters) published
in the English language between 2005 and 2021.

2.3 Analysis
Open-source tool, Bibliometrix package of R software, is one of the comprehensive science-
mapping tools (Aria and Cuccurullo, 2017) used for bibliometric analysis. Similarly,
VOSviewer software is used to construct bibliometric networks (Van Eck and Waltman,
2017). Therefore, drawing from the recommendations of Aria and Cuccurullo (2017) and Van
Eck and Waltman (2017), we used R software’s “bibliometrix” package and VOSviewer
software for bibliometric and network analysis, respectively.

3. Results
The section presents results concerning the research question mentioned at the end of the
introductory section.

3.1 Sources
Descriptive analysis (see Table 2) reports the results of the total number of articles, year-wise
growth pattern, most relevant journals, h index and source growth. The table shows that the
BIJ search produced 247 articles from 778 authors published in the English language between
2005 and 2021.
Figure 2 shows the year-wise publication trend. Since 2015 (n10), an evident surge has
been visible in GHRM scholarship. A humble number (n10) has reached 57 articles in 2020.
Figure 3 provides information about the top ten journals publishing articles on GHRM. It
is evident from the figure that the Journal of Cleaner Production, International Journal of
Human Resource Management, Sustainability, International Journal of Manpower and
Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management are amongst the top five
journals that have published the maximum number of articles.
In addition, to the information provided in Figure 3 and Table 3 provides the details of the
most cited journals. Journal of Cleaner Production, International Journal of Human Resource
Management, Journal of Business Ethics, Academy of Management Journal and Human
Resource Management (US) are the top five journals cited most in GHRM scholarship.
Figure 4 presents the detail of the journals having a high h-index. For example, four
journals with an h-index of more than 5 are the Journal of Cleaner Production, International
Journal of Human Resource Management, International Journal of Manpower and
Sustainability.
Figure 5 shows that from 2015 onwards, Sustainability is the most trending journal in
GHRM scholarship. Similarly, International Journal of Manpower and Corporate Social
Responsibility and Environmental management also show positive trends. However,
surprisingly from 2016 onwards, the Journal of Cleaner Production and the International
Journal of Human Resource Management show a declining trend.

Main information about data

Time horizon 2005:2021

Total documents 247
Keywords plus (ID) 723
Table 2. Authors 778
Summary of data Source(s): Authors’ elaboration

ArƟcles
60
50
40
30
20
10
0

Figure 2.
Publication trend
in GHRM
Source(s): Authors' elaboration
 No. of arƟcles Green human
resource
ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES management
COGENT BUSINESS & MANAGEMENT research
BENCHMARKING-AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL
ASIA PACIFIC JOURNAL OF HUMAN RESOURCES
BUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND…
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MANPOWER
SUSTAINABILITY
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HUMAN RESOURCE…
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 Figure 3.
Top relevant journals
Source(s): Authors' elaboration

Sources Articles

Journal of Cleaner Production 864

International Journal of Human Resource Management 775
Journal of Business Ethics 472
Academy of Management Journal 310
Human Resource Management (US) 198
Business Strategy and Environment 193
International Journal of Operation Production Management 185
Journal of Management 180
German Journal of Human Resource Management 178
Academy of Management Review 164 Table 3.
Source(s): Authors’ elaboration Most cited journals

h_index
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0

Figure 4.
High impact journals
Source(s): Authors' elaboration
BIJ Source dynamics of GHRM
10
8
6
4
2
0
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION

SUSTAINABILITY
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MANPOWER
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
Figure 5. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Source dynamics
Source(s): Authors' elaboration

3.2 Most influential authors and keywords

This section provides details related to the most impactful authors. As it is evident from
Figure 6, Jabbour, C.J.C., Yusliza, M.Y., Guerci, M., Yong, J.Y., Ramayah, T., Jackson, S.E.,
Renwick, D.W.S. and Tang, G.Y. are the most influential authors in GHRM scholarship.
In addition, Table 4 reports the most frequently cited articles. The results indicate that the
document authored by Renwick et al. (2013) in the International Journal of Management
Review, Jackson et al. (2011) in German Journal of Human Resource Management, Jabbour and
Jabbour (2016) in Journal of Cleaner Production and Bohdanowicz et al. (2011) in Sustainable
Tourism are the most cited articles that have helped the field grow.
The co-word analysis is the most helpful method to understand the conceptual structure
of the research done in a specific field (Callon et al., 1983). Co-word analysis reveals,
“performance”, “HRM”, “sustainability” “environmental management”, “impact”,

h_index
14

12

10

Figure 6.
Authors of high
impact factor
Source(s): Authors' elaboration using Biblioshiny
Paper Total citations
Green human
resource
Renwick, D.W.S., 2013, Int. J. Mgt. Review 381 management
Jackson, S.E. et al. (2011), German Journal of Human Resource Management 199
Jabbour and Jabbour (2016), J. Clean. Prod 179 research
Bohdanowicz et al. (2011) J. Sustain. Tourism 153
Dumont et al. (2016), Human Resource Management 145
Jabbour et al., C.J.C., 2013, Resources Conservation and Recycling 144
Jabbour et al., C.J.C. 2010, Int. J. HRM 121
Antonioli et al. (2013), Research Policy 107 Table 4.
Source(s): Authors’ elaboration Top cited documents

“employees”, “companies”, “human resource management”, “corporate social responsibility,

“supply chain management” and “framework” are the most frequently used keywords in the
paper titles and abstract (Figure 7).
Furthermore, an analysis of the trending topics (see Figure 8) reveals that from 2019
onwards, the research has been moving towards investigating the linkage between
organizational performance, environmental management, employee attitudes, sustainability
and GHRM, along with linking GHRM with supply chain management. Figure 8 presents the
detail of the productivity of the keywords.
3.2.1 Conceptual, intellectual and social structure. Density visualization is a robust way of
establishing the strength of interactions among keywords (An and Wu, 2011). A density map
was created using VOSviewer software because VOSviewer software has a robust graphical
user interface (Cobo et al., 2011). Different colours in the keyword co-occurrence heat map of
GHRM (see Figure 9) depict different density values. A higher density yellow colour indicates
the more frequently used concept or topic. For example, GHRM and green HRM are in the
highest yellow colour density; hence, they are the main keywords in GHRM scholarship.
Apart from these two terms, interestingly, relatively, the higher density yellow colour is also
seen on “sustainability”, “HRM”, “environmental management” and “environmental
performance”. This means that the key theme in GHRM studies is the role of GHRM in
organizational sustainability and organizational objectives of environmental performance.
Keyword co-occurrence is another way of understanding the knowledge structure and
research themes. Based on Figure 10 and subsequent analysis, four themes or clusters emerge
prominently. First one includes “green human resource management”, “human resource
management”, “corporate social responsibility”, “environment”, “environmental

Figure 7.
Most relevant words
BIJ Word dynamics of GHRM
30

25

20

15

10

0
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

PERFORMANCE HRM
SUSTAINABILITY COMPANIES
ENVIRONMENTAL-MANAGEMENT HUMAN-RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Figure 8. EMPLOYEES FRAMEWORK

The productivity IMPACT SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
of keywords
Source(s): Authors' elaboration using Biblioshiny

Figure 9.
Keyword
co-occurrence heat
map of GHRM

management”, and “sustainability”. The second theme or cluster comprises “green human
resource management”, “environmental performance, “green HRM practices”, “resource-
based view” and “Malaysia”. In the third cluster, “environmental sustainability”, “green
HRM” and “sustainability” are the keywords. Finally, in the fourth and the final cluster,
“green human resource management and “sustainable development” are the key themes.
 Green human
resource
management
research

Figure 10.
Keyword
co-occurrence heat
map of GHRM

On analysing these four clusters, we can conclude that there are broadly two streams of
research in GHRM. The first stream is prominently at the conceptual level that links GHRM
with corporate sustainability and emphasizes the role of HRM in the environmental and
sustainability goals of the organization. The second one is at the empirical level that
investigates the linkage between the theoretical frameworks, relevant green HR practices and
organizations’ environmental performance.

4. Findings
After the embryonic phase, the GHRM literature is growing and drawing the attention of
academics and industry alike. The study is a significant addition and extension to the
existing literature on GHRM (Paulet et al., 2021; Benevene and Buonomo, 2020; Yong et al.,
2019; Khan and Muktar, 2020). The study supplements and enhances the GHRM literature by
identifying prominent authors, the topics and the most influential journals in GHRM. The
results reveal that a few authors (e.g. Renwick, D.W.S., Jabbour, C.J.C., Jackson, S.E.) led
the most persuasive studies. GHRM scholarship gained momentum from 2015 onwards, as
the trend of all 247 articles indicates that since 2015, scholarly interest in the field has
increased. Results related to relevant authors, journals, citations and affiliations in the field of
GHRM reveal that the Journal of Cleaner Production, International Journal of Human
Resource Management, International Journal of Manpower Planning and Sustainability
emerged as the most influential journals in the field.
BIJ An analysis of the affiliations and countries indicates that University Malaysia,
Terengganu, University Sains Malaysia, Montpellier Business School and the University
of S~ao Paulo are the most contributing institutions. In addition, there is clear evidence that the
most influential authors and institutions are from Asian countries (Malaysia and China).
Cluster analysis reveals that, broadly, the literature on GHRM belongs to two categories. The
first stream of research pertains to conceptual studies discussing the basic concepts and
significance of GHRM in overall business, whereas the second stream is at the empirical level
that investigates the linkage between green HR practices and HR and organizational
outcomes.

5. Contributions and implications

This paper contributes to the existing body of knowledge in GHRM by providing composite
information about the most impactful authors, most relevant and cited journals, most cited
articles, emerging keywords and clusters for GHRM research. Furthermore, the review
contributes to the GHRM literature by identifying the keywords (GHRM, sustainability,
environmental management, performance) that constitute the core area of GHRM research
and provide new and likely directions for future research.
From organizations’ viewpoints, with the increased pressure from governments and other
stakeholders, GHRM can play a strategic role in enabling the organizations to implement and
formulate sustainable strategies and help them achieve a triple bottom line. The paper helps
HR professionals, line managers and top management make informed decisions regarding
designing an HR architecture that enhances people’s abilities, motivates them and creates a
supportive culture that enables them to exhibit strategy appropriate desired behaviour.
Additionally, it helps future research by providing comprehensive information regarding
the authors, papers, journals and possible future research questions.

6. Future research agenda

At present, the conceptualization of GHRM is limited to a few HR practices (hiring, training,
reward) and geographies (most of the studies are in the Asian context only), but can be
extended to other practices of HR (e.g. industrial relations) in developed countries and
industries, thus helping the concept grow further. As of date, GHRM is still in the infancy
stage, and therefore generalization about it without evidence would not be appropriate.
Drawing from our review and subsequent analysis, we propose the following research areas.
(1) There are few studies (Singh et al., 2020; Malik et al., 2020; Yusliza et al., 2017) on the
front of the theoretical framework. Therefore, for the advancement of the GHRM
scholarship, further research is due that base the empirical research on robust
theoretical frameworks (e.g. stakeholder’s theory, RBV)
(2) HR managers constitute a critical component of any HR architecture (Ulrich and
Brockbank, 2016; Boudreau and Lawler, 2014). They influence the designing and
implementation of effective GHRM systems (Yusliza et al., 2017; Yong and Yusliza,
2016; Jabbour et al., 2010; Jabbour and Santos, 2008). However, GHRM literature is
limited in this regard. Hence, future research is needed to investigate what skills and
competencies HR professionals require to design and implement GHRM.
(3) Starting with the Harvard and Michigan frameworks, strategic HRM literature
suggests the role of line managers in the effective implementation of HR policies and
practices. For example, Kehoe and Han (2020) argue that ultimately, the effectiveness
of any HR initiative or intervention depends on how well line managers understand
the organizational HR philosophy and are committed to implementing the HR policies
 and practices, which helps the employees exhibit the desired behaviour. Green human
Unfortunately, GHRM literature does not explore this aspect of GHRM; therefore, resource
we recommend future research exploring the role of line managers in designing and
implementing the GHRM system.
management
research
(4) Qualitative studies to understand the strategic process adopted by the organizations
to formulate and implement GHRM strategies. Empirical studies (e.g. Millar et al.,
2016) highlight the significance of GHRM in organizational sustainability objectives;
however, further research that could highlight the process adopted by the
organizations to design and implement GHRM strategies would undoubtedly help
the field grow.
(5) Moderating role of employee characteristics, workplace culture and organizational
strategy on the effect of GHRM on organizational performance. Future research can
inform how individual characteristics such as values; attitude towards environment
and sustainability; organizational factors like strategy, culture and structure; and the
external influencers affect GHRM practices.

7. Limitations
Like any other study, the present study does have a few limitations. First, this review is
comprehensive but not exhaustive. The study draws from the WOS database. We
recommend that future research use Scopus and other databases for comparative and
exhaustive analysis. Second, our study selected only documents published in scholarly
journals, excluding dissertations, book chapters and books.
Further insight may be gained by including other reliable sources also. Additionally, while
we tried to be reliable and comprehensive, the further review could be theory-driven. Also, the
studies need to investigate the role of line managers and top management in making GHRM a
central function of corporate sustainability goals. Finally, these findings can be a road map
for the researchers to investigate the field of GHRM further.

References
Aguilera, R., Rupp, D., Williams, C. and Ganapathi, J. (2007), “Putting the s back in corporate social
responsibility: a multilevel theory of social change in organizations”, Academy of Management
Review, Vol. 32 No. 3, pp. 836-863.
Ahmad, S. and Nisar, T. (2015), “Green human resource management: policies and practices”, Cogent
Business and Management, Vol. 2 No. 1, pp. 1-13.
An, X.Y. and Wu, Q.Q. (2011), “Co-word analysis of the trends in stem cells field based on subject
heading weighting”, Scientometrics, Vol. 88 No. 1, pp. 133-144.
Antonioli, D., Mancinelli, S. and Mazzanti, M. (2013), “Is environmental innovation embedded within
high-performance organisational changes? The role of human resource management and
complementarity in green business strategies”, Research Policy, Vol. 42 No. 4, pp. 975-988.
Aria, M. and Cuccurullo, C. (2017), “Bibliometrix: an R-tool for comprehensive science mapping
analysis”, Journal of Informetrics, Vol. 11 No. 4, pp. 959-975.
Bahuguna, P.C., Kumari, P. and Srivastava, S.K. (2009), “Changing face of human resource
management: a strategic partner in business”, Management and Labour Studies, Vol. 34 No. 4,
pp. 563-581.
Beer, M., Spector, B., Lawrence, P., Mills, D.Q. and Walton, R. (1984), Human Resource Management: A
General Manager’s Perspective, Free Press, New York, NY.
Benevene, P. and Buonomo, I. (2020), “Green human resource management: an evidence-based
systematic literature review”, Sustainability, Vol. 12 No. 15, p. 5974.
BIJ Bohdanowicz, P., Zientara, P. and Novotna, E. (2011), “International hotel chains and environmental
protection: an analysis of Hilton’s we care! programme (Europe, 2006–2008)”, Journal of
Sustainable Tourism, Vol. 19 No. 7, pp. 797-816.
Bombiak, E. and Marciniuk-Kluska, A. (2018), “Green human resource management as a tool for the
sustainable development of enterprises: polish young company experience”, Sustainability,
Vol. 10 No. 6, p. 1739.
Boudreau, J. and Lawler, E., III (2014), “Stubborn traditionalism in HRM: causes and consequences”,
Human Resource Management Review, Vol. 24 No. 3, pp. 232-244.
Bouyssou, D. and Marchant, T. (2011), “Bibliometric rankings of journals based on Impact Factors: an
axiomatic approach”, Journal of Informetrics, Vol. 5, pp. 75-86.
Boxall, P., Guthrie, J.P. and Paauwe, J. (2016), “Editorial introduction: progressing our understanding
of the mediating variables linking HRM, employee well-being and organizational performance”,
Human Resource Management Journal, Vol. 26 No. 2, pp. 103-111.
Callon, M., Courtial, J.P., Turner, W.A. and Bauin, S. (1983), “From translations to problematic
networks: an introduction to co-word analysis”, Social Science Information, Vol. 22 No. 2,
pp. 191-235.
Chan, E.S.W. (2011), “Implementing environmental management systems in small and medium-sized
hotels: obstacles”, Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research, Vol. 35 No. 3, pp. 3-23.
Chaudhary, R. (2018), “Can green human resource management attract young talent? An empirical
analysis”, Evidence-based HRM, No. 3, pp. 305-319.
CIPD (2012), Responsible and Sustainable Business: HR Leading the Way – A Collection of Thought
Pieces, CIPD, London.
Cobo, M.J., Lopez-Herrera, A.G., Herrera-Viedma, E. and Herrera, F. (2011), “Science mapping software
tools: review, analysis, and cooperative study among tools”, Journal of the American Society for
Information Science and Technology, Vol. 62 No. 7, pp. 1382-1402.
Cohen, E., Taylor, S. and Muller-Camen, M. (2012), HRM’s Role in Corporate Social and Environmental
Sustainability, Society for Human Resource Management, Alexandria, VA.
Colbert, B. and Kurucz, E. (2007), “Three conceptions of triple bottom-line business sustainability and
the role for HRM”, Human Resource Planning, Vol. 30 No. 1, pp. 21-29.
Daily, B.F. and Huang, S. (2001), “Achieving sustainability through attention to human resource
factors in environmental management”, International Journal of Operations and Production
Management, Vol. 21 No. 12, pp. 1539-1552.
de Souza Freitas, W.R., Jabbour, C.J.C., Mangili, L.L., Filho, W.L. and de Oliveira, J.H.C. (2012),
“Building sustainable values in organizations with the support of human resource
management: evidence from one firm considered as the ‘best place to work’”, Journal of
Human Values, Vol. 18 No. 2, pp. 147-159.
Dumont, J., Shen, J. and Deng, X. (2016), “Effects of green HRM practices on employee workplace
green behavior: the role of psychological green climate and employee green values”, Human
Resource Management, Vol. 56 No. 4, pp. 613-627.
Ehnert, I., Parsa, S., Roper, I., Wagner, M. and Muller-Camen, M. (2016), “Reporting on sustainability
and HRM: a comparative study of sustainability reporting practices by the world’s largest
companies”, The International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 27 No. 1,
pp. 88-108.
Elkington, J. (1998), “Partnerships from cannibals with forks: the triple bottom line of 21st-century
business”, Environmental Quality Management, Vol. 8 No. 1, pp. 37-51.
Fawehinmi, O., Yusliza, M.Y., Kasim, W.Z.W., Mohamad, Z. and Halim, M.A.S.A. (2020), “Exploring
the interplay of green human resource management, employee green behavior, and personal
moral norms”, Sage Open, Vol. 10 No. 4, pp. 1-18.
Fombrun, C., Tichy, N.M. and Devanna, M.A. (Eds) (1984), Strategic Human Resource Management, Green human
Wiley, New York, NY.
resource
Govindarajulu, N. and Daily, B.F. (2004), “Motivating employees for environmental improvement”,
Industrial Management and Data Systems, Vol. 104 No. 4, pp. 364-372.
management
Guerci, M., Longoni, A. and Luzzini, D. (2016), “Translating stakeholder pressures into environmental
research
performance – the mediating role of green HRM practices”, The International Journal of Human
Resource Management, Vol. 27 No. 2, pp. 262-289.
Huselid, M.A. (1995), “The impact of human resource management practices on turnover, productivity,
and corporate financial performance”, Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 38, pp. 635-672.
Jabbour, C.J.C. (2011), “How green are HRM practices, organizational culture, learning and teamwork?
A Brazilian study”, Industrial and Commercial Training, Vol. 43 No. 2, pp. 98-105.
Jabbour, C.J.C. (2013), “Environmental training in organisations: from a literature review to a
framework for future research”, Resources Conservation and Recycling, Vol. 74 No. 1,
pp. 144-155.
Jabbour, C.J.C. and Jabbour, A.B.L.S. (2016), “Green human resource management and green supply
chain management: linking two emerging agendas”, Journal of Cleaner Production, Vol. 112,
pp. 1824-1833.
Jabbour, C.J.C. and Renwick, D.W.S. (2018), “The soft side of environmentally sustainable
organizations”, RAUSP Management Journal, Vol. 53 No. 4, pp. 622-627.
Jabbour, C.J.C. and Santos, F.C.A. (2008), “Relationships between human resource dimensions and
environmental management in companies: proposal of a model”, Journal of Cleaner Production,
Vol. 16, pp. 51-58.
Jabbour, C.J.C., Santos, F.C.A. and Nagano, M.S. (2010), “Contributions of HRM throughout the stages
of environmental management: methodological triangulation applied to companies in Brazil”,
International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 21, pp. 1049-1089.
Jabbour, C.J.C., Jabbour, A.B.L., Teixeira, A.A. and De Souza Freitas, W.R.S. (2012), “Environmental
development in Brazilian companies: the role of human resource management”, Environmental
Development, Vol. 3, pp. 137-147.
Jabbour, C.J.C., Santos, F.C.A., Fonseca and Nagano, M.S. (2013), “Green teams: understanding their
roles in the environmental management of companies located in Brazil”, Journal of Cleaner
Production, Vol. 46, pp. 58-66.
Jackson, S.E., Renwick, D.W.S., Jabbour, C.J.C. and Muller-Camen, M. (2011), “State-of-the-art and
future directions for green human resource management: introduction to the special issue”,
German Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 25 No. 2, pp. 99-116.
Jackson, S.E., Schuler, R.S. and Jiang, K. (2014), “An aspirational framework for strategic human
resource management”, Academy of Management Annals, Vol. 8 No. 1, pp. 1-56.
Jiang, K., Lepak, D.P., Hu, J. and Baer, J.C. (2012), “How does human resource management influence
organizational outcomes? A meta-analytic investigation of mediating mechanisms”, Academy of
Management Journal, Vol. 55 No. 6, pp. 1264-1294.
Kehoe, R.R. and Han, J.H. (2020), “An expanded conceptualization of line managers’ involvement in
human resource management”, Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol. 105 No. 2, pp. 111-129.
Khan, M.H. and Muktar, S.N. (2020), “A bibliometric analysis of green human resource management
based on Scopus platform”, Cogent Business and Management, Vol. 7 No. 1, 1831165.
Kim, Y.J., Kim, W.G., Choi, H.M. and Phetvaroon, K. (2019), “The effect of green human resource
management on hotel employees’ eco-friendly behaviour and environmental performance”,
International Journal of Hospitality Management, Vol. 76 No. A, pp. 83-93.
Kiron, D., Kruschwitz, N., Haanaes, K. and von Streng Velken, I. (2012), “Sustainability nears a tipping
point”, MIT Sloan Management Review, Vol. 53 No. 2, pp. 69-74.
BIJ Longoni, A., Luzzini, D. and Guerci, M. (2016), “Deploying environmental management across
functions: the relationship between green human resource management and green supply chain
management”, Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 151 No. 4, pp. 1-15.
Luu, T.T. (2018), “Employees’ green recovery performance: the roles of green HR practices and
serving culture”, Journal of Sustainable Tourism, Vol. 26 No. 8, pp. 1308-1324.
Malik, S.Y., Cao, Y., Mughal, Y.H., Kundi, G.M., Mughal, M.H. and Ramayah, T. (2020), “Pathways
towards sustainability in organizations: empirical evidence on the role of green human resource
management practices and green intellectual capital”, Sustainability, Vol. 12, p. 3228.
Marcus, A. and Fremeth, R. (2009), “Green management matters regardless”, Academy of Management
Perspectives, Vol. 23 No. 3, 17e26.
Markoulli, M., Lee, C.I., Byington, E.K. and Felps, W.A. (2016), “Mapping human resource
management: reviewing the field and charting future directions”, Human Resource
Management Review, Vol. 27 No. 3, pp. 367-396.
Masri, H.A. and Jaaron, A.A. (2017), “Assessing green human resources management practices in
Palestinian manufacturing context: an empirical study”, Journal of Cleaner Production, Vol. 143,
pp. 474-489.
Millar, J.H., Sanyal, C. and Camen, M.M. (2016), “Green human resource management: a comparative
qualitative case study of a United States multinational corporation”, The International Journal
of Human Resource Management, Vol. 27 No. 2, pp. 192-211.
Mishra, R.K., Sarkar, S. and Kiranmai, J. (2014), “Green HRM: innovative approach in Indian public
enterprises”, World Review of Science, Technology and Sustainable Development, Vol. 11 No. 1,
pp. 26-42.
Mukherjee, B. and Chandra, B. (2018), “Conceptualizing green human resource management in
predicting employees’ green intention and behaviour: a conceptual framework”, Prabandhan:
Indian Journal of Management, Vol. 11 No. 7, pp. 36-48.
Paulet, R., Holland, P. and Morgan, D. (2021), “A meta-review of 10 years of green human resource
management: is Green HRM headed towards a roadblock or a revitalization”, Asia Pacific
Journal of Human Resources, Vol. 59 No. 2, pp. 159-183.
Pranckute, R. (2021), Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus: the Titans of Bibliographic Information in
Today’s Academic World, 1st ed., Publications, MDPI, Scientific Information Department,
Library, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Lithuania, Vol. 9, p. 12.
Ragas, S.F.P., Tantay, F.M.A., Chua, L.J.C. and Sunio, C.M.C. (2017), “Green lifestyle moderates
GHRM’s impact on job performance”, International Journal of Productivity and Performance
Management, Vol. 66 No. 7, pp. 857-872.
Renwick, D.W., Redman, T. and Maguire, S. (2013), “Green human resource management: a review
and research agenda”, International Journal of Management Review, Vol. 15 No. 1, pp. 1-14.
Ren, S., Tang, G. and Jackson, S.E. (2018), “Green human resource management research in
emergence: a review and future directions”, Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Vol. 35 No. 3,
pp. 769-803.
Renwick, D.W.S., Jabbour, C.J.C., Muller-Camen, M., Redman, T. and Wilkinson, A. (2016),
“Contemporary developments in green (environmental) HRM scholarship”, The International
Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 27 No. 2, pp. 114-128.
Roscoe, S., Subramanian, S., Jabbour, C.J.C. and Chong, T. (2019), “Green human resource management
and the enablers of green organisational culture: enhancing a firm’s environmental performance
for sustainable development”, Business Strategy and the Environment, Vol. 28 No. 5,
pp. 737-749.
Saeed, B.B., Afsar, B., Hafeez, S., Khan, I., Tahir, M. and Afridi, M.A (2018), “Promoting employee’s
proenvironmental behavior through green human resource management practices”, Corporate
Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, Vol. 26 No. 2, pp. 424-438.
Sawang, S. and Kivits, R.A. (2014), “Greener workplace: understanding senior management’s adoption Green human
decisions through the theory of planned behaviour”, Australasian Journal of Environmental
Management, Vol. 21 No. 1, pp. 22-36. resource
Shah, M. (2019), “Green human resource management: development of a valid measurement scale”,
management
Business Strategy and the Environment, Vol. 28 No. 5, pp. 771-785. research
Shen, J., Dumont, J. and Deng, X. (2016), “Employees’ perceptions of Green HRM and non-green
employee work outcomes: the social identity and stakeholder perspectives”, Group and
Organization Management, Vol. 43 No. 4, pp. 1-29.
Singh, S.K., Giudice, M.D., Chierici, R. and Graziano, D. (2020), “Green innovation and environmental
performance: the role of green transformational leadership and green human resource
management”, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Vol. 150, 119762.
Siyambalapitiya, J., Zhang, X. and Liu, X. (2018), “Green human resource management: a proposed
model in the context of Sri Lanka’s tourism industry”, Journal of Cleaner Production, Vol. 201
No. 10, pp. 542-555.
Tang, G., Chen, Y., Jiang, Y., Paille, P. and Jia, J. (2017), “Green human resource management practices:
scale development and validity”, Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, Vol. 56 No. 1,
pp. 31-55.
Tiwari, S. (2015), “Framework for adopting sustainability in the supply chain”, International Journal of
Automation and Logistics, Vol. 1 No. 3, pp. 256-272.
Ulrich, D. and Brockbank, W. (2016), “Creating a winning culture: next step for leading HR
professionals”, Strategic HR Review, Vol. 15 No. 2, pp. 51-56.
Van Eck, N.J. and Waltman, L. (2017), “Citation-based clustering of publications using CitNetExplorer
and VOSviewer”, Scientometrics, Vol. 111 No. 2, pp. 1053-1070.
Wales, T. (2013), “Organizational Sustainability: what is it, and why does it matter”, Review of
Enterprise and Management Studies, Vol. 1 No. 1, pp. 38-49.
Wehrmeyer, W. (Ed.) (2017), Greening People: Human Resources and Environmental Management,
Routledge.
Wright, P.M. and MacMahan, C.G. (1992), “Theoretical perspectives for strategic human resource
management”, Journal of Management, Vol. 18, pp. 295-321.
World Commission on Environment and Development (1987), Report of the World Commission on
Environment and Development, Our Common Future, New York, NY.
Yong, J.Y. and Yusliza, M.-Y. (2016), “Studying the influence of strategic human resource
competencies on the adoption of green human resource management practices”, Industrial
and Commercial Training, Vol. 48, pp. 416-422.
Yong, J.Y., Yusliza, M.-Y. and Fawehinmi, O.O. (2019), “Green human resource management: a
systematic literature review from 2007 to 2019”, Benchmarking: An International Journal,
Vol. 27 No. 7, pp. 2005-2027.
Yusliza, M.-Y., Othman, N.Z. and Jabbour, C.J.C. (2017), “Deciphering the implementation of green
human resource management in an emerging economy”, Journal of Management Development,
Vol. 36 No. 10, pp. 1230-1246.
Yusoff, Y.M., Nejati, M., Kee, D.M.H. and Amran, A. (2018), “Linking green human resource
management practices to environmental performance in hotel industry”, Global Business
Review, Vol. 21 No. 3, pp. 1-18.
Zaid, A.A., Jaaron, A.A. and Bon, A.T. (2018), “The impact of green human resource management and
green supply chain management practices on sustainable performance: an empirical study”,
Journal of Cleaner Production, Vol. 204, pp. 965-979.
BIJ Further reading
Acquah, I.S.K., Agyabeng-Mensah, Y. and Afum, E. (2021), “Examining the link among green human
resource management practices, green supply chain management practices and performance”,
Benchmarking: An International Journal, Vol. 28 No. 1, pp. 267-290.
Freitas, W.R.D.S., Caldeira-Oliveira, J.H., Teixeira, A.A., Stefanelli, N.O. and Teixeira, T.B. (2020),
“Green human resource management and corporate social responsibility: evidence from
Brazilian firms”, Benchmarking: An International Journal, Vol. 27 No. 4, pp. 1551-1569.
Galleli, B., Hourneaux, F. Jr and Munck, L. (2020), “Sustainability and human competences: a
systematic literature review”, Benchmarking: An International Journal, Vol. 27 No. 7,
pp. 1981-2004.
Saeed, A., Rasheed, F., Waseem, M. and Tabash, M.I. (2021), “Green human resource management and
environmental performance: the role of green supply chain management practices”,
Benchmarking: An International Journal, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print, doi: 10.1108/
BIJ-05-2021-0297 (In press).
Tiwari, S. (2020), “Supply chain integration and Industry 4.0: a systematic literature review”,
Benchmarking: An International Journal, Vol. 28 No. 3, pp. 990-1030.
Yusliza, M.-Y., Norazmi, N.A., Jabbour, C.J.C., Fernando, Y., Fawehinmi, O. and Seles, B.M.R.P. (2019),
“Top management commitment, corporate social responsibility and green human resource
management: a Malaysian study”, Benchmarking: An International Journal, Vol. 26 No. 6,
pp. 2051-2078.

Corresponding author
Saurabh Tiwari can be contacted at: tiwarisaurabht@gmail.com

For instructions on how to order reprints of this article, please visit our website:
www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/licensing/reprints.htm
Or contact us for further details: permissions@emeraldinsight.com

View publication stats