Ryan FowlerCompanies that embed green human resource management (HRM) practices are more likely to encourage green creativity among employees, boosting innovation, competitiveness and environmental responsibility, according to new research from Durham University Business School.
The study, led by Professor Zhibin Lin alongside Xiaoqin Liu and Yanling Sun from Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, examined how HR policies aligned with environmental goals influence staff efforts to develop green solutions and practices.
Professor Lin said: “Embedding sustainability in the culture of an organisation has emerged as a critical factor for organisational success due to the impact it has on employees. Through staff initiative, companies may benefit from more efficient product designs, better methods to reduce waste or the creation of entirely new green products and practices. Employee green creativity is therefore a key driver of firm performance and competitive advantage.”
The researchers found that companies that aligned activities such as recruitment, training, incentives and performance management with environmental objectives reported greater levels of green innovation from staff. However, they also found that creative leadership plays a vital role in reinforcing the link between green HRM practices and employee-led sustainability efforts.
The findings are based on survey responses from 319 employees in the financial, internet and IT sectors across China’s developed coastal regions, where sustainability had been embedded as an organisational priority.
The study concluded that leadership styles that encourage idea generation and innovation help staff connect company values with day-to-day behaviour, ultimately strengthening sustainable performance.
The study, “Where there is a thriving, there is a green way: cultivating employee green creativity through green HRM and creative leadership,” is published in Employee Relations: The International Journal
