Green Human Resource Management: A Comprehensive Review of Evolution, Practices, and Implications in the Indian and Global Contexts

Green Human Resource Management (GHRM) has emerged as a vital domain linking sustainability with human
resource practices. This review synthesizes the evolution of GHRM from its conceptual foundations in Greening
People (Wehrmeyer, 1996) to its current status as a strategic enabler of corporate environmental performance.
Drawing upon international and Indian scholarship, the paper categorizes key practices—green recruitment,
training, performance appraisal, employee engagement, and eco-friendly organizational design—while situating
them within theoretical perspectives such as the Resource-Based View, stakeholder theory, and ecological
modernization. Evidence indicates that GHRM contributes to operational cost reduction, employee morale,
organizational competitiveness, and broader environmental benefits including reduced carbon footprints and
resource conservation. In the Indian context, Central Public Sector Enterprises (e.g., BHEL, NLC, HAL) and
private corporations (e.g., Infosys, Tata Group) have adopted varied green HR initiatives, though challenges
persist in the form of limited top management support, weak inter-departmental integration, and disclosure
constraints. Comparative analysis highlights that while Indian organizations are progressing, they lag behind
international benchmarks in integrating GHRM with measurable performance outcomes. The review identifies
research gaps, notably the lack of quantifiable indicators, limited empirical studies in commerce sectors, and
underexplored intersections between digital HR technologies and sustainability. It concludes that GHRM
represents a strategic pathway for organizations to balance economic performance with social and environmental
responsibility, and calls for deeper adoption in Indian industry alongside global best practices.
Keywords: Green Human Resource Management (GHRM), sustainability, employee engagement, organizational
performance, India